Sri Lanka, 1992

The delegation of Sri Lanka congratulates

Mr. Stoyan Ganev of Bulgaria on his election as President of the forty-seventh

session of the General Assembly. We assure him of our full co-operation and

support.

We wish to record our deep appreciation of the determined manner in which

his predecessor. His Excellency Samir S. Shihabi, conducted the affairs of the

forty-sixth session and of the keen interest he took in moving forward the

process of revitalization of the General Assembly.

We welcome the new Member States and wish them every success in their

legitimate national and international endeavours.

It is my special honour to convey to the General Assembly the greetings

of the President of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Ranasinghe Premadasa, and his

sincere good wishes for the efforts of the United Nations to ensure a just and

peaceful world.

The cold war is over. Momentous developments continue to dominate the

international scene. The consequences of these developments for a peaceful

world have yet to fully unfold. New independent States have emerged. The

transition to a stable and equitable order is full of uncertainties and

challenges. Several peace initiatives to resolve conflicts offer hope.

Nevertheless, there is simmering discontent within and among nations. Unrest

and turmoil prevail in parts of the world.

The violence in the territories of former Yugoslavia continues unabated.

The tragedy in Somalia appals and shames the human conscience. The peace

processes that began in Afghanistan and Cambodia have encountered setbacks.

In South Africa a non-racial and democratic Government is yet to be

established. The question of Palestine still remains on our agenda. We hope

that the Middle East peace process will enable that troubled region to soon

enjoy the peace for which its peoples yearn.

We thank the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali for his

comprehensive report on the work of the Organization in these and other areas

of activity during the year.

The Secretary-General's report on an "Agenda for Peace" is innovative and

challenging. The proposals in his report must be considered with the care and

seriousness they deserve given the instabilities that prevail and the

uncertainties that lie ahead. The central focal-point for any action in this

regard should be a revitalized and democratized United Nations.

The Secretary-General himself has observed that "the foundation stone to

this work is and must remain the State". The fundamental sovereignty and

integrity of the State are crucial to any common progress we seek to achieve.

Preventive diplomacy, peacemaking, peace-keeping and post-conflict peace

building must be pursued in a manner that meets the legitimate aspirations of

all Member States.

In keeping with the principles of universality and sovereign equality,

the post-cold war peace process must encompass and involve all Member States.

This is fundamental to the legal and moral authority of the United Nations.

The General Assembly should continue to be the principal policy-making

body of the Organization. We support all efforts to ensure more effective

functioning of the General Assembly as a forum of multilateral diplomacy to

achieve our common objectives.

The role of the United Nations in conflict prevention and conflict

resolution should be pragmatic. It should contribute to the stability and

long-term viability of the international system. The Secretary-General has

reminded us that unlimited "fragmentation" of sovereign entities would make it

more difficult to achieve peace, security and economic well-being for all.

External intervention in any guise cannot be justified, except in accordance

with the provisions of the Charter, particularly in cases where domestic

solutions have not been entirely exhausted.

To ensure the efficacy of our collective efforts towards fulfilling the

"Agenda for Peace", it is imperative that the United Nations assume a decisive

role in formulating and putting into effect an "agenda for development".

Lasting solutions can be found only through enlightened

development-cooperation policies pursued in tandem with strategies for

preventive diplomacy.

As the principal organ entrusted with the maintenance of international

peace and security, the Security Council now functions without the shackles

that made it ineffective during the cold war. However, its present

configuration continues to reflect the realities of the immediate-post-war

power structure. The Security Council could be made more representative. It

is important that its procedures be democratic and transparent. Its decisions

should reflect consensus, arrived at after proper discussion, and respect for

national sovereignty. There should be a better balance in the relationship

between the General Assembly and the Security Council.

The restructuring of the United Nations in its economic and social areas

has already begun. There is a need for better coordination of global economic

policies and for more effective policy-making and policy-implementation.

Coordination and integration of operational activities of the specialized

agencies and other bodies, functioning under the Economic and Social Council,

and strengthening of the field presence of the United Nations have become

vital. This will reduce duplication, inefficiency and a too-diffused focus of

United Nations assistance. The ultimate aim of the reforms must be to enable

the United Nations to be more effective in the promotion of development

cooperation for social and economic progress. However, in our enthusiasm to

reform the United Nations in the social and economic fields, we must maintain

the principles of democracy, universality and respect for the sovereignty of

States.

We wish to commend the Secretary-General for his bold initiatives in

streamlining the work of the Secretariat. We hope that continuing efforts to

maximize efficiency in the Secretariat will not diminish, but will enhance,

the capacity of the United Nations to respond to the pressing socio-economic

needs of the developing world.

We welcome the Secretary-General's efforts to reorganize the Secretariat

and to utilize fully its human resources. These efforts should be matched by

Member States' meeting their obligation under the Charter to make available

the required financial resources. If the present financial crisis of the

United Nations is to be resolved, these resources must be provided on time.

This year has witnessed a reaffirmation, by the nations of the

Bon-Aligned Movement, of the validity and relevance of non-alignment and of

its basic approach in addressing international problems and development. The

tenth Summit Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement, held in Jakarta last

month, emphasized the need to build a new and equitable international order

based on political and economic democracy both within and between nations.

The Jakarta Message conveys a clear consensus that the Non-Aligned Movement is

not a captive of its nomenclature, which reflects the historical context in

which the first Summit Conference took place.

In our commitment to promote and preserve the "dignity and worth of the

human person" we believe that the best defence of human rights lies in

democracy and openness in societies.

For over half a century Sri Lanka has had a proud record of uninterrupted

universal adult franchise and respect for the electoral verdict. My country

is a party to the Covenants on human rights. In Sri Lanka, steps are being

taken to establish a human-rights commission to strengthen the fulfilment of

our constitutional obligations relating to fundamental rights. We have an

enduring commitment to both national and international accountability.

Sri Lanka's policy of openness and of cooperation with national and

international bodies in the field of human rights is derived from democratic

traditions and institutions that are an integral part of Sri Lanka's value

system.

Socio-economic aspects of human-rights problems have found their

manifestations everywhere. This is evident from violent and undemocratic

expressions of grievances in both developing and developed countries. We

believe that a cooperative rather than a coercive approach would help

international action to achieve the desired results in the field of human

rights. Sri Lanka will participate constructively in the World Conference on

Human Rights in 1993 to develop such a positive approach to the promotion of

human rights world-wide.

International peace, security and development are indivisible. It is no

longer possible to conceive of security essentially in military terms. The

cold-war era, in which a highly militarized concept of security dominated

East-West relations, is over. Today, socio-economic factors have become major

determinants of global security. Multilateral disarmament and world peace and

security are inextricably linked. This makes it necessary for the United

Nations to play the central role in global disarmament. The United Nations

should also be a catalyst in facilitating regional disarmament.

The monitoring of the illegal arms trade and its elimination should be a

priority on the multilateral agenda on disarmament and conflict prevention.

The illegal arms trade and the highly destructive evils of drug trafficking

and terrorism are interlinked and mutually supportive. States should not

permit their territories or their citizens to be used for the perpetration of

acts of destabilization against other States through support for, or tolerance

of, arms smuggling drug trafficking and terrorism. Multilateral action to

address these real threats faced by democratic societies should constitute an

indispensable element of the peace agenda of the United Nations.

Sri Lanka strongly supported multilateral negotiations aimed at a total

prohibition of the entire chemical weapons cycle. The successful conclusion

of the convention on chemical weapons demonstrates the competence of the

United Nations in multilateral negotiations. Sri Lanka was among those

countries which signified an early interest in becoming an original signatory

to the convention. We hope that States parties to this convention will

promote international cooperation in the peaceful uses of chemicals in

accordance with its letter and spirit.

Efforts to establish a zone of peace in the Indian Ocean continue. In

view of the changing international situation, the United Nations Ad Hoc

Committee on the Indian Ocean was of the view that the General Assembly might

wish to consider alternative approaches. The Tenth Non-Aligned Summit Meeting

in Jakarta took cognizance of this view and reiterated the determination to

continue efforts to achieve the goals of the Declaration as considered at the

meeting of littoral and hinterland States held in 1979. We hope that the new

spirit of cooperation evident elsewhere in the world will embrace the Indian

Ocean region as well.

My delegation is pleased with the conclusions reached at the United

Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro. We

endorse the principles enunciated in the Rio Declaration, the programmes in

Agenda 21, the commitment to a shared partnership by the provision of adequate

new and additional funding and the transfer of the necessary technologies to

developing countries. Sri Lanka has signed the Framework Convention on

Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity. We expect that the

creation of a commission for sustainable development will without delay move

forward the process of ensuring the sustainable development to which all

nations and peoples committed themselves in Rio de Janeiro.

The United Nations must take a visionary perspective in shaping the

future of a world already transformed into a global village by modern

technology. Yet, developing countries are still in a disadvantaged position

owing to the non-availability of the necessary technologies. Among these,

space technology is useful in the monitoring of the changing global

environment and can assist developing countries in maximizing the use of their

resources.

However, the high cost of space and other advanced technologies prevents

developing countries from reaping their potential benefits. The United

Nations and its specialized agencies must therefore work to ensure equitable

access to these technologies so that the benefits can be shared by all. This

will enable the development of a new regime of technological democracy.

The Convention on the Law of the Sea was signed 10 years ago. The

Preparatory Commission continues to labour painstakingly to ensure that the

resources of the seas and oceans a common heritage of mankind will be used

for the benefit of all. We welcome the initiative of the Secretary-General to

bring about universal participation in the Convention.

In different parts of the world regional organizations are being

strengthened. Sri Lanka hid the honour this year to be elected as Chairman of

the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC). The dynamic

leadership of His Excellency Ranasinghe Premadasa, President of Sri Lanka, has

significantly moved forward cooperation among the seven States members of

SAARC on a number of initiatives.

A South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation, established this year,

will enable fresh approaches to be taken on the basis of shared experiences in

alleviating poverty in our populous region. Sri Lanka's own approach has been

to provide opportunities and access to the poor to participate actively and

productively as partners in national development, rather than being treated as

passive recipients of charity.

A South Asian Preferential Trading Agreement (SAPTA) seeks to promote

trade and commerce among SAARC countries. Efforts to expand cultural

exchanges and to enhance people-to-people contact at various levels are under

way. Regional recognition has been granted to the SAARC Chambers of Commerce

and Industries.

The Second SAARC Ministerial Conference on Children in South Asia was

held in Colombo in September. The Conference resolved to set up several goals

and a time frame for their achievement. The specific goals deal with

education, child-welfare and children's rights.

SAARC is also looking forward to promoting mutually beneficial

cooperation with other regional and international organizations.

This has been a year of heightened activity in the SAARC region. The

countries of our region are determined to maintain this momentum.

In this context I quote the words of our President, His Excellency

Ranasinghe Premadasa:

"A sense of innovation must animate SAARC cooperation. We cannot

remain static. Fresh and imaginative approaches are needed. We have to

face new challenges. New ways have to be found to deal with old problems

that have lingered, defying solutions.

"We in South Asia, have the ability to forge together a unity based

on our ancient ties. Let us accept the challenge to build together a

solidarity of mutual respect; one which will strengthen each individual

nation in its independence. A solidarity which will weld our nations

into a purposeful and dynamic unity. We will be then be able to face

with confidence our common future".

These sentiments are a beacon for regional cooperation in South Asia.

In meeting the challenges that lie ahead it is abundantly clear that the

United Nations offers the best hope for humankind. The strong and the weak,

the rich and the poor, the industrialized and the developing are all

represented here. It is only through our deliberations that the problems of

our world come into global focus and solutions can be provided accordingly.

For the first time after the Charter of the United Nations was signed in

San Francisco, 47 years ago, the peoples of the world through their

representatives here assembled have it in their power to provide new

directions for ensuring peace, security, prosperity and social justice in

keeping with today's realities. The challenges are many; equally, the

opportunities are great. We owe it to the millions who crave equity and

justice and a better life in larger freedom that we shoulder our

responsibilities with courage and perseverance. We cannot afford to falter or

fail. We must succeed.