Guinea-Bissau, 1995

On behalf of my country and my

Government, Sir, may I first of all extend warmest

congratulations to you on your election to the presidency of

this session of the General Assembly, which coincides

with the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the

United Nations. Your assumption of the presidency of this

session is a crowning event in a long and brilliant

political and diplomatic career, and will undoubtedly

ensure the success of our deliberations. It is all the more

gratifying for us to emphasize this fact, since we share

with your country, Portugal, a historic past of deeply

rooted links of culture and cooperation, which today unite

our peoples and our countries.

We also extend our congratulations to your

predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Amara Essy, the

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Côte d’Ivoire, a country

with which we have excellent relations of friendship and

cooperation, on the brilliant way in which he guided the

proceedings of the forty-ninth session.

We also want to take this opportunity to express to

the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Boutros

Boutros-Ghali, our appreciation for the dynamic way in

which he is leading our Organization.

As we commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of our

Organization, and one year after the holding of the first

multiparty elections in Guinea-Bissau, I feel particularly

honoured to have the privilege of representing my country

at this historic session of the General Assembly. This

event offers the international community a special

occasion and an appropriate framework for reaffirming

our full adherence to the principles of the United Nations

Charter. A half century after its creation, the United

Nations must, more than ever before, be able to confront

new challenges.

Guinea-Bissau is of the opinion that in order to best

respond to the needs of the day, our Organization must

undertake urgent and appropriate reforms. I am convinced

that the political and socio-economic changes taking place

on the international scene have repercussions for the

functioning of our Organization. It is our profound

conviction that the end of the bipolarization of

international relations and the cold war promises better

conditions for the future of our Organization.

The broad prospects opening up for the process of

the peaceful settlement of conflicts in many parts of the

world are not just a matter of circumstance, but are rather

the expression of the international community’s

unequivocal will to establish lasting peace.

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It is in this context that we note with satisfaction that

after so many efforts made by the international community,

the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the Economic

Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in

particular, significant progress has been made in Liberia.

As far as Angola is concerned, we welcome the way

in which the negotiation process and the implementation of

the agreements signed in Lusaka have developed. We

congratulate the people and leaders of the fraternal country

of Mozambique for the exemplary way in which the first

multiparty elections took place there.

The situation in Somalia continues to be of serious

concern to Guinea-Bissau. We urge the parties concerned

to put an end to hostilities, and to continue negotiations

with a view to achieving national reconciliation.

In the Middle East, the peace process deserves the

support of the international community. We thus welcome

with satisfaction the progress achieved.

As regards Jammu and Kashmir, my country urges the

parties to the conflict to find a just and lasting solution.

My country continues to support the initiatives

regarding negotiations in East Timor, under the auspices of

the Secretary-General of the United Nations, with a view to

a just solution.

In connection with the question of the embargo

affecting Cuba, which has an impact on the population of

that country, Guinea-Bissau encourages dialogue between

the parties concerned with a view to a definitive and

satisfactory solution.

In the former Yugoslavia, where the international

community has been witness to acts of inhumanity, we can

at last welcome with optimism the progress achieved in the

course of negotiations.

As the international community celebrates the fiftieth

anniversary of the establishment of our universal

Organization, may I, on behalf of my Government, reiterate

our firm conviction that the Republic of China on Taiwan

should form part of the United Nations on the basis of the

application of the principle of the parallel representation of

divided countries. In this context, it would be desirable for

the two countries to participate simultaneously in

international activities, with a view to promoting

constructive contacts and negotiations. Respect for and the

exercise of human rights and pluralist democracy are

factors in producing national unity and peace, and in

preserving international stability. Guinea-Bissau continues

to endeavour to defend and safeguard this concept, whose

constant application is vital to development.

Guinea-Bissau continues to work to improve the

management of its economy. The proper implementation

of a structural adjustment programme reflects the constant

concerns of my Government. I am convinced that in spite

of our own efforts of macroeconomic management to

improve the well-being of our populations, my country

needs the support of the international community, with a

view to confronting the many development challenges we

face. The poverty and social injustice suffered by most of

mankind constitute root causes of the conflict, threatening

the peace and stability of the world; the ideological

tensions of the cold war could, indeed, be replaced by

other crises, especially crises of an economic and

financial origin, if urgent measures are not immediately

taken.

The threat to the environment is a reality which must

be urgently combated. The protection of the ecosystem

requires continued support for the development process of

the poorest countries. It is for this reason that we believe

that underdevelopment poses a serious threat to the

environment of the African continent. The countries

members of the Permanent Inter-State Committee on

Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) are facing grave

problems of draught and other natural disasters that could

seriously compromise their social and economic

development.

More than ever before, international cooperation is

becoming imperative for world peace and for the

protection and strengthening of human dignity in order to

ensure full enjoyment of the rights and aspirations of

present and future generations. The social development

activities of the United Nations should focus in particular

on the most vulnerable groups, such as women, children,

young people, the aged and the disabled.

Guinea-Bissau, which is loyal to the principles of the

Charter, reaffirms its determination to contribute to the

maintenance of international peace and security and

solemnly reiterates its firm resolve to persevere in that

direction. In this context, we welcome with pleasure the

results of the World Summit for Social Development and

of the Fourth World Conference on Women.

Guinea-Bissau’s contribution to the attainment of the

purposes and principles of our Organization is well

25

known. Our participation in different peace-keeping

operations around the world is the clearest illustration of

this. We are convinced that the maintenance of international

peace and security is the collective responsibility of all

Member

States, large and small, in accordance with the principle

of the sovereign equality of States. In this context, my

country, Guinea-Bissau, submitted its candidature for a

non-permanent seat on the Security Council, which has

been endorsed by the African Group. In this regard, I

request the support of all Member States.