S/PV.3742 Security Council

At the outset of the meeting, I should like, on behalf of the Council, to express deep sorrow at the passing, on 19 February 1997, of Deng Xiaoping, Paramount Leader of China. Deng Xiaoping will be remembered by the international community for his dedicated contribution to global peace, security and development, and for his role as the primary architect of China’s reforms, its opening up, modernization and unprecedented economic development. His passing is a great loss to China and to the international community. On behalf of the Council, I request the Permanent Representative of China to convey to the Government and people of China and to the bereaved family our profound condolences. I now invite members of the Council to rise and observe a minute of silence in tribute to the memory of Paramount Leader Deng Xiaoping. The members of the Council observed a minute of silence.

On this occasion of profound grief for the Chinese people, Portugal sincerely regrets the death of China’s Paramount Leader, Mr. Deng Xiaoping, a central and historic figure in the construction of modern China. Mr. Deng Xiaoping was instrumental in the deepening of relations between China and Portugal. It was under his able leadership that China and Portugal initiated the ongoing negotiations for the hand-over of the administration of the Territory of Macao in 1999. His constructive and cooperative spirit is clearly reflected in the smooth progress of those negotiations. The President of the Republic of Portugal, who is currently in China on a state visit, was able to express personally to China and its people the heartfelt condolences of Portugal and its people on the passing of Mr. Deng Xiaoping.

It was with profound sadness that we learned of the passing away of His Excellency Mr. Deng Xiaoping. With his passing, the People’s Republic of China has lost a wise and visionary leader. He honoured Japan with visits in 1978 and again in 1979, and in turn welcomed to China many Japanese people from diverse sectors for close and wide-ranging discussions. Indeed, the friendly and cooperative relations which our two countries enjoy today are in no small measure the legacy of this great man. On behalf of the Government and people of Japan, I should like on this occasion to convey to His Excellency Mr. Qin Huasun and the members of his Mission — and through him to the Government and people of the People’s Republic of China — my sincere condolences at this time of bereavement.

The Egyptian delegation should like to extend its most profound condolences to the Government and people of China, as well as to the Chinese Mission to the United Nations, on the passing of Paramount Leader Deng Xiaoping. Deng Xiaoping was in the leadership of China for half a century and personally led that country for the past 18 years. He also helped to develop policies and reforms for the modernization of China that have allowed the country to achieve important progress. He has left an indelible mark on the economic, political and social life of his country. China and the entire world will always remember with appreciation and gratitude the many years of wise leadership of the great leader Mr. Deng Xiaoping.

The Chilean delegation pays tribute to Mr. Deng Xiaoping, an outstanding statesman and the highly regarded leader of the People’s Republic of China. The death of a man who was a great promoter of reform and the architect of China’s opening to the international community leaves a vacuum on the world scene. His recognized political stature gives him a special place among the world leaders of this century.

On behalf of Her Majesty’s Government, I wish to express our regret on learning of the recent death of Mr. Deng Xiaoping. He played a historic role in the development of modern China, most recently through the economic reform programme and China’s greater opening to the outside world. With his visionary concept of “one country, two systems”, he made a major contribution to the conclusion by the United Kingdom and China of the Joint Declaration on Hong Kong in 1984. We offer our condolences to Mr. Deng’s family and to the people of China.

As President Clinton recently stated, Deng Xiaoping was an extraordinary figure on the world stage. Mr. Deng spurred China’s historic economic reform programme and opened his country to the outside world. His historic visit to our country in 1979 laid the foundation for the rapid exchange of relations and cooperation between China and the United States. On behalf of the United States Government and the people of the United States, we offer our condolences to his family and to the Chinese people. He will be sorely missed.

On behalf of the Republic of Korea, the Korean delegation also expresses its profound condolences to the Government and the people of China on the passing away of their Paramount Leader, Mr. Deng Xiaoping. Mr. Deng left an indelible mark on the history of mankind, as he did so much to improve the well- being of so many people in such a short period of time. In that way he made an indispensable contribution to the peace and prosperity not only of China but also of the entire East Asian region and beyond. We are convinced that the policies of openness and reform which he initiated set China on the path to prosperity. It is our sincere hope that the Chinese people and leadership will be able to overcome the sorrow and grief that engulf them at the loss of their great leader, and will continue to march forward on the road that Mr. Deng Xiaoping pioneered. I should like to convey our sincere condolences to his family and to the leadership of the People’s Republic of China, as well as to the Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations.

On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Poland, I wish to offer our condolences on the passing away of Mr. Deng Xiaoping, a distinguished statesman and a leader of international stature, whose long political journey marked an important stage in the history of modern China. Mr. Deng Xiaoping’s legacy, as well as his long-standing influence, which helped bring prosperity to millions of Chinese people, will undoubtedly go down in history. Once again, we wish to avail ourselves of this opportunity to convey to the Chinese delegation our deep sympathy, and to join them in their sorrow over the loss of a man whose political skills and eminent personal qualities will be remembered.

The Russian delegation would like to convey its deep and sincere condolences to the leadership of the People’s Republic of China and to the entire Chinese people in connection with the death of the outstanding State and political leader Mr. Deng Xiaoping, whose name is linked with broad reforms in the life of Chinese society and with China’s positive contribution to world affairs. Deep condolences have already been expressed in this regard by the President of the Russian Federation, Mr. Boris Yeltsin, and by other Russian leaders. Russia places high value on the role of Deng Xiaoping in the normalization of Soviet-Chinese relations and in the development of Russian-Chinese links, which have reached a level of constructive partnership for strategic cooperation into the twenty-first century, in the interests of the Russian and Chinese peoples, and of the entire international community.

We were deeply moved by the news of the passing away of Deng Xiaoping, Paramount Leader of China. He was the architect behind a process of change in China of historic proportions. He will be remembered by future generations, not least for stimulating economic development and for raising the standard of living and increasing the prosperity of the Chinese people, as well as for his role in the opening up of China to the international community. On behalf of the Swedish Government, I wish to convey to the Government and the people of China, and to the family of Deng Xiaoping, our sincere condolences on the great loss that they have suffered.

The Government of Costa Rica associates itself with the words of solidarity and sorrow conveyed by the Security Council to the people and the Government of China on the death of their leader, Mr. Deng Xiaoping. Mr. Deng Xiaoping’s extraordinary leadership led to a remarkable period of change and reform that brought well- being and an enormous improvement in the standard of living of the people of China. A few years before the end of the century, China is now one of the essential protagonists in the coming world of the twenty-first century. This is due in large measure to the ideas, vision and leadership of Mr. Deng Xiaoping. My Government and the people of Costa Rica reiterate their sincerest and most profound condolences to the people and the Government of China.

Many of this world’s political leaders have fashioned international relations on the basis of their political stature, but few among them have a national destiny that can be likened to that of the deceased leader whose memory we are recalling today. The national destiny of this deceased leader has transcended the borders of his country, affecting the course of events and assuredly the course of contemporary international relations. I wish, on behalf of my country, to convey to the Chinese delegation our sincerest condolences, and I should like to ask the representative of China to express to the family of the deceased our profoundest sorrow. President Moi has sent his condolences to his Chinese counterpart, Jiang Zemin, on the death of Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. The Kenyan President said: “Deng Xiaoping will be remembered as the chief architect of China’s economic reforms, opening up the modernization drive, which has turned China into one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.”

Mr. Deng Xiaoping, who was deeply loved by Chinese people of all ethnic groups, passed away in Beijing on 19 February 1997. Mr. Deng Xiaoping was an outstanding leader whose high prestige was acknowledged by the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and Chinese people of all ethnic groups. He was the chief architect of China’s reforms, opening up and modernization, and the founder of the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. Mr. Deng Xiaoping devoted his entire life to the liberation and development of the Chinese nation and made indelible contributions to China’s national independence, the liberation of its people and the founding of a New China. Mr. Deng Xiaoping had made significant contributions at all stages of development since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. He drafted a new blueprint for China’s development by drawing on others’ experience and breaking with outmoded conventions in the light of the developments in today’s world and China’s actual conditions. This has brought profound changes to China, from the countryside to cities and from coastal special economic zones to inland areas, with the economy booming and people living and working in peace and contentment. Mr. Deng Xiaoping also creatively proposed the concept of “one country, two systems”, providing a fundamental guarantee for the gradual accomplishment of the cause of China’s reunification. The collective leadership, with President Jiang Zemin at its core, will lead the Chinese people in carrying forward the legacy of Mr. Deng Xiaoping, advancing the great cause he pioneered: building China into a prosperous, democratic and civilized socialist country and developing friendly relations of cooperation with all countries in the world, thus making more and greater contributions to peace, development and the progress of mankind. At today’s Council meeting, the President of the Council and other Council members expressed their condolences to the Chinese delegation on the passing of Mr. Deng Xiaoping. I wish on this occasion to express, on behalf of the Chinese delegation, my heartfelt thanks to the President and to other Council members. I will convey these condolences and sincere sentiments to the Chinese Government, the Chinese people and the family of Mr. Deng Xiaoping. Adoption of the agenda

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Somalia, document S/1997/135. Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council has considered the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Somalia dated 17 February 1997 (S/1997/135). “The Security Council reaffirms its commitment to a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the situation in Somalia, bearing in mind respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia, in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. It reiterates that full responsibility for achieving national reconciliation and for restoring peace rests with the Somali people. “The Security Council expresses its full support for the efforts of regional and other interested States, as well as those of international and regional organizations, particularly the Organization of African Unity, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, and the League of Arab States, to promote a direct political dialogue and facilitate a broad-based political settlement in Somalia. “The Security Council calls upon all Somali factions to cease immediately all hostilities and to cooperate with the regional and other efforts for peace and national reconciliation in Somalia, including the Sodere (S/1997/17) and Nairobi (S/1997/135, annex l) initiatives. “The Security Council encourages all States to contribute generously to the appeals of the United Nations to ensure continued relief and rehabilitation efforts in Somalia, including those aimed at the strengthening of civil society. It also encourages States to contribute to regional mediation efforts for Somalia. “The Security Council expresses again its appreciation for all United Nations agencies and other organizations and individuals carrying out humanitarian activities in Somalia. It calls upon the Somali factions to ensure the safety and freedom of movement of all humanitarian personnel and to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian relief to the Somali people, including through the opening of the airport and harbour of Mogadishu. “The Security Council will remain seized of the matter.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1997/8. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda.