GLOBAL PEACE, PROSPERITY NOT ASSURED WITHOUT THEIR ACHIEVEMENT IN AFRICA SAYS JAPAN, AS ASSEMBLY DISCUSSES WAYS TO SUSTAIN PEACE ON CONTINENT

9 October 1998

Press Release
GA/9477

GLOBAL PEACE, PROSPERITY NOT ASSURED WITHOUT THEIR ACHIEVEMENT IN AFRICA SAYS JAPAN, AS ASSEMBLY DISCUSSES WAYS TO SUSTAIN PEACE ON CONTINENT

19981009 Brazil Says Universal Membership and Moral Authority of Assembly Made it Appropriate Organ to Address Root Causes of African Conflict

Without peace and prosperity in Africa -- a continent which constituted a quarter of United Nations members and 13 per cent of the world's population -- global peace and prosperity in the twenty-first century could not be assured, the representative of Japan told the General Assembly this afternoon.

The problems of that continent, he said during a continuing discussion on peace and development in Africa, necessitated urgent address, not only by African nations, but also by the international community. The numerous recommendations of the Secretary-General to promote lasting stability and economic development in Africa extended far beyond the competence of the Security Council. It was incumbent upon the Assembly, in close coordination with the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council, to take concrete actions aimed at achieving durable peace and sustainable development in Africa.

The representative of Brazil said that the Security Council, responding to the Secretary-General's recommendations on Africa, had produced important documents on the enhancement of international sanctions regimes, and the improvement of the capacity of African regional and subregional organizations in conflict prevention. The Council, however, was not the most appropriate organ to address the root causes of conflict. Brazil believed that the Assembly, with the legitimacy of its almost universal membership, had the moral authority to call the many autonomous bodies within the United Nations to truly respond to the challenge.

The representative of Nigeria, speaking for the African Group and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said while there was a plethora of figures and fact about Africa, there was a shortage of concrete actions to address its socio-economic problems. The international community

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should be judged by their actions instead of declarations. As African countries embarked on the task of building democratic institutions, good governance and economic reforms, the international community should support and encourage those positive tendencies in a practical manner.

The representative of Lesotho said the international community should strive to compliment, rather than supplant, Africa's efforts to resolve its problems. Such initiatives should include efforts to build social cohesion; restore the authority and legitimacy of States as providers of safety and security; and enhance African societies' capacity to dialogue on security issues and, thus, minimize the need for weapons.

The representative of the United States said the cycle of violence in Africa must be replaced by a cycle of opportunity. Technical capacity- building was important for Africa's development. Also, for too many nations in Africa, the proliferation of deadly diseases was causing not only despair for individuals, but economic dislocation for their societies. If Africa was to truly move forward, it could not do so with one hand tied behind its back. Unfortunately, the often suffocating debt burdens under which many African countries operated were having exactly that effect.

The representative of Namibia addressed the Assembly on behalf of the Southern African states. The representative of United Republic of Tanzania also addressed the Assembly on behalf of the Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Uganda, Seychelles, Somalia and Sudan.

Statements this afternoon were also made by the representative of Zambia, Senegal, Yemen, South Africa, Russian Federation, Norway, United Arab Emirates, Chile, Swaziland and Kenya.

The Assembly will meet again on Monday, 12 October, at 3 p.m. to consider a letter from the Chairman of the Committee on Conferences and to conclude its considerations of the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and development in Africa.

Assembly Work Programme

The General Assembly met this afternoon to continue its deliberations on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa.

The Assembly had before it the report of the Secretary-General on the issue (A/52/871). (For further details, see Press Release GA/9475, issued today.)

Statements

GERARD THERON (Namibia), speaking on behalf of the Southern African States, said that the challenges facing the African continent could not be solely discussed in the Security Council. The General Assembly, as well as other bodies of the United Nations system, had to discuss and implement, as appropriate, the relevant recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General. Official development assistance (ODA) to Africa had been drastically reduced in the past few years. The impact of that decrease in resources contributed to the inability of the continent to become self-sufficient.

His country had repeatedly called on Western creditors to write off Africa's external debt, he continued. That deed would be viewed as an exercise in concrete political commitment to assist and complement Africa's efforts in forging ahead with her own development. The developed world should continue to cultivate a more equitable and fair trade partnership with the developing world. Another important factor that could greatly contribute to alleviation of the problems of the continent was the continued provision of post-conflict peace- building and rehabilitation assistance. It was obvious that the advantages of securing peace and stability far outweighed the cost of such exercise.

PHAKISO MOCHOCHOKO (Lesotho) said he hoped the Secretary-General and the international community would be actively involved in supporting Lesotho's efforts to consolidate peace and prevent the recurrence of armed confrontation. That could be done through assistance in areas which facilitated the rapid re- establishment of income generating activities that established a solid foundation for development. The sources of conflict in Africa were both internal and international. For those reasons, joint African and international efforts and contributions were essential. More importantly, Africa must demonstrate the will to use alternative means of dispute settlement, rather than resort to the use of force. As Lesotho embarked on social and economic reconstruction, it was aware that dialogue had to be the basic instrument for solving problems.

Although the primary responsibility for matters of international peace and security lay with the United Nations, support for regional and subregional initiatives was necessary and desirable, he said. The contagious results of events, such as in Lesotho, called for a more concerted effort by regional organizations to promote resolution of conflicts. The international community should strive to compliment, rather than supplant, Africa's efforts to resolve

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its problems. Such initiatives included efforts to build social cohesion; restore the authority and legitimacy of States as providers of safety and security; and enhance African societies' capacity to dialogue on security issues and minimize the need for weapons. Lesotho urged the United Nations, regional and subregional organizations, to take immediate steps to monitor the accumulation and transfer of small arms into conflict areas.

DAUDI N. GELAUTWA MWAKAWAGO (United Republic of Tanzania) addressed the Assembly on behalf of the Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Uganda, Seychelles, Somalia, and Sudan. There had been few solutions to the conflicts in Africa because the root causes had not been addressed. Like anywhere else, the pervasiveness of abject poverty engendered frustrations, instability and conflict. Africa's poverty was exacerbated by pressures of debt-servicing. Those accounted for one-third of those countries' export earnings, deteriorating terms of trade, declining ODA, falling commodity prices, increasing protectionism, and the negative effects of structural adjustment programmes. Africa was in a state of emergency. The result of well-meaning programmes such as the HIPC Debt Initiative of the Bretton Woods Institutions had proven disappointing. Africa needed a global partnership which would allow it to use and fully live up to the promise and aspirations of its people, the United Nations and the international community. He commended those Governments which had either taken or promised to take the necessary steps toward debt cancellation for African States, particularly the least developed among them.

There were countries, such as his, which had not experienced the kind of conflicts which troubled Africa, and yet were not immune from the effects of tension and strife elsewhere, he said. Conflicts had been a source of uncontrollable influxes of refugees. While refugees deserved help, so did the host countries which had to experience an unbearable burden in the face of very limited resources and considerable destruction to the environment. The United Republic of Tanzania, host to 322,325 refugees from the conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, was particularly concerned about the level of international commitment to its burden. It would be reassuring if the Assembly were to adopt a resolution under the current agenda item seeking to implement the twin goals of peace and security, and development. What Africa needed most were not handouts, but the wherewithal for meaningful development. Investments in human capital, physical infrastructure such as roads, railways and the provision of credit and access to markets, could speed up the positive changes that had been the hallmark of the last five years.

PETER LESA KASANDA (Zambia) said that the international community needed to establish conditions amenable to peace, security and sustainable development in Africa. It was common knowledge that the continent was being marginalized due to severe socio-economic and political problems. His delegation called on the Security Council to put the Angolan peace process back on track. The new conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, if unresolved, could pose a threat, not only to the region, but also to

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international peace and security. The mediation efforts of the Southern African Development Community and regional leaders deserved the support of the international community. As African conflicts were often the result of a lack of political tolerance, establishing conditions for democracy and the rule of law were primary conditions for peace and sustainable conditions.

The Secretary-General's report had neatly captured the inter- relationship between peace and development in Africa, he said. Zambia called for a 50 per cent reduction of poverty by 2015. His country had challenged itself to reach that goal by 2004. While he recognized that development was a supreme national effort, international cooperation was vital. Market access was a key factor in generating African growth. Developed countries should resist protectionist measures towards African exports to facilitate the expansion of trade from the continent. The international community also faced the challenge of providing Africa with a lasting relief from the unsustainable debt burdens.

Capacity-building in economic management, he continued, was a vital part of promoting African development. Technical assistance programmes should emphasize that area. African development would continue with a dynamism of its own if the local capacity to manage African economies was established and sustained.

MASAKI KONISHI (Japan) said since African nations constituted more that a quarter of the Member States and accounted for more than 13 per cent of the world's population, there was no doubt that global peace and prosperity would not be ensured in the twenty-first century unless peace and prosperity prevailed throughout Africa. The problems of the continent necessitated urgent address, not only for the benefit of its people, but for the international community.

He said the Security Council alone could not respond adequately to the problems of Africa. The numerous recommendations put forward in the Secretary-General's report extended far beyond its competence. As that body embarked upon a course of action in response to those suggestions, it called upon other United Nations bodies, in particular the Assembly and the Economic and Social Council to urgently consider taking action to follow-up the recommendations related to the Security Council's respective endeavours.

He said his Government strongly urged the Assembly to respond immediately to the Council's call for action. It was incumbent upon the Assembly, in close coordination with the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council to consider the Secretary-General's recommendations and take concrete actions aimed at achieving durable peace and sustainable development in Africa. Japan was determined to contribute to that process in cooperation with like-minded countries. The degree to which there would be success in addressing the problems of Africa now, would be an important factor in

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determining the well-being of the world as a whole in the twenty-first century.

HENRIQUE VALLE (Brazil) underlined the need to establish procedures to coordinate United Nations efforts to deal with conflict prevention, and the transition from peacekeeping to reconstruction. His delegation was particularly interested in looking at ways which would allow the Economic and Social Council to provide information and assist the Security Council. The General Assembly was, in fact, empowered to give guidance to both the Economic and Social Council and the Security Council in order to efficiently coordinate the multilateral response to the crises in Africa.

In response to the recommendations of the Secretary-General, the Security Council had produced important documents on the enhancement of international sanctions regimes and the improvement of the capacity of African regional and subregional organizations in the area of conflict prevention. Brazil enthusiastically supported the proposal for convening a ministerial- level meeting of the Security Council on Africa on a biennial basis. The Security Council, however, was not the most appropriate organ to address the root causes of conflict. Brazil believed that the General Assembly, with the legitimacy of its almost universal membership, had the moral authority to call the many autonomous bodies within the United Nations to respond to the challenge.

IBRA DEGUENE KA (Senegal) said the Secretary-General's report was frank, insightful, global and forward-looking. He was gratified the Security Council had established working bodies to address the issues mentioned in the report. The situation in Africa had been developing rapidly. In addition to traditional conflicts, there were conflicts of a new generation, which were more politically sensitive, involving new players and derived from internal contradictions. The Secretary-General had properly highlighted the new state of affairs. Therefore, it was important to develop within that framework a multidisciplinary approach, taking into account the sources of conflict, the character of the new players and the changes affecting the African political scene. Conflicts were accompanied by economic marginalization, despite efforts of African countries to reform their economies and expand their democracies. Large-scale banditry and illegal distribution of weapons were among the problems plaguing the continent. The rebellion of factions from the armed forces had resulted in coup d'etats.

The Organization of African Unity (OAU) had been involved in creating mechanisms for conflict prevention at the African level, he said. They needed further support from the United Nations and the entire international community. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), like the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and other sub-regional organizations were developing their own mechanisms. The ECOWAS, through the Economic Community of West African States' Monitoring Observer Group (ECOMOG) was now empowered to intervene in situations relating to many African States,

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if they threatened regional security. The highest priority was establishing machinery to strengthen African capability for maintaining and consolidating peace. The effectiveness of such machinery depended on the political will of governments. It had to be noted that the World Bank was currently engaged in reorienting assistance programmes to better assist African countries. The joint initiative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank -- the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt Initiative -- should be expanded.

MOHAMED SAAD ALI (Yemen) said the discussion of the situation in Africa had taken some time to start. What was needed now was serious and timely action to prevent further disastrous effects. Yemen was affected both positively and negatively by events in Africa. Somalia was a State which Yemen had always tried to help. The basis for peace and stability must be established through continued cooperation among Somalia's neighbouring countries, help from the United Nations and relevant regional and subregional bodies.

He said the question of Somali refugees was an urgent humanitarian issue. Yemen had always opened its doors to receive those refugees, despite limited resources. However, it now had to review the situation vis-a-vis Yemen's needs. The situation between Eritrea and Ethiopia was of grave concern to Yemen. It was hoped that a peaceful solution would be found. The problems of Africa required common understanding and close cooperation. His country hoped solutions would be achieved on those grounds.

KHIPHUSIZI J. JELE (South Africa) said that conflict management and resolution should take into account the colonial legacy on the continent. Success could be measured by the extent of development of democratic institutions, good governance and observance of human rights. Africa had gone a long way in democratizing its societies, but economic development was needed to support that process. Africa was constantly striving to establish just relations with the developed countries.

In spite of the challenges to Africa's development, the situation was not that of utter gloom, he continued, but one of hope based on positive economic indicators in some regions. For example, in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), recent economic performance had, overall, been positive. Sound macroeconomic policies were in place in a number of African countries, but supportive international efforts would be helpful in assisting African economies in the relocations of capital directed at foreign direct investment.

South Africa shared concern at the proliferation of arms and supported the proposal for strengthening the international and domestic instruments against illicit arms trafficking, he said. Increasing expenditure on armaments should be avoided, as scarce resources would be better utilized for development purposes. Adequate resources were vital for effective peacekeeping, and the proposal to formulate, through the Security Council,

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clear criteria for deployment of peacekeeping operations could enhance the role of the United Nations in that area.

PETER BURLEIGH (United States) said the recommendations in the Secretary-General's report closely mirrored the programmes and priorities of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the initiatives announced by United States President Bill Clinton in "Partnership for Economic Growth and Opportunity in Africa". Each nation was primarily responsible for creating its own framework for democracy, development and peace. The United States urged the international community to continue assisting Africa's regional and subregional organizations as they worked to shape a new destiny for Africa's people that was free of discord and violence. Lasting peace and security had to go hand-in-hand with political and economic development and good governance guided by the rule of law. The cycle of violence must be replaced by a cycle of opportunity. His country also believed that technical capacity-building was critically important for Africa's development. Also, for far too many nations in Africa, the proliferation of deadly diseases was causing not only despair for individuals, but economic dislocation for their societies. That was why the United States was working to control the spread across the continent of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria.

If Africa was to truly move forward, it could not do so with one hand tied behind its back, he said. Unfortunately, the often suffocating debt burdens under which many African countries operated were having exactly that effect. The HIPC Debt Initiative was providing coordinated debt relief to poor countries with unsustainable debt burdens. Finally, he reiterated the call for creditors to follow the example of the World Bank and the Paris Club and provide interim debt relief to support reforms to date, rather than delaying all debt relief until future completion of an entire reform package.

YURIY V. FEDOTOV (Russian Federation) said that within the framework of its competency, the Security Council was already taking concrete steps for the development of the recommendations of the Secretary-General. The working group established by the Council had made it possible to reach agreement regarding support for regional and subregional efforts aimed at conflict prevention and increasing the effectiveness of sanctions and efforts to stem arms trafficking. Enhancing the potential of Africa in the area of conflict prevention was very important. It was necessary to enhance specific targeting of sanctions and work out more clear criteria for deploying United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Some of the Secretary-General's recommendations went beyond the parameters of the Security Council, he continued, which necessitated closer ties and coordination between various United Nations bodies. Resorting to the "dormant" article 65 of the Charter regarding interaction between the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council was also a possibility. He stressed the need for technical assistance and for coordination of efforts of

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different donors working on the basis of bilateral and multilateral relations. A comprehensive approach to the challenges of globalization was indispensable, and respect for human rights and the rule of law were necessary components of any effort.

Traditional ties with Africa were very valuable to Russia, he said. It intended to render all possible assistance to African countries in the future, above all in the areas of transportation, logistical support for humanitarian operations and professional training. It was also ready to provide assistance on demining programmes.

GABRIEL SAM AKUNWAFOR (Nigeria,) speaking for the African Group and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said that while a plethora of figures and facts about Africa existed, there was not enough concrete action to address the socio-economic problems of the continent. The international community should be judged by their actions, not their declarations. As African countries embarked on the arduous task of building democratic institutions, good governance and economic reforms, the international community should support and encourage those positive tendencies in a practical manner. He welcomed the open-ended ad hoc Working Group to review the maintenance of African peace and security, which should come up with specific proposals for concrete action for the Security Council. At the same time, other relevant United Nations bodies, including the General Assembly and intergovernmental organizations, should also consider the subject matter and take appropriate action.

He said that since the Assembly had proclaimed the period from 1997 to 2006 the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty, the root causes of poverty must be addressed through concrete action in the core areas of capacity building in health, food security, and the environment. To achieve that goal, Africa required strategies to expedite economic growth in the region and elsewhere. "Unfortunately, while many governments endorse poverty eradication as a primary international goal, they have not always translated this commitment into tangible results", he noted.

That trend had been evidenced by the continuing decline in ODA, and had been further aggravated by the external debt situation, he said. For most African countries, the share of government revenue devoted to debt servicing was larger than that of the social, education and health sectors combined. As accrued interests continued to worsen the debt shock, total debt forgiveness should be given more serious consideration. Also, the recent HIPC Debt Initiative should be made more flexible. The Bretton Woods institutions were crucial catalysts for the socio-economic development of the continent. They needed to better understand the efficacy of "peace friendly" reform programmes which would not undermine the ability of beneficiary governments to fulfil basic responsibilities to their people. He said that the African Group would introduce a resolution to address liberalization and globalization from economic and social perspectives.

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OLE PETER KOLBY (Norway) said given the number of African conflicts, it was crucial for the international community, together with African countries, to address not only security and conflict prevention, but also economic development, good governance, democracy and human rights protection. Political will must be manifested by African leaders who put the interests of their people first -- and by the international community -- through the creation of an international economic environment conducive to Africa's development aspirations.

The continent, as a whole lagged behind the targeted six per cent growth in gross national product set out in the "New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s", he said. It was critical to integrate African economies into the global trading regime and to work toward just terms of trade for the poor countries. Norway had contributed bilaterally and multilaterally to further that goal. It had also supported a strategy to provide unilateral debt reductions on a case-by-case basis in addition to reductions made under the IMF's HIPC Debt Initiative. The goal of that initiative was to reduce the debt burden of the 22 poorest and most heavily indebted countries, of which 18 were African.

Short term humanitarian assistance and rehabilitation had contributed positively in solving conflicts and stabilizing post-conflict situations, but did little to alleviate the long-term causes of political stability and unrest, he said. Developing countries must come to grips with the causes of poverty. However, in today's adverse economic climate, demonstrating the will to fight poverty and to achieve sustainable development was perhaps the only kind of attitude that could inspire donors to come up with more aid. Since African countries would, for the foreseeable future, be dependent on ODA to implement their economic and social reforms, the international community should work to counteract donor fatigue in relation to Africa. His Government was currently working to increase its development assistance to one per cent of its GNP in the years ahead.

ABDUL WAHAB AL-NAJAAR (United Arab Emirates) said the successive meetings of the Security Council at the ministerial level and today's discussion, reflected the level of international concern. Africa had demonstrated the will to emerge from its crises, however the continent still suffered from the negative impact of socio-economic and environmental decline. Collective effort was needed to contain the situation in Africa. It was important to mobilize regional, national and international resources to support necessary improvements in infrastructure.

Warring African parties had to summon the will to achieve peaceful reconciliation, he said. The international community had to devise and implement programmes to curb arms flow to areas of tension. Coordination between the United Nations and the OAU must work to enhance mechanisms for managing conflicts. Also, international strategies for early warning and responding to crises had to be devised.

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JUAN LORRAIN (Chile) said that during its membership in the Security Council, his country had witnessed a number of tragedies in Africa. It was common knowledge that boundaries set at the time of colonialism often did not coincide with ethnic realities. Africans themselves were increasingly addressing African problems, and it was essential for the United Nations to coordinate efforts with subregional organizations to resolve African crises.

Chile was concerned by the difficulties humanitarian agencies encountered in conducting their work, he said. It was necessary to provide them with assistance in their efforts. The United Nations system should not turn away from a country or region where peace had been achieved. The Security Council should provide for a fluid transition from peacekeeping activities to those of other bodies responsible for post-conflict development. It was also necessary to remember that some African countries demonstrated great economic vitality. Their experiences should become a model to follow.

MOSES MATHENDELE DLAMINI (Swaziland) said the Secretary-General's report had generated hope for the beginning of a new relationship between the United Nations and Africa. Efforts of African countries had helped contain crises in Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Those achievements were testimony to Africa's commitment to lasting peace and security. The efforts of the OAU, combined with subregional organizations, offered prospects for conflict containment and permanent conflict resolution in Africa. Those initiatives, however, needed to be strengthened at the continental and international levels.

Conflict prevention could not be achieved without stopping the illegal flow of arms to the continent, he said. They contributed to maintaining a climate of insecurity. The Council should therefore urge those countries that supplied weapons to show restraint and to enhance the effectiveness of arms embargoes.

To service its debt, Africa would use its entire export earnings, he said. While Africa could not avoid its share of responsibility for the present debt predicament, the international community needed to acknowledge its own role in the creation of the problems. During the cold war, bilateral and multilateral loans were often linked mainly to geopolitical priorities: the purchasing political peace and stability in areas of interest to the former super-powers or their allies. In that connection, Swaziland supported the OAU call for an international agreement to clear the entire debt stock of the poorest African countries within a reasonably short period of time.

NJUGUNA M. MAHUGU (Kenya) said, since the early 1990s, African leaders had sought to resolve their conflicts through peaceful means. At the institutional level, in 1993, the OAU had established the mechanism for conflict prevention. That mechanism had enhanced many regional initiatives seeking to resolve conflict through peaceful means. African States had also embarked on important steps in instituting far-reaching political reform.

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However, a lot more remained to be done to successfully promote democracy. African States must rise to the challenge in order to establish good governance.

Africa was characterized by political conflicts, on the one hand, and serious economic problems, on the other, he said. Those characteristics were invariably inter-related. There could be no development without peace and, conversely, there could be no peace without development. Africa needed support in all its endeavours. In that context, he mentioned the problem of inadequate assistance for development. That assistance was an indispensable complement to the policies of African States and needed to be sustained.

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