Togo, 1992

The euphoria and

enthusiasm that greeted, no so long ago, the disappearance of ideological

East-West confrontation and the progressive expansion of freedom and democracy

are today giving way to general discouragement because of the obstacles to the

natural aspirations of peoples to freedom and legitimate well-being.

The forty-seventh session of the General Assembly has begun at a

particularly difficult time in the history of humankind, which means that

Mr. Ganev has assumed the presidency of the Assembly in a context of disquiet,

but also one that is hopeful, because in all likelihood only our Organization

can help the world to meet these challenges.

On behalf of the delegation of Togo, we wish to convey to Mr. Ganev

heartfelt congratulations on his election to the presidency of this session.

The selection of Mr. Ganev, who possesses such great intellectual qualities

and experience, is for his country the true embodiment of the ideals of peace

and justice that it constantly advocates. We will be available at all times

to work with him to ensure the success of his daunting mission.

The delegation of Togo wishes to pay well-deserved tribute to his

predecessor, Mr. Shihabi, for his outstanding performance in conducting the

work of the forty-sixth session. His dynamism, his high standards of

excellence and his zeal for punctuality compelled our admiration and accounted

for the great success of our deliberations. I reiterate our sincere

congratulations to him.

We take this occasion to salute the Secretary-General of the United

Nations, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for the dynamic work that he has

undertaken since his election to the head of our Organization. The

serious-mindedness and pragmatism he has demonstrated since taking office in

January of this year lead us to believe that the United Nations will be able

to make an even greater contribution to the maintenance of peace throughout

the world and the promotion of solidarity among nations.

In recent months, the family of the United Nations has grown with the

addition of new Members. We wish to bid them welcome and to say how proud and

happy the international community is to welcome them to our midst, with the

hope that in keeping with the statements they made upon admission to

membership they will espouse the San Francisco Charter in its entirety and

will comply with its fundamental principles.

Since the end of the last session, many events have marked the world.

Efforts have been stepped up to build a new world order which must before all

else be liberal, because it is based on the absolute need to respect human

rights, which is a fundamental requirement for the establishment of relations

of trust, peace and solidarity among peoples of our planet.

The turmoil we have witnessed throughout the world, particularly in

Europe, Asia and Africa in recent years, reflects the resolve of peoples to

gain new freedom within which man can become the unchallenged artisan of his

Government's destiny. Throughout the world, peoples are seeking freedom,

peace and justice that only proper multipartite democracy can guarantee.

Among these are the people of Togo, which for 13 years has been persevering in

the effort to adapt the structures and the basic choices governing its

socio-political context to meet the needs of our time and changing attitudes.

Having broken with the previous regime and gained a constitution in 1979,

our country resolutely committed itself to implementing measures of

liberalization, detente and progressive democratization of our political

life. These measures inter alia made it possible to hold free elections under

the second and third legislatures and during municipal and prefectoral

referenda of 1987, at the same time as they strengthened protection of human

rights, particularly by setting up an independent commission.

The subsequent adoption of laws relating to the liberalization of the

press, political pluralism and general amnesty, along with the development of

a draft constitution to establish a multipartite regime, shows that already in

the middle of 1991 the Government and the people of Togo truly desired to move

on, without undue haste, to a higher stage in the process of democratizing our

institutions.

The tremendous speed of this movement that was started in the late 1980s

culminated with the National Sovereign Conference of the living forces of the

nation, which led to the transitional Government which was to lead Togo to

elections and establish democracy.

We must state that one year after the establishment of these transitional

institutions the Government has faced enormous difficulties, and that

tremendous efforts must be made before we attain our goals.

The recent adjustment of the machinery of the institutions of this

transition, proposed following the consultation meeting between the various

protagonists of political life and endorsed by the Government and the

legislature, the High Council of the Republic, overwhelmingly demonstrate the

desire of the people of Togo to do everything possible to achieve peace and

security, a State of law that they all sincerely want to see, by establishing

new institutions through free and dependable democratic elections. The latest

of these, the Presidential elections, are to end on 20 December of this year.

This recent adaptation of the workings of this transitional Government

meets the needs of our march forward, both by ensuring proper application of

the constitution for this transitional period, so that no organ be unjustly

deprived of its constitutional prerogatives, and by involving in the

democratic process all national political leaders to rally consensus around

the values underpinning our democratic renewal.

These bodies have sufficient power to lead the country to this

irreversible democratic peace process, but they do not have enough power to

block our march to democracy. Accordingly we can only express satisfaction

that the two senior officials of the executive branch, the President and the

Prime Minister, have solemnly proclaimed their determination to continue to

its end the democratic process that is under way and to devote all their

energy to organizing referenda set by the electoral timetable. It is at this

stage in our apprenticeship of democracy that the new Government of National

Union of Transition, formed by the Prime Minister together with the Head of

State and after consultations with the large political families, was approved

on 14 September by a majority of 60 per cent by the High Council of the

Republic and following a secret ballot.

Very revealing indeed of the resolve of the people of Togo to overcome

its contradictions in order to promote democratic renewal, this vote of

approval, cast in a particularly difficult context, sufficiently demonstrates

"that in Togo, whatever might be said, we can still say no in full freedom and

without any fear of a proposal from the executive power".

We take this opportunity to inform this Assembly that the draft

constitution of the Fourth Republic, submitted to referendum on Sunday

27 September 1992, was adopted by 99.09 per cent. The referendum met with

great enthusiasm and almost unanimous support, with a participation rate of

nearly 75 per cent. The Government will not fail to learn the lesson from

this first vote to correct the mistakes revealed in the first referendum.

This is a guarantee for the acceptance of ballot results by all parties.

It is appropriate to reiterate to our friendly countries and to the

United Nations, as well as to the entire international community, the profound

gratitude of the Government and the people of Togo for the invaluable support

they have given to our democratic process. We sincerely hope that this

assistance will be continued throughout the coming elections.

It is undeniable that the struggle to establish a State of law in Togo is

a job that falls essentially to the people of Togo themselves, and that they

bear the primary responsibility for fashioning their democracy, according to

the means they have and in keeping with their culture and their national

spirit. With courage and determination, we will strive to meet the challenge

in union and mutual acceptance.

In keeping with the conclusions of the work of the joint commission, the

Government has set up a security plan the results of which can already be seen

in the field.

Thanks to this consensus, political violence, which until recently was

rampant in my country, is now being stemmed throughout Togo. All political

parties will have access, without restriction and with complete security, to

all parts of Togo during their political campaigns.

Management by consensus in this short period of our political life is

without any doubt the driving force behind political detente in Togo and a

guarantee of the reliability and transparency of the coming elections.

Finally, the major protagonists of our political life have agreed to the

principle of mutual guarantees, whose importance is clear to all. We must

implement all the measures that we have decided on before, during and after

the elections. Our country, determined to restore peace and tranquillity,

assures the Assembly that the democratic process under way is irreversible.

Despite our hope that we can live from now on in an international society

without conflict, the world continues to witness a growth of armed conflict.

It is no longer merely Africa and Asia that contain pockets of tension.

Europe, with war raging in the former Yugoslavia more precisely, in Bosnia

and Herzegovina is now affected. That tragedy challenges the international

community to do all it can to ensure respect for man and human dignity. We

unreservedly support all the European initiatives and salute the laudable

efforts of the United Nations to restore peace to that part of Europe.

Elsewhere in the world, in Africa for some years now Somalia and Liberia

have been two more hotbeds of tension where fratricidal war rages, already

claiming thousands of victims. Death, desolation, poverty and hunger are the

daily lot of these peoples.

From this United Nations rostrum we call upon our Somali and Liberian

brothers to demonstrate positive nationalism and constructive patriotism to

help implement the relevant resolutions of the Organization of African Unity

(OAU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to contribute

to restoring peace to their respective countries.

The South African Government must understand that the wheels of history

are still turning and that it is now clear that structures imposed by force

cannot survive the determination of the people to live in peace. The

continued plight of that part of our continent demands that the General

Assembly intensify its efforts for victory in the fight to eradicate

apartheid. This requires that all forms of pressure be maintained to compel

the De Klerk Government to commit itself fully to the political and

institutional reforms that it has already courageously undertaken.

Togo is following with particular interest the developing situation in

the Middle East. It reiterates its full support for the peace process started

in October 1991 in Madrid, and calls upon the parties to demonstrate greater

wisdom, courage and restraint in order to strengthen that process and bring

about a final solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. It should be based on a

negotiated agreement acceptable to all, guaranteeing the security of all the

States of the region, including Israel, within secure, internationally

recognized borders, and allowing the Palestinian people freely and fully to

exercise their right to self-determination.

With regard to the Arab-Persian Gulf, where peace still seems to be

threatened, my country reiterates its appeal to all the States of the region

scrupulously to abide by the various relevant resolutions of the Security

Council, and to make every effort to avoid the risk of new confrontations

which still hovers over that part of the world.

In Asia, Togo appreciates the Secretary-General's efforts to deploy the

United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC). We hope that the

national reconciliation effort now going on will gain further ground.

Because of the great suffering they inflict on peoples, the conflicts to

which I have referred render sterile any notion of sovereignty and

independence. Is it not better, then, to prevent armed conflicts rather than

seek to resolve them?

Efforts made throughout the world by regional and international

organizations in the search for new machinery to prevent war and maintain

peace are likely to promote social progress and to establish better living

conditions for our peoples. Accordingly, my delegation welcomes the fact that

the Security Council on 31 January 1992 held a Summit meeting which considered

ways of strengthening and making more efficient the United Nations capacity

for preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peace-keeping. Togo very much

appreciates the conclusions of that meeting and the report (A/47/277)

submitted by the Secretary-General at the Council's request.

In dealing with the many conflicts raging throughout the world,

preventive diplomacy would allow, with real determination by the protagonists

of international life, particularly the parties to a conflict, the speedy

attainment of its goal of peace.

The world is now witnessing the end of East-West antagonism, but the much

feared danger of a world war has not yet been overcome. Arsenals of highly

sophisticated weapons still exist throughout the world, posing serious threats

to international peace and security. There is an urgent need to destroy

weapons of mass destruction and halt the arms race; the military Powers should

devote themselves to that task in order to curb any reflex action to have

recourse to war.

The Non-Proliferation Treaty has been renewed without time-limit and the

Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and the Treaty on Conventional Armed

Forces in Europe (CFE) have entered into force. The final text of the

convention banning chemical weapons will be submitted for our consideration

this session. All these developments increase the international community's

hope that the military Powers will embark on general and complete disarmament.

Furthermore, with the end of the cold war, and with distrust now giving

way to trust and cooperation, the delegation of Togo believes that it is time

for the international community to envisage drafting, without delay, a

comprehensive test-ban treaty, after which the United Nations would play a

leading role as the main body where consensus can be forged on security and

disarmament problems.

We welcome the recent initiative of President Francois Mitterrand in

unilaterally decreeing a one-year moratorium on nuclear tests by his country.

We also welcome the statement made on 2 July 1992 by

President George Bush on repatriating certain tactical nuclear weapons of the

United States with a view to destroying them.

As we see it, recent events and initiatives, as well as many positive

world developments in the disarmament field, are encouraging. However, the

proliferation and international transfer of conventional weapons, particularly

in Africa, are a source of major concern on the part of the authorities of

Togo. In this respect, we believe that a United Nations regional centre for

peace and disarmament, like the one in Lome, is still useful and we should

seek to increase its role, its powers and the scope of its activities. The

United Nations should give the regional centres greater means so that they

could fully participate in the strengthening of security and peace.

Serious problems such as the ones connected with the maintenance of

international peace and security persist, and this absolutely dictates the

exploration of new approaches that could lead to a strengthening of the

ability of the United Nations to act. While the East-West confrontation

paralysed the Organization as it tried to carry out its noble mission, the

current detente seems to offer greater opportunities now to Member States to

reaffirm their commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter. For

its part our country reiterates its faith in the United Nations and adheres to

the mechanisms for establishing preventive diplomacy and restoring and

maintaining peace. However, the efficient functioning of the United Nations

presupposes restructuring its organs and adapting them to contemporary facts.

The promotion of democracy and human rights means today that the fate of

mankind as a whole in the special and delicate field of the maintenance of

international peace and security should not be left to the discretion of only

a few States. The management of peace and security requires the concerted

action of States as a whole, whatever their geographical size or their

economic, financial or military power. Consequently, Togo unreservedly

supports any proposal to revise the composition of the Security Council. If

that were done, the democratic revolution going on in States will finally have

reached international organizations.

Peace and democracy presuppose the existence of a viable economy capable

of meeting the vital needs of food, health, training and housing. The

progress that needs to be made for man's full development is essential for

democracy and its consolidation. It is a basic truth that there can be no

development without democracy, just as one cannot conceive of democracy

without development or peace.

In order to safeguard peace in the world we must commit ourselves fully

to the idea of a fairer division of the riches of the Earth. But we must

note, with regret, that the international situation has not changed in this

respect.

At the end of this century an analysis of the international economic

situation points up many social inequalities between nations. The hopes we

had at the end of the cold war should find their justification in a

partnership between rich countries and developing countries so that the

appetites of some do not cause starvation in others. Unfortunately, we look

on, powerless, as the gap between rich and poor grows ever wider.

The economies of the developing countries are in a state of chronic

recession, the most serious in several decades. Growth has slowed,

particularly in Africa, where the crisis has fundamentally affected all

aspects of life, and a real deterioration of living conditions has resulted in

these countries. It is clear that this situation will continue unless efforts

are made to establish a new world economic order based on fairness and a more

generous humanistic vision of international cooperation. In this respect, we

very much appreciate the decision taken by Japan to make available to Africa

an aid package of $700 million spread out over the next three years. This

action, and other measures too, although encouraging are far from meeting the

real concerns of the developing countries, in particular the least developed

of them.

Indeed, if these countries are to break out of the profound crisis,

urgent and appropriate action must be taken by the international community to

guarantee remunerative prices for commodities and to dismantle tariff

barriers, which are obstacles to the exports of these countries. It is vital

that the international community mobilize larger resources to relaunch

investment and that it find a lasting solution to the debt problem.

Appropriate mechanisms must be found to make it possible to reimburse and

generate resources to ensure economic recovery.

The economic crises of our countries have social consequences that

particularly affect young people. Juvenile delinquency, illicit

drug-trafficking, drug abuse and the acquired immune deficiency syndrome

(AIDS) are serious threats for mankind. Constant attention should be focused

on them.

Sustainable and lasting economic and social development is impossible

unless there is a healthy environment. Fortunately, today the international

community has mobilized to solve the problems caused by the deterioration of

the Earth and of nature.

We are living in a new era today. This new era should be based on

freedom, understanding, and love of one's neighbour and of peace.

Guaranteeing peace and security, working for freedom and democracy, ensuring

world prosperity through free international trade, preserving a healthy

environment and creating stable international relations based on dialogue and

cooperation: all these, among others, are challenges that should be met by

the United Nations in order to establish the new world order that we all

sincerely wish to see. Therefore we must give of our very best to attain

these goals.

We hope that the twenty-first century will give us a world in which man,

freed from the plight of poverty, oppression, tyranny and destitution, can use

all his faculties and give free rein to his creativity in order to achieve his

own full development and the social and economic development of the State as

the guarantor of peace and security.