MR. PRESIDENT,
I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR ELECTION TO THE PRESIDENCY OF THE 43RD SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, YOUR ELECTION TO THIS HIGH OFFICE IS WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE WHICH YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE WORK BEFORE US. MY DELEGATION IS CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL BENEFIT FROM YOUR WISDOM AND THAT YOU WILL GIVE OUR DELIBERATION POSITIVE GUIDANCE.
I ALSO WISH TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO THE OUTGOING PRESIDENT, HIS EXCELLENCY MR. PETER FLORIN, FOR THE ABLE MANNER IN WHICH HE PRESIDED OVER THE 42ND SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AS WELL AS THE FIFTEENTH SPECIAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DEVOTED TO DISARMAMENT.
MR. PRESIDENT,
OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS WE HAVE SEEN PEACE INITIAVES IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD WHICH HAVE SEEN PEACE INITIAVES IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD WHICH HAVE BROUGHT HOPE THAT THERE IS A GROWING AWARENESS THAT ARMED CONFLICTS BRING ABOUT ONLY HUMAN SUFFERING.
IT IS GENERALLY THOUGHT THAT PEACE MOVES NOW STAND A GREATER CHANCE OF SUCCESS. THISN CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TOA LARGE EXTENT TO THE IMPROVED RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE SOVIET UNION.
THE SIGNING OF THE INF TREATY BY THE UNITED STATES AND THE SOVIET UNION SIGNALLED THE BEGINNING OF THE PEACE INITIAVES. I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE LEADERS OF BOTH THE UNITED STATES AND THE SOVIET UNION ON THE POSITIVE LEAD THEY HAVE GIVEN AND ON SHOWING THAT PROBLEMS AND CONFLICTS CAN BE SOLVED THROUGH NEGOTIATION.
THE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SOVIET-AMERICAN RELATIONS FOSTERED THE ACCORDS ON AFGANISTAN, WHICH ARE A GREAT STEP FORWARD. WE HOPE THE ACCORDS WILL ENABLE THE AFGAN PEOPLE TO RETURN FROM THE REFUGEE CAMPS TO AFGANISTAN TO LIVE IN PEACE.
THERE HAS ALSO BEEN NOTICABLE PROGRESS IN OTHER REGIONS SUCH AS CYPRUS, WESTERN SAHARA AND NEW CALEDONIA. IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, PROGRESS TOWARDS ENSURING THE VIABLE INDEPENDENCE OF NAMIBIA MUST INCLUDE THE WITHRAWAL OF FOREIGN TROOPS.
MY DELEGATION WAS HAPPY TO HEAR THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE CEASEFIRE BETWEEN IRAN AND IRAQ. WE HOPE THE DIFICULTIES IN THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS CAN BE OVERCOME AND THE CASEFIRE WILL LEAD TO A DURABLE PEACE BETWEEN TH ETWO COUNTRIES ENDING TH ETERRIBLE BLOODSHED AND DESTRUCTION OF THE WAR, AND WILL ALSO EASE INTERNATIONAL TENSION. WE WISH TO CONGRATULATE THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON HIS DEDICATED PERSEVERENCE IN THE FACE OF GREAT DIFFICULTIES IN BRINGING ABOUT THE CEASEFIRE. WE WRE HAPPY THAT BOTH IRAN AND IRAQ REALIZE THE FUTILITY OF CONTINUING THIS SENSELESS AND TRAGIC WAR.
MR. PRESIDENT,
THE APPEARANCE OF PEACE INITIVES IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD HAS BROUGHT THE UNITED NATIONS ONCE AGAIN TO THE CENTRE OF THE STAGE WHERE IT RIGHTLY BELONGS. THROUGH THE PERSONAL DEDICATION AND UNTIRING HARD WORK OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL, AND THE CONTINUED SUPPORT OF MEMBERS OF THIS ORGANIZATION, THE UNITED NATIONS FLAG IS ONCE AGAIN SEEN AS A SYMBOL OF OUR HOPE FOR A FUTURE WHERE WE CAN ALL ENJOY PEACE AND SECURITY.
THIS DEVELOPMENT PLEASES MY DELEGATION. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE UNITED NATIONS DEPENDS ON ITS MEMBERS. TODAY WESEE THE GROWING WILLINGNESS OF MEMBER COUNTRIES TO TURN TO THE UNITED NATIONS TO RESOLVE THEIR CONFLICTS RATHER THAN TO CONTINUE WITH ARMED HOSTILITY. WE BELIEVE THE UNITED NATIONS CAN CARRY OUTV ITS TASKS AS REQUIRES BY THE CHARTER. IT IS OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE TO US, AS A SMALL COUNTRY, THAT THIS PATTERN OF RESOLVING CONFLICTS BE FOLLOWED PEACEFULLY THRUOGH TH EUNITED NATIONS RATHER THAN BY MILITARY FORCE.
HOWEVER, MR. PRESIDENT, THERE ARE REMAIN MANY LONG STANDING PROBLEMS. THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE CONTINUE TO BE DEPRIVED OF THEIR RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION AND INDEPENDENCE, WHICH PREVENTS THEM FROM RETURNING TO THEIR HOMELAND. ISRAEL’S POLICY OF AGGRESSION AND EXPANSION IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES HAS FURTHER WORSENED THE CONFLICT. THE ONGOING UPRISING IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES SHOULD CONVINCE ISRAEL THAT ITS OCCUPATION OF THE PALESTINIAN LANDS CAN ONLY BRING INSECURITY AND INSTABILITY BOTH IN THE REGION AND IN ISRAEL ITSELF.
ISRAEL CANNOT FOR EVER DENY THE PALESTINIANS THEIR INALIENABLE RIGHT TO A HOMELAND OR REMAIN HOPEFUL THAT THE PALESTINIANS WILL ONE DAY JUST ACCEPT ITS RULE. FOR THIS REASON, MY DELEGATION SUPPORTS THE CONVENING OF AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE MIDDLE EAST WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF THE P.L.O. AS THE SOLE AND LEGITIMATE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. THE COMPREHENSIVE SETTLEMENT OF THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT.
IN SOUTH AFRICA, THE APARTHEID SYSTEM OF THE RACIST REGIME IN PRETORIA HAS YET TO BE DISMANTLED, DESPITE THE MANY INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATIONS OF THE INHUMAN RACIST POLICIES INVOLVING TERROR AND SUFFERING FOR THE BLACK POPULATION OF SOUTH AFRICA AND ITS NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES. WE THEREFORE CALL UPON THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO APPLY PRESSURE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC – ON SOUTH AFRICA IN ORDER THAT ITS APARTHEID POLICIES CAN BE DISMANTLED AND JUSTICE PREVAIL.
IN OUR REGION, MR. PRESIDENT, THERE HAVE BEEN HOPEFUL SIGNS THAT THE KAMPUCHEAN PROBLEM CAN BE RESOLVED. FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE FOUR KAMPUCHEAN FACTIONS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF CONCERNED COUNTRIES IN THE REGION MET FACE TO FACE IN BOGOR, INDONESIA. THE JAKARTA INFORMAL MEETINGS WAS A BREAKTHROUGH AND WE HOPE IT WILL LEAD TO FURTHER MEETINGS IN ORDER THAT THE QUESTION OF THE FOREIGN OCCUPATION OF KAMPUHCEA CAN BE RESOLVED. MY DELEGATION HAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED THAT A COMPREHENSIVE POLITICAL SETTLEMENT CANNOT BE ACHIEVED AS LONG AS FOREIGN FORCES STILL REMAIN IN KAMPUCHEA. I THEREFORE CALL FOR THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE FOREIGN FORCES FROM KAMPUCHEA SO THAT THE PROCESS OF NATIONAL RECONCILIATION AMONG ALL KAMPUCHEANS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF PRINCE NORODOM SIHANOUK CAN BE PROMOTED.
FOR FORTY YEARS, THE KOREAN PENINSULA HAS REMAINED TENSE DUE TO THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE TWO KOREAS. BRUNEI DARUSSALAM IS HOPEFUL THAT THE RECENT DIALOGUE AND INITIAVES BY THE TWO COUNTRIES WILL BRING ABOUT AND PEACE AND STABILITY IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE EVENTUAL NATIONAL REUNIFICATION. WE ALSO WISH TO RENEW OUR SUPPORT FOR THE ADMISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA AS A MEMBER OF THE UNITED NATIONS, IF SHE SO DESIRES, IN CONFORMITY WITH THE PRINCIPLES OF UNIVERSALITY OF MEMBERSHIP OF THE UNITED NATIONS.
MR. PRESIDENT,
IT IS TRAGIC THAT THIS ORGANISATION SHOULD FACE SEVERE FINANCIAL PROBLEMS AT A TIME WHEN IT CAN MAKE SUCH A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO PEACE. THE FINANCIAL CRISIS THAT THREATENS THE UNITED NATIONS IS NOW HAVING A CRIPPLING EFFECT ON ITS ABILITY TO PERFORM.
NONE OF US WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE UNITED NATIONS SLIP INTO BANKRUPTCY AND OBLIVION. ON THE CONTRARY WE WISH TO SEE A STRONG UNITED NATIONS CAPABLE OF MEETING THIS CHALLENGES OF TODAY. A CLEAR DEMONSTRATION BY ALL MEMBERS OF THEIR POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR THE UNITED NATIONS BY PAYING THEIR ASSESSED CONTRIBUTIONS REMAINS THE ONLY WAY OF AVOIDING A POSITION OF WEAKNESS. IN MY DELEGATION’S VIEW WE OWE IT TO THIS AND FOLLOWING GENERATIONS TO SUSTAIN THIS ORGANISATION TO ENSURE THE PEACEFUL SURVIVAL OF MANKIND.
MR. PRESIDENT,
TODAY THE SITUATION IN THE WORLD IS MORE HOPEFUL THAN IT WAS A YEAR AGO AND ONE MESSAGE IS CLEAR. IT IS THAT THERE MUST BE ADHERENCE BY ALL SIGNATORIES TO THE UNITED NATIONS CHARTER TO ITS BASIC PRINCIPLES. FURTHERMORE, AT A TIME WHEN THERE ARE GREATER CHANCES FOR PEACE, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE THE UN’S VOICE HEARD.
WE MUST ENSURE A PEACEFUL WORLD FOR ALL OF US TO LIVE IN.
THANK YOU.