Lesotho, 1992

On behalf of the Lesotho delegation, and on

my own account, I wish first and foremost, to congratulate you. Sir, on your

election as President of the forty-seventh session of the United Nations

General Assembly. It is indeed a deserved acknowledgement of your personal

attributes, as well as eloquent recognition of the important role that your

country has always played in world affairs.

I cannot but also seize this opportunity to express our appreciation to

Ambassador Samir Shihabi of Saudi Arabia for the dedication and competence

with which he conducted the deliberations of the forty-sixth session.

We are proud to see at the helm of our Organization an eminent son of

Africa, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali. We warmly congratulate him on his well

deserved election to the office of Secretary-General. His achievements to

date are a source of satisfaction and pride to us all.

We share in the joy of welcoming to the family of nations all the new

Member States. Their presence within our ranks is a further fulfilment of the

principle of universality of the United Nations.

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

backdrop of renewed confidence in the ability of the United Nations to

facilitate the resolution of a vast array of problems facing humanity. Thanks

to the demise of the cold war and the debilitating Power-bloc politics of old,

the inherent dynamic of the United Nations has been unleashed, giving reason

for optimism that the Organization is now poised to assume a major role in

shaping the new world order.

Even as the main elements of the new order begin to crystallize, their

attendant uncertainties necessitate that we duly voice some of our primary

concerns and desires regarding international relations in the post-cold-war

era.

It is our firm belief that the socio-economic and political

transformation the world is undergoing will not culminate in a better and

safer world unless it is guided by the ideals and principles enshrined in the

Charter of the United Nations and unless we acknowledge that, diverse as

mankind is, its fundamental interests are common and indivisible.

Without our being complacent, it can be said that, with the ideological

antagonism of the past now overcome, never before in the history of

international relations has such a congenial atmosphere prevailed for

collective action towards creating a secure and viable future for mankind.

One positive development in this connection is that, increasingly, there

is among States, large and small, a happy convergence of shared values and

ideals for a better world. It is in this spirit that we should focus

undivided attention on the problems confronting the world.

Potentially disruptive to the new world order and to the cohesion of

nation States is the resurgence of the phenomenon of intolerance, which is

assuming prominence in many parts of the globe. Intolerance, whether

manifested through racism, religion or ethnicity, breeds discrimination and is

a negation of civilized norms and a threat to world peace.

Optimistic as we are that a new world order will bring about an

enlightened approach to inter-State relations, small States have no option but

to continue to emphasize the centrality of the principle of sovereignty and

equality of States.

Tendencies towards domination and hegemony are still a factor to reckon

with, hence our concern with the issue of the security of small States.

Equally, we cannot fail to register the lingering perception on the part of

developing countries, particularly small States, that the post-cold-war era

can potentially lead to their political and economic marginalization. We

trust that a matter of such importance as this will evoke an appropriate

response on the part of the international community in the period ahead.

The new world order we are striving to build will remain on a shaky

pedestal unless it places at the centre issues relating to the dignity of the

human person. Happily, there is already a global consensus acknowledging that

democracy and respect for fundamental human rights are a starting-point for

international stability and a foundation for a world free from national and

regional conflicts. It is in this context that we hail the decisions of the

Assembly to convene in the not-too-distant future international conferences on

human rights, on women and on development.

The clarion call of the moment is for countries of the world to create

truly democratic societies. We note with satisfaction that many countries in

Africa are increasingly embarking on that road.

In the case of Lesotho, arrangements are very advanced towards holding

the first genuine democratic elections since Lesotho attained independence in

1966.

It may be recalled that the military assumed power in 1986 in order to

restore peace, to foster national reconciliation and to set in motion

arrangements for a return to democratic rule. We have pledged to return to

the barracks and to hand the reins of power to a democratically-elected

government. Our commitment in this regard is both unshakeable and

irreversible. Furthermore, the military will not be a contestant at the

forthcoming multiparty general election. Its primary role will be to ensure

that the election is free and fair. To achieve maximum transparency, several

countries as well as international organizations have already agreed to send

observer missions to witness the process.

The cause of restoring democracy in Lesotho has been found worthy of

material support and encouragement by many friendly countries, including the

United States of America, the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany,

Canada, Sweden, Denmark and Australia. For this we are profoundly thankful.

In the same breath, we would also like to express our deep appreciation for

the assistance and support received from the Commonwealth, the European

Economic Community (EEC), and the Organization of African Unity (OAU). In

keeping with its resolution 46/137 on "Enhancing the effectiveness of the

principle of periodic and genuine elections", the United Nations has provided

highly valuable assistance through the Geneva-based Centre for Human Rights.

It goes without saying that in the wider context Of the democratization

process, the holding of democratic elections is but the beginning. The vital

test will be to sustain democratic rule. Newly-emerging democracies will have

to contend with the challenges to stability brought about by poverty and

underdevelopment. The efforts of many developed countries in nurturing the

seed of democracy will need to be complemented by enhanced resource flows from

developed countries to assist developing countries not only to escape from the

vicious circle of underdevelopment, but also to institutionalize a culture of

democracy.

We in Lesotho are about to hand over power to a civilian government

against the background of serious socio-economic problems accentuated by a

devastating drought engulfing the whole of the southern region. I express

heartfelt thanks to all those who responded positively to the Geneva Pledging

Conference organized in June by the United Nations and the Southern African

Development Community to mobilize international assistance towards mitigating

the plight faced by countries of the subregion.

We are happy to join many delegations in congratulating the

Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for his report entitled "An

Agenda for Peace" (A/47/277). Lesotho is in full agreement with the

perceptions and conclusions set forth therein.

The stability of our subregion remains a source of concern. South Africa

continues to be in the grip of violence. While we note that the parties

concerned have agreed to resume talks, we urge the South African Government,

the liberation movements and all other democratic forces to continue the

process of negotiations leading to the creation of a new and democratic South

Africa. Similarly, we encourage them to persevere in their efforts to find

viable modalities for the cessation of violence.

We welcome the recent decision by the Security Council enabling the

Secretary-General to monitor violence in South Africa and facilitate the

restoration of negotiations. We equally appreciate the recent release of some

political prisoners and hope that the remaining political prisoners will be

released on schedule as agreed by the parties concerned.

Notwithstanding continuing initiatives by the OAU towards conflict

management and resolution in Africa, many Africans continue to suffer as a

result of internal strife and regional conflicts.

We are hopeful that the suffering in Mozambique and Angola will soon be

brought to an end. We fully welcome the involvement of the United Nations in

the ongoing process towards restoring normalcy, which will give the people of

the two sister countries greater hope for the future.

The human suffering and political impasse in both Somalia and Liberia

deserve urgent attention by the international community. The human tragedy

unfolding in those countries is immeasurable. While commending the active

role of the United Nations in the resolution of the conflicts as well as in

addressing the humanitarian dimension, it appears necessary to extend that

role to include the involvement of United Nations peace-keeping forces. We

are equally saddened by the senseless carnage in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The problem of Western Sahara is still with us notwithstanding

preparations for the deployment of the United Nations Mission to supervise the

proposed Western Sahara referendum. We appeal to both Morocco and the

Polisario Front to co-operate fully with the efforts of the international

community in resolving the question of Western Sahara.

Pursuant to the Madrid peace talks, we welcome the ongoing peace efforts

regarding the Middle East question. Lesotho remains firm in its belief that

there can never be a lasting solution to the problem of the Middle East unless

Israel fully recognizes the right of the Palestinians to self-determination

and withdraws from all occupied Arab territories. However, we are encouraged

to note a promising change of attitude in Israel since the change of

Government.

Security Council resolution 668 (1990) and the signing of the peace

Treaty in October 1991 by all parties to the Cambodia conflict, as well as the

joint statement of the leaders expressing full support for that Security

Council resolution, gave hope that peace was in sight. We urge all parties

fully to respect the peace accords, as well as to comply, without fail, with

the terms of Security Council resolution 766 (1992).

It is our belief that world security cannot be assured through the threat

or use of force or by stockpiles of dangerous weapons. We therefore recognize

the validity of preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peace-keeping as viable

constituents of the international security agenda.

We cannot lose sight of the now universally acknowledged linkage between

peace, security and development. Peace is a fundamental element of human

existence. It is a universal ideal, and its achievement a perpetual quest of

mankind. On it depend our survival, advancement and happiness.

With the demise of the bipolar structures, the whole world, particularly

the developing world, had hoped for bright prospects of strengthening

development co-operation through the release of financial, material and human

resources hitherto tied up in military expenditures.

Regrettably, the issue of the peace dividend did not materialize as

anticipated. Instead, the spectre of donor fatigue has contributed to the

lessening of interest in bridging the economic gap between North and South.

We believe that the only way out of this state of affairs is to reactivate the

North-South dialogue in earnest.

The perennial problem of external debt remains a constraint to our

development efforts. The situation is further compounded by trends towards

protectionism and other discriminatory policies in international trade against

imports from developing countries.

We therefore urge the developed creditor countries to urgently strengthen

and broaden initiatives towards debt relief. In good faith, they should also

facilitate a speedy conclusion of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade

negotiations in a balanced and equitable manner that will reflect the

interests of the developing countries.

The convening of the United Nations Conference on Environment and

Development, in Rio last June, presented a unique opportunity to us all to

reaffirm our commitment to the preservation of the environment. Important

international agreements were adopted. The major challenge before the

international community is to fully honour and implement the commitments

made. The provision of adequate financial and technological resources for the

implementation of Agenda 21 is an imperative.