Nicaragua, 1994

I should like to congratulate you, Sir, on your

election to occupy the presidential chair of the forty-ninth

session of the General Assembly of the United Nations on

behalf of Africa.

Despite the great difficulties we are experiencing

today, we can see encouraging signs for the future. The

great progress made during the preparatory work for the

World Summit for Social Development and the World

Conference on Women gives rise to new hope for the

creation of a new international order.

Our countries and our Organization face new

challenges that require creative and innovative responses if

we are to make progress and avoid the danger of reversing

the headway that has been made since the end of the cold

war.

When I began my term of office in 1990, I faced the

enormous task of rescuing my country from war and

restoring faith in democracy to thousands of Nicaraguans.

I had a great dream: that we the peoples that had been able

to free ourselves from dictatorships of one kind or another

could unite and help one another, reconstructing democracy

in our countries, and that all of us together could then begin

a great march away from totalitarian and authoritarian

forms of government towards democracy.

In July my dream became reality when the Second

International Conference of New or Restored Democracies

was held in Managua, with participants, observers, special

guests and international organizations from more than 70

countries from four continents.

In the Managua declaration, representatives to this

Second International Conference expressed their

conviction that democracy is the only system that allows

for a free, firm and steadfast union of nations for peace.

We also agreed that the consolidation of democratic

processes was a key factor in guaranteeing peace and

international security.

The Managua declaration clearly establishes the

essential ties between democracy and social and economic

development, and between democracy and citizen

participation.

It should also be stressed that the Managua

Declaration states the following: that the future of the

new and restored democracies as well as the future of

peace are linked to the international community’s

response to such matters as external debt, protectionism

in developed countries, insufficient concessional funds

available for development, poverty, and the impact on

low-income groups of economic adjustment processes.

The plan of action approved by the Conference

promotes modalities for cooperation that take into account

the particular features of the new or restored democracies

and the promotion of internal commitments in each

country to strengthen democracy. In Nicaragua we have

already created a permanent forum for democracy and

peace in which wide sectors of the civilian population

participate.

On behalf of the new or restored democracies, I

would like to take this opportunity to make a request of

the United Nations Secretary-General that, in accordance

with the established procedures and during this session of

the General Assembly, a decision be taken to undertake

a study on the ways in which the United Nations could

support the efforts of Governments to consolidate new or

restored democracies.

I would like to appeal to the countries represented

here to give special attention to the difficulties we are

now facing during this fragile transition process, as we

are attempting to consolidate democracy; we appeal to

them to support our efforts and the commitments made in

our plan of action.

We cannot allow our dreams and the great sacrifices

and suffering of millions of people who struggled for

liberty to be in vain.

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It is with great sadness that we see the gap between

rich and poor countries dangerously increasingly rather than

diminishing. According to the United Nations report on

human development, more than one billion people in the

world are still languishing in abject poverty. In 1960, the

richest 20 per cent of the world’s population had an income

30 times greater than that of the poorest 20 per cent. By

1990, the gap had deepened: by then the richest

20 per cent had incomes 60 times greater and 20 per cent

of humanity receives 80 per cent of the world’s income.

As pointed out in this year’s report on human

development, in places where world trade is entirely free

and open, those benefiting are in general the strongest.

Developing countries enter the market as unequal partners

and end up with unequal rewards.

A large percentage of the new or restored democracies

are to be found among the poorest countries. As a

consequence, they are excluded from the benefits of

development. We must all work together to change this

situation.

Today Central America is one of the best examples of

the new wave of democracy. Democracy is now

established is all of our countries. In less than a year, we

have had four free elections in our region that produced

new Governments. Respect for civil and political rights has

been strengthened; conditions which enable more people to

enjoy economic, social and cultural rights have been created

and civil power is prevailing over military power. Respect

for and protection of human rights is increasing. We are

gradually becoming a region of peace, liberty, democracy

and development.

Next October, the Central American countries will

sign the Alliance for Sustainable Development. This

Alliance is a major effort at the political, social, economic

and environmental levels to create a new and improved

development model which can preserve the resources and

way of life of future generations in Central America.

Once again, I would like to thank organizations and

countries that have provided continuous and valuable

support to Nicaragua and Central America. They have

made resources available, and have helped find new and

efficient solutions for establishing and consolidating peace

while achieving sustainable human development. We are

certain that this spirit of cooperation will be manifested

once again at the International Conference on Peace and

Development in Central America, to be held in Honduras.

Last year, before the General Assembly, I made a

detailed presentation on the political and economic

situation of my country, and about our real prospects.

My country has made great efforts to attain a

macroeconomic balance and at the same time establish a

firm foundation for sustainable development.

We have made substantial progress in the last four

years in improving public finance. We have significantly

reduced inflation, re-established relations with foreign-

debt holders and multilateral agencies, and implemented

structural adjustment reforms.

The success of this difficult programme and the

attainment of sustainable development will depend, to a

large extent, on our ability to promote production and

investment, to increase employment and improve the

quality of life for our people, and on the quality of the

international support we receive.

In order to consolidate and deepen the democratic

process in Nicaragua, this September I approved the law

on military organization. This new law clearly establishes

that the armed forces are subordinate to civil power. The

armed forces have now been transformed into a small,

non-partisan, efficient body, appropriate to the transition

period in Nicaraguan society.

In compliance with the General Assembly resolution

declaring the celebration of this year as the International

Year of the Family, we have established a national

commission to coordinate the efforts of different

government and social agencies to support the family as

the main nucleus of society and the main agent for the

transmission and development of values such as the

common good, equality and mutual respect.

Within the framework of the strengthening of the

family, I wish to reiterate once again our commitment to

giving the highest priority to the protection and

development of children. We made this commitment at

the World Summit for Children in September 1990.

Also, taking into account our commitment to respect

for, and to the observance of, human rights, my

Government will create an office of ombudsman in

Nicaragua.

As we approach the next millennium, humanity still

faces critical questions that threaten our societies and our

development. We cannot, however, deny that substantial

10

advances are being made to remove the main sources of

conflict that linger in various continents.

For this reason we welcome with great satisfaction the

signing of the agreements concluded between the

Governments of Israel and of Jordan and between Israel

and Palestine. This will help to improve security and

stability in the Middle East.

At the same time, we welcome the efforts being made

to reach a lasting peace in Northern Ireland.

Nicaragua rejoices greatly in the inauguration of the

new democratic and non-racist Government in South Africa.

This augurs well for a new era of prosperity and peace for

the whole population of that brotherly country and for

southern Africa.

We support the strengthening of democracy in

Mozambique. Thus Nicaraguans will participate in the

United Nations mission to observe next October’s elections.

It is still necessary to promote new international

initiatives in the search for a definitive political solution to

the situation in the former Yugoslavia and to the sad events

in Rwanda that continue so to shake the world’s

conscience. This requires wider and stronger mechanisms

for humanitarian protection, as well as for regional security.

I should like to make special mention of the crisis in

Haiti. Nicaragua welcomes with satisfaction the diplomatic

way out and the negotiated solution to the Haitian crisis.

All available peaceful means should be used to guarantee

reconciliation among the long-suffering people of Haiti, as

well as and the re-establishment of constitutional order.

Finally, we believe that, within the new international

order, it is necessary for the United Nations to recognize

the rights of the Republic of China in Taiwan, within the

framework of universal participation and respect for human

rights.

I feel sure that the future will not conceal from us the

great difficulties that humanity still faces. We must work

together, with what we have at hand, to make this world a

more dignified place for all of us, regardless of race, creed

or political belief, to live in.

Next year we shall celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of

the founding of the United Nations. We hope that the

Security Council, at its summit meeting of Heads of State

to be held in New York on that occasion, will adopt some

important decisions, particularly with regard to

restructuring of the Security Council to provide for

equitable geographical representation and an increase in

the number of members.

I wish, on behalf of the people of Nicaragua and on

behalf of the new or restored democracies that

participated in the conference in Managua, to reaffirm our

deep commitment to contributing to the development of

a world society inspired by progress, liberty, democracy

and peace.