Cape Verde, 1993

I should like to

congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President of this

session of the General Assembly. Your well-known skills

and your vast knowledge of the United Nations augur well

for the success of the session’s work.

I should like to pay a tribute to your predecessor as

President, Mr. Stoyan Ganev, former Foreign Minister of

Bulgaria, for work well done.

I should also like to express my appreciation to the

Secretary-General for the dynamism he has brought to

United Nations activities, for his constant efforts to

contribute to the betterment of the Organization and for his

personal commitment to reforming the Secretariat structures

and improving the Organization’s efficiency in the discharge

of its functions and duties.

We live in a time of great hopes. The political events

of the recent past have greatly facilitated adherence to

democratic values, while at the same time they have

contributed to the world movement in favour of respect for

human rights and have promoted the world’s awareness of

the necessity for urgent measures to improve the living

conditions of all peoples as well as the planet’s environment.

Indeed, in a short period of time a substantial number

of countries have, against all odds, attained their

independence and recovered their freedom. The ideological

confrontation of the past has been replaced by political

cooperation between countries, and conflicts with a long

history, such as the struggle against apartheid and the

situation in the Middle East, seem finally to be close to a

negotiated solution. On the other hand, democracy, as a

desirable system of government, has gained an

unprecedented dimension and support, although much

remains to be done to consolidate it.

These are indeed political developments of the greatest

importance that shape and at the same time are the result of

a world in profound transformation. That transformation

bodes well for a more stable future in the relations between

nations and peoples. While on the one hand these changes

augur well for a better, more humane and more just and

stable world, they have, on the other hand, been

accompanied by the resurgence of many conflicts, most of

them of an internal nature. Indeed, in many regions of the

world, especially in Europe and in Africa, ancient ethnic

rivalries or internal struggles for power have turned into

open conflicts, leaving a trail of death and destruction,

spawning millions of refugees and displaced persons and

giving rise to regional instability.

I have been witnessing with deep concern the

development of many of these conflicts in Africa, which

have a negative impact not only on the countries involved

but on the entire region. At a time when all our efforts and

resources should be put to good use to assist the

development of our countries and continent and to create

better living conditions for our peoples, we have come to

realize that the scarce resources that we still have in our

countries are wasted on the fire of armed conflicts, and the

few economic structures that were left are being sacrificed

to violence.

The armed conflicts that appear to proliferate almost

everywhere seem to elude the efforts of the United Nations.

In most of these conflicts, the world has been faced with

tremendous difficulties in containing and managing them,

notwithstanding the constant efforts of the Security Council

and the Secretary General.

Such is the case of the conflict in Angola, a sister

country whose suffering people have for more than 30 years

endured the horrors of war, the anxiety of constant instability

and the uncertainty of the future. Despite the enormous

efforts made, especially by the United Nations, the conflict

in Angola continues to cause death and the destruction of the

country. The international community had placed great

hopes in the elections of September last year that were

supervised by this Organization. We all expected that those

elections would be the last step in a peace process that

would finally put an end to decades of destruction and give

birth to a new and democratic Angola, thus creating the

climate of political and social harmony in the country so

much needed for its development.

Instead, the events that followed the elections have been

regrettably translated into a violent and tragic situation

known to the whole world, a situation which is a cause of

deep concern to us all and in which many thousands of lives

are being lost, while the suffering of the population that has

lasted so long continues and the destruction of cities and the

economic infrastructure goes on. Unfortunately, the repeated

mediation efforts of the United Nations and other forums

and entities, geared towards obtaining a cease-fire and the

resumption of the Bicesse process, have so far not attained

the expected results.

There should be no illusions, for, as the long history of

this conflict has abundantly demonstrated, no military victory

can guarantee lasting peace and stability and the prosperity

of the country. I do not envisage any alternative to

negotiations if peace is to prevail as a goal to be achieved

by all in Angola. The use of violent means following the

elections cannot be justified and, indeed, shows blatant

disregard for the sovereign will of the people, which was

expressed freely and fairly, as certified by the international

community.

I sincerely hope that, worn out by a protracted and

devastating war, faced with a country whose economic

structure has been destroyed and touched by the social and

human drama caused by the hostilities, the parties to the

conflict, especially UNITA, will rise to the moment and,

moved by political realism, lend the negotiations the much-

needed political will and seriousness, thereby demonstrating

the magnanimity that the security and the well-being of the

Angolan people require.

The Angolan experience is a lesson that should be taken

into consideration by the Organization in managing or

assisting in the management of other conflicts. One such

case is the conflict in Mozambique, a country to which Cape

Verde is linked by fraternal ties. My country, as a member

of the Security Council, has been following the situation in

Mozambique very closely and with particular interest. After

many years of war, peace seems finally to prevail in that

country. The General Peace Agreements concluded last year

defined the framework for the attainment of final and lasting

peace. I therefore ascribe the utmost importance to the

observance and timely implementation of these Agreements

by both parties. It is a moral duty to the people of

Mozambique, who are still going through the hardships of

day-to-day life and who legitimately aspire to a future of

peace, harmony and progress, that these Agreements be

respected and abided by.

The positive steps taken lately in this regard give me

grounds for hope. In this context, I consider particularly

important the dialogue that has started between the President

of the Republic of Mozambique, Mr. Joaquim Chissano and

the President of RENAMO, Mr. Afonso Dhlakama. I hope

that that dialogue will continue on a regular basis with a

view to facilitating the removal of obstacles that might arise

during the implementation of the peace agreements, so as to

enable the elections to take place on the scheduled date. I

appeal to both parties to exert all their efforts with a view to

Forty-eighth session - 4 October l993 3

expediting the implementation of key aspects of the

Agreements before the elections, namely, the demobilization

and the cantonment of troops and the formation of the

national army of Mozambique.

I should also like to refer to the conflict in Liberia,

which has been the focus of the attention of the countries of

the West African subregion to which my own country

belongs.

The conflict in Liberia has caused much destruction and

the loss of thousands of lives, and has inflicted enormous

pain and suffering on the population. It has been a source

of constant concern to the countries of our subregion. The

Cotonou Agreement, a decisive step in the quest for a lasting

peaceful solution to the conflict, is the result of the

international community’s commendable efforts to establish

peace in Liberia, efforts in which the Economic Community

of West African States (ECOWAS) played a pivotal role.

The recent Security Council decision to deploy an

Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) to assist, in

coordination with the forces of the ECOWAS Military

Observer Group, in the implementation of the Cotonou

Agreement is an appropriate and commendable one. I

appeal to all the parties involved to abide by their

obligations and cooperate with the United Nations and

ECOWAS in order to secure the timely implementation of

the peace agreement and the holding of the legislative and

presidential elections on the scheduled date at the beginning

of next year.

The situation in Somalia is one of the most tragic

conflicts of modern times. This tragedy has resulted in the

loss of hundreds of thousands of lives and in the

disintegration of the country’s civil society and

administrative structures. The Security Council’s timely

decision to involve the United Nations in the management of

the conflict and the humanitarian action of various

organizations and entities have changed the situation in

Somalia and created the conditions for the return of

normalcy to the country.

I commend the internationalist and humanitarian role of

the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM), whose

presence there has contributed much to eliminating famine,

re-establishing order and guaranteeing the security of the

population, despite the condemnable and deliberate attacks

to which the Operation has been subjected.

It is imperative that immediate efforts be made, in

accordance with the last decision of the Security Council, to

accelerate the process of consultations and contacts with all

the parties and forces in Somalia, with a view to creating a

climate of security there and bringing political harmony and

administrative normalcy to the country.

On a more positive note, it is encouraging to see the

progress made in the negotiations to bring the regime of

apartheid to an end. The announcement of the establishment

of a Transitional Executive Council is a major event in the

long struggle against apartheid which will finally be

eliminated with the holding of democratic elections next

year.

Notwithstanding the substantial progress made over the

years in the field of peaceful solution of inter-State conflicts,

the tendency still persists in some countries to solve conflicts

with other countries through the use of force. The conflict

between Iraq and Kuwait illustrates well such a tendency,

which led to the disastrous Gulf war. Despite the tragic

lesson taught by this war and the various resolutions adopted

by the Security Council, much tension still exists between

the two countries. I hold it to be of fundamental importance

to peace in the region that the two sister countries live

together as good neighbours and respect their common

borders, in accordance with the relevant Security Council

resolutions.

Not long ago, we all thought that the conditions for

peace and stability in the world had finally arrived, since the

danger of a super-Power military confrontation and the

rivalry between the two blocs had disappeared with the end

of the cold war. However, we are now, paradoxically,

confronted as never before with a series of armed conflicts.

The time has come for a deep collective reflection in order

to identify ways to contain these conflicts. At the same

time, preventive measures should be adopted to eliminate or

diminish the possibility of potential conflicts degenerating

into armed confrontation. Preventing conflicts is the most

secure and least expensive way of saving lives and

preserving international peace and security.

The Secretary-General’s "Agenda for Peace" contains

a series of ideas and recommends a number of measures for

the management, control and prevention of armed conflicts.

I believe that most of the measures proposed by the

Secretary-General, in particular those having to do with

preventive diplomacy, should be put into practice as soon as

possible.

4 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

The United Nations and the regional organizations

should be able to create effective mechanisms to control

potential conflicts and to eliminate the political and social

conditions which spawn them. We should bear in mind that

the majority of the armed conflicts which today affect almost

all regions of the world are internal, though some have

international implications because of their repercussions on

the peace and stability of neighbouring countries. If we

want to prevent such armed conflicts, we should be able to

address their root causes.

Amongst these root causes, attention should be focused

on the limitations imposed by the denial of effective

participation by all citizens in the process of the governance

of their country, as well as on the violence resulting from

disrespect for the fundamental human rights of the individual

or of ethnic or religious groups.

I believe - and this is demonstrated by our own

democratic experience in Cape Verde - that the internal

stability of a country and the social harmony among its

various groups have much to gain when all citizens are able

to exercise freely, fairly and fully their political rights by

participating in the definition of their country’s destiny,

choosing their system of Government and freely and

periodically selecting their Government leaders.

The changes that have taken place in the international

scene have unequivocally demonstrated the importance of the

protection of human rights for all countries. Indeed, the

respect for and the promotion of these rights have gained a

global dimension and are today one of the most visible

global issues on the international agenda. My country has

a Constitution enshrining a vast list of fundamental rights,

and the respect for human rights is one of the most

important pillars of its internal and external policies. We

therefore welcome the central role that the protection of

human rights has today on the agenda of nations. Cape

Verde is deeply committed to the cause of human rights

promotion. Our policies and Government actions are guided

not only by humanistic considerations but also by practical

motives, for we believe that the respect for human rights

introduces an equilibrium that creates internal conditions

favourable to economic development and social harmony.

I therefore find it all the more difficult to accept the

precarious human-rights situation in which the people of

East Timor find themselves. In this regard, I encourage the

Secretary-General to pursue his efforts with a view to

finding a negotiated solution to the question of East Timor.

In a world fraught with ethnic conflicts, respect for the rights

of minorities should deserve the best of our attention and

requires a deeper national awareness and better international

protection as well.

I commend all those countries that have actively been

promoting, at the world level, the cause of human rights.

However, I think that such promotion must not be selective.

For my country, the situation in which migrant workers find

themselves in certain receiving States is an equally important

human-rights issue.

Since Cape Verde is a country with an emigrant

community abroad that is larger than the island’s resident

population, I cannot miss this opportunity to express my

deep concern about the hurdles and difficulties that migrant

workers are increasingly facing in certain receiving

countries, difficulties that, in some cases, amount to flagrant

violations of their fundamental human rights.

It is unfortunate to note that in many countries,

including some developed countries, the rights of migrant

workers are being neglected or simply forgotten. The

worsening of the economic situation in these countries has

been accompanied by a worsening of discriminatory actions

and practices against the expatriates and the implementation

of policies that frustrate the enjoyment of their hard-won

rights, leading to their expulsion from countries where they

have, for long, been making an honest living and to whose

economy they have been making great contributions. The

future of humankind cannot be seriously protected in the

absence of values that are inherent to sincere and fraternal

solidarity.

Human rights cannot be adequately promoted and

protected if, in many countries, poverty persists and if their

peoples continue to live on the periphery of development and

their populations continue to endure the hardship of extreme

poverty. Underdevelopment brews conditions conducive to

generalized and persistent violations of the most fundamental

rights of the human person, especially the rights of women

and children. Indeed, the poverty and precarious living

conditions generated by underdevelopment give rise to social

and political instability, which, in the end, will have an

enormous effect on international peace and security.

It therefore becomes imperative for us all to work

towards effective cooperation for development in order to

guarantee a minimum standard of human dignity and living

conditions, thus breaking the chain of poverty and human

suffering. I hope that the answer to some of these concerns

will be found during the World Summit for Social

Development.

Forty-eighth session - 4 October l993 5

In this regard, the African countries are facing a

particularly difficult economic and social situation. Affected

by drought and desertification, confronted with the social

and economic strangulation caused or worsened by many

armed conflicts, marginalized by a system of economic and

financial cooperation more prone to respond to the needs of

other regions and countries, and torn by widespread poverty

and the worsening of living conditions, the African countries

are in dire need of urgent measures on the part of the

international community to assist them in their necessary

internal development efforts.

Against this background, I commend the timely

initiative of the Japanese Government to promote the

convening of an International Conference on African

Development, set to take place this month in Tokyo. It is

my sincerest hope that this Conference will produce the

expected results. In this regard, developed countries should

increase substantially the resources earmarked to support

African countries in their development efforts, especially at

a time when these countries have embarked on fundamental

economic reforms, imprinting more dynamism on the private

sector, promoting the economic diversification of their

countries and introducing structural adjustments.

I share the views of those who advocate the need for

the democratization of Africa. I would, however, like to

emphasize that the promotion of democracy cannot be

reduced simply to the setting up of formal democratic

mechanisms and guarantees. Our own democratic

experience in Cape Verde has taught us that, although

democracy is the most desirable system of government and

should, at all times, deserve our support, its consolidation

and full acceptance by all the segments of the population

require a favourable internal economic climate so as to have

a positive impact on the creation of better living conditions

for all.

I would like to seize this opportunity to emphasize the

great interest that my country, as an island nation, attaches

to the preparatory work for the First Global Conference on

the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing

States, which is to take place next year. It is my most

fervent hope that this Conference, the first initiative on the

implementation of the decisions and commitments

undertaken in the framework of Agenda 21, will produce

satisfactorily concrete results.

Cape Verde equally attaches utmost importance to the

ongoing negotiations on the draft convention on

desertification, in the implementation of a Rio Conference

decision. Let us hope that this draft Convention will be

concluded at an early date and will substantially contribute

to the creation of the international mechanisms needed to

deal effectively with the devastating effects of drought and

desertification, which have been causing immense damage to

the economy of the affected countries and to the global

environment as well.

We are living a historic moment, a moment full of

potential for a collective future of peace and development.

While on the one hand we have lately been confronting

painful realities and negative developments that have raised

real concerns for those of us interested in the maintenance

of international peace and security, on the other hand it is

comforting and encouraging to note the profound positive

changes that have taken place not only in inter-State

relations but also, and especially, in the redefinition of our

system of values which will, we hope, in peace and harmony

guide nations in their internal as well as in their international

relations in the coming decades.

We should seize the opportunity offered by the

remaining few years of this century to act with determination

and commitment with a view to consolidating democracy in

the world, promoting human rights and, at the same time and

with the same commitment and determination, recognizing

that the foundation for a new world order can reside only in

the development of countries and in cooperation amongst

them in order to arrive at solutions to the global problems

that affect us all.

This is my conviction as the Head of State of a small,

peace-loving country that has always advocated dialogue

among peoples and countries, and also as a citizen of this

world, which I wish were more humane and more united.