BOTSWANA SALUTES AFRICAN RESOLVE AGAINST UNDEMOCRATIC TAKEOVERS, CALLS FOR ISOLATION OF UNITA

Press Release
GA/9619

BOTSWANA SALUTES AFRICAN RESOLVE AGAINST UNDEMOCRATIC TAKEOVERS, CALLS FOR ISOLATION OF UNITA

Tadjikistan Proposes Global Observance to Combat Water Pollution

"We reiterate our aversion to coups and military rule and laud the OAU Algiers decision to the effect that from now on, those who overthrow governments by means other than democratic elections will face isolation by our African community", Mompati S. Merafhe, the Foreign Minister of Botswana, told the General Assembly this morning as it continued its general debate.

Addressing the issue of Angola, he said that, in the absence of the United Nations Verification Mission in Angola (UNAVEM), it was not possible to have a proper measure of the magnitude of the slaughter, starvation and general mayhem caused by disease and landmines in that country. He called on those who supported Jonas Savimbi, the leader of the Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), to stop doing so.

He hoped the panels set up by the Security Council to investigate violations of sanctions against UNITA, would reveal the identities of “UNITA's merchants of death”, and advise on how they could be deterred from their defiance of the will of the international community.

Emomali Rakhmonov, President of Tajikistan, proposed that the United Nations declare 2003 as the “International Year of Water”, warning of “water wars” ahead if pollution were not effectively addressed. He called on the world community to do everything possible to restore peace on Afghan soil. The Security Council should review that situation and impose sanctions against those who violated its resolutions on Afghanistan.

Statements were also made this morning by the Foreign Ministers of Bolivia, Malawi, Bahamas, Haiti, Togo and Grenada.

The Assembly will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue its general debate.

Assembly Work Programme

The General Assembly met this morning to continue its general debate. The President of Tajikistan and Foreign Ministers of Botswana, Bolivia, Malawi, Bahamas, Haiti, Togo and Grenada were expected to address the Assembly.

Statements

EMOMALI RAKHMONOV, President of Tajikistan, said that one of the most significant achievements of the 20th Century had been the establishment of the United Nations. He favoured further strengthening the Organization, and in particular, the Security Council. He applauded such proposals as the Russian Federation's "Concept of Peace in the Twenty-first Century", Iran's "Dialogue Between Civilizations, and the multi-State initiative regarding "Culture of Peace".

Since its independence eight years ago, Tajikistan's path of political and social reform had been "seriously tested", but his Government had risen to the challenge of building a democratic, law abiding and secular society. In its efforts to further build a civil society and reform sustainable democratic institutions, it counted on timely, adequate and coordinated support from the United Nations.

He urged the world community to do everything possible to restore peace to Afghan soil. The protracted bloodshed could end only through the formation of a broad-based representative government that would reflect the interests of all political, ethnic and religious groups and segments of Afghan society. He called for strengthening the role of the United Nations as a key mediator in restoring peace and achieving national reconciliation in Afghanistan. The Security Council should review the situation there and impose sanctions against those who had violated its resolutions and those of the General Assembly.

He also recalled his proposal for a "security cordon" to stop the flow of drugs from Afghanistan. He favoured convening a conference next year on coordinated international action against terrorism.

He expressed appreciation for the Organization's attention to the acute ecological problems that faced his country and other States in Central Asia. The United Nations had declared the year 2002 as The International Year of Mountains; he hoped that would help mobilize the international community to assist in preserving natural mountain ecological systems. It was also time for the world community to focus its attention on the problem of fresh water in all aspects. To that end, Tajikistan wished to see the year 2003 declared “The International Year of Water”. Half the planet's population lived in unsanitary conditions because of polluted water. The likelihood of "water wars" over fresh water sources was becoming ever more real.

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL MOMPATI S.MERAFHE, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Botswana, said his country prided itself on having one of the fastest growing economies in the world, thanks to the peace and stability it had enjoyed since independence and the wise utilization of its few resources. Democracy was second nature to his country, accounting for its peace and stability. "We reiterate our aversion to coups and military rule and laud the Organization of African Unity(OAU) Algiers decision to the effect that from now on, those who overthrow governments by means other than democratic elections will face isolation by our African community.” In the absence of the United Nations Verification Mission in Angola (UNAVEM), it was not possible to have a proper measure of the magnitude of the slaughter, starvation and general mayhem caused by disease and landmines in that country. He called on the international community to intensify its efforts to end the tragedy.

"We further call upon those among us who continue to give Savimbi's rebellion sustenance to cease doing so", he said. "We must all cooperate in ensuring that sanctions imposed against the Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) are effective.” Welcoming the Security Council’s recent establishment of panels to investigate violations of sanctions against UNITA, he hoped that they would “not only reveal the identities of UNITA's merchants of death, but also advise on how such violators of United Nations sanctions could be deterred from their defiance of the will of the international community". The security of humankind was threatened not only by weapons of mass destruction but also by the build-up of conventional weapons beyond the legitimate requirements of self-defense. He called for redoubled efforts to ban the production, stockpiling and use of landmines.

At the Algiers Summit of the OAU, African leaders had solemnly committed themselves to preventing globalization from transforming the continent into a marginalized bystander, he recalled. He expressed concern that the last five years had seen a steady decline in resources for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It was imperative that debtors and creditors acknowledge the seriousness of the debt problem and worked together to reach a compromise that could yield long- term results. Also, the plight of children who were conscripted into armies in various parts of the world was an outrage and everything must be done to discourage that evil practice and punish those who insisted on perpetuating it.

Addressing the issue of United Nations reform, he quoted a Chinese proverb: "A wise man adapts himself to circumstances, as water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it." That the United Nations, particularly its Security Council, needed to adapt itself to the present era, was axiomatic. The fact that the Council's undemocratic composition was an insult to the overwhelming number of members of the Organization was also self-evident. Africa demanded to be properly represented in the Council in both categories. "We will never tire of insisting on our demand for three additional non-permanent seats and at least two permanent seats.”

JAVIER MURILLO DE LA ROCHA, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Bolivia, said that the people of the Andes had scrutinized the skies to decipher the language of the stars and foresee the future. If they were to look to the skies today, they would probably not understand the message written there. On the one hand, there was the promise of unlimited prosperity, with humans in control of nature and the environment. On the other hand, financial crises were more frequent and acute than ever and the gap between the haves and have-nots grew wider. Human cruelty went beyond all known limits. Thus, globalization held both a promise and a threat. The financial crisis and the constant reduction in prices of raw materials had struck at the heart of the economies in his region and subjected them to intolerable pressure.

He said that it was only on a solid basis of political reform that Bolivia had been able to forge forward with modernization and the opening of its economy. Inflation was controlled, the foreign debt was renegotiated and its burden reduced, public companies were privatized and conditions were created for sustainable development. However, just at the moment when it seemed that the Bolivian economy would take off, the Asian crisis had abruptly slowed the rhythm of growth.

With all the limitations and difficulties that the transition process begun in the 1980s had entailed, the quality of life of Bolivians had improved significantly, as seen in the latest UNDP Human Development Report, he continued. However, the pace of growth was insufficient and unfair. As in other countries, development had benefited a fraction of Bolivian society. Therefore, the war against poverty was President Hugo Banzer’s most important task.

He hailed the peace agreement between Ecuador and Peru, and the announcement that Chile and Peru would soon resolve pending issues left over from the Treaty of 1929. However, Bolivia still had to deal with the century-old injustice of its landlocked situation, which was one of the main causes of its lagging development. In every forum that Bolivia participated in, it upheld its request to sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean with irrefutable legal, historical, political and economic arguments. It was seeking direct negotiations with Chile on all aspects of relations between the two countries.

BROWN J. MPINGANJIRA, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Malawi, said that his Government continued to give top priority to the provision of basic social services, particularly in education, health, water supply, community development and road infrastructure. A transformation of African economies could not be sustained without complementary improvements in trade flows, financial resource flows, debt relief, foreign direct investment and support for regional cooperation. In that context, he stressed the imperative need for the international community to address the problem of debt.

He urged the Assembly to consider the question of the participation of the Republic of China on Taiwan in the activities of the United Nations, on the basis of respect for the principle of universality and the sovereignty equality of States. The Republic of China was a reality and could not be ignored. Its readmission to the United Nations and all its specialized agencies would be an important factor for peace, stability and international cooperation.

Turning to the role of the United Nations, he stressed the Security Council must be made more democratic, transparent and accountable. Representation of developing countries in the permanent membership category was necessary in order to assure the continued legitimacy of, and respect for, the Council's decisions. Increased cooperation between the United Nations and civil society, including the private sector, could only make the Organization stronger. He cited in that context the important role played by non-governmental organizations in the adoption of the Rome Statute and the Ottawa Convention; ways to enhance such cooperation should be explored.

JANET G. BOSTWICK, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Bahamas said that as States in Europe and elsewhere struggled to span ethnic and religious differences and rebuild their national identities, the greatest care should be taken in making exceptions to the general principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of States. And when the United Nations responded to international conflicts and threats to regional security, it must do so with consistency and according the same degree of urgency, and ensuring adequacy of resources, to all such situations. On that basis, the Bahamas supported United Nations efforts to bring peace and stability to areas of conflict in all regions of the world.

This past year had been one of economic "dynamism" in the Bahamas, she said. The economy had grown and there was low inflation. However, last month, Hurricane Floyd had struck the island and caused incalculable damage to its environment, infrastructure and property. That disaster underscored the continuing validity of the Barbados Programme of Action. She urged renewed commitment to the search for a consensus on the resolution to recognize the Caribbean Sea as a "special area" in the context of sustainable development. She went on to echo the concern of other CARICOM States regarding the trans-shipment of nuclear and hazardous waste through the Caribbean Sea, and urged that such shipments be stopped.

The Foreign Minister stressed that The Bahamas intended to continue actively to support national and international efforts aimed at helping women to realize their legal rights, attain economic empowerment, and rise above poverty. She hoped that the "Beijing +5 Review" would result in strategies that would engage the international community to address these issues.

The Foreign Minister said that although Haiti's fledgling democracy was courageously struggling to face significant social and political challenges, conditions there had resulted in a sustained influx of illegal immigration from that country into her own. Added to the illegal immigration from other countries in the region, the Haitian influx had proved to be a serious burden to the socio-economic structures of the Bahamas. Thus, her country had a vested interest in the stabilization of Haiti's democratic institutions and economy. It fully supported the process of free elections in Haiti, as well as United Nations efforts for Haiti's reconstruction, and the strengthening and furtherance of its democracy.

FRITZ LONGCHAMP, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Haiti, said that today was the eighth anniversary of the bloody coup in his country. He thanked the international community for its efforts aimed at restoring the democratic and constitutional order in Haiti. Because of the complicated situation in the country, those efforts had not yet yielded all the results that had been hoped for. However, his Government and people would not give up the democratic dream. Renewal of democratic institutions, especially the Parliament, was of critical importance; fair and democratic elections would be organized in Haiti in a few months. The Prime Minister had stressed the importance of creating material preconditions for the election, however. Without proper preparation, hasty elections could only exacerbate the country’s problems.

The current session of the Assembly should give deeper thought to the future mission of the United Nations, he said. In that context, he welcomed the improvement of the situation in East Timor following the actions of the international community. The presence of the international peace force should help bring the country out of chaos. He appealed to the Indonesian Government to respect the verdict of the people and assure a peaceful transition to democracy and independence in East Timor. He also called on India and Pakistan to find a final solution to the Kashmir conflict and put an end to their nuclear arms race.

He said the concept of a culture of peace was inseparable from the democratization of international order. It was necessary to reach agreement on equitable representation in the Security Council. It was also necessary to ensure application of all important resolutions adopted by the United Nations in the field of international peace and security.

Over the last two months, he said, Haiti had watched helplessly as natural disasters had taken their toll in different parts of the world. It shared the pain of the affected peoples. His Government was also following developments on the two sides of the Strait of Taiwan and noted with satisfaction the efforts aimed at restoration of a climate of confidence and mutual respect there.

KOUKOU JOSEPH FOFFIGOH, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Togo, said that while developed countries had benefited from globalization in terms of trade and liberalization, the plummeting price of raw materials and steady decline of official development assistance (ODA) had adversely affected developing countries. The most industrialized countries, the United Nations agencies and the Bretton Woods institutions had all acknowledged that most of the foreign debt of some countries could not be repaid, that the debt burden was a major obstacle to developing countries and that mechanisms to address the debt problem were not adequate. The cancellation of all bilateral debt, reduction of the debt of middle- and low-income countries, and an initiative to address the debt of the most indebted poor countries, would be bold approaches. However, the implementation of such steps should not be at the expense of ODA.

He said the international community needed to integrate developing countries into the international trading system. He hoped that upcoming World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations would take into account the interests of their weakest partners. Efforts to promote development and eradicate poverty in Africa could not be separated from the daily struggle to safeguard peace and security. His Government, he said, had spared no effort to reconcile different points of view whenever discord arose, because dialogue and discourse were the best ways to resolve disputes. Mediated solutions were needed in Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Liberia. He applauded the deployment of a 6000-strong peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone, as recommended by the Secretary-General, a task the Security Council could carry out effectively.

He was comforted that the crisis over the Lockerbie incident had seen some progress; the Security Council must now lift sanctions against Libya; the threat of nuclear weapons, and the proliferation of small arms, must be brought to amend. He supported any reform that would strengthen the Security Council and give Africa permanent representation on that body.

MARK ISAAK, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Grenada, said that in the nineties, the catchwords seemed to be "sustainable development, environmentally friendly, good governance, globalization and poverty alleviation". Those phrases seemed to be the legacy of the cluster of United Nations summits of the nineties, in which the centrality of the human person in sustainable, social, economic and cultural development had been emphasized. Countries of the Caribbean region strongly urged their more developed partners urgently to provide new and additional funding resources and technological transfers to enable them to comply with the obligations under several international conventions. In short, the concept of the global village and globalization should be premised on giving, caring and sharing.

Human rights were meaningless in an environment of poverty and deprivation, he continued. Over 35 per cent of the people in the Caribbean Basin lived below the poverty line. That situation threatened the very existence of civil societies. The plight of small Caribbean States was further compounded by the World Trade Organization's inhumane rulings over the European Union banana regime. Those States were still baffled over the attitude of their traditional ally, the United States, and certain "friendly" Latin American countries in relation to the modified version of the banana regime. They were hopeful, though, that a satisfactory compromise would be arrived at soon, and that the economies of the small banana-producing countries would be saved from the shocks of a non-existent banana industry. Also, recognition of the Caribbean Sea as a special area within the context of sustainable development would provide the jurisdictional authority necessary to control the passage of ships carrying hazardous, toxic and radioactive wastes in Caribbean waters.

In conclusion, he urged the international community to take a fresh look at the United Nations resolution regarding participation of the Republic of China in the activities of the Organization. Equally, in the name of humanity and justice, Grenada called for the lifting of the economic embargo against Cuba. Overwhelming support was given, to that issue, but enforcement was still outstanding. The United States should suspend all sanctions unconditionally.