Nicaragua, 1992

Allow

me to congratulate you. Sir, on your election to preside over this session of

the General Assembly.

I am also pleased to welcome the new countries that have joined the

United Nations and to pledge to them the friendship and cooperation of

Nicaragua.

Nearly 50 years since the San Francisco Charter was signed there exists a

new world order similar in importance to, but very different from, that which

gave birth to the United Nations Charter. The walls of intolerance are

crumbling and the pillars of apartheid are beginning to give way. New

democracies have arisen on the ruins of dictatorships. The era of

confrontation between the super-Powers has come to an end, and most of the

nations of the world are now working for peace. We are building a new world

order in which equity, solidarity and the rule of international law must be

promoted.

This transition towards a new world order, although positive, is not

without danger. Major contradictions have arisen. The expectation that the

improvement of relations between East and West would yield a "peace dividend"

has not yet been realized.

There is an urgent need to forge a consensus on a world-wide commitment

to strengthen international cooperation and reactivate economic growth and

development. The efforts of the overwhelming majority of the Members of the

Organization to promote growth and development continue to be hindered by

restricted access to new markets, scarce financial resources, lack of foreign

investment, the debt burden, limitations on the transfer of technology and the

ongoing inequality in the financial systems and international trade.

The coffee situation, brought about by an abrupt decline in prices,

deserves renewed efforts in the negotiations for a new Agreement in the

International Coffee Organization. As regards bananas, we would like to see a

free market, without protectionist barriers, that takes duly into account the

economic and commercial realities of the Latin American countries.

An alarming number of people are still suffering the tragic consequences

of armed conflict, and poverty continues to stifle hopes for a better future.

Millions of children do not have access to health care or education. Millions

of women, who constitute the majority of the world's population, remain

oppressed. Our Organization can become a more important mechanism for

promoting economic and social development by implementing the primary

strategies that have been worked out and agreed upon by its members.

The restructuring of the United Nations in the economic and social fields

is of particular importance to Nicaragua. We want the purposes that have been

set forth to become realities. We support the actions of the

Secretary-General to bring about improved coordination of the various

components of the system by establishing a presence in countries based on an

integrated and unified approach. We also support the reforms within the

Secretariat itself and the functioning of the new Department of Economic and

Social Development. Nicaragua also supports the strengthening of the Economic

and Social Council.

The yearning of peoples for freedom, justice and respect for the dignity

and worth of the individual is stronger than evil or tyranny. Nothing can

prevent peoples from freeing themselves from political oppression or the

culture of violence.

Two years ago I referred here to the main challenges that my Government

had set for itself in bringing peace to my country, building democracy and

fighting inflation. Today I can say that we have succeeded.

In the elections of 25 February 1990 Nicaraguans established a patriotic

alliance based on peace, reconciliation, freedom, progress and justice. As an

important initial step in the building of a democratic and free society, we

brought peace to the country after many years of civil war. Once the 24,000

men of the Nicaraguan resistance had been disarmed we began the general plan

for reducing the size of the army. When I came to the General Assembly in

1990 I said that we had reduced the army from 96,000 men to 34,000. Today our

army is made up of only 17,000 men.

I feel that the dream of a Central America where the sound of hands at

work for ever takes the place of the sound of gunfire is coming closer. We

have established disarmament brigades throughout the country and are promoting

the national plan to collect, in stages, weapons in civilian hands. This

effort has produced highly satisfactory results, and the people of Nicaragua

themselves have witnessed the destruction and burial of nearly 50,000 weapons

of war, which has reduced the probability of armed conflicts and

confrontations.

In 1991, thanks to the effort made by our people, we laid the foundations

for economic recovery in Nicaragua by putting an end to hyperinflation, which

had reached nearly 55,000 per cent; today, the inflation rate is down to zero.

We have begun the transition from totalitarianism to civilian democracy,

from a centralized economy to a social, market economy. We have guaranteed

freedom of expression, there are many more communications media, and there is

complete freedom of thought and religion.

We have also strengthened the freedom of association. There is clear

separation of the powers of the State, and we have the first legislative

assembly in Nicaragua's history; 16 political parties are represented in the

assembly following the first free elections since our independence 171 years

ago.

I should also like to emphasize the fact that, as a result of our

striving to come closer together, we have been able to develop, with great

success, the economic stabilization and adjustment programme. The budget has

been balanced, military expenditure have been drastically cut, wages have been

stabilized, privatization is moving forward with the support and participation

of the workers, and new banks and private financial institutions have begun to

operate in my country.

Thanks to the progress made in our economic programme, and with support

from the provisions made by this Assembly in 1990 and 1992, it has been

possible to ensure special treatment from the international community. We

have had 75 per cent of our debt to the Paris Club forgiven, and new

international credits are being made available to Nicaragua.

Now we must take the next step: to reactivate the economy of the country

and promote development within the framework of increasingly strengthening

public order and the State of Law, which, together with attention to social

problems, is at the focus of our immediate aims.

We have come to this forum to speak of the urgent need for special and

total cooperation from the United Nations system in the social and economic

reconstruction of Nicaragua. Once peace and economic stability reign we must

tackle the aftermath of the war and the root causes of that war, the problems

of unemployment and also the reincorporation of displaced and repatriated

persons into the social and economic life of the country. We ask for the

international community's support for this United Nations programme,

particularly because our situation has been made worse this year by terrible

natural disasters such as the eruption of the Cerro Negro volcano and the

recent tsunami.

The chances for reinforcing stability and promoting reconciliation and

economic grown in our country are better than they were when I began my term

in office. For the first time, we are the major players in championing our

own freedom and- bringing about our own changes through dedicating ourselves to

the task of national reconstruction, the common cause of the Nicaraguan

nation. The present democratic process in Nicaragua is in keeping with the

legitimate interests and the deeply-held convictions of our people, and is in

tune with the spirit of the changes taking place throughout the world.

The major achievements of the last two years have been made possible,

first, by the determined efforts of the Nicaraguan people, who have summoned

the determination to tackle the vicissitudes of history, and secondly, by the

support and solidarity of the international community, whose friendly

cooperation has supported the Nicaraguan people's own efforts. I wish to

avail myself of this world forum to offer profound thanks to the peoples and

governments which have helped us, and to the international financial bodies,

including the Interamerican Development Bank, the World Bank and the

International Monetary Fund. I offer them all the sincere gratitude of the

people and Government of Nicaragua.

International cooperation is indispensable if Nicaragua is to consolidate

and build on the progress that has been made. If assistance to Nicaragua is

suspended, or, even worse, if the undertakings made by the international

community at the meetings of the consultative group organized by the World

Bank are not fulfilled, the land we have been cultivating with so many

sacrifices will go back to being barren, fertile ground only for intolerance,

confrontation and totalitarianism. We must not allow that to happen.

Two years ago, in this very forum, I said that my dream was for a

demilitarized Central America. We have therefore worked tirelessly to promote

regional negotiations with a view to reducing weapons and troop numbers in

Central America to the lowest possible level.

I also talked about my dream of a unified Central America. Today, our

countries are speaking with one voice and are negotiating free trade

agreements with other regional blocs. Our process of integration has taken on

strength and vigour in all areas. The ideal of a strong and united Central

America is coming ever closer. With every passing day, I see that reality and

our dreams can come closer together when there is the will and the

determination. I firmly believe that Central America has taken the historic

and irrevocable decision to move forward, as a region, along the path of

peace, freedom, democracy and development.

We in Nicaragua are concerned at how fragile democracy is in the

developing countries. Very many of them have chosen the path of democracy;

some, like Nicaragua, have made significant progress in the midst of a

difficult transition. All of them, though, could benefit even more from

resolute international support in favour of democracy. We have the impression

that the international community has not yet fully realized what is at stake

in some of these countries. Freedom is still extremely fragile there, and

economic and social democracy is a distant dream. The case of Haiti is a

reflection of the concerns and sufferings of Latin America.

Generally speaking, the new democracies lack democratic institutions and

traditions; the economic elements that promote change are scarce; violence has

not yet fully died out and intolerance and hatred still reign. In the nascent

democracies, the new political systems must be bolstered in the midst of high

levels of extreme poverty, the legacy of the foreign debt burden, the impact

of stringent economic adjustments, the benefits of which will be felt only

over the long term. These are serious constraints on efforts to get the

economy off the ground and to promote growth, and extra efforts must be made

on top of what is normal for developing countries.

With suitable international cooperation that complements internal efforts

and respects the sovereignty of our nations, and with the establishment of

modern, flexible democratic systems, we will attain the noble objectives we

have set for ourselves.

With the end of the war and the emergence of peace, we have begun to lay

the foundations of a sovereign, non-aligned, independent foreign policy of

international reconciliation, which will make it possible for us to establish

diplomatic relations with all the nations of the world. Its basic tenets

offer an excellent opportunity to develop further our own democratic process

and support that of fraternal countries.

It is our hope that meaningful commitments can be achieved among the

members of the international community during the World Conference on Human

Rights in 1993, the Conference on Population and Development in 1994 and at

the World Summit for Social Development, which will be held in 1995.

The end of the cold war has given the United Nations the best opportunity

in its history to play to the full its important role in the international

system of collective security.

Peace-keeping operations in their various forms and the participation of

the Organization in the resolution of conflicts should be strengthened.

With the onset of peace in El Salvador this year and the strengthening of

our own process in Nicaragua, Central America has ceased to be a zone of armed

conflict affecting international security. We welcome the great efforts

towards understanding being made in Guatemala and we call on the international

community to continue providing its valuable cooperation in the commitments we

Central Americans have undertaken with our own peoples.

In the Middle East it is urgent that a solution to the Arab-Israeli

conflict and the situation of the Palestinian people be found. It is our hope

that the talks will continue and that concrete results will be achieved that

will contribute to better dialogue and a definitive peace agreement.

We condemn the serious situations existing in Somalia, Bosnia and

Herzegovina and Iraq.

In the case of Iraq, we advocate full compliance with the Organization's

decisions, with regard to their humanitarian aspects and with the human rights

of the civilian population.

In connection with the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the cessation of

hostilities, the provision of humanitarian assistance and free access to the

International Committee of the Red Cross and other organizations providing

medical and humanitarian assistance are universal demands that should be met

immediately.

Conditions in Somalia call for stronger action on the part of the

Organization. The world's conscience cannot tolerate situations like those we

are witnessing there.

Nicaragua has offered to take part in any humanitarian-assistance or

peace-keeping operation in Somalia, and we are also willing to be a part of

any other effort to relieve the tragedy of that beloved people.

We are following with interest the situation in South Africa. We hope

that soon its sons and daughters, united, will devote themselves to the task

of national reconstruction in democracy and freedom.

I should also like to mention the situation of a nation of 21 million

inhabitants which today has one of the most vigorous economies in the

international system. It is time we acknowledged the important efforts made

by that nation in the economic, political and social fields. I speak of the

Republic of China in Taiwan.

In conclusion, I wish to say that Nicaragua has faith in the United

Nations. We are sure that its reorganization will make it stronger and will

make further effective changes in its operation. Members may be sure that the

United Nations community will always have Nicaragua by its side.