Portugal, 1992

At the outset, I should like to congratulate the

President and the Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly on their respective

election. I am certain that their recognized personal qualities guarantee, in

the eyes of all those present, an outstanding stewardship of our work.

I thank the outgoing President, Ambassador Samir Shihabi, for the

dedication he showed throughout the last session of the General Assembly,

thereby contributing to the consolidation of the process leading to the reform

of the Assembly.

I also address the Secretary-General, under whose aegis it has already

been possible to take concrete and decisive steps towards a thorough reform of

the Organization and the restructuring of the Secretariat along more flexible

and operational lines. My Government appreciates that initiative and gives it

its full support. Portugal views "An Agenda for Peace" (A/47/277) in that

light. As was made clear by the British Foreign Secretary Mr. Douglas Hurd,

who spoke this morning on behalf of the European Community and its member

States, we believe that the proposals presented by Mr. Boutros-Ghali deserve

special attention.

It fell to Portugal to preside over the European Community Council of

Ministers during a period of turmoil in recent history. Everywhere

traditional alignments are disappearing. Regimes which until recently were

held to be unchangeable are giving way to new institutions, oriented towards

the defence of human dignity and democratic pluralism. The legacy of several

decades has been shaken up in a few short years.

During the first half of 1992 the Portuguese Presidency of the Council

sought to promote a greater opening of the Community to the outside. I do not

speak merely of enlargement and political dialogue; I speak of modalities of

cooperation and assistance and the presentation of constructive proposals to

deal with important issues in international economic relations. I also speak

of the incentives for regional integration throughout the world.

Furthermore, the external activity of the European Community did not

ignore crisis situations. In this respect, the conflict involving several

republics of the former Yugoslavia stands out. Priority was given to the

involvement of the United Nations in the search for a political solution to

that grave crisis. We sought from the beginning to generate synergism between

the efforts of the European Community and the action of the Secretary-General

and the Security Council. I believe that the degree achieved, both at the

level of the decision-making bodies of the two organizations and in the field,

where European Community monitors and United Nations peace-keeping forces are

deployed, is extremely positive. I am certain that it will have to continue

to be so.

I should like to take this opportunity to reiterate Portugal's full

agreement with the principles and measures defined at the recent London

Conference. They are the basis for a negotiated settlement of the problems of

the former Yugoslavia. We support the peace process that was relaunched on

that occasion under the experienced guidance of Lord Owen and

Mr. Cyrus Vance. The foundation of that process consists of work already done

in the framework of the Conference presided over by Lord Carrington, to whom I

am grateful for his competence and dedication.

Lastly, I must pay tribute, for the tasks they have performed, under

circumstances of extreme hardship, even involving the sacrifice of their own

lives, to the members of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), in

which Portugal has the privilege of participating, the European Community

monitoring mission and all the humanitarian agencies involved.

I have been emphasizing that the road to progress is built on a sharing

of responsibility by various actors in the international community. It was in

that light that Lisbon hosted last May the Conference on assistance to the

newly independent States.

Following the first Conference on that subject, the Washington

Conference, we sought to give an answer to the challenges presented by the

collapse of the Soviet Union, an event which I then considered to be among the

most significant of the century. Aware of the obstacles to be overcome, the

participating countries agreed to lend their support to structural programmes

of assistance and economic cooperation in a macroeconomic sense. Such actions

would complement and not duplicate the programmes being implemented by several

financial institutions.

As for the political side of the Conference, it was restated that the new

States must try to develop progressively a regional form of cooperation

reflecting the mutual dependence that exists in so many vital sectors.

To that aim we must add the demand for full respect for the principles of

the Charter of the United Nations and the commitments of the Conference on

Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). Such conduct is essential for

continued assistance and the process of democratic reform.

We are witnessing events of great scope and significance in other parts

of the world. The Middle East peace process exhibits a new and encouraging

vitality which must be fostered by all. There are no viable alternatives to

that process, which was initiated in Madrid.

Portugal, like its partners in the Community, considers that any just,

lasting and comprehensive settlement of the question of the Middle East must

be based upon Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). That

belief was reiterated in June, together with a message of hope from the

European Community Council meeting in Lisbon. It is now reinforced by the new

policies of the Israeli Government, and it will be further strengthened by

gestures of reciprocity from the Arab Governments.

We have always advocated the presence of the United Nations in the peace

process, commensurate with the importance of its role in international

politics in general and the Middle East in particular.

Security and stability in the Mediterranean are vital strategic factors

for Europe, especially for those States that, like ours, are close neighbours

of that region. In this regard, the Maghreb is particularly relevant for us.

Geographical proximity, a common history and close ties justify the genuine

concern with which we have followed the political, social and economic

problems the Maghreb is experiencing. We are aware that their effects

threaten a delicate balance and the well-being of its populations.

For these reasons, the European Community is committed to strengthening

regional solidarity and establishing innovative forms of dialogue and

cooperation reflecting the aims of partnership that motivate both sides. The

Lisbon meeting of the European Community Council confirmed this view of the

future in a clear Declaration which will renew the ties between the European

Community and the Maghreb in all fields.

Though an Atlantic country, Portugal does not forsake its Mediterranean

heritage.

Portugal devotes special attention to Africa. We follow with expectancy

and optimism the processes of reconciliation and democratization under way

throughout southern Africa.

In Angola the day of the long-awaited general elections is nearing. In

spite of the structural and logistical difficulties, I am certain that,

whatever the outcome, the Angolan people will find their way towards a

pluralistic and tolerant society, whose foundations will be the nation's

enormous potential and its human and natural resources.

Turning to Mozambique, Portugal gladly welcomes the recent meeting

between President Chissano and Mr. Afonso Dhlkama, President of RENAMO.

Mutual trust and open dialogue are, and will continue to be, decisive for an

irreversible advance of the Mozambican peace process. We therefore hope that

the spirit of Rome will remain alive among all the participants.

Everything indicates that the United Nations will play a preponderant

role in the subsequent stages of the process. In the wake of the success of

the United Nations involvement in Angola, I appeal to the Organization to give

the attention, the means and the resources needed so that Mozambique in its

turn, in the near future, may reach peace, democracy and long-sought economic

progress.

As for South Africa, a country which is vital to regional stability,

Portugal has maintained close contacts with its major political forces, urging

them to engage in dialogue and practise tolerance.

A drastic reduction in social tension and the resumption of talks in the

framework of the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) are an

absolute priority which we must pursue so as to eradicate the structural

causes of a decades-old conflict.

Portugal wholeheartedly supports the sending of United Nations, European

Community and Organization of African Unity observers to South Africa. These

observers may play a significant role. We see no credible alternative to this

concerted effort.

We have sought to encourage the dialogue between Europe and Latin America

in this period of noteworthy development and regional integration

initiatives. In this respect I should like to emphasize the significance of

the Eighth Ministerial Meeting of the San Jose countries, held in Lisbon, and

the Second Institutionalized Ministerial Meeting of the Rio Group, held in

Santiago. At both meetings, new forms of cooperation were established

agreement on the promotion of human rights at the first and on greater

involvement of the European Investment Bank in programmes for the development

of the South American continent at the second.

Man is the reason for all our efforts. His dignity is, after all, our

guiding universal value. Thus it is not legitimate to allow the collapse of

Governments, civil wars or adverse natural conditions to jeopardize human

lives and render mere survival a daily battle.

Portugal associates itself with the efforts under way to ease the

suffering of the civilian population of Somalia, a crisis which is constantly

in our minds. Despite all the actions carried out by the international

community, a solution to this tragedy is yet to be found. Situations such as

these must be faced and dealt with in a different way. Relief for the

afflicted populations comes before any local political conditionalities and

cannot be subject to any preconditions or distortions whatsoever in it's

distribution. There is clearly a need for preventive action by the United

Nations, making available the necessary humanitarian aid and peace-keeping

forces in the early stages of crises whenever possible.

The defence of each individual's dignity, an aim which must guide us at

all times, has been the leitmotif of my statement as the representative of

Portugal.

The universal and indivisible nature of human rights is a principle which

deserves general acceptance. Portugal maintains that condemnation of any

violations of such rights can no longer be considered to be interference in

the internal affairs of a State. We believe that the observance of the main

international covenants is a fundamental condition for peace and progress. In

this respect, we state unequivocally that there is a direct link between human

rights, democracy and development; that is, development aid, in order to be

productive and therefore justifiable presupposes the practice of democracy

and fundamental freedoms at the receiving end. We still have a long way to go.

I should like once more to alert the international community to the

situation in East Timor, a Non-Self-Governing Territory under Portuguese

authority illegally occupied by Indonesia, in violation of the principles

enshrined in the United Nations Charter and the relevant resolutions of the

General Assembly and the Security Council.

We all recall the tragic events that took place in Dili's Santa Cruz

cemetery on 12 November 1991, which rightly received universal condemnation.

When faced with unprecedented criticism, the Indonesian Government made

promises, set up committees of inquiry, offered condolences and subscribed to a

consensus statement of the Commission on Human Rights. Nevertheless, it

refused to accept any inquiry under international supervision which could shed

light on what had happened and clarify the circumstances which made it

possible. The subsequently released report of the inquiry that did take place

did little in this respect.

On the other hand, heavy prison sentences including a life term were

given to survivors of the killing, not indicted for violent activities, while

the military personnel involved in the shooting were charged with mere

disciplinary offences and given purely token prison terms.

All of this contradicted the undertaking in the Commission on Human

Rights, as the Sub-commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of

Minorities recently recognized in a resolution adopted for the first time by

an absolute majority.

To avoid the repetition of massacres and other grave violations of human

rights, we must address the true causes of this situation and initiate a new

stage of consideration of the issue. Portugal, in its capacity as

administering Power recognized by the United Nations, presented to the

Secretary-General last January a proposal for a dialogue, without

preconditions and under his auspices, with Indonesia and all the parties

directly involved. The objective is a just, comprehensive and internationally

acceptable solution, with full respect for the legitimate interests of the

East Timorese people, including the right to self-determination, in conformity

with the principles of the Charter and international law.

To that end, we have spared no effort and look forward to hearing the

results of the Secretary-General's initiative when, in the next few days in

New York, he will host an informal meeting of the Foreign Ministers of

Portugal and Indonesia.

In conclusion, I recall that a year ago I exhorted all States Members of

the Organization to work together to achieve the essential aims of the Charter.

The responsibilities placed upon my Government in the course of 1992 have

given us a clearer perception of the nature of the arduous tasks before us.

It is our duty to correct history's errors towards man, guided by legal and,

above all, ethical principles, so that future generations may remember us

through a legacy of justice and peace.