Mozambique, 1995

On behalf of my

Government and on my own behalf I wish to congratulate

Mr. Diogo Freitas do Amaral upon his unanimous

election as President of the General Assembly at its

fiftieth session. I am particularly gratified that, for the

first time since the creation of the United Nations, a son

of Portugal — a country with which Mozambique

entertains special ties of friendship and cooperation — is

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presiding over our deliberations. Mr. Freitas do Amaral’s

election to this important office bears testimony to his

personal qualifications as an enlightened scholar and

statesman, a man who has served his country with

distinction and has contributed in the dissemination and

codification of international law. My delegation, therefore,

has no doubt that he will lead our work to a successful

outcome. I pledge him our full support and cooperation.

I also wish to avail myself of this opportunity to put

on record my delegation’s appreciation of the manner in

which Mr. Freitas do Amaral’s predecessor, Mr. Amara

Essy, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Côte d’Ivoire, presided

over the deliberations of the General Assembly at its forty-

ninth session. His performance during the last session of

this very important gathering brought additional pride not

only to his country but also to the African continent.

I wish to commend the Secretary-General of the

United Nations, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for his

continued commitment to the ideals of international peace

and security. The people and Government of Mozambique

are indebted to him for his dedication to the cause of peace

in my country. He was, indeed, a key contributor to the

successful outcome of the United Nations Operation in

Mozambique (ONUMOZ).

Fifty years have elapsed since the establishment of the

United Nations. There could not be a better opportunity for

a collective assessment of its achievements and of the

difficulties and challenges faced in its daily operations, as

well as of its future prospects on the threshold of the

twenty-first century.

The creation of the United Nations following the end

of the Second World War represents, in our view, the most

significant step forward in modern history, symbolizing a

collective effort aimed at preventing the eruption of another

global conflict and at making our world a much safer place.

The shape of today’s world is therefore a clear

demonstration of the contribution of the United Nations in

its 50 years of existence.

While it is true that we are still faced with numerous

imperfections, uncertainties and challenges, one cannot deny

the fact that significant achievements have been made by

the Organization. Owing to the United Nations, it has been

possible, to a great extent, to prevent global conflicts.

Thanks to the efforts of the United Nations, virtually

all peoples of the world are today free from colonial

domination. From this body, guided by the principle of self-

determination, liberation movements, through the Special

Committee on decolonization, aroused awareness of their

individual fate. Today, the majority of those countries are

here assembled as independent nations, fully exercising

their inalienable right to self-determination. This is why

the quest for peace and sovereign equality among nations

has turned peace-keeping and economic development into

two fundamental challenges before the Organization. All

this progress has been possible owing to respect for and

commitment to the purposes and principles enshrined in

the United Nations Charter.

Ever since its independence, my country has attached

great importance to respect for and adherence to

international law. Mozambique was only nine months old

as an independent nation when, in early 1976, its new

Government decided to abide by Security Council

resolution 253 (1968) of 29 May 1968 regarding the

imposition of sanctions against the minority regime in the

then Southern Rhodesia.

Despite the very high price our people have paid for

their commitment to the purposes and principles of the

Charter, we feel honoured today to have contributed, to

the best of our ability, to the implementation of

international obligations. These facts were duly

recognized in Security Council resolution 386 (1976) of

17 March 1976, which, inter alia, emphasized that the

application of sanctions by my Government, in full

compliance with the decision of the Security Council,

constituted an important contribution to the realization of

United Nations objectives in Southern Rhodesia, in

accordance with the purposes and principles of the

Charter. Indeed, four years later Zimbabwe attained its

independence.

The same applies to the common struggle for the

eradication of apartheid. Mozambique was one of the

countries most adversely affected by apartheid and its

destructive policies in southern Africa. As will be

recalled, within a few years following its independence

Mozambique gained international admiration for its

significant achievements in raising statistical indicators in

key areas of national development — in particular, health

care and education. Our economy was among the most

promising and vibrant in the southern African region.

The situation of impoverishment we are facing today

is a direct consequence of the war which ravaged our

country for so many years. Our present difficult situation

is a direct consequence of the price we paid for our

continued commitment to the struggle against apartheid.

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Both the war situation and the situation of impoverishment

in my country were created and promoted by the old racist

regimes of former Southern Rhodesia and apartheid South

Africa.

The peace that has prevailed in Mozambique since the

signing of the Rome Agreement three years ago and the

visible improvements in our economic situation underline

clearly that with positive support and encouragement by the

international community Mozambicans can find appropriate

solutions to their differences and problems.

As I speak on this subject, I am reminded of a

statement made by President Chissano in response to the

Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa,

Mr. Freme Ginwala, during a State visit made to that sister

country in February this year. On that occasion, the Speaker

had apologized in moving terms for the horrible crimes

committed against the people of Mozambique by successive

apartheid Governments in Pretoria in an attempt to

discourage the Government of Mozambique from

supporting the cause of freedom and peace in the southern

African region. In his reply President Chissano stressed that

in so far as he was concerned the people of South Africa

had nothing to apologize for because Mozambicans were

aware of the consequences of their determination to support

the struggle for justice and peace, not only in South Africa

but also in the whole region. The President emphasized that

in reality all the peoples of the region were victims of the

same disease, apartheid, the elimination of which called for

sacrifices.

Today, we all rejoice at seeing a free, united and

non-racial South Africa, poised to fulfil its domestic and

international responsibilities in efforts for regional peace,

stability and cooperation among southern African nations.

With the eradication of apartheid and with our country

surrounded by friendly and peace-loving neighbours, peace

and stability are now a reality in Mozambique. Southern

Africa is now a region of flourishing democracy. Together,

we are fulfilling our collective responsibilities for regional

economic development.

Last January, at the end of the peace-keeping

operation in Mozambique, I came to New York and spoke

to the Security Council about the progress made since the

holding of the first multiparty general elections in my

country. I indicated then that peace was indeed a tangible

reality in Mozambique. Today, I am once again honoured

to reiterate, before this body, my Government’s high

commitment to national reconciliation, so as to ensure that

the peace we have all worked for is there to stay, forever.

Indeed, the advent of peace in my country has paved

the way for Mozambicans to pull together for the

economic development of the country. Accordingly, the

Government that emerged from last year’s general

elections has drawn up a Five-Year Programme, from

1995 to 1999, in which the maintenance and further

strengthening of peace, stability and national unity and

reduction of absolute poverty, with emphasis on

education, health, rural development and job creation, are

our main objectives. Our Programme also aims at

ensuring the resettlement of returnees and displaced

persons and promoting the social integration of

demobilized soldiers.

In addition, we are addressing other pressing issues

before us. To this end I should like to emphasize my

Government’s resolve to continue working towards a

lasting pluralistic democracy in our country. Accordingly,

we deem it essential to ensure the normal functioning of

our Parliament, the Assembly of the Republic. We believe

its normal functioning constitutes one of the key factors

for the consolidation of democracy in our society.

Within this perspective, my Government has recently

established an institution which will be dealing with

electoral issues on a permanent basis. The creation and

consolidation of a new institution which will supervise

our future elections will serve, in our view, as an

important confidence-building measure for society and all

political parties, for it will ensure confidence in future

elections. As a matter of fact, we are preparing to begin

next year the holding of municipal elections, which will

complement the process that was initiated by the general

elections in 1994.

The upgrading of the technical capacity of the

national police is another Government key priority. As

will be recalled, ONUMOZ was unable meaningfully to

address the issue relating to the collection of weapons and

their subsequent destruction. Needless to emphasize, those

weapons represent a great danger not only to our own

stability but also to that of our neighbours.

In this context, and on the basis of existing

agreements between Mozambique and South Africa, joint

operations are currently taking place between police

forces of the two countries. As a result, thousands of

weapons and explosives have already been collected and

destroyed. Moreover, my Government is working harder

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in order to ensure that our police force is better prepared

and equipped to deal more efficiently with transboundary

crimes, particularly drug-trafficking and money-laundering.

On the other hand, my Government considers it to be

of the utmost importance that the upgrading of police

technical capacity should go hand in hand with similar

progress in the strengthening of the judicial system, in order

to support the work of the police effectively by prosecuting

violators of our domestic laws and regulations. All possible

support for our national efforts in this regard will be greatly

appreciated.

Another area of paramount importance in efforts being

undertaken by my Government is that of de-mining. In this

regard I am happy to tell the Assembly that the National

De-mining Commission has been established. We are

currently engaged in final steps which will lead to the

approval of our national de-mining policy and programme.

Even before the formal approval of such a policy and

programme, national de-mining efforts are already visible

in the field throughout the country. With sufficient

resources I believe we can make greater progress in getting

rid of land-mines nationwide.

I wish at this juncture to thank all countries and

institutions which have contributed to the de-mining

programme in Mozambique, and I look forward to their

continued support in the years ahead.

In this connection I should like to take this opportunity

to voice my Government’s full support for the initiatives

under way to eliminate and ban these horrible weapons

world wide.

In spite of all the difficulties, we see ourselves as a

nation determined to build a better future for our people.

Our economy has grown by over 6 per cent during the first

six months of this year. On the other hand, negotiations

have been concluded recently between the Government and

trade unions in order to find a common platform for the

hardships deriving from the implementation of the

Economic Rehabilitation Programme that has been under

way since 1987. In an attempt to address the increasing cost

of living our people are enduring in this process we have

agreed to raise the minimum wage.

This is why we launch a sincere appeal to our partners

to abide by their commitments to a timely and

unconditional disbursement of pledged funds within the

framework of the Paris Consultative Group. Without

fulfilment of those obligations, plans for a better future in

our country may be in jeopardy, with all the concomitant

negative consequences for the consolidation of the

ongoing democratic process, particularly given the

concerns over the growing drought threat to our region.

We, for our side, are committed to deepening further

our economic and political reforms and to improving the

system of tax collection, transparency and accountability

in the management of public affairs.

A lot has been said about the prospects of the United

Nations. I agree that our future will depend on the

manner in which we address the needed reforms of our

Organization. As my predecessor, the now-Prime Minister

Dr. Pascoal Manuel Mocumbi, emphasized last year in his

address to the Assembly, Mozambique shares a genuine

interest in seeing a more representative Security Council.

As previous speakers have stressed, the legitimacy and

efficiency of that body will greatly depend on its

representativeness. Efforts must therefore be made to

ensure that the needed expansion of the Security Council

not take place merely to accommodate the interests of

those who are already privileged by the Council’s current

composition at the expense of the majority of nations. A

realistic and innovative approach is essential to ensure

that, in keeping with current new realities, the interests of

developing countries are fully respected, both qualitatively

and quantitatively.

The reform exercise must also take into account the

need for every nation to abide by its financial obligations.

In that connection my Government, despite the well-

known economic difficulties, has fully honoured its

commitments regarding assessed contributions to the

United Nations regular budget. We are now taking

measures to ensure that all outstanding contributions to

peace-keeping activities are settled as soon as possible.

We cannot expect a well-functioning and dynamic United

Nations unless we provide it with the needed funds. It is

only through determined, concrete action that we can all

demonstrate our individual seriousness and commitment

to the purposes and principles of the Charter.

The end of the cold war has given rise to mixed

feelings about our efforts to address regional conflicts.

In Angola, the signing of the Lusaka Protocol

between the Government and UNITA, coupled with the

subsequent progress made by the parties to the peace

process, has paved the way for a renewed hope in that

sister country. I believe that Angola is closer to reaching

a political settlement that will ensure the attainment of a

20

lasting peace and tranquillity. My delegation encourages the

Secretary-General to continue his efforts towards the full

deployment of a peace-keeping contingent within the

framework of the United Nations Angola Verification

Mission (UNAVEM III).

The attainment of a lasting peace and tranquillity in

Angola will be the best contribution to the regional stability

and economic development we have long sought in

southern Africa within the framework of the Southern

Africa Development Community (SADC). In this

connection, I am happy to recall that our Heads of State

and Government, meeting last August at Johannesburg,

welcomed the admission of Mauritius as a new member of

our organization. With peace, democracy and growing

partnership among its members, SADC is gradually

becoming a vibrant and viable market ready to cooperate

with other regions in a variety of fields of mutual interest.

Our efforts within SADC go beyond mere economic

integration. In addition to discussions on peace-keeping and

post-conflict peace-building mechanisms, we are also

addressing concrete issues aimed at preventing possible

conflicts between our nations. It is within this perspective

that we view the ongoing discussion on such matters as the

common utilization of international water courses,

transboundary movements of people and goods, and crime

prevention and control.

My delegation looks forward to a political settlement

to the threatening situation in Burundi. It is our hope that

the momentum created by the Secretary-General’s recent

visit to that country, as well as other important initiatives,

will encourage the parties to work for reconciliation in the

interest, not only of Burundi, but also of the Great Lakes

region as a whole.

The need to stabilize the political situation in that

country is strictly linked to the future prospects of the

ongoing political stabilization in neighbouring Rwanda,

where mankind has recently witnessed horrible crimes and

the untold suffering of innocent civilians. No one would

wish to see it repeated ever again.

Given what the Secretary-General in his annual report

describes as the

“combination of ethnic polarization in Burundi and

Rwanda, massive circulation of arms, porous borders

and transborder movements of refugees” (A/50/1,

para. 888),

political settlement in either country, coupled with the

early return of refugees and displaced persons, is vital to

avert a greater tragedy in the Great Lakes region. My

Government therefore urges all the parties concerned to

work towards this noble goal.

With regard to Liberia, my delegation welcomes the

entry into force of the cease-fire on 26 August as a result

of an earlier agreement by the Liberian factional leaders.

Similarly, we view the swearing in of the State Council

on 1 September 1995 as an important contribution to

peace in that country. We believe that with tolerance and

cooperation among the parties, elections in Liberia can

take place within a year as the first step towards a lasting

peace and tranquillity in that country.

The prospects for peace in Liberia open new hopes

for the settlement of the conflict in neighbouring Sierra

Leone. My delegation encourages the parties concerned to

work together in the search for a negotiated settlement

with a view to bringing about a lasting peace and

tranquillity in that country.

In the Middle East, we welcomed last year, the

implementation of the Peace Accords between Israel and

the PLO, which resulted in autonomy for Gaza and

Jericho. Today, we note with satisfaction that further

progress has been made in this peace process, culminating

in the recent signing in Washington of new and promising

agreements between the parties. This is, indeed, a step

forward which we must encourage and support. My

Government looks forward to similar progress in future

negotiations on outstanding issues, including the Golan

Heights, the status of Jerusalem, and other equally

important issues for the final settlement of the deep-

rooted conflict in the Middle East.

The situation in East Timor continues to be a matter

of concern to my Government. In this context, my

delegation takes note of the Secretary-General’s

assessment of the progress made so far in the negotiations

between Portugal and Indonesia with a view to finding a

political settlement to the conflict in that country. It is our

hope that the forthcoming ministerial meeting scheduled

to take place in London in January 1996 will lead to

meaningful results.

Dialogue, not war or use of force, is the best choice

for solving conflicts. It is through dialogue that nations

and peoples of the world can effectively promote the

international peace and security for which we are all

longing in the years ahead. Therefore, dialogue must be

21

further encouraged and supported wherever it is sought, be

it in the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Somalia or

elsewhere around the globe.

On the threshold of the twenty-first century, the quest

for peace and economic development must be viewed

within the context of the principles enunciated by the

Secretary-General in his report entitled “An Agenda for

Development: recommendations”, where he rightly

underlines that development, in its numerous dimensions,

“should be recognized as the foremost and most far-

reaching task of our time.” (A/49/665, para. 4)

During the last few years the developing countries in

general, and the least developed countries in particular, in

spite of the existing hurdles, have made significant

progress in their continued struggle to reverse economic

and social stagnation. Within this framework, they have

undertaken far-reaching political and socio-economic

changes through the implementation of tough structural-

adjustment programmes, the promotion of human rights

and fundamental freedoms and good governance. In

addition to renewed commitments to conflict resolution,

peace-keeping and post-conflict peace-building

mechanisms, the efforts undertaken by developing

countries should be supported and encouraged by the

international community if we are to succeed in our

common endeavours for peace and development in our

respective countries.

As indicated by the President of the General

Assembly in his inaugural address, quoting Pope Paul VI,

“Development is the new name for peace.” (Official

Records of the General Assembly, Fiftieth Session,

Plenary Meetings, 1st meeting, p. 9)

All peoples and nations of the world must be committed

to peace and development and pursue them with

determination in the new international setting if we are to

build a better and safer world for all. This is our

challenge for the next century.