Bhutan, 1992

I have the honour to convey to you and to

all the representatives here the warm greetings of

His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, King of Bhutan, and his good wishes for

the success of the forty-seventh session of the General Assembly.

I should first like to congratulate you, Sir, on your election as

president of the forty-seventh session of the Assembly. Your unanimous

election is testimony to the high regard the international community has for

your country and the Assembly's confidence that your leadership will provide

the necessary direction on many important issues that we shall take up during

this session.

I should like to take this opportunity to place on record our deep

appreciation to Mr. Samir S. Shihabi, for the excellent manner in which he

conducted the proceedings of our last session.

I wish to extend our warm welcome to the Governments and peoples of all

the new Members of " ° United Nations. The large number of new Members is

testimony not only to t' 3 historic changes that are taking place in the world,

but also to the universality and importance of the United Nations. We welcome

them and look forward to the opportunity to work together.

During the last three years the world has witnessed the disappearance of

the ideological conflict that had divided it and pervaded every aspect of

social and economic life for much of this century. While these sweeping

changes have brought new opportunities for peace, stability and progress,

hopes have been dampened on the one hand by the unleashing of old hostilities

and new conflicts, and on the other by the further impoverishment of millions

of people for whom the changes in the international scene have little

meaning. The social and economic situation remains dismal not only in many

developing countries but also in many developed countries which are suffering

from a prolonged recession. Though the opportunity for peace and progress has

never been better, the challenges of inequity and poverty, which are the main

reasons for instability and conflict, continue to be daunting as ever.

In many ways the United Nations has been the greatest beneficiary of the

changes in international affairs. After many years of blatant disregard and

even disrespect by many and a lack of confidence in its abilities by others,

the international community is now increasingly turning to the United

Nations. There is greater willingness on the part of everybody to work

through the Organization.

In this context we should like to record our appreciation to our previous

Secretary-General, Mr. Perez de Cuellar, for having created this opportunity

and increased respect for the United Nations. We should also like to express

our admiration and appreciation to our present Secretary-General,

Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for taking immediate steps to make the Organization

relevant and more responsive to the needs of the world, particularly in the

area of conflict. We share his views on the need for immediate peace-keeping

and peace-making and for greater emphasis on conflict resolution. Above all,

we share his view on the need to give equal importance and attention to

conflict and suffering wherever they may be in the world.

The situation in the Middle East continues to be a major concern for

global peace. While the unnecessary and senseless aggression against the

peaceful people of Kuwait has been reversed, the issue of prisoners and

disarmament remains. This new confrontation has added another dimension to

the region, where peace and stability have already been denied for a long time.

We fully appreciate the efforts of the sponsors of the dialogue that is

taking place on the Middle East. We sincerely hope that the talks will defuse

the conflict and pave the way for peace in the region. However, this process

will not be successful unless the question of Palestine and occupied Arab

lands is addressed and the legitimate rights of the Palestinians to

self-determination in their homeland are guaranteed. Equally, the territorial

integrity of Lebanon and the security and safety of all States in the region,

including Israel, must be assured. Only then will there be meaningful peace

in the region.

In South Africa, while there has been progress towards change, the

process has been continuously marred by a heavy toll in human lives. The

violence must stop and the talks should continue. The inevitable course of

change should not be restrained any further.

While the cold war has ended, one of its last remnants still stands in

the division of the Korean peninsula. We welcome the recent exchanges between

the two countries and believe they will eventually lead to unification. We

fully support the pragmatic steps set forth by President Roh Tae Woo of the

Republic of Korea in his address to this session and share his vision of the

Korean peninsula presenting itself as one nation before this body in the near

future.

The supply of arms over the years has made it possible for conflicts in

Somalia and other regions of the world to continue despite the major changes

in the international scene. The results have been tragic, and we cannot but

emphasize the immediate need for humanitarian assistance and for resolution of

the problems.

The disappearance of the bipolar world has provided the best opportunity

for ending the arms race and bringing about complete disarmament. The chance

to direct all efforts and resources from the production of weapons of mass

destruction towards the service of humanity must not be allowed to slip by.

While there has been reduction of major weapons, the production and supply of

smaller arms have continued to thrive in many parts of the world. Developing

countries can ill afford to spend their resources on such unproductive and

destructive enterprises.

The tragedies of war and conflict are not the only factors contributing

to human suffering. While they may be dramatic and require immediate

attention, more suffering is taking place on a day-to-day basis, involving

millions of people in the world. Just as it is important to end conflict, it

is essential that the problems of poverty be addressed.

The decade of the 1980s produced few, if any, positive results in the

field of socio-economic development; consequently, the living conditions of

only a few are better than when the decade started. The International

Development Strategy for the 1990s, adopted by the General Assembly at its

eighteenth special session; the Cartagena Commitments agreed to at the Eighth

Conference of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

(UNCTAD VIII); the Rio Declaration of the Earth Summit; and the Jakarta

Message of the Tenth Summit Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement all call

for renewed efforts in international development in the decade ahead.

On the otherwise discouraging scheme there have been two important

events: the World Summit for Children, in September 1990, and the

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in

Rio de Janeiro in June this year. The children's Summit clearly drew our

attention to the need to redouble our efforts to give our children the

necessary care, attention and education if we are to ensure a better future

for humanity.

The Earth Summit clearly established the common stake we all have in the

well being of the planet. It recognized that, while the responsibility for

preserving the delicate ecological balance falls on all nations, at the same

time those responsible for its degradation and abuse must be held

accountable. Our planet can no longer sustain a high level of exploitation,

and there must be a willingness on the part of those placing a high demand on

natural resources to reduce consumption. At the same time more resources are

necessary to improve the conditions and meet the basic needs of billions of

people in developing countries, particularly the more than 1.1 billion people

who live in absolute poverty. As further misuse of the earth's finite

resources would be disastrous, the only alternative is a greater willingness

to share.

The high pace of population growth and the resulting increase in demand

on resources is a serious threat to the environment and to the future.

Developing countries, where 4.3 billion of today's population of 5.5 billion

live, and where nearly all the next billions will be added in the decades

ahead, must take all measures to ensure that population and development are

balanced in a sustainable manner.

The next three to four decades will be the most challenging humanity has

ever faced, as they will determine the long-term survival of our planet. Just

as we have a common stake in the environment and social well being, our

futures are also tied in terms of overall global economic health. The slow

recovery in the North from a long protracted recession has affected all

countries. Similarly, the economic strength of developing countries clearly

affects economic opportunities for the North.

The long established target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product for

official development assistance has not been reached by most donor countries

and is not likely to be during this century. Official development assistance,

whether through bilateral or through multilateral channels, has been set back

not only in terms of slow growth but also in terms of slow disbursement

resulting from increasing modalities and conditionalities.

The question of debt still awaits comprehensive solution after more than

a decade of discussion. Both the need for debt relief and the requirement of

additional credit must be dealt with in a fair and comprehensive manner. The

serious imbalances in international trade in terms of prices for commodities

as well as volume of trade must be made more stable. Trade is one of the few

avenues available to developing countries for progress, and must not be

restricted. It is also necessary that access to knowledge and technology be

made easier.

Our discussions on development and political change must take into

account the human and social dimensions. There is increasing social tension

and disregard for human dignity arising out of poverty, high population growth

and resulting unemployment, migration and competition for scarce resources.

The wholesome well being of individuals and their rights can be assured if

there are stable social, economic, political and natural environments. We

look forward to the Second World Conference on Human Rights, in 1993, and the

proposed world summit for social development to address these important issues

in an integrated manner.

In my own country, Bhutan, development activities started only in the

1960s. Since then, major changes have taken place: an effective fiscal and

financial management system, a basic network of social services, roads

connecting all population centres, and a growing export sector comprised of

energy, minerals and agricultural products have been established. The

development of human resources and the preservation of our rich environment

have been given special attention. Despite the considerable progress, our

economic infrastructure remains inadequate, and the country's communications

and transport systems require expansion. In addition to the problems all

least developed countries face, Bhutan is further handicapped by being

landlocked.

Bhutan has always taken full responsibility for its own development, and

we will continue to do so, but the progress we have made thus far would not

have been possible without generous support, particularly that of India,

Japan, Switzerland, Denmark, Kuwait, Austria, Norway, the Netherlands,

Germany, the United Kingdom and Australia and various agencies and bodies of

the United Nations, in particular the United Nations Development Programme,

the United Nations Children's Fund, the International Fund for Agricultural

Development, the United Nations Capital Development Fund, the World Health

Organization, the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization

of the United Nations, the United Nations Volunteers, the United Nations

Population Fund, the United Nations Department of Technical Cooperation for

Development and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization. I take this opportunity to express the sincere gratitude and

appreciation of the people and Government of the Kingdom of Bhutan to our

development partners.

One of the important issues before the Assembly is the establishment of

the Commission on Sustainable Development. We fully welcome such a

commission, but we must emphasize that its mandate and relationship to

existing organizations must be very clear, and its task must contribute

tangibly and substantively to socio-economic development. Let it not be one

of the multitude of international organizations struggling to bring about

development.

The strengthening, revitalization and reorganization of the United

Nations must extend to all its organs and organizations. In this context we

welcome the concrete steps that our Secretary-General has taken in

streamlining the Secretariat. The United Nations is finally being geared to

undertake its peace-keeping, peace-making and humanitarian relief work

effectively. We urge that a similar effort be made to ensure that the

multitude of organs and agencies involved in development be streamlined and

revitalized with the same vigour.

We have listened carefully to the various views on reforming and

democratizing the United Nations. This is an extremely important matter that

must take into account the significant historical changes and the current

membership of the international body. There is need for a new enlightened

balance among the principal organs of the United Nations. The General

Assembly must be provided with more responsibility, and the International

Court of Justice with more authority.

Finally, the United Nations is no longer the hostage of ideological

conflict and now has new found respect and confidence. While this opportunity

must not be missed, the path ahead is a long one, and the United Nations must

move quickly to make itself relevant and capable of meeting the

responsibilities it has long not been permitted to carry out. But above all

the United Nations must be fair in fulfilling the aspirations and meeting the

hopes and needs of all its Members, big and small.