Argentina, 1993

I congratulate Ambassador Insanally on his

election. I have no doubt that he will conduct our work in

a wise and balanced manner, in the same way as his

predecessor, the then Minister for Foreign Affairs of

Bulgaria, Mr. Ganev.

Once again, we welcome the new Member States, the

Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, The Former Yugoslav

Republic of Macedonia, Monaco, Eritrea and Andorra.

We also reiterate our gratitude to and support for the

Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros-Ghali, who with clear

objectives and diplomatic efficiency has undertaken the new

tasks of the United Nations in an international climate that

is problematic but promising.

Serious conflicts, such as that in the former Yugoslavia

and the sensitive situation in Somalia, still remain, and are

the object of the work and efforts of the United Nations.

There are long-standing regional confrontations and frictions

resulting from certain national, cultural or religious

identities; ignored for long periods, they are now demanding

their rights, and not always in a peaceful manner.

Moreover, there are still sharp economic imbalances

between nations and regions, as well as the serious risk that

the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and

Trade (GATT) negotiations will fail because some

Governments insist on maintaining anachronistic protectionist

policies that adversely affect the trade opportunities of

countries such as Argentina.

Above and beyond these problems, this is also a time

of hope and optimism; we are heartened by the expansion of

democracy, the globalization of the concept of human rights,

and the economic openness and reform in regions where

state control once prevailed and where today the basis for

freedom and the continual quest for peace is growing.

Perhaps there is no better symbol of this hope and

optimism than the historic agreement between Israel and the

Palestine Liberation Organization.

The Arab-Israeli conflict has until now been one of the

more disturbing issues in contemporary history and one of

the greatest obstacles to peace and stability. The

consequences of this prolonged and painful confrontation

have been felt everywhere; hence all humankind rejoices at

the agreements that have been reached.

Forty-eighth session - 28 September l993 25

These agreements undoubtedly reflect the tenacious and

intelligent diplomacy of the parties, the special contribution

of Governments such as those of the United States, the

Russian Federation and Norway and the support of the

members of the Security Council; but, above all, they attest

to the courage, intelligence and maturity of the peoples and

leaders of Israel and Palestine. Today we wish to pay a

tribute to all of them.

Since its origin, the conflict in the Middle East has

been of particular concern to Argentina, inter alia, because

the Arab and Jewish communities in our country have

always coexisted peacefully. That is why we have always

hoped for peace and respected the need to avoid

confrontation and achieve a just and lasting solution taking

account of the interests of both parties.

The agreements reached can be considered as a

breakthrough in that direction. They open the door to a

global settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and that is why

we rejoice at their attainment and firmly support them. We

call upon all States, particularly those which have interests

or influence in the Middle East, to join resolutely in the

support that the circumstances require.

The Republic of Argentina considers the maintenance

of international peace and security as essential. Hence, my

Government considers that the efficient functioning of the

Security Council must be a priority for the Organization.

Argentina has therefore clearly defined its position on

an eventual restructuring of the Security Council. In our

opinion, that body has recovered the role assigned to it by

the Charter. Any changes in its structure should therefore be

made solely on the basis of consensus, always respecting the

principle of the sovereign equality of States, and taking care

not to endanger its ability to fulfil effectively the

responsibilities assigned to it by the Charter. Hence we

must act with the utmost prudence, and on the basis of the

aforementioned principle, in making changes that would

introduce structural modifications, creating, for example, new

categories of privilege. In any case, it would be counter-

productive to ignore the position of those countries that have

actively demonstrated their firm and continued support for

the Council’s important work.

Mr. Bull (Liberia), Vice-President, took the Chair.

Argentina, for example, resolutely and actively supports

the system of collective security provided for in the Charter

and the decisions of the Security Council. That support has

been repeatedly demonstrated through concrete action in

accordance with Council decisions, and in particular through

our active presence in peace-keeping operations.

At present, Argentina is participating in nine

peace-keeping operations; in the last few months alone, we

have pledged to send three new groups of our armed forces

to Mozambique, Kuwait and Cyprus: a field hospital, a unit

of engineers and an infantry battalion respectively.

Argentina has the firm political determination to support

United Nations peace-keeping operations, within its means.

At the same time, I am obliged to mention some issues that

currently affect the normal development of the operations

and that somehow limit the ability of Member States to

participate to the extent they would desire.

We consider it a priority to do as much as possible in

order to guarantee the safety of the men and women who

participate in peace-keeping operations.

The arrears in the payment by Member States of their

contributions and the subsequent delays in reimbursements

to troop-contributing Governments have created very serious

financial problems for those Governments. For that reason -

and also because of their own domestic budget limitations -

these countries find it ever more difficult to increase their

contributions of troops and equipment. A mechanism should

be established at once to find a solution. In this context, we

welcome the efforts of the office of the Secretary-General,

as well as the initiative with respect to creating stand-by

forces.

The priority goal of peace also imposes on us a firm

commitment to each State in the struggle against the

proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. This

commitment is one of the main focuses of Argentine foreign

policy. Hence, we have brought total transparency to the

Argentine nuclear programme. With that aim in view, we

and Brazil have signed an agreement on full-scope

safeguards with the International Atomic Energy Agency

(IAEA); we have already ratified it. In the same spirit, we

have discontinued the missile project CONDOR II.

In addition, together with Brazil and Chile, we have

promoted amendments to the Treaty of Tlatelolco that would

strengthen that major agreement and make it effective; we

hope that these will soon be approved by the Argentine

Parliament.

At the same time, Argentina has been admitted to the

Missile Technology Control Regime, whose guidelines we

have included in our domestic legislation, and is a member

26 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

of the so-called Australian Group. We are among the

original signatories of the Convention on Chemical

Weapons, and we participated actively in its drafting; we

will soon start the proceedings for its legislative approval.

We firmly support the negotiation, in the framework of

the Conference on Disarmament, of a treaty to ban all

nuclear tests. The moratorium respected in practice by the

nuclear Powers points to the existence of favourable

conditions for the total ban of such tests.

In the field of armaments, we support the United

Nations Register of conventional weapons, to which we have

recently supplied all the relevant information and data. We

are particularly interested in the functioning of the Register

in our own region; last March, in Buenos Aires, we

organized, jointly with the United Nations, a very successful

regional seminar on this very important subject.

Latin America is now going through a promising stage.

The climate of cooperation and harmony prevailing in the

region contributes to political stability and economic

development. The expansion and consolidation of

democracy and economic and social growth have also been

stimulated as a result of the strong impetus given to the

process of regional integration. As regards the Common

Market of the South (MERCOSUR), Argentina expresses the

firm political will and determination to contribute to its

strengthening. In this context we must acknowledge the

positive role of the Rio Group, which has been consolidated

as an increasingly useful and trustworthy mechanism for

dialogue, cooperation and consultation.

The Group’s information and internal communication

systems have been enhanced, which enables it to take unified

positions on common problems. This has increased its

influence in the United Nations and the Organization of

American States (OAS), where it has played a constructive

and effective role, for example in relation to the crisis in

Haiti.

Indeed, Haiti is a case in which we note the opening of

a path towards democracy - albeit with certain difficulties.

Argentina welcomes the agreement reached under the

auspices of the United Nations and the OAS for the

restoration of democracy in that nation, through the

successful mediation of Mr. Dante Caputo, whose

performance is a source of legitimate pride for my country.

Provided that the Haiti agreements are respected in their

entirely, effective 30 October the Argentine Republic will

contribute, in the framework of relevant Security Council

resolutions, a field hospital to be used in the operation the

United Nations and the OAS will conduct together to support

the consolidation of democracy in that country.

As regards El Salvador, we note with satisfaction the

substantive progress represented by the peace agreements

recently signed. We trust that the elections to be held next

March will mark a decisive stage in efforts to consolidate

democracy.

We also express our support for the re-establishment of

constitutional order in Guatemala and we encourage its

people and Government to continue their efforts to

strengthen democracy and the rule of law.

There has been remarkable progress in the consolidation

of a climate of peace and détente in Latin America as a

whole, thanks to the restoration of democracy and to

economic reforms. There is still one case about which we

are concerned and about which we have repeatedly

expressed our hope for profound change. The best option is

to move forward in the same direction as the rest of the

continent. Delays will only bring about more suffering for

its people and more concern on the part of their Latin

American brothers.

The strengthening of a climate of harmony in Latin

America requires new ideas leading to the development of

a structure of regional security adapted to the present times

and based on cooperation, balance and transparency. We

believe that cooperative security is a realistic and feasible

proposal for Latin America, and we urge the countries of the

region to give it special consideration.

Latin America must enter fully into the new

international context. In accordance with the Secretary-

General’s ideas on the role of regional organizations as

stated in his "Agenda for Peace", it should strengthen the

contribution of the Organization of American States to the

maintenance of international peace and security.

Argentina shares with the rest of the international

community the constant anguish caused by the conflict

unfolding in the former Yugoslavia and supports efforts

aimed at an urgent solution.

We are contributing significantly to the work of the

United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), a force that

has helped save thousands of lives and has worked to

prevent the intensification of conflict in the areas where it is

deployed.

Forty-eighth session - 28 September l993 27

We support the resolutions of the Security Council on

this subject, and strongly condemn the practice of "ethnic

cleansing" and other war crimes. Consequently, we support

the establishment of an international tribunal to try those

allegedly responsible for violating international humanitarian

law. We particularly condemn the inhuman attacks on the

civilian population in Bosnia and Herzegovina and reaffirm

the need to reach an agreement acceptable to all parties

involved, based on the principles of the London Conference.

We are deeply concerned particularly about the serious

consequences that civil and international armed conflicts

have on children. We urge the international community as

a whole to devote the utmost attention to this serious

problem and to initiate with the greatest urgency appropriate

assistance plans to alleviate the suffering of children,

especially in situations like the one in Somalia or the former

Yugoslavia. This question - like those concerning the family -

should be given the greatest attention by organizations such

as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

With respect to Cyprus, I reiterate our support for a

prompt solution to the conflict, and we urge the parties to

accept the plan developed by the Secretary-General’s

mission of good offices.

I also reaffirm our express support for United Nations

resolutions aimed at guaranteeing the territorial integrity of

Kuwait and peace and security in the region. We will

continue to support the recently adopted Security Council

decisions that, in connection with this specific case, demand

respect for the inviolability of the international border - that

have already been defined - and the right of navigational

access.

As regards South Africa, we welcome, together with the

rest of the international community, the recently adopted

legislative measures aimed at guaranteeing free and fair

elections next April and establishing the Transitional

Executive Council. We continue to support the multiparty

negotiating process towards a democratic, united and non-

racial South Africa. This is another of those world events

that are on the point of crystallizing in the next few months,

and whose importance is really much greater than we could

have imagined even just a few months ago.

I must mention once again the question of the Malvinas

islands, just as we did a few weeks ago before the Special

Committee on decolonization. I reaffirm Argentina’s

well-founded and unequivocal sovereign rights over those

territories and over the South Georgia and South Sandwich

islands. The peaceful and negotiated recovery of the islands

is a central and permanent issue in our foreign policy.

The United Nations Special Committee on

decolonization, at its recent session, adopted, for the first

time without a vote, a resolution on this question, in which

the parties are once again urged to start negotiations. We

therefore stand ready to do so.

As I informed the Special Committee, our relations with

the United Kingdom would be excellent but for the conflict

in the South Atlantic, where apart from the central dispute

there are problems in specific areas. However, within this

overall picture, there has also been progress in some of those

areas.

We have made progress in reducing the security

restrictions inherited from the 1982 conflict and we have

reached a provisional understanding on fishing for 1993.

We now have to negotiate a new agreement - which is being

made difficult because of certain recent unilateral British

jurisdictional decisions over the South Georgia and South

Sandwich islands - that must necessarily reflect Argentina’s

legitimate decision now to relate its own catch to the actual

potential of the area.

As regards oil, there is still an impasse, both because of

the rejection of a specific proposal for cooperation put

forward by Argentina and because of the United Kingdom’s

preference for acting unilaterally. We are still convinced

that there is no realistic alternative to cooperation. We are

sure that potential investors will also see it that way, because

their situation would be highly uncertain and unstable in any

other context.

Argentina’s relationship with the islanders is an area in

which there have been important developments in the last

few months.

Since the last session of the General Assembly, there

have been communications between the inhabitants of the

islands and Argentina. I personally have been in touch

several times with some of them. My Government reiterates

its conviction that it is in everybody’s interest to establish

normal relations between the islands and the continent. We

reaffirm that Argentina and the United Kingdom are the only

parties to the dispute, but we underline also our willingness

to conduct a dialogue with the inhabitants of the territory

because they deserve our consideration and respect. We are

also aware of the weight their opinion carries in London.

28 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

The dialogue with the islanders has wide support in my

country, and is a natural development in the civilized search

for a solution to the conflict. It is important that the

islanders themselves also understand that this is an inevitable

step, because the only realistic alternative is to march

forward together.

The recent World Conference in Vienna ratified the

universal and binding nature of respect for human rights.

Today it is no longer possible to claim, as despotic

governments have in the past, that the treatment States afford

their citizens is exclusively an internal affair.

It is a fact that the principle of absolute sovereignty has

become relative and that the international community, acting

within the framework of the United Nations, has laid the

legal foundations for denouncing violations of human rights

wherever they occur and for implementing specific measures

to ensure that human rights can be exercised to the full. We

therefore support the establishment of the post of High

Commissioner for Human Rights.

Furthermore, in the opinion of the Argentine

Government, there must be universal and complete freedom

of the press, because this is a fundamental guarantee of

respect for other essential human rights. Whatever excesses

there may be in the exercise of press freedom are nothing

compared with the awful drawbacks of policies that restrict

that freedom.

Argentina supports the restructuring of the United

Nations economic and social system in order to increase its

effectiveness and global credibility in that area.

In the field of the environment and development, we

continue to give high priority to the implementation of

Agenda 21 and the Conventions on climatic change and

biodiversity and to the use of the global environment facility

as a financial mechanism for implementing environmental

projects in the those and the related areas of marine

pollution and the ozone layer.

Argentina will participate actively in the International

Conference on Population and Development to be held in

1994. We support the negotiating process now under way

and we agree with the conceptual framework agreed upon

for the programme of action in that field.

We shall also participate actively in the World Summit

for Social Development, and we stress the great importance

of the negotiating process and of what is included in the

Summit’s agenda.

I should like to refer to the deterioration in the

Organization’s financial situation, which is so seriously

affecting its regular activities and is endangering the normal

functioning of peace-keeping operations.

Reality tells us that the only way to solve the problem

is the timely payment in full of the financial obligations of

Member States. Such payment is a fundamental factor in

restoring the financial soundness of the United Nations, but

it is undoubtedly not the only one. We consider that it is

indispensable for immediate steps to be taken to make the

allocation and use of the Organization’s scarce resources

more efficient, thus avoiding administrative disorder and

possible irregularities or substandard management practices.

A proper balance between budgetary control and the

implementation of activities will enable us to achieve the

financial consolidation needed to fulfil the goals set out in

the Charter.

In conclusion, we wish to reiterate our firm conviction

that, despite the serious problems that still obtain, we are

witnessing an encouraging development in the principles that

in their time guided the founding fathers of the United

Nations.

Those ideals of universal peace today seem more within

our grasp and in that context the Argentine Republic, a

democratic and peace-loving nation, is genuinely willing to

contribute to strengthening an international system based on

law and justice, and guaranteed by the United Nations.