Togo, 1996

First of all, I would like to express to the President my

sincere and warm congratulations upon his election to the

presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-first

session. My delegation is convinced that his skills, his

perfect mastery of international issues and his unstinting

efforts will bring the work of our session to a satisfactory

conclusion. In the same context, I would like to assure

him of my delegation’s readiness to cooperate with him

in the discharge of his lofty mission.

It is also a pleasure for me to commend the

remarkable work done by his predecessor, Mr. Diogo

Freitas do Amaral, who stamped the fiftieth session with

the seal of his effectiveness and dedication. I pay tribute

to him on behalf of my delegation.

I would also like to congratulate Secretary-General

Boutros Boutros-Ghali for the noteworthy way in which

he has devoted his energies to the achievement of the

objectives of our Organization and to enhancing day by

day its credibility. He has all the respect of the Togolese

delegation.

The economic, political and social context of this

session hardly seems to differ from that of previous years:

the ongoing conflicts continue to take many victims.

Moreover, terrorism continues to have a great impact on

the world, and the burden of debt, with all its

implications, holds in check the development of many

countries, particularly those of Africa. All these

phenomena cast a shadow over the international landscape

and prompt concerns regarding the genuine advent of

peace, security and prosperity, to which all of humanity

legitimately aspires.

It is in this context that Togo has endeavoured to

consolidate the basis of a state of law and to confront the

imperatives of sustainable human development to ensure

the social well-being of its people.

Togo has begun the process of democratizing

national political life, and the process has had a normal

and encouraging development, particularly in the last

three years. The calm, orderly and transparent holding of

partial legislative elections on 4 and 18 August 1996

illustrates the resolve of the Togolese people, with the

impetus of the Head of State, Mr. Gnassingbe Eyadema,

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to move forward along the road to democracy, peace and

political stability, which guarantee social and economic

development.

Having learned the lessons of a difficult democratic

transition, which ripped the social fabric and cast into doubt

the achievements of its development process, the population

of Togo is more aware than ever before of the need to

preserve and strengthen its unity. By doing so it will be

able to effectively meet present and future challenges,

ensure its prosperity and make its modest contribution to

the building of a better world. The President of the

Republic and the Government of Togo intend to continue

to work tirelessly in this direction, in concert with other

members of the international community. They are satisfied

to note today that the people of Togo, through the hardships

that they have endured, have acquired a clear awareness of

self-responsibility. Thus, having supported the efforts of

their leaders for several months, they more and more firmly

reject political formulas and organization approaches

designed in other climes that have proved unsuitable in the

context of their history and culture. In the view of many

observers, the Togolese people, through the countless

manifestations of its political will, is cultivating the

authentic African democracy that we all desire.

Last year the United Nations commemorated the

fiftieth anniversary of its founding. On that occasion, the

General Assembly observed in its Declaration:

“The determination, enshrined in the Charter of the

United Nations, to save succeeding generations from

the scourge of war' is as vital today as it was fifty

years ago.” (resolution 50/6, first para.)

The many ethnic or religious armed conflicts that still scar

the international landscape confirm this view of the General

Assembly and demonstrate the magnitude of the task still

facing the Organization.

Africa remains one of the world’s regions of tension,

and our continent has been sorely tested by cruel conflicts

persisting in a number of States. The Government of Togo

deplores the fact that conflicts such as those in Liberia,

Sierra Leone, Somalia, Burundi and Angola have not yet

been definitively resolved. The huge numbers of victims,

refugees, displaced persons and the massive destruction

caused by these conflicts should be enough to convince the

parties concerned of the need to put an end to their

disputes, which could tire the patience and perseverance of

the international community in its efforts.

Concerned over the deteriorating situation in these

countries, the Togolese Government urges the various

actors to seek a peaceful solution to their disputes,

through dialogue and cooperation, so that their peoples

can at last find the peace and stability necessary for their

development.

With respect more specifically to Liberia, my

delegation welcomes the bold measures taken by the

Committee of Nine of the Economic Community of West

African States (ECOWAS) at its meeting in Abuja last

August, aimed at successfully concluding the peace

process begun many years ago. These measures,

accompanied by sanctions, attest to the determination of

the ECOWAS countries to do their utmost to find a

definitive and lasting solution to this fratricidal and

seemingly endless conflict.

At this new stage of the process, it is important for

our Liberian brothers to recognize the tremendous efforts

made by the ECOWAS States, the Organization of

African Unity (OAU) and the United Nations, and to

show good will in order to facilitate the effective

implementation of the Abuja Agreement of 19 August

1995, which provides the means to end this conflict and

to return to peace and to constitutional normalcy.

With respect to the dispute over the Bakassi

peninsula, my country would like to pay tribute to the

Secretary-General’s efforts towards a peaceful settlement.

These efforts, which recently took the form of the

dispatch of a good-offices mission to Cameroon, Nigeria,

Bakassi and Togo, may help strengthen the interim

measures aimed at reducing tensions, while waiting for a

judgement to be handed down by the International Court

of Justice.

Togo is determined to work towards resolving all

conflicts by peaceful means and to safeguard peace and

security on the African continent. Thus my country and

its President are prepared to contribute to the restoration

of peace on the peninsula and to the normalization of

relations between the two countries. In the same spirit, the

Government of Togo hopes that the good will shown by

the two parties during the visit of the Secretary-General’s

good-offices mission will continue to prevail, so that the

desired goal may be achieved as soon as possible.

The persistence of these conflicts, which deeply

undermine our continent’s development efforts, compels

me to recall the proposal made at the thirtieth session of

the OAU conference of Heads of State and Government

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by President Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo aimed at

establishing an inter-African force charged with keeping the

peace wherever it is threatened or breached.

We welcome the various initiatives undertaken to that

end to make this idea a reality, so that Africa, with the

support of the international community, might better

manage conflict situations, which divert the efforts of the

African peoples from the priorities of economic and social

development.

Along the same lines, given the numerous conflicts the

OAU Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and

Resolution will have to face and in light of the illicit

trafficking in small arms and light weapons, it is important

to strengthen the activities of the United Nations Regional

Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa, headquartered

in Togo. To that end, it would be appropriate if the Centre,

established pursuant to resolution 40/151 G of 16 December

1985 by the General Assembly at the request of OAU

Heads of State and Government, could benefit from

adequate and appropriate resources so that it could fully

discharge its duties. In that context, I should like to

reaffirm that the Government of Togo, which attaches great

importance to this Centre, will do its utmost to honour its

commitments as the host country.

The 1991 Madrid Peace Conference on the Middle

East and the Washington agreements of 13 September 1993,

inter alia, have sparked hopes regarding a negotiated

settlement of the question of Palestine and the conflict in

the Middle East as a whole. The evacuation of certain

occupied territories of Palestine, the establishment of the

Palestinian Authority, the repeal of anti-Israel provisions

from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) charter,

and the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan, are positive

occurrences that bear witness to the progress achieved in

the context of the Middle East peace process. Togo

welcomes this progress.

However, the difficulties that have confronted this

process in the last few days, jeopardizing its normal

development, are a source of grave concern for my

delegation. The delegation of Togo is particularly concerned

at the tragic events that took place last week in Jerusalem,

which claimed many Palestinian and Israeli victims.

Togo, which endorses Security Council resolution

1073 (1996), adopted on 28 September 1996, calls for

greater energy in the continuation of the process until it

achieves concrete results. It urges the evacuation of all

occupied Arab territories, the existence of Israel within

secure and internationally recognized borders, and the

establishment of an independent Palestinian state. At any

rate, it is important to achieve a just and comprehensive

peace benefiting all countries of the region, in accordance

with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council.

With respect to the war in the former Yugoslavia, I

should like on behalf of the Togolese Government to

heartily congratulate the architects of the Dayton

Agreement, signed in Paris on 14 December 1995, and to

express our appreciation at the acceptable development of

the situation in the light of the implementation of that

Agreement. We would like to encourage the main actors

in that conflict to continue to seek a negotiated settlement

aimed at a definitive return to peace and stability in that

part of Europe.

Aside from hotbeds of tension, we must note that

terrorism, which we condemn, is, because of its

pernicious objectives and criminal acts, one of the gravest

threats today to international peace and security. We

welcome the holding of the Summit for Peacemakers in

Sharm el-Sheikh and the recent meeting of the Ministers

for Foreign Affairs of the Group of 7 major industrialized

countries and of the Russian Federation in Paris. The

Government of Togo welcomes the various measures

advocated at these two meetings in order to energetically

thwart the activities of transnational criminal

organizations and their agents.

With respect to the safeguarding of peace through

disarmament, Togo reiterates its firm commitment to

general and complete disarmament, and supports

unreservedly the efforts of the international community to

achieve that objective. In this connection, my delegation

considers that the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban

Treaty (CTBT), opened for signature by States on 24

September 1996, and which I have just signed on behalf

of the Government of Togo, will undoubtedly contribute,

if it is accepted and applied by all, to a reduction of the

nuclear threat. This would allow the international

community to make headway towards the definitive

elimination of nuclear weapons, which is one of the most

ardent wishes of humanity.

As the Declaration on the Occasion of the Fiftieth

Anniversary of the United Nations states:

“A dynamic, vigorous, free and equitable

international economic environment is essential

to the well-being of humankind and to

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international peace, security and stability.”

(resolution 50/6, para. 2)

This unanimous recognition of the positive effects that

a sound international economic climate can have on world

stability is absolutely accurate. The growing indifference of

a large part of the international community to the search for

appropriate solutions to the current economic crisis is

becoming increasingly disturbing. Indeed, while in the

industrialized countries the overall socio-economic situation

is experiencing positive developments and while the

disparities in their economic performances are decreasing,

we note with regret that the developing countries,

particularly in those of Africa, still languish under the debt

burden and have great difficulty in extricating themselves

from the situation they have been in for several years.

As has been repeatedly pointed out, the solution to the

economic problems of the developing countries requires

radical and innovative solutions, inter alia, the cancellation

or appreciable reduction of their debts and the

implementation of bold measures aimed at promoting their

progress.

My delegation welcomes the efforts made so far by

creditors to resolve the debt problem. It appreciates the

resolve expressed by the seven major industrialized

countries at the G-7 Lyons Summit to take additional action

to reduce the debt burden of the poorest countries vis-à-vis

multilateral institutions and bilateral creditors that are not

members of the Paris Club. It welcomes in particular the

recent decision of the Ministers for Finance of the seven

major industrialized countries, at their meeting in

Washington, to alleviate the debt burden of the poorest

countries, up to a limit of 80 per cent.

Aside from the question of debt, my delegation is also

concerned with other problems of development. Aware that

they are primarily responsible for promoting their own

development through sound and consistent economic and

social policies, the developing countries involved in

structural adjustment programmes have made enormous

sacrifices, which, unfortunately, have not yet achieved the

desired results. Thus most of these countries face serious

social problems, including endemic disease, hunger,

unemployment, a high number of unemployed graduates,

strident claims by its citizens and poverty.

To confront and resolve these various ills in a lasting

manner, the international community must show greater

solidarity and mobilize, together with these countries, to

render them the necessary assistance. Moreover, in order

for it to take off economically, Africa must stop being

viewed as just a reservoir of raw materials.

At this time of globalization of the economy and the

liberalization of markets, it is imperative that African

States become competitive in international trade. To this

end, they must meet the challenges of industrial

development through sustained technical and financial

cooperation with the industrialized countries. Moreover,

it is important that Africa not become dependent on the

exploitation of raw materials, whose prices are constantly

deteriorating. The pace of its industrialization must be

encouraged to accelerate through international cooperation

based on partnership and the support of developed

countries, development-related bodies and the relevant

multilateral financial institutions.

In that connection, the Government of Togo, which

created and continues to strengthen conditions that favour

foreign investment in its free zone, inter alia, would like

to express its gratitude to both its public and private

partners and to the industrial development institutions

that, through their investments and various forms of

assistance, have supported its initiatives in this domain.

The World Food Summit will be held in Rome next

November. The Government of Togo hopes that the work

of the Summit will meet with success and that the

recommendations that will be adopted there will help to

improve the food and agricultural situation so that the

needs of peoples in this sphere can be met.

Togo welcomes the United Nations System-wide

Special Initiative on Africa, launched on 15 March 1996

by the Secretary-General. We see in this initiative a

confirmation of the commitment of the Secretary-General

and the United Nations system to give concrete reality to

the objectives of the San Francisco Charter in order,

inter alia, to support development in Africa.

At a time when the economic and social situation of

Africa is constantly deteriorating, it is important to duly

appreciate this Special Initiative promoting a partnership

between political and economic institutions and African

Governments. One of the Initiative’s good points is that

it deals substantively with problems and focuses primarily

on action towards peace, political stability and

development on the continent. However, in order for it to

achieve its objectives, the international community must

become effectively involved in its implementation by

making a decisive contribution to the mobilization of the

necessary financial resources, so that it does not become

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simply just another initiative for Africa. My Government

will devote the necessary attention to it in order to turn the

situation to best account.

In today’s world, where nations are confronted with

the paradox of fragmentation and globalization, the United

Nations, more than ever before, has a key role to play.

Thus, in connection with the severe lack of resources that

has brought the United Nations to the brink of bankruptcy,

my Government is among those which believes that no

reform of the Organization can succeed if the Organization

has to fight for its own survival. It is therefore urgent that

drastic measures be taken to ensure a stable financial base

for the Organization and to put a definitive end to this

payments crisis, which has paralysed it. The principal States

in arrears should show the political will to help resolve the

crisis.

In the view of my delegation, improved effectiveness

of the United Nations is a must; but it is also important to

promote its democratization. We believe, therefore, that the

Working Group on the Question of Equitable

Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the

Security Council is proceeding in the right direction. Given

the present configuration of the United Nations, and as

noted by the Working Group, it is necessary to contemplate

an equitable and responsible increase in the number of

permanent and non-permanent members of the Council and

to strengthen its links with the main organs of the United

Nations and with the Member States, so as to enhance

transparency.

For many decades, thanks to the sustained efforts of

the United Nations, multilateralism has clearly been the

most appropriate framework for resolving problems relating

to international peace and security and to development.

The balance sheet drawn up last year, on the fiftieth

anniversary of the Organization, was encouraging despite

certain shortcomings. Nevertheless, much remains to be

done. Greater efforts are required on the part of Member

States, as well as greater resources, so that a reformed and

revitalized United Nations, better adapted to current

realities, can respond effectively to the expectations of

humanity as a whole.

In the discharge of the lofty mission assigned to the

Organization, Togo, for its part, will associate itself without

reservation to any initiative aimed at safeguarding

international peace and security and promoting justice,

human rights and progress for the benefit of all nations.