Gabon, 1993

I should like first to take this opportunity to extend to the

delegation of India the sincerest condolences of the

delegation of Gabon on the earthquake that has just hit the

region of Sholapur.

The present session of the General Assembly is

convened at a crucial juncture in the history of international

relations. A number of significant events have occurred on

the world stage in the past few years.

In that context the election of Ambassador

Samuel Insanally as President of the General Assembly is

particularly significant. It is a tribute not only to his

qualities as an enlightened diplomatic, well versed in

international questions, but to the tireless work of Guyana,

his country, on behalf of peace. On behalf of the delegation

of Gabon, I extend to him our warmest congratulations on

his election to preside over this session.

Our congratulations also go to the outgoing President,

Mr. Stoyan Ganev of Bulgaria, who discharged his duties so

honourably and ably.

To our Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali,

I repeat our firm support for his many efforts on behalf of

world peace and security.

Lastly, we should like to welcome the new countries

that have just joined the great family of the United Nations

and to assure them of our friendship and readiness to work

with them to achieve the noble purposes for the attainment

of which the Organization was founded.

The end of the cold war has made it possible to

establish new kinds of relations between States and to open

the way to a new era of hope, peace and solidarity,

promoting conflict prevention, better ways of dealing with

acute problems and the settlement of many of the conflicts

threatening international peace and security.

It is from that perspective that we should view the

recent initiatives which the Organization and the

international community have undertaken.

Gabon welcomes with great interest the most recent

political developments in South Africa. We welcome the

creation of a Transitional Executive Council, which will

allow South Africans for the first time to take part in

building a new, democratic, non-racial and united South

Africa. In that spirit, we urge all other parties to accede to

the agreement creating the Council and hope they will work

towards its full implementation. Gabon believes that the

changes taking place in South Africa will have a definite

impact on the democratization process in Africa and on the

continent’s development. We therefore hope that the appeal

made here on 24 September 1993 by President Nelson

Mandela for the lifting of economic sanctions and the

establishment of diplomatic relations with South Africa will

be heard and acted upon.

In Somalia too many innocent victims continue to pay

the heavy daily price of violence. While praising the efforts

of the United Nations to bring peace and national

reconciliation to the country, we believe that the time has

perhaps come for the international community to give

priority to the path of dialogue and negotiation.

The situation in Liberia remains a source of concern,

despite the hopes raised by the signing of the Cotonou

Agreement on 25 July 1993. We call on the parties

concerned to begin strict implementation of that Agreement.

We make a similar appeal to the parties to the conflicts in

Mozambique, Rwanda and Angola.

Turning specifically to Angola, I note that the optimism

prevailing after the Bicesse Peace Accords soon gave way to

disappointment born of the resumption of hostilities. In that

brother country, so close to my own, the perpetuation of the

situation leads me to praise the tireless efforts of the United

Nations and all other initiatives aimed at restoring peace and

security. As in the past, Gabon will spare no efforts to help

achieve a lasting settlement of that conflict.

In the Middle East the mutual recognition of Israel and

the PLO, as well as the recent signing of the interim

40 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

arrangements for the autonomy of Gaza and Jericho, were

welcomed with relief and deep satisfaction by my country.

We dare hope that this historic agreement will promote

reconciliation between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples and

the establishment of a climate of peace and cooperation in

the region.

In that regard, my country supports all United Nations

initiatives, particularly Security Council resolution

833 (1993), aimed at ensuring respect for the inviolability of

the international boundary between Iraq and Kuwait, in

accordance with the terms of the 1963 arrangements.

In South-East Asia we welcome the decisive role

played by the United Nations in the restoration of peace in

Cambodia. The holding of free and fair elections in

May 1993, the creation of the Constituent Assembly, and the

return to the throne of His Royal Highness

Prince Norodom Sihanouk all illustrate the United Nations

commitment and the confirmed solidarity of the international

community.

The tragedy unfolding in Bosnia and Herzegovina and

the serious threat of the conflict’s spreading to the entire

subregion are a source of concern for my country. We make

an urgent appeal to the parties concerned to return to the

negotiating table and lay down their arms.

The Conferences recently held in Vienna and Geneva

on human rights and the protection of the victims of war,

respectively, were opportunities for our Organization to

reaffirm its commitment to defending human rights. Gabon,

which has always given these questions their due

consideration, encourages all United Nations efforts to

protect human rights. It would thus be appropriate to

strengthen existing structures with additional human and

financial resources so as to promote the efficiency sought by

our Organization in this area.

Never has our Organization been called on to such a

degree by the international community as in the past few

years. If it is to meet all the expectations, it must adapt its

main organs to the demands of the times. We welcome the

ongoing reform and revitalization process and hope that it

will include consideration of equitable representation in the

Security Council and an increase in the number of its

members.

One area which our Organization must explore further

is that of preventive diplomacy, as set forth by the Secretary-

General in his "An Agenda for Peace". Reflecting that

trend, the Organization of African Unity has just created

machinery to prevent, manage and settle conflicts. If it is to

be effective, this new machinery must be integrated into the

framework of global disarmament.

The progress made by last 13 January, when the

chemical-weapons Convention was signed, shows the

international community’s determination to ban weapons of

mass destruction, particularly chemical weapons, and its

readiness to work for general and complete disarmament.

For its part, my country is working towards that end, just as

it is promoting confidence-building measures in central

Africa. It was in keeping with this involvement that we

hosted the third meeting of the Permanent Consultative

Committee on security questions in our subregion. This

meeting was notable for bringing together, for the first time,

all States members of the Economic Community of Central

African States (ECCAS).

In the course of its work the Committee stressed the

advantages for all States of the subregion of ratifying

international legal instruments on disarmament matters. It

recommended that its Bureau play a more committed

political role in seeking solutions to crises and conflicts

likely to disturb the peace of a member State. It encouraged

States in the subregion to pursue and strengthen the

democratization process already under way, while respecting

and promoting human rights.

Regarding the creation of a permanent inter-State crisis

management headquarters, with a view to establishing a

subregional peace-keeping force, the Committee

recommended transitional measures, including the

involvement of ECCAS in the field of security; a study of

features and types of crises and conflicts; and the creation of

a non-permanent committee of subregional staff offices. It

further recommended that the United Nations be asked for

assistance to carry out a study on a balanced and gradual

reduction of the armed forces, equipment and military

budgets of member States. Finally, the Committee adopted

a draft non-aggression pact between the ECCAS member

States and decided to submit it to Heads of State or

Government of the subregion for signature. As

representative of the host country at these important

meetings, and on behalf of the States of the subregion, it is

my honour and privilege to invite the General Assembly in

due course to endorse the draft resolution, which will be

submitted to it for consideration.

What is truly at stake for Africa is essentially the

economy. It will determine to a great extent the preservation

of unity, peace and security on our continent. In that regard,

the marginalization of Africa in the world economy - as a

Forty-eighth session - 30 September l993 41

result of the decline of its commodity prices, the reversal of

financial resource flows from our countries to the

international financial institutions, and the debt burden - has

only grown during the past five years.

Already experiencing such a restrictive economic

environment, how can we in my country welcome the idea

of an energy tax and not deplore the threat of a boycott of

our forest products by ecological groups in the industrialized

countries? As to the forest, the Gabon authorities have

always favoured the long-term management of our forests,

through a logical policy of reforestation conforming with the

recommendations of the United Nations Conference on

Environment and Development.

My country stresses the need to maintain every aspect

of the Rio spirit aimed at managing world problems in a

global manner, and to promote the emergence of a new

partnership in international economic and financial relations.

Gabon considers this new approach to be a possible avenue

for the development of our countries.

In this connection, we would like to congratulate the

Japanese authorities on their initiative in organizing the

International Conference on African Development, scheduled

to be held in Tokyo in October. We hope that Conference

will serve as the basis for a real and lasting partnership.

In this context, the proposal made by the President of

the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session in his

opening address that we create an agenda for development

should enjoy the full support of our Organization.

In conclusion, turning to our country’s development

problems, I feel that I must draw the attention of the

Assembly to the decisive role to be played by women. Our

Organization has adopted resolutions and declarations on this

subject. The political commitment has been made, but it

must be associated with consistent follow-up measures to

implement these provisions. This is a struggle that we must

all of us become involved in.

Anxious to take into account the role of women in the

political, economic, social and cultural fields, the Gabonese

Government, through the Ministry responsible for the status

of women, is working towards making this commitment a

reality.

The sessions of the General Assembly are for Member

States an excellent opportunity to seek together ways and

means of attaining the noble objectives of the Charter. Is

not one of its most important goals

"To achieve international cooperation in solving

international problems of an economic, social, cultural,

or humanitarian character"?