Mauritania, 1993

Please allow me first of all to extend to

Ambassador Insanally of Guyana on behalf of the

Mauritanian delegation its most sincere congratulations on

his unanimous election to the presidency of this forty-eighth

session of the General Assembly. I am convinced that his

experience and his comprehensive knowledge of the

workings of the Organization, together with his personal

qualities, will be the best possible guarantee for the success

of this session and the completion of its work with the

results we all hope for.

It is also a pleasure for me to congratulate his

predecessor, Mr. Stoyan Ganev, Minister of Foreign Affairs

of Bulgaria, on the exemplary manner in which he conducted

the work of the preceding session.

It is also a pleasure for me to reiterate to my brother,

Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, our confidence and great respect

for the efforts he has constantly deployed since he assumed

the duties of Secretary-General of the United Nations, to

consolidate the universal reputation of the Organization and

to strengthen its credibility and capacity to act.

I should also like to take this opportunity to welcome

the States which have recently acceded to the membership

of the Organization and to extend to them the

congratulations of the Mauritanian delegation. We are

convinced that their presence in our midst will consolidate

the Organization’s effectiveness in the interest of all its

members.

The past year has not witnessed any tangible

improvement in the international economic situation. A

combination of negative factors such as natural disasters and

the deterioration of commodity prices continues to widen the

gap between developing countries and the industrialized

countries, hence the failure of efforts made by the former to

emerge from the sphere of underdevelopment and poverty.

This situation has continued to deteriorate because of the

crisis provoked by the growing increase of the debt burden,

which is a threat not only to the economic and social

development of developing countries but also to their very

survival. It is now an acknowledged fact that Africa is the

continent which suffers most from the deteriorating

international economic situation, in particular because of its

tremendous debt burden. How could one really believe that

countries which have barely enough resources to meet their

own daily needs and the needs of their people might be able

to cope with such obligations? Is it not time for the

international community, and the industrialized countries in

particular, to give thought to the gravity of such a situation

and to consider the possibility of participating more actively

in the quest for realistic and effective solutions to this very

complex and important problem? In this context, I use the

terms "realistic" and "effective" advisedly, because it is these

two attributes which have been lacking in all the attempts

made in this field to date.

As for the economic and development situation in

general, for all the conventions, strategies and agreements

aimed at promoting development, that situation has remained

static and in many countries it has actually deteriorated.

Tangible progress could have been achieved in terms of real

development for these countries in general and for the

African countries in particular if the industrialized countries

had honoured the commitments they made in certain

documents - commitments such as the allocation of 0.7 per

cent of their national income to official development

assistance and if those countries had implemented the

programme adopted at the Paris 1990 Conference.

In this struggle for the development of Africa,

Mauritania remains convinced that the more the sources of

external aid dry up, the greater the need will be for self-

reliance and the mobilization by every country of its own

resources. That is the reason why, despite the adverse

international situation and the unfavourable climatic

conditions, we have been able to meet our basic

commitments to our partners in development, whether they

be States or institutions.

In 1992, our country achieved a 2.5 per cent rate of

growth. It financed from its own resources 20 per cent of

its investment budget, which amounted to 17.5 billion

ouguiyas. Here I should like to express, in the most solemn

possible way and in the name of the Government and people

of Mauritania, our thanks and our gratitude to fraternal and

friendly States and organizations for the considerable

assistance they gave us.

It is clear that there is an organic link between

development, on the one hand, and democracy and respect

for human rights, on the other. Indeed, what value could be

attached to prosperity and economic progress if we do not

uphold human rights and safeguard freedoms? What

objective for any responsible Government could be more

26 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

noble than having its people participate in an effective way

in the management of their own affairs and the mastering of

their own destiny? In contrast to the situation we have just

seen which prevails in the economic sphere, the past year

has seen a tangible improvement and an increased interest in

the field of upholding and respecting human rights. That

improvement and that heightened interest were made evident

in the holding of the World Conference on Human Rights in

Vienna, at which our country was represented by a large

high-level delegation headed by our Prime Minister. That

high-level representation reflected the great importance our

Government attaches to the question of human rights and

demonstrated its unshakable faith in the need to formulate a

universal concept of human rights applicable to all without

any discrimination. There can be no doubt that the

implementation of the important results of this Conference

will strengthen the progress of peoples towards prosperity

and stability.

The importance Mauritania attaches to the events on the

international scene regarding human rights bespeaks the

commitment of our Government to bring our country out of

the emergency rule situation that used to prevail in

Mauritania as well as in many other countries. To that end,

our Government set for itself, as a priority, the guaranteeing

of fundamental civil rights and the effective involvement of

its people in the management of their affairs and in the

economic and social development policies of the country. In

that respect, I am proud to be able to declare here that there

is not a single political prisoner in our country.

The democratic process started with the organization of

municipal elections, which were a sort of school for

democracy within the context of which citizens exercised

their freedom of expression, freedom of speech, the virtue of

tolerance and freedom of choice. These stages resulted in

the adoption on 12 July 1991 of a constitution which

guaranteed all fundamental freedoms set forth in the

universal declarations and conventions on human rights. The

constitution guarantees a clear separation of the executive,

legislative and judicial powers. These various institutions

were set up and are currently operating in their respective

spheres of competence within the context of political

pluralism and the freedom of speech envisaged in the

constitution - for the first time in the history of our country.

Seventeen political parties have been set up, and more than

100 newspapers and magazines have been authorized to be

published in complete freedom.

Given our awareness of the need to consolidate this

genuine democracy and to ensure respect for freedoms and

rights of all social groups, a law guaranteeing trade union

pluralism that protects, in a clear-cut manner, all the rights

of Mauritanian workers was enacted in order to protect the

rights of citizens in the face of administrative red tape, and

an independent ombudsman, with the rank of Minister has

been appointed to investigate complaints relating to

administrative and social problems. To deal with

administrative problems and to complete the election of

institutions as set forth in the constitution, the President of

the Republic issued a decree which brought forward the date

of municipal elections. In the field of social affairs, the

Government, which has always attached special importance

to literacy and to the promotion of the status of women as

well as to women’s involvement in national development

policies, created a department for each of these sectors.

His Excellency the President of the Republic has shown

on more than one occasion the interest he attaches to youth

and children as an essential asset whose role is absolutely

indispensable for the present and future of our nation.

In the health sector, the choice we have opted for,

namely health for all has been based on three essential

points: first, a continuation of the hygienic efforts and

preventive care in their various aspects; secondly,

development of specialized medical services; and thirdly,

making available to citizens essential medicines at reasonable

prices.

The satisfaction we feel at the progress achieved in the

field of consolidating democracy and respect for human

rights in our country and for our people is equalled only by

our feeling of concern at the violations to which those same

rights are subjected in other countries and against the

interests of the peoples in other regions of the world. This

situation is a threat to peace and harmony in the entire

world.

Does it stand to reason that the lives, property and holy

place of religions of peoples could continue to be trampled

and desecrated at the very heart of a continent such as

Europe with its age-old traditions of democracy and respect

for human rights? The atrocities of torture, mass murders

and ethnic liquidation are all crimes which the Serbs in

particular have been perpetrating daily in full view of and

with the full knowledge of the entire world, against the

Muslims of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This naked defiance

of the entire international community, requires that the

community as a whole should assume its full responsibilities

and act accordingly. In view of this situation, we call once

again for pressure to be brought to bear by all legal means

on the Serbs and Croats so that they may comply with the

will of the international community.

Forty-eighth session - 7 October l993 27

Mauritania has always set as a priority the question of

Palestine. It reiterates its constant support for the fraternal

Palestinian people under the leadership of its sole and

legitimate representative, the Palestine Liberation

Organization (PLO). It is in that spirit that Mauritania

welcomed the agreement concluded between the PLO and

Israel, because we believe it is an important step which will

lead, we hope, to a comprehensive solution to the Middle

East problem that would enable the Palestinian people to

regain all their legitimate rights, including the right to self-

determination, and guarantee the withdrawal of Israel from

all the occupied Arab territories, including the Holy City of

Al Quds. It should also make it possible for all resolutions

adopted by the Security Council relating to this problem to

be implemented, and it should create conditions conducive

to peaceful coexistence between all peoples of the region.

My country, which has the honour of presiding over the

present session of the League of Arab States, would like to

reaffirm here that Arabs have never been warmongers. To

the contrary, they have always been a nation oriented

towards peace, and working for peace. Now today, the

Arabs, and the Palestinians in particular, have demonstrated

that for peace they are capable of going beyond hatred, the

pain, the wounds of the past and the many, many sufferings

to which they were subjected during the Middle East

conflict. Could they have made such sacrifices for peace if

that were not the foundation, the very foundation of their

civilization, and one of their primordial values? Could they

have done so if peace were not a way of life and an end in

itself in their traditions? Does not "peace" in their language

mean life? Those whose salutation means "peace" and

whose prayer ends with peace; those who, when they are

transgressed against, react by calling for peace; a people

bearing such values surely deserves the support of the

Organization in bringing about a just and comprehensive

peace after which they aspire. It is the duty of the

international community as a whole to respond positively to

this just aspiration for the recovery of legitimate rights.

In this part of the world, the Middle East, the

consequences of the Gulf war are still there to see in every

country of the region. Mauritania, which has always

affirmed and continues to affirm its commitment to

international legality and which expressed total rejection of

any violation of the independence of the sister country,

Kuwait and the safety of its citizens, rejects any violation of

the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq. We appeal to the

international community to alleviate the suffering of the

children and women of Iraq.

Because of the moderation, the sagacity and the

objectivity which have always characterized the postures of

the United Arab Emirates, and also because of the legitimate

position of this country with respect to Abu Musa, Greater

Tunb and Lesser Tunb Islands which belong to it, Mauritania

supports the position of the United Arab Emirates. We hope

that Iran, the sister Muslim country and neighbour, will

respond favourably to the legitimate claims of the State of

the United Arab Emirates.

The Middle East is not the only Arab region which

suffers from tension. In the Arab Maghreb, despite

sustained efforts which have been made for almost five years

now, aimed at laying the foundations of a promising

regrouping which would promise prosperity for the peoples

of the region, as we have seen in the practical and important

results reached at the summit of Nouakchott held in

November 1992, two problems continue to be of concern to

our leaders and our people. The first problem is the

question of Western Sahara. In that respect, the United

Nations continues to make efforts to smooth out the

difficulties, which have heretofore made it impossible to

reach a solution. While expressing our hope that these

difficulties will soon be ironed out, we will continue our

efforts together with the United Nations and the parties

involved to reach a just and lasting solution. That solution

would, no doubt, be an important stage towards the building

of an Arab Maghreb, and a factor of stability and

development in the region.

The second problem is the blockade imposed on the

fraternal people of Libya, which is detrimental to the other

Maghreb peoples as well. In view of the willingness

expressed by the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to cooperate with

the United Nations and the parties concerned, we should like

to express our hope that the resolution on the blockade will

soon be revised, and that this question will be dealt with

through dialogue and understanding.

As for the southern part of the African continent, we

should like to record our satisfaction at the new signs of the

disappearance of the last bastion of racial segregation, and

this is a good occasion to pay tribute to the wisdom and

farsightedness of President Nelson Mandela for the path he

has followed in dealing with this question. We express here

our hope that the measures adopted will be fully

implemented so that a democratic non-racial regime could be

set up so that it may guarantee the rights of all citizens of

this sister African country.

In Somalia, a brother people continues to suffer the ill

effects of internal divisions, war and famine. If operation

28 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

"Restore hope", begun last December, resulted in a certain

amount of progress in humanitarian terms, unfortunately, its

political outcome has not been satisfactory to all concerned.

We hope that the international community will step up its

efforts to achieve the objective initially defined for that

operation. We also appeal to our Somali brethren to

overcome their factional differences and quarrels so that the

Somali nation may survive.

Turning to the question of Angola, we hope that our

Angolan people will listen to the voice of reason and

cooperate with the United Nations Representative with a

view to ending this fratricidal war, which serves the interests

of none of the parties.

With regard to Liberia, we note with satisfaction the

peace agreement that was signed on 25 July 1993, under the

auspices of the Economic Community of West African

States. We have every hope that the opposing sides will

implement that agreement and put an end to this destructive

war, which has been devastating the country for several

years.

In Rwanda, there are new prospects for peace and

stability as a result of the signing, in Arusha, on

4 August 1993, of a peace agreement between the parties to

the conflict. We can only applaud this positive step while

expressing the hope that it will mark the beginning of a new

era for the people of Rwanda.

It is encouraging that Mozambique has returned to a

state of normalcy following the signing, on 4 October 1992,

of an agreement that made possible the initiation of United

Nations operations there. At the political level, President

Joaquim Chissano and the leader of RENAMO met on 23

August 1993, thus confirming their determination to put an

end to the instability that their country has been experiencing

for several decades.

In Asia, the Cambodian people has achieved a major

victory with the holding of the recent elections. All

Cambodians, under the leadership of His Majesty King

Norodom Sihanouk, must now consolidate that achievement

so that harmony may prevail and national reconstruction

begin. There is no doubt that the United Nations and the

international community will stand by the Cambodians, as

they have done in the past.

The United Nations, which has an indispensable role to

perform in the maintenance of international peace and

security, deserves our full support and help. The

Organization’s universal character, which is today given

expression in the membership of 184 independent States,

requires, more than ever, a revision of its structures and its

methods of operation - in particular, through enlargement of

the Security Council.

In that context, we should like to pay tribute to the

Secretary-General for his report "An Agenda for Peace", the

study and implementation of certain aspects of which has

already begun. In this respect, I am very pleased to

underscore the fact that at its last meeting, which was held

in Cairo, the Council of the League of Arab States

recommended the strengthening of cooperation and

coordination between the United Nations and the League.

In two years’ time the United Nations will celebrate the

fiftieth anniversary of its founding. My country has the

honour of being involved in the bureau of the Preparatory

Committee for that event, which, we feel, will be a real and

important watershed in the life of the Organization, as well

as an opportunity for its Members to assess the progress that

the international community has made towards achieving the

noble objectives that were set for the Organization when it

was established in 1945. Let us ensure that that assessment

will be positive. Let us do so by redoubling our efforts to

establish justice and peace and to promote the cause of man

- the means and the end of all social- and economic-

development operations. For its part, the Islamic Republic

of Mauritania will continue to move forward in this

direction, in accordance with its unfailing determination to

achieve development - development for man and by man.