Liberia, 2000

I am honoured to

participate in this historic session on behalf of His

Excellency Mr. Charles Ghankay Taylor, President of

the Republic of Liberia.

I am pleased to congratulate you, Sir, on your

election as President of the General Assembly at its

fifty-fifth session. My delegation acknowledges the

astute diplomatic skills and esteemed wisdom that you

bring to this important assignment. We are therefore

assured of a successful convocation, and assure you of

the full cooperation of the Liberian delegation.

I also take this opportunity to pay tribute to the

outgoing President, Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab of Namibia,

my brother and colleague, for the very able manner in

which he conducted the fifty-fourth session of the

General Assembly.

In the same vein, I commend our Secretary-

General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his vision, far-

sightedness and the efficient manner in which he

continues to carry out his mandate.

This session has the challenge of determining

how the international community will address the

primary issues of peace and development. It has the

task of assisting in preventing intra-State, inter-State

and regional conflicts, as well as of ensuring that we

pursue balanced and non-selective approaches to their

solution. In addition, it must consider how to bring

equity to the present international financial structure.

Despite the much heralded dividends that globalization

offers, developing countries are still beset by mounting

debt burdens, unfair trade practices, declining official

development assistance, poor health delivery systems

and inadequate resource flows. An improved

environment for global interaction, sensitive to the

needs of developing countries, is a dire necessity that

must not be ignored during our deliberations.

The purposes and principles of the Charter have

proved to be of durable value over the years. Today, as

in the past, Liberia reaffirms its commitment to this

instrument. The machinery that has evolved continues

to be an indispensable framework for better

international relations. But Member States cannot

continue to support the United Nations in words only,

and must avoid resorting to the expediency of

exploiting it in the pursuit of narrow national aims that

consistently discredit others.

At the dawn of this millennium, the United

Nations performance will be measured principally by

its capability to sustain and protect the universal values

of liberty, equity and solidarity, tolerance, non-

violence, respect for nature and shared responsibility,

as endorsed by the Millennium Summit a few weeks

ago. Liberia intends to be a part of the process.

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There are areas of the United Nations that need

constant attention and improvement. Liberia and other

Member States have spoken of the need to deal with

some of the structural and institutional malaise that

continues to undermine the Organization's

effectiveness. As emphasized in my address to the

Millennium Summit, we must, first, review the

inequitable representation of the world's people

reflected in the present structure of the Security

Council; secondly, review the undemocratic processes

of decision-making in the Security Council; and,

thirdly, review the continuous violations, with apparent

impunity, of the United Nations Charter by the big, the

rich and the powerful.

Indeed, when the Organization was constructed,

five nations were entrusted with the responsibility of

overseeing the entire world. The prevailing

circumstances justified this dispensation, and Liberia, a

signatory to the Charter, reasoned that the arrangement

was acceptable. Time has unfolded new realities that

make the arrangement of old unrealistic, unjustifiable

and certainly unacceptable.

There is a need to take into account existing

political, economic and security realities. I need hardly

say that one area of concern to Liberia is the use of the

veto in the Security Council — a use that, on some

occasions, has proved to be in conflict with the noble

objectives of the Charter.

Liberia is interested in peace, justice,

development and economic progress for its people, and

will not restrain its voice on issues that are vital to all

nations and on which it should speak with an equally

authoritative voice.

Mindful that peace can translate into a sustained

climate for development, Liberia has continued to work

within the framework of the Economic Community of

West African States (ECOWAS) to make peace in our

subregion a reality. In this regard, Liberia was

privileged to assume the mandate given to President

Charles Ghankay Taylor by his colleagues, heads of

State of ECOWAS, in Abuja in May 2000.

In keeping with consultations held among the

Chairman of ECOWAS, the Chairman of the

Organization of African Unity (OAU), the President of

Nigeria, and the President of the Gambia, hosted by the

President of Liberia, in Monrovia on 26 July 2000, a

new leader and interlocutor of the Revolutionary

United Front (RUF) has been named by the RUF high

command, through a letter to the Chairman of

ECOWAS. Thus Corporal Foday Sankoh was removed

from the peace process in Sierra Leone. Additionally,

the new RUF leadership has indicated, in writing, its

willingness to accept a ceasefire, to return to positions

held at the signing of the Lomé Agreement on 7 July

1999, to accept the deployment of an ECOWAS

contingent of the United Nations Mission in Sierra

Leone (UNAMSIL) into RUF positions and to proceed

with the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration

programmes.

Liberia, along with other ECOWAS member

States, has also called upon the new RUF leadership to

show good faith by returning all seized arms,

ammunition and equipment to UNAMSIL. It has been

reported that some armoured personnel carriers have

been returned to UNAMSIL, but we must continue to

insist on full restitution.

Liberia wishes to take this opportunity to again

condemn the taking of United Nations peacekeepers by

the RUF, an act that challenged and undermined our

concerted efforts to ensure collective security.

Likewise, the recent attacks on United Nations

personnel in East Timor and Macenta, Guinea, are

unacceptable and warrant the collective actions of

Member States of the United Nations to prevent any

future attacks against United Nations personnel. We

must send a clear and unambiguous message to all

groups that the people of the world intend to

adequately protect those individuals commissioned to

carry out specific assignments for and on behalf of the

United Nations, whether in the area of peacekeeping or

in the discharge of other humanitarian services.

The Government of Liberia has expressed its

support for Security Council resolution 1306 (2000),

which calls for an end to the smuggling of diamonds

from Sierra Leone. As evidence of this, my

Government has committed itself to undertaking

several initiatives, including the enactment of a statute

criminalizing the export of undocumented or

uncertified diamonds; the enforcement of legislation

requiring the Central Bank of Liberia to issue

certificates of origin, in line with existing laws; and the

development of a transparent process, with the

assistance of experts from the International Monetary

Fund and the World Bank.

After the Liberian civil war our Government took

several measures to consolidate peace and security in

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our subregion, especially since many disgruntled

former combatants sought refuge in neighbouring

countries. The Government of Liberia voluntarily

destroyed, with the assistance of ECOWAS and the

United Nations, more than 21,000 small arms and more

than 3 million rounds of ammunition. The Government

of Liberia also signed the protocol to the ECOWAS

small arms Moratorium.

Despite these measures, and the current

imposition of an unjust arms embargo against Liberia,

armed insurgents from the neighbouring country of

Guinea have attacked Liberia for the third time. The

repeated violations of Liberia's territorial integrity by

armed insurgents from the area of the Guinea-Sierra

Leone borders have been reported to this Assembly and

the Security Council, the OAU and ECOWAS. Though

generally unacknowledged and not condemned, in

April 1999 there was an incursion from Guinea,

followed by another in August of the same year.

A third and most recent attack emanating from

the Republic of Guinea is ongoing and has resulted in

the loss of lives and property and the displacement of a

large number of our people.

We are alarmed by the large quantities of new

arms and ammunition being used by the insurgents

coming from Guinea, and the implications for ongoing

armed conflicts and potential hotbeds in our subregion.

The repatriation of some 32,000 refugees to

Liberia by the Office of the United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been

suspended as a result of the armed incursion. Indeed,

Liberia is a stakeholder in the peace and security of the

subregion, and especially in bringing the illegal arms

trade in West Africa to an end.

The inviolability of the borders between Liberia,

Guinea, and Sierra Leone remains a crucial issue. We

call, once more, for a monitoring presence of the

United Nations at these borders to monitor all crossing

points capable of vehicular traffic. We recognize the

enormous cost of policing the entire length of the

borders and suggest the utilization of an airborne

multi-spectral service to detect any unusual movements

of any type along the entire border. Intelligence

gathered therefrom could prove useful to the three

countries and the international community at large. The

cost of this service is reasonable and could be

underwritten by the international community.

The Government of Liberia wishes to bring to the

attention of this Assembly the maltreatment of Liberian

and Sierra Leonean refugees in Guinea, which was

incited by a speech given by the President of Guinea,

General Lansana Conté, on 9 September 2000, and

confirmed by Human Rights Watch. The refugees have

been arrested, beaten and some even raped.

These actions are in violation of international

conventions and we appeal to the international

community to call upon the Guinean authorities to

respect and to protect all refugees living within their

territory. The attack on Guinea, while condemnable, is

no excuse for such inhumane treatment meted out

against innocent refugees.

Liberia remains committed to the pursuit of peace

and stability, both at home and in the subregion, and in

so doing, will assiduously struggle for the socio-

economic uplifting of its people and those of the

subregion under the ECOWAS Treaty.

In my intervention last year, I renewed my

Government's request for the Security Council to lift

the arms embargo imposed on Liberia eight years ago

in 1992. I advanced reasons in support of this request,

principal among which was the constitutional duty to

defend the territorial boundaries of Liberia and to

protect all individuals therein, and especially in light of

the repeated armed incursions into Liberia by

dissidents from Guinea. Again, in early July 2000 there

was another incursion into Liberia from the same

country by dissidents with the declared objective of

overthrowing the duly elected Government of President

Charles Ghankay Taylor. As I speak, there is an

ongoing war between Government forces and the

dissidents.

Although our repeated requests for the lifting of

the arms embargo have not received a favourable

response from the Security Council, we again put this

matter before that body for urgent consideration.

The present security situation within Liberia and

the West African subregion compels us to seek removal

of these restrictions, so that the Government of Liberia

can acquire the means to protect its citizens and others

within the territorial confines of the country, as well as

to maintain a stable environment. On the other hand,

the continued existence of an arms embargo against

Liberia in the midst of repeated armed aggression is a

violation of our inherent right to self-defence under

Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. If the United

4

Nations fails to grant Liberia the right to defend itself,

then the United Nations is obligated to provide for the

security and defence of Liberia.

The persistent attacks on Liberia, we believe, are

precipitated and encouraged by the knowledge that

dissident forces have of the existence of the United

Nations arms embargo on Liberia, which leaves Liberia

vulnerable to such callous and unwarranted attacks on

its nation and people by dissidents outside of the

country.

The Security Council arms embargo has not only

undermined and compromised Liberia's capacity for

self-defence, but it has further deprived our universities

from obtaining needed laboratory chemicals, deprived

our industries from acquiring essential explosives for

mining and rock quarries. Hence, the arms embargo

continues to have a disruptive impact on our

educational system and our economy as well.

In this post-conflict environment, there is the

urgent need to build confidence and enhance the

capacity of government institutions, such as health,

education and agriculture-related agencies and security

apparatus, which are vital to meeting the basic needs of

Liberians, including ex-combatants.

Pledges were made toward the achievement of

this objective in Paris in December 1997. However,

little aid has trickled in to further the reconstruction

programmes of our Government.

Despite the assurances from the international

community that the road to international assistance was

a successful disarmament process followed by the

holding of free and fair elections, the international

donor community has continued to pursue a policy of

punitive disengagement.

Pursuant to this policy, essentially, all known

avenues for obtaining assistance are laden with

impractical conditionalities, which are difficult to meet

even by countries that have not experienced civil war.

We wish to note that this exclusionary attitude

approximates the imposition of economic sanctions on

Liberia and its people.

However, whatever justification we may

rationalize, there is a population of Liberia that has

suffered the scourge of seven years of civil war:

vulnerable children, women and the elderly, who

deserve humane assistance irrespective of any political

imperatives; people who care less for the politics of the

machination of power brokers who arrogate unto

themselves the right to determine what is acceptable

behaviour in the international political system. I might

add that Liberians are not automatons.

As a sovereign people, we claim the incontestable

right to exercise the leading role in determining our

destiny, especially the right of ownership of our

development programmes. We are an integral part of

the human family, pulsating with needs and aspirations

that are good and honourable. We too desire to reap the

benefits of the people-centred development underlined

in the Millennium Declaration.

At this precarious period of our national life,

Liberians have shown uncommon resilience and are

relentlessly striving to rebuild their lives. What we

seek from the international community is its empathy

and human understanding in providing the requisite

assistance that will enable Liberians to enjoy the basic

human rights of food, security and peace. Importantly,

we wish similar benefits for our neighbours and others

beyond the West African subregion.

Following the successful celebration of the

Millennium Summit, which reinforced our collective

determination for the improvement of the management

of the United Nations in the twenty-first century, it

would seem morally incongruent that the 23 million

people of Taiwan are being denied the right to

participate in a United Nations.

General Assembly resolution 2758 (XXVI) denies

the Taiwanese people the right to participate in United

Nations activities and contravenes the United Nations

Charter's principle of universality. How can such

injustice suffice in this era of increased global

interaction, economic interdependence, political

transformation, democratization and rapprochement?

With the undeniable record of the Republic of

China, its experience in democracy as proven by the

recent election of President Chen Shui-bian, its respect

for human rights, its economic power resulting from its

acceptance of the market economy; the energy,

imagination and courage of its people; technological

achievements and humanitarian attributes all over the

world, who would query its overarching relevance?

Liberia fervently reiterates its call for the

inclusion of the Republic of China in this world

Organization. We believe that the Republic of China

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can make important contributions that would serve the

best interests of the United Nations community.

The world has witnessed a significant

achievement in science and technology, leading to

rapid industrialization and the improvement of the

standard of living of humankind. Although the gains in

science and technology have led to the development of

new medicines and other scientific knowledge, it has

equally posed a threat to the environment and human

survival. Rapid industrialization and scientific

discoveries are dangerously impacting the

environment. Unless we modify our activities, the

sweet stories of scientific achievement will sadly lead

to tragedy and doom. In this new millennium we

cannot ignore the potency of threats posed by

environmental degradation to our survival. Saving the

planet is a precursor to the continued existence of its 6

billion inhabitants.

This is why my delegation supports the efforts of

the Commission on Sustainable Development, and

endorses the Commission's recommendation to

convene a General Assembly summit-level review,

preferably in a developing country in 2002, to reassess

the decision reached on Agenda 21 at the Rio

Conference in 1992.

Among the many impediments to social and

economic development in Africa are poverty, poor

health delivery systems, intra-regional wars and civil

conflicts. It is a known fact that there is a correlation

between war, civil conflict and the spread of

HIV/AIDS. The HIV/AIDS pandemic targets and

destroys our human resource, which is the basis for our

socio-economic development. United Nations records

show that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS increases in

countries affected by war and civil conflicts, owing to

population movements. Therefore, we should not

ignore the fact that post-conflict countries need special

attention to fight the disease.

Throughout Africa, HIV/AIDS accounts for the

increase in the death rate among young people and

adults between ages 10 and 24, and 25 and 45

respectively.

We appeal to the relevant United Nations

agencies and other partners in the HIV/AIDS

programmes to help Liberia obtain the $6.5 million

needed to prevent and control the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Meanwhile, in reference to the Inter-Agency

Standing Committee working group established by the

Security Council in January this year to examine the

relationship between war and civil strife and the spread

of HIV/AIDS, I would like to state my delegation's

endorsement of the targets set for reductions in new

infections, and applaud the measures taken thus far to

provide care, support and access to information and

medication for HIV/AIDS victims. Hence, my

delegation commends the United Nations for its

assistance to countries significantly affected by this

dreadful epidemic.

Apart from HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and

polio contribute immensely to the obliteration of socio-

economic gains in countries where they are

widespread. Cognizant of the impediments that these

infectious diseases pose to our socio-economic

development, Nigeria has offered to host an African

Summit on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other

infectious diseases in the year 2001. Meanwhile, we

commend President Olusegun Obasanjo for hosting the

African Summit on “Roll Back Malaria” in April this

year.

We in Liberia have not relented in our efforts to

reduce, if not eliminate, these health scourges that

continue to threaten our social and economic

development. Hence, the Liberian Government in

cooperation with the World Health Organization has, as

a result of a vigorous campaign, successfully contained

polio, which killed and immobilized thousands of our

citizens in past years. The polio vaccination campaign

targeted 900,000 people, and the number of people

vaccinated was 911,423.

I am pleased to report that, if I am allowed to

borrow and paraphrase the main slogan from this

successful campaign: we are determined to “Kick polio

out of Liberia”.

Liberia continues to be saddled by the debt

burden. This debt overhang, which remains a major

contributor to the gap between the rich and poor

nations, was acquired out of loans given in the pursuit

of influence in the cold war, which, as I stated in my

address to the Millennium Summit, was not in the

interest of the borrower. As a result of the debt burden,

our children are deprived of food, education, health

care, and jobs for their parents.

While we commend countries that have taken

steps to relieve poorer countries of their debt burden, I

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emphasize that unless all rich creditor nations adopt

measures to erase this burden, it will continue to be

oppressive, and an impediment to sustainable

development for poor countries.

Liberia rejects the proclaimed efficacy of the

highly indebted poor countries initiative, and calls

upon the G7/G8 countries to consider a comprehensive

debt waiver programme for all highly indebted poor

countries.

In January this year, the meeting on poverty

reduction and growth held in Libreville, Gabon,

highlighted the situation in post-conflict countries that

the Copenhagen Conference failed to address.

In this regard, Liberia has proposed the holding

of a regional summit of post-conflict African States to

develop a realistic approach to debt eradication, and

calls on the international community to support this

important venture.

As I conclude, I cannot help but wonder what this

new Millennium has in store for the people of the

world. Nationalism remains an unchallenged reality

today, despite the wave of globalization engulfing our

world. Also, the politics of power and “might makes

right” still pervade in inter-State relations, especially

among the powerful. Will the powerful break down the

zeal of nationalism under the cover of their demand for

good governance, democracy, transparency and human

rights?

We have indeed seen with what double standards

and ulterior motives these demands have been made.

Or, will the lofty tenets of the Charter be upheld in

equally recognizing and respecting the right of self-

determination of the small and the big, the poor and the

affluent, in a world rich in cultural diversity deserving

of coexistence in peace and universal harmony? Will

this millennium see the end of cultural hegemony and

arrogance, primitive sentiments undeserving of this

new age of enlightenment and technology?

Only the test of consistency between our moral

value system and our actions will stand witness to

posterity.