I ALSO WISH TO THANK THE SECRETARY GENERAL
FOR HIS EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF PEACE IN THE
WORLD. HIS REPORT ‘AGENDA FOR PEACE’ SHOULD
BE GIVEN URGENT ATTENTION BY MEMBER
COUNTRIES.
I OFFER HIM MY CONTINUED SUPPORT IN ALL
HIS DEMANDING WORK.
THIS YEAR, WE ARE VERY PLEASED TO GREET
THIRTEEN NEW MEMBERS OF THE UNITED
NATIONS. THEIR ADMISSION SHOULD FURTHER
STRENGTHEN OUR ORGANISATION.
MR. PRESIDENT,
PLEASE ACCEPT MY CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR
ELECTION AS PRESIDENT OF THIS FORTY-
SEVENTH(47TH)SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
GENERAL ASSEMBLY. I AM SURE YOU WILL GUIDE US
WELL.
AT THE SAME TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK
OUR OUTGOING PRESIDENT HIS EXCELLENCY SAMIR
SHIHABI. HIS VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORK
OF THE UNITED NATIONS IS MUCH APPRECIATED.
MR. PRESIDENT,
SINCE OUR MEETING LAST YEAR, WE HAVE
CONTINUED TO SEE GREAT CHANGES IN THE WORLD.
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM HAS WELCOMED MOST OF
THEM. HOWEVER, WE HAVE APPROACHED OTHERS
WITH CAUTION. THIS IS BECAUSE WE ARE NOT YET
SURE WHAT THEY WILL LEAD TO.
GENERALLY, THOUGH, WE FEEL THE
MEMBERES OF THE WORLD BODY ARE NOW IN A
BETTER POSITION THAN EVER BEFORE TO BUILD
A JUST AND LASTING PEACE IN THE WORLD.
HOWEVER, WE BELIEVE THAT CERTAIN THINGS
MUST BE IN PLPACE BEFORE ANY UNITED NATIONS’
ACTION CAN HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF SUCCESS.
THESE ARE STRONG BILATERAL RELATIONSHIPS
BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES WHICH LEAD TO
MULTILATERAL COOPERATION. THROUGH REGIONAL
ASSSOCIATIONS. WE FEEL THAT THESE TWO
STRUCTURES ARE ESSNTIAL. IF THEY EXIST, IT IS OUR
VIEW THAT THE UNITED NATIONS WILL BE ABLE TO
FUNCTION WELL BOTH IN TERMS OF PEACEKEEPING
AND PEACEBUILDING.
WE THINK THEY ARE REQUIRED BECAUSE NO
ONE NATION OR SINGLE ORGANISATION IS ABLE TO
STAND ALONE.
THIS IS WHY MY COUNTRY, LIKE MANY OTHERS,
HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN INTENSE DIPLOMATIC ACTIVITY
OVER THE PAST YEAR. WE FEEL WE HAVE TO
ESTABLISH A WIDE-RANGE OF BILATERAL RELATIONS
AND PARTICIPATE FULLY IN REGIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS.
IN THIS WAY, WE THINK THAT EVEN SMALL
NATIONS SUCH AS OURS CAN CONTRIBUTE A GREAT
DEAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS ORGANISATION. WE
WOULD LIKE TO SEE UNITED NATIONS’ ACTION
COMPLEMENTING REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS.
I FEEL THAT THIS IS ILLUSTRATETD BY THE PART
THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN NATIONS
HAS PLAYED IN FINDING A SOLUTION TO THE
CAMBODIAN PROBLEM.
ASEAN’S HARD WORK AND PATIENCE IN THE
INITIAL STAGES WAS CRUCIAL. SO WERE THE
EFFORTS OF THE OTHER CONCERNED AND INTERESTED
PARTIES. ALSO THE WILLINGNESS OF THE CAMBODIANS
THEMSELVES TO SEEK A PEACEFUL SOLUTION WAS A
MOST SIGNIFICANT FACTOR. THE UNITED NATIONS
SPONSORED PEACE ACCORD WAS BUILT ON THIS
FOUNDATION.
THE SITUATION IN CAMBODIA TODAY MAY OFFER
A FURTHER ILLUSTRATION. WE BELIEVE IT SHOWS
THAT PEACEBUILDING DOES NOT NECESSARILY END
WHEN AN AGREEMENT IS SIGNED. THE EFFORT MUST
STILL GO ON. A CONTINUING SPIRIT OF COOPERATION
AMONG ALL PARTIES TO ANY INTERNATIONAL
SETTLEMENT MUST BE ENCOURAGED.
WE, THEREFORE SEE REASONS FOR OPTIMISM IN
OUR OWN PART OF THE WORLD.
HOWEVER, WE DO NOT OVERLOOK REALITIES
ELSEWHERE. WE ARE GLAD TO NOTE THAT, EVEN IN
SOME VERY DIFFICULT SITUATIONS, INDIVIDUAL
COUNTRIES ARE TRYING TO PLAY THEIR PART IN
BRINGING PEACE AND STABILITY TO THEIR REGIONS.
WE ARE PARTICULARLY GLAD TO SEE THIS
HAPPENING IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THE PEACE TALKS
CO-SPONSORED BY THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA
ARE PROVIDING THE COUNTRIES CONCERNED WITH
THE MEANS TO MAKE PEACEFUL PROGRESS.
CERTAINLY, THE CORE PROBLEM OF PALESTINE
HAS NOT YET BEEN RESOLVED AND WE REGRET THAT
THE ISRAELIS STILL DEFY UNITED NATIONS
RESOLUTIONS TWO FOUR TWO (242) AND THREE THREE
EIGHT (338). BUT, IN SPITE OF ALL THIS, WE DO SEE
SOME PROGRESS. FOR THIS REASON, WE URGE
EVERYONE INVOLVED TO TR Y TO MAKE THE TALKS
SUCCEED AT THE SAME TIME THE UNITED NATIONS
STILL HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN THE
SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION.
WE BELIEVE THAT THE WORLD BODY SHOULD
INCREASE ITS EFFORT TO HELP BRING ABOUT
PEACEFUL CHANGE IN SOUTH AFRICA. IT WOULD
STRENGTHEN THE CONSIDERABLE EFFORTS MADE BY
INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE COMMONWEALTH AND THE
ORGANISATION OF ARFICAN UNITY.