Liberia, 1997

I have the honour to present

my personal compliments to His Excellency

Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko and to wish him every success

during his presidency.

24

I have the honour also to deliver the address of His

Excellency Mr. Charles Ghankay Taylor, President of the

Republic of Liberia, who regrettably cannot be here today.

The text of his address reads as follows:

“At the outset, I wish to convey sincere

greetings, on behalf of the Government and people of

Liberia and in my own name. We are here today,

having endured and survived a severe civil crisis of

nearly a decade, through the acute consciousness of

our subregion, whose empathy with Liberia’s plight

created and orchestrated a mechanism to prevent us

from self-destruction. And we stand no less indebted

to a sea of humanitarian outreach through the

international community, most notably the European

Union (EU) and the United States; but absolutely, as

a living testimony to God Almighty, whose

compassionate will has removed the hand of evil from

the activities of our nation.

“Indeed, we are here because Liberia has stood

the test of time and the full assault of hardship.

Today, one added voice of a sovereign State of

Africa — and an original Charter Member of this

Organization — is being heard through its constituted

Head of Government, which we symbolize, and for

which we give all glory to God.

“It is my pleasure to congratulate His Excellency

Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko on his election to the

presidency of this fifty-second session of the General

Assembly. To this we add our best wishes for his

success in meeting the challenges of this awesome

assignment. Also, it is befitting that we extend our

thanks to his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Razali

Ismail, whose tenure was characterized by a resolute

commitment to finding solutions to the many issues

which impacted the proceedings of the fifty-first

session.

“I wish also to seize this opportunity to

commend, on behalf of the Government and people of

Liberia, Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Already, he

has demonstrated that he understands the problems

which afflict Africa, his native continent, and that his

leadership is not confined to the accomplishments

which he earned as a son of Ghana. Day by day,

glimpses of his ability as an effective spokesman for

all mankind are being made clearly visible. Permit me

to also pay special honour to the former Secretary-

General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, whose sense of

purpose and invaluable efforts to strengthen the role of

the Organization in the pursuit of international peace

and security have brought benefits to mankind. We

stand convinced that the patience he exercised and

the many initiatives and the personal commitment he

injected into the search for peace and understanding

during his tenure deserve appropriate commendation

by this Organization.

“The establishment of the United Nations over

five decades ago marked the beginning of a new era

in international relations. The adoption of its

Charter, a document of pride and durability, which

Liberia helped to formulate, instituted a working

system of international cooperation. Thus, nations

are resolved to eradicate the scourge of war; to

strengthen peace through justice and international

law; to respect the equal rights of all nations —

large and small; to promote social progress and to

protect human rights throughout the world. We wish

to reaffirm our avowed faith in the United Nations,

and we retain the undiminished hope that this

Organization will continue to be a veritable

instrument for the good conduct of relations among

all nation States. In so asserting our firm

commitment to its ideals, we, therefore, rededicate

ourselves to its objectives. Indeed, from nearly every

perspective, this Organization continues to cater to

the common aspirations of the international

community. Today, with its increased image as a

centre for harmonization, the vision of its Charter

Members has expanded across its original spectrum

of engagement.

“Accordingly, as one of its visionaries who

actively participated in its creation, we felt it

propitious that — despite our recent civil conflict

and its heart-rending accounts — we be personally

represented at this fifty-second session, not only to

reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism, but also

to explore new ways of transforming our hopes for

solidarity into concrete actions for peace and

development; not only to make a ceremonial

representation, but also to add frankness to the scope

of discussions for the improvement of our

Organization.

“On 19 July, the eve of the sesquicentennial

anniversary of our independence, the people of

Liberia went to the polls and made a forthright

decision for a great new beginning for democracy,

for representative government within a constitutional

order, and for peace and prosperity in the forward

25

march towards the twenty-first century. In that

momentous exercise, the Liberian people demonstrated

once again, as they had done throughout 150 years of

survival, their resilience and unconquerable will to

overcome imponderable odds, to keep alive the flame

of national independence in Africa.

“Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister,

at the birth of his nation defined independence as the

moment ’when an age ends, and the soul of the

nation, long suppressed, finds utterance’.

“Thus, when the tragic events of our national

experience in the recent past are viewed within the

context of historical inevitability, we can safely say

that the elections of 19 July 1997 gave rise to a newly

liberated soul of the Liberian nation.

“It is in this light that we see the landslide

victory of 19 July 1997 as the final coming together

of all of our people in a national embrace of unity to

give vibrancy to the liberated national soul. The vote

took place during the week of the solemn celebration

of the 150-year anniversary of the founding of the

nation. It was a vote rooted in renewed hope, which

concurs with what one writer refers to as ’idealism

suffused with a sense of ending’. The people voted to

end civil war and national turbulence and to begin a

new era of peace, stability, democracy, responsible

government and prosperity.

“We have fully grasped the message of our

people’s verdict. Upon our inauguration on 2 August

1997, we set out to form a Government of inclusion.

We have also embarked on a process of national

reconciliation. We have invited all Liberians,

irrespective of political party affiliation, religious

orientation and ethnic origin, to come and join hands

with us in rebuilding our country. We have assured all

that our primary objective is to foster national unity as

the best hope for genuine peace and progress in our

country.

“We have also reaffirmed the 1986 Constitution

as the Organic Law of Liberia. That Constitution

guarantees and protects the fundamental rights and

freedoms of all alike. We are committed to making

that sacred document work. Our Administration will

guarantee and promote the functioning of a credible

and independent judiciary. We shall also protect

human rights and freedom of the press. Above all, we

shall endeavour to promote internal stability through

a Government of inclusion and national unity.

“Our experience as a nation convinces us that

the right to self-determination is a necessary

prerequisite for any people to ensure national

development and to play a meaningful role in the

community of nations. The right to self-

determination is not, in our view, limited to

liberation from external control, but also applies to

liberation from internal tyranny. It is being

demonstrated time and again that it is unhealthy for

external support to be tied to the survival of a

particular regime rather than to the growth and

development of the nation. There is no substitute for

legitimacy and good governance. Internal liberation

awakens a new consciousness about peace, security,

stability and conflict resolution within a society. The

institutions of the market economy are strengthened,

and the people develop greater hope for a decent and

better standard of living.

“In this connection, and based on our

experience, Liberia will continue to play the role of

promoting regional peace and security, fostering

national development through regional and

subregional integration and promoting democratic

values through institution-building.

“We are aware of the significant changes which

are taking place, including the increased tendency

towards political pluralism and democratization, the

rise in economic growth in a number of countries

and the upsurge towards market economies, as well

as progress towards the liberalization and

globalization of the world economy.

“The end of the cold war has resulted in a

relaxation of tension, particularly between world

Powers, and improved interactions among and

between States. My Government must nevertheless

register its grave concern that since the advent of the

historic fiftieth anniversary of this Organization,

some regional conflicts which appeared on the verge

of resolution have defied settlement. We are deeply

disturbed by ongoing conflicts in Africa, the Middle

East, Europe and Asia. Historical evidence has

shown that conflicts, whether in Africa or elsewhere,

will have negative consequences, not only for the

countries directly affected, but also for their

neighbours and the regions of which they are a part.

Liberians know only too well the consequences of a

26

protracted conflict and therefore urge all parties to the

various conflicts to seek a negotiated settlement of

their differences.

“In recent times, several unfavourable

developments have continued to threaten international

peace and security. At present, in the Middle East, the

conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority

is permeated with accusations, charges and counter-

charges, despite the signing of the Agreement of 28

September 1995. In spite of the fact that efforts to

pacify the situation are being undermined, we urge

States within the region which are taking concrete

steps, as well as the international community, to give

more attention to ensuring that the peace process

remains on course.

“Within our subregion, while we draw immense

satisfaction from the fact that the Liberian crisis has

finally ended and the Liberian people have achieved

durable peace and stability, we lament the reality of

the threatening situation which recently has developed

in neighbouring Sierra Leone. This matter truly leaves

much to be desired, and we cannot overemphasize the

fact that it is in the best interests of Liberia and its

neighbours that peace be soon established in Sierra

Leone and its people reconciled.

“Liberia, a member of the Economic Community

of West African States (ECOWAS) Committee of Five

on Sierra Leone, is committed to a peaceful,

negotiated settlement of the Sierra Leonean crisis. We

are of the firm conviction that it is our responsibility

to ensure security and stability within our subregion.

“Notwithstanding the individual and collective

efforts of African States to achieve socio-political

transformation, acts of destabilization continue to pose

a serious threat to these countries. That is why African

countries have intensified cooperation at the regional

and subregional levels to stem this trend. We welcome

the growing cooperation between the United Nations

and regional organizations in the fulfilment of Chapter

VIII of the United Nations Charter, and the renewed

commitment to conflict resolution through preventive

diplomacy, peacekeeping and peace-building.

“In the economic sphere, recent conscientious

efforts have resulted in the registration of positive

signs in the revitalization of the global economy. This

progressive trend has been taking place against the

backdrop of explosive growth in world trade and

private investment flows. In the meantime,

developing countries have thus far contributed 70

per cent of the growth in global gross domestic

product and half of the growth in world trade.

Notwithstanding this, the gap between developed and

developing countries continues to grow, leaving

many countries behind amidst the general positive

economic progress occurring in the world. More

importantly, official development assistance required

to fill the gap in resource depletion has fallen to its

lowest point in real terms during the past 23 years,

thereby forcing many of the world’s poorest

countries deeply into debt, and making it virtually

impossible for them to undertake or sustain

economic reforms.

“This situation has affected most developing

countries, particularly those in Africa which continue

to experience the crippling impact of external debt,

deteriorating terms of trade and decline in

investment and financial flows. While we

acknowledge that the development of the African

continent is primarily the responsibility of its people,

we hope that Africa’s development will, of

necessity, remain an area of concern to the

international community. We commend the

Secretary-General for his continuing initiatives for

the development of Africa. The Government of

Japan also deserves Africa’s appreciation for helping

to sensitize the international community to the need

to assist African countries to overcome the negative

trends which are impacting on their economies.

“Closely related to the issues of development is

that of the environment. The human impact on the

environment has increased dramatically, with

unprecedented effects on mankind. Nevertheless, we

remain hopeful that the growing awareness of the

degradation of the environment and the need to

reverse this trend will remain a priority on the global

agenda. In this connection, my Government

commends the holding of the recent high-level

meeting convened by the United Nations to review

progress on the implementation of decisions reached

on Agenda 21 since the 1992 Rio Conference on

Environment and Development.

“The Government of Liberia is concerned about

the alarming incidence of drug trafficking and drug

abuse, which have already destroyed and continue to

ruin countless lives. While this unfortunate

development has undermined the integrity of many

27

Governments, we commend cooperative efforts

between Governments that have taken bold action to

prevent and eradicate drug trafficking and drug abuse.

We welcome the Secretary-General’s proposal to

merge the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

Division and the United Nations International Drug

Control Programme.

“The Liberian Government is prepared to work

very closely with the international community in order

to bring success to the international campaign that

strives to undermine the production of and trafficking

in illicit drugs. We are assured in this connection that,

working in the framework of international cooperation

and given our commitment, we are bound to succeed

in our efforts to make our world a safer place for

ourselves and our children.

“Regarding the restructuring of the Security

Council, we must recall that with the founding of this

Organization we committed ourselves and succeeding

generations to continuously preserve peace and

security in our world. Let us remember that peace will

be elusive in the world where social, economic and

political rights are flouted. In this connection, and in

view of the Security Council’s primary role in the

maintenance of international peace and security, its

reform is of particular urgency. We note the

emergence during the fifty-first session of the growing

consensus to restructure the Council so as to ensure

that it becomes more representative and democratic.

This would encourage the advent of a greater balance

between the requirement of efficiency and that of

expansion, as well as transparency in its method of

work. Moreover, with optimum utilization of the

resources of those Member States that can contribute

significantly to peacekeeping operations, immense

successes will redound to the credit of this

Organization.

“Due to the far-reaching implications for global

peace of the Security Council’s decisions and actions,

there have been persistent demands to expand its

membership to reflect geographic balance and ensure

equitable representation. Besides, of the fifteen

members of the Council, five enjoy the veto power.

The right of veto, we believe, is against the principle

of universality and leaves the fate of our world to be

decided by only a few Members of the United

Nations.

“Accordingly, Liberia joins the call for

expanded membership of the Security Council. We

also request that, as the region with the single

largest number of Members, Africa be given two

permanent seats on the Council. We further call for

the elimination of the veto power.

“Liberia believes that no country or institution

can prosper if it is resistant to change — the United

Nations being no exception. In this connection, we

agree with the Secretary-General’s decision to

institute reforms in the administrative and

operational aspects of the Organization.

Notwithstanding this, we support a reform process

that does not diminish the capacity of the United

Nations to perform the Charter-mandated functions

in the area of development, more especially to meet

the needs of developing countries. We are, therefore,

heartened by the Secretary-General’s indication that

savings accrued from the exercise will be utilized to

establish an economic- and social-development

account for the sole purpose of financing

development programmes launched by the United

Nations. We note that $200 million will be saved for

development by the year 2002.

“The issue of sanctions has occupied much

time and energy here over the years, and Liberia,

like other African nations and nations around the

world, has watched sanctions succeed, and fail, as a

means of encouraging change. Sanctions’ greatest

triumph was perhaps in South Africa, where

international sanctions isolated the racist apartheid

regime and contributed to its eventual downfall.

“But unfortunately, as we know, sanctions are

not always so successful. Time and again, nations

singled out for punitive sanctions have been able to

circumvent the edicts of this world body and obtain

the goods or the weapons they seek. Still worse, the

leaders of these nations, who are the real targets of

the political and economic pressure that sanctions

are meant to deliver, often feel no pain. Sadly, it is

the innocent people — already the victims of these

regimes — who suffer the most. On balance, then,

our Government is sceptical about sanctions as a

tool for change. Unless they are universally adopted,

strictly enforced and carefully designed to achieve

specific political goals, we believe that sanctions can

too easily end up harming those they are designed to

help.

28

“The Liberian civil war was to a great extent, a

protest against the blatant disregard for and violation

of the rights of Liberians. At the end of seven years of

civil war, the need to consolidate peace is of the

highest priority to my Government. It is essential to

national survival and the sustenance of our newly

created democracy that the post-war reconciliation

policy be firmly grounded in developing a culture and

tradition consistent with international norms of respect

for basic human rights.

“In furtherance of this objective, my Government

has initiated a process to create by law a National

Commission on Human Rights that will operate

independently and that will investigate, document and

report cases of human rights violations. Additionally,

the post of Deputy Minister for Human Rights has

been created within the Ministry of Justice, with

specific responsibility to ensure the protection of basic

human rights.

“Since its inauguration on 2 August, our

Government has taken prompt and appropriate steps

that will protect the rights of all people, whether

citizens or aliens, residing in the country. As a

testimony to this commitment, some immigration

officers were dismissed when they were found guilty

of having brutalized some alleged aliens. Additionally,

a private lawyer successfully filed a writ of habeas

corpus against the Minister of Justice, the

Commissioner of Immigration and the Director of

Police for detaining a number of aliens for over forty-

eight hours without the formal charge required. The

lawyer won the case and the aliens were released.

“Without a doubt, we as a Government are aware

that we are being keenly observed, as if through a

microscope, both internally and externally.

Accordingly, we do not intend to water down our

promise that matters relating to human rights will be

kept clean and our record maintained unadulterated.

As a candidate for the presidency, we made it

abundantly clear that, when elected, there would be no

witch-hunting. On this account, we stand to be

challenged.

“We are witnesses to the rapid growth of the

global village through advances in technology,

communications and tolerance, which, too, have

encouraged world peace and stability. Indeed, when

the illustrious architects of this noble Organization

conceived the idea, from the Dumbarton Oaks

Conference to the Yalta Conference, before drawing

up the United Nations, the world was not as it is

today. From its original membership of 51 nations in

1945, the United Nations now has an impressive

membership of 185 nations. Out of this number, 28

have been admitted just since 1990, the latest being

Palau, in 1994.

“The parallel existence of the People’s

Republic of China and the Republic of China on

either side of the Taiwan Strait constitutes for my

country, a founding Member of the Organization,

one of the difficulties and the source of the prevalent

sense of frustration that continue to persist on the

international political scene since the end of the cold

war.

“It really begs the issue to review the decision

of the General Assembly on 25 October 1971, when

its Members voted to admit the People’s Republic of

China to membership while ignoring a compromise

proposal that the Republic of China retain a seat in

the General Assembly. My country, a life-long

supporter of the principle of including every nation

in the United Nations system, feels that there should

be a re-examination of the proposal to which I have

just referred, with a view to admitting the Republic

of China to the General Assembly. Quite clearly,

existing global realities make it necessary and

prudent for us to review the action taken in 1971.

We believe that the United Nations is the proper

instrument for the correction of many seemingly

intractable problems. We would add that this

Organization is the most significant international

forum for the resolution of complex crises and that

all nations that desire to participate in the United

Nations should have that right. Yet, in the highest

sense, we believe that until reunification is achieved

the parallel participation in the United Nations of the

People’s Republic of China and the Republic of

China would be conducive to regional security and

world peace.

“One of the principal challenges facing Liberia

today is the revitalization of its economy. The past

prosperity of the Liberian economy was built on the

successful development of the country’s abundant

natural resources and the active participation of the

private sector. We also enjoyed the benefits of a

lively transit trade with our neighbours. During the

years of economic mismanagement and civil strife,

29

the economy collapsed and the livelihood of ordinary

people was impaired.

“Bringing prosperity back to the country is an

enormous challenge. We are determined that the

benefits of such prosperity should reach all the people

of Liberia, and not merely the privileged few. I am

convinced that the private sector has a key role to

play. The management of the economy must be

transparent and cost effective. The burden of external

debt, which we inherited, needs to be addressed. A

positive relationship with the international financial

institutions is central to the success of our

reconstruction programme. We need an early infusion

of financial resources on favourable terms to launch

the post-war reconstruction programmes.

“Private-sector operations in rubber, timber and

mining will provide jobs and earn foreign exchange

for the country. We need to create a favourable

climate for new investment. This means that the fiscal

regime must be reformed and simplified and that taxes

be paid to the Government. My Government has

already implemented a programme to centralize all

revenue collection under the Ministry of Finance. Our

exchange rate and currency practices are being

reviewed in order to guide local and foreign investors

and inform them about the transaction costs of doing

business.

“In managing the economy we must make the

best use of scarce resources. There is no place in the

new Liberia for ineffective public corporations and a

bloated civil service that are a drain on the budget.

Revenue collection is being tightened up, expenditure

strictly controlled, and the budget used as the main

vehicle for prudent fiscal management and public

accountability. Given our very limited resources, this

will mean that many priority projects will have to

wait.

“Liberia’s external debt to international financial

institutions and other external creditors, inherited from

previous Governments, imposes a huge burden on my

Government. We believe that the size of that burden,

coupled with the cost of rebuilding a shattered society,

makes it essential that the international community

make special concessions.

“My Government intends to manage public

finances in accordance with the high standards

expected of any good government. But we cannot

consolidate the transition from war to peace unless

immediate funds are available to run the machinery

of government and to start up the reintegration

programmes designed by donors, in consultation

with our Government.

“I stand here in this great Hall and before

honoured representatives of independence as the

representative of a nation that only 75 days ago

underwent a free, fair and peaceful election —

perhaps one of the most transparent elections ever

held anywhere in the world. I hail from a national

heritage which, more than a century and half ago,

was born out of enslavement, servitude and racism

and which progressed from thence to freedom and

independence, and my proud homeland, in its

struggle to maintain its sovereignty and

independence, lost almost half of its territory to

external Powers. Indeed, I speak of a land of liberty

that has passed through more than its share of

political crucibles.

“We have come, but not in anger. Rather, we

have emerged from a stained past of self-inflicted

suffering, which is perhaps not the surest rationale

for qualifying. But our scars enable us to speak, with

some constraint, at nearly first hand about how we

have been able to survive and keep our dignity as a

sovereign State and people. We ask that the

Assembly accord us the requisite attention, while

retaining the hope that the experience of conflict

resolution in Liberia and the engagement of the

United Nations and the international community, in

collaboration with the Economic Community of

West African States (ECOWAS) through its

peacekeeping instrument, the Economic Community

of West African States Monitoring Group

(ECOMOG), which helped restore peace and

harmony to Liberia, will enlighten members on

future undertakings in the arena of civil conflict.

“In all candour, if there is anything of

substance that must be said, it is this: Let us never

again allow any form of human anguish to be left in

isolation, no matter how meaningless it may appear

in the eyes of controlling Powers. Should it not be

understood that one human tear is just as painful as

another and that the entire globe is united by the

same life-generating substance?

“We have come to the United Nations to

advocate international cooperation. Let us not close

30

our eyes to the countless failures in the achievement

of our common objectives as we enter the twenty-first

century. Let us take note of the dangers and work

together so that reason can prevail. The economic

problems and social dangers the world faces are

immense, and we have no right to postpone solutions

or open the door to conflict and instability. Strategic

confrontation dominated the best minds of this

century. Perhaps it is now time to turn our eyes upon

ourselves, upon our peoples and our societies, to

assess their condition, their moral needs and their

crises, and to attempt to find solutions.

“To conclude, I wish to make an appeal to the

heart, without distinction as to creed, dogma,

political colour or national faction. I should like

each of us to look the other in the eye and ask

ourselves sincerely and frankly: Is this the world our

children deserve? Will we be satisfied when, in the

near future, the voice of history and of our blood

summons us to judgement? The United Nations

system and the entire international community will

be judged on the basis of their response to those

important questions.”