Liberia, 1993

I wish to congratulate

you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the

forty-eighth session of the General Assembly. We are sure

that your vast experience, personal qualifications, and

intimate knowledge of the manifold problems confronting the

international community will serve you well in the

performance of your duties. Please be assured of the fullest

cooperation and support of the Liberian delegation.

We extend a deserving tribute to your predecessor,

Mr. Stoyan Ganev of Bulgaria, for the efficient and able

manner in which he handled the affairs of the Assembly

during the past year. His decisiveness and fairness paid off

greatly in producing the many results which are a positive

outgrowth of the debate of the previous session.

Our Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, also

deserves special commendation for his persistent and tireless

Forty-eighth session - 13 October l993 5

efforts in trying to secure a world that is both peaceful and

just and sustained by an equitable economic order. Indeed,

his devotion and singular commitment to the principles and

purposes of the Organization have brought renewed

confidence on the prospects of achieving mankind’s dream

of a stable international environment.

We seize this opportunity to welcome the

newly-admitted Members of the United Nations. It is our

fervent hope that they will make a meaningful contribution

to our common search for global peace and security.

Over the past three years Liberia’s external relations, in

response to domestic imperatives, have focused on the

achievement of four primary objectives: first, to ensure that

international opinion is sensitized to the serious effects of

the civil war in Liberia and the need for international

support to end the conflict; secondly, to effect the

mobilization of humanitarian and emergency relief assistance

for the war-ravaged population; thirdly, to help sustain the

consensus on the situation in Liberia within the Economic

Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and to

secure broader international acceptance of the ECOWAS

peace plan as the best possible formula for resolving the

Liberian civil strife; and, fourthly, to enhance the peace

process itself by neutralizing attempts to resolve the Liberian

conflict through the military victory of a faction, while

encouraging a negotiated political settlement of this

seemingly intractable conflict.

In pursuit of these objectives, the Interim Government

of National Unity (IGNU) has participated in 25 peace talks

and a great number of other consultations with the Liberian

factions, the leaders of subregional, regional and

international organizations, and foreign Governments to

enhance the prospects for peace in Liberia.

It is now my pleasing duty to inform the Assembly that

the Interim Government of National Unity, the National

Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) and the United Liberation

Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO) signed a

peace accord in Cotonou, the Republic of Benin, on 25 July

1993. The Cotonou Agreement is a significant breakthrough

in the quest for durable peace in Liberia.

By agreeing on a process beginning with a cease-fire

and leading to disarmament, demobilization and then free

and fair elections, we Liberians have all finally decided on

how power will be acquired in our country. The Agreement

is therefore a great victory for the people of Liberia in their

efforts to secure a democratic future.

As my delegation stated on 10 August 1993 during the

Security Council’s consideration of the report (S/26200) of

the Secretary-General on Liberia, the Cotonou Agreement is

also a victory for the leaders and peoples of the member

States of the Economic Community of West African States,

who took a bold and courageous initiative to resolve a

security question in their subregion, with the active support

and cooperation of the Organization of African Unity

(OAU).

On that occasion, we went on to state, and we here

repeat, that the United Nations must also share in this

victory. In this vein we wish to register our appreciation to

Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali for his consuming

interest in the crisis in Liberia. We thank him immensely

for his thorough and incisive reports on Liberia, which

enhanced the decisiveness of the Security Council with

respect to resolutions 788 (1992), 813 (1993) and

866 (1993).

We also commend the Secretary-General’s Special

Representative for Liberia, Mr. Trevor Gordon-Somers; the

OAU Eminent Person for Liberia, former Zimbabwean

President the Rev. Dr. Canaan Banana; and the former

Executive Secretary of ECOWAS, Dr. Abbas Bundu; whose

relentless collaborative efforts helped to make the Cotonou

Agreement a reality.

The people of Liberia will for ever remain grateful to

the gallant men and women of the ECOWAS Cease-fire

Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). Enduring thanks go to the

West African States which have made troop contributions to

the peace-keeping effort: Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra

Leone, Gambia, Mali and Senegal.

During the process of negotiating the Cotonou

Agreement, the Interim Government, largely a coalition of

various political parties and interest groups representing the

vast majority of our citizenry who do not bear arms,

demanded the disarmament of all combatants as a sine qua

non for the restoration of peace. The armed factions

conceded to this demand on condition that a new,

transitional authority, to include the Interim Government, be

organized within a framework acceptable to them. This

concession, hardly an unreasonably high price to pay for

disarmament and peace, was made. The Cotonou

Agreement, then, divided into a military and a political

component, encompasses provisions attending a trade-off.

The political demands are far-reaching, in that they

require more than a simple reconfiguration of the Interim

Government within the context of power-sharing. The

6 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

Liberian National Transitional Government, being a new

creation, requires the divestiture of power from the current

interim authorities. On the other hand, the warring factions,

divested of their arms and demobilized, will equally cease to

exist as fighting forces.

To strengthen the Agreement, or otherwise reinforce the

confidence of the parties, it was agreed that the installing of

the Transitional Government, and the beginning of the

disarmament process, each being a precondition for the

other, would ensue simultaneously. However, this demand

for concurrent processes harbours the prospective danger that

an achievement lag in either component, military or political,

may tend to undermine confidence in the entire peace

process and thereby threaten the understanding.

What, then, does each phase require, and how much

and in what area has progress been made?

The implementation of the political phase of the

Accords has largely been completed, and on schedule. The

Interim Government has complied with all the concessions

required for disarmament so that Liberians may live free

from fear and have a chance of being at peace with each

other.

A five-member Council of State has been formed to

constitute the executive authority of the Transitional

Government. The legislature, the judiciary, and the

Elections Commission are being reorganized or otherwise

made to reflect the inclusive intent of the transitional period.

The Liberian National Transitional Government is waiting to

be installed once the disarmament process begins. Pacta

sunt servanda. What, then, is the requirement for the

disarmament process to begin? The following paragraph

from the report of the Secretary-General on Liberia, of 4

August 1993, correctly reflects the specific provisions of the

agreement and the factor motivating them. The

Secretary-General states:

"Given the level of mistrust existing between

ECOMOG and the NPFL, special measures were

devised to make ECOMOG acceptable to all parties in

overseeing encampment, disarmament and

demobilization. It was agreed that ECOMOG would be

expanded to include new troops from countries not

already participating in ECOMOG. These troops would

be drawn from other ECOWAS countries, as well as

from OAU countries outside of the West African

subregion. In addition, it was proposed that United

Nations military observers would monitor and verify

the cease-fire as well as the implementation of the

encampment, disarmament and demobilization

provisions of the Agreement." (S/26200, para. 7)

A month later, in September 1993, the

Secretary-General, recognizing that these preparations for

disarmament would not keep pace with the political

arrangements, advanced a most constructive proposal in his

report of 9 September 1993 as follows:

"... The Agreement forecasts that the

transitional government would be established

approximately one month after the signing of the

agreement, concomitant with the commencement of

the disarmament process. While this process is

already somewhat behind schedule, the establishment

of the transitional government is crucial to

reinforcing national reconciliation. I therefore urge

ECOMOG to move quickly in commencing the

disarmament process, with monitoring provided by

the advance team of UNOMIL, even before full

deployment of the expanded ECOMOG and

UNOMIL. In this regard, it is encouraging to note

that NPFL expressed to the planning mission its

readiness to accept troops from among the present

ECOMOG contingent to be deployed in NPFL areas.

With the expected full deployment of the advanced

team of United Nations military observers in the

coming days, the disarmament process could possibly

begin immediately thereafter." (S/26422, para. 40)

Last week in Monrovia, Dr. Amos Sawyer, the

President of the Interim Government of National Unity,

publicly assured the Liberian people that if the armed

factions accept the Secretary-General’s proposal and allow

the disarmament process to commence, he would

immediately transfer power to the transitional authorities.

However, the unwillingness of any of the armed factions to

avail itself of the proposal need not necessarily be viewed as

reflective of a lack of will or suggestive of bad faith.

Scrupulous adherence to the actual terms of the Agreement

may ultimately enhance the prospects for genuine peace,

however slow and exacting the process may prove to be.

Meanwhile, efforts continue to get the full complement of

additional ECOMOG forces and United Nations observers.

The Government of Liberia wishes to thank the United

States Government for its contribution to the Trust Fund of

the Economic Community of West African States to

facilitate the expansion of ECOMOG and assist the forces

currently in place. We renew our request to other friendly

Governments to respond to the Secretary-General’s appeal

for contributions to the Trust Fund as a means of advancing

the peace process in Liberia.

Forty-eighth session - 13 October l993 7

We are convinced that the enabling conditions for

disarmament will be expeditiously created and that the

Transitional Government will be installed shortly. The fact

that the cease-fire continues to hold and that the parties are

largely cooperating with each other is a basis for continuing

confidence in the commitment of the parties.

Our hearts are touched by the great outpouring of

empathy and good will from countries that have contributed

to the well-being of the people of Liberia since the

beginning of our conflict. Through the specialized agencies

of the United Nations system, as well as many private

volunteer and non-governmental organizations, they have

enabled many Liberians to find life worth living because of

the genuine concern that has been demonstrated. Our thanks

go to all those who continue to make a difference in the

lives of our people.

The Transitional Government, when installed with

authority spanning the entire country, will stand in need of

extensive relief assistance to respond effectively to the

monumental human suffering existing in some parts of

Liberia. Our delegation envisages an upsurge in the demand

for humanitarian assistance, with food and medical supplies

being the obvious priorities. We appeal to the international

community to stand ready to assist the people of Liberia for

a reasonable period, as it will take time before the

advantages of peace are translated into real improvements in

the lives of the people.

A successful disarmament exercise will be the

long-awaited signal for our people in refugee camps to

return home. Indeed, the Transitional Government will need

the cooperation and assistance of men of good will

everywhere in order to succeed in the awesome tasks of

repatriation, resettlement and rehabilitation. The gruesome

civil war devastated the economy of the country, paralysed

vital social services and destroyed basic infrastructure. It is

significant that the political division of the country has

prevented a coordinated needs survey to fully assess the

reconstruction demand.

It is important, also, that the Transitional Government

has the task of helping to prepare the country for free and

fair elections, to be held under international supervision and

monitoring within six to seven months. This is hardly ideal

timing, but it proved to be the best that a negotiated

settlement could produce. Clearly, the international

community has a moral obligation to help the people of

Liberia succeed in this endeavour, since the very thought of

failure attending these exercises is, in itself, a nightmare.

The Interim Government has striven, even in the

throes of a civil war, to maintain law and order and operate

with a Constitution which affirms civil liberties and respect

for fundamental human rights. We, as men of conscience,

condemn and stand in total opposition against those who, in

the midst of the war, trained their weapons on helpless

civilians. We therefore thank the Secretary-General for

responding with dispatch to the Interim Government’s

request for the establishment of a commission of inquiry to

investigate the atrocities committed since the commencement

of the civil war. We believe that the Wako Commission

Report has contributed to amassing the evidence required in

order for justice to be done to the perpetrators of the Harbel

area massacre and other massacres.

Liberia’s tragic circumstances, coupled with the

efforts to resolve the conflict, provide useful lessons that

could be most instructive for the international community.

The Liberian peace process has shown that, even in the face

of scarce resources, member States of the Economic

Community of West African States have contained a security

threat in their subregion by marshalling the requisite political

will to do so. The dispatch and maintenance of a peace-

keeping force in Liberia by the leaders of ECOWAS

represent the finest hour for Africa in its efforts to maintain

peace and security on the continent.

The Liberian experience has also demonstrated that

peace initiatives that are conceived and implemented within

a subregional context, while supported and assisted by

regional and international organizations, are a practical

approach which stands the best chance of success in conflict

resolution. The States closest to the conflict are likely to

have a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, the

interplay of forces within the milieu. It is against this

background that the Government of Liberia gave its fullest

support for, and endorsement of, the establishment of a

mechanism for conflict prevention, management and

resolution within the Organization of African Unity.

We welcome the establishment of the Department of

Peace-keeping Operations in the Secretariat for the planning

and coordination of all United Nations peace-keeping

activities, confident that it will countenance greater regional

involvement in conflict management, buttressed by support

from the United Nations.

On the question of Somalia, the Government of

Liberia welcomes the bold and courageous efforts by the

United Nations to resolve the tragic situation there and bring

peace to that country. We deplore the killing of United

Nations peace-keepers in Mogadishu, and we support the

8 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

efforts by this world body to bring to justice those

responsible for such acts. The implementation of the Addis

Ababa Accords, signed on 27 March 1993, at the national

reconciliation conference, offers the best hope for a peaceful

transition to a pacified and democratic State of Somalia. We

therefore urge the Somali factions to respect and implement

that agreement.

Regarding South Africa, we welcome the current

multi-party negotiations in that country as the most inclusive

forum so far convened to end the apartheid system and

create a non-racial, democratic society. We are pleased that,

as a result of these negotiations, a democratic Government

is scheduled to be elected in April 1994.

With regard to Angola, the Government of Liberia

wishes to call on UNITA to abandon its military agenda and

seek to resolve the crisis through peaceful means in

conformity with the Bicesse Accords. In this light, we also

make a special appeal to UNITA to conform to the wishes

of the people of Angola by accepting the results of the

September 1992 elections. We call on it to sign the protocol

of agreement negotiated in Abidjan in a spirit of national

unity and reconciliation of all Angolans.

Last month the world welcomed the historic and

dramatic developments affecting peace in the Middle East,

when the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation

Organization (PLO) recognized each other. The signing of

an agreement on Palestinian autonomy means that the first

real step has indeed been taken towards Palestinian self-rule.

It is our sincerest hope that this agreement will soon be

complemented by peace accords between Israel and all of its

Arab neighbours.

Perhaps no problem, apart from the spectre of a

nuclear holocaust, has elicited more global concern than that

of the environment, given its intrinsic linkage to man’s

survival and his economic well-being. In a world

characterized by issues of common concern and

ever-increasing interdependence of States, a collective

approach is indispensable in meeting the challenges posed by

environmental problems and the international economic

situation. The environmental crisis is now posing a serious

threat to the life-support system of our planet. This is why

my delegation believes it is most important that Member

States maintain the momentum gained at the historic 1992

Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio

de Janeiro, by effective follow-up at the national and

international levels. We welcome the establishment of the

Commission on Sustainable Development whose

responsibility it is to review and monitor implementation of

Agenda 21.

With respect to the world economic situation, it

remains our firm belief that, in order to achieve progress in

global economic recovery, issues of long-term significance,

such as the excruciating debt burden of developing countries,

low commodity prices, protectionism and dwindling resource

flow into developing countries, should all form the real

agenda for the setting of priorities to include a permanent

increase in global economic growth. The current gloomy

situation of the international economy, worse now than in

the previous decade, is further accentuated by new risks to

the world economy caused by conflicts, the problem of

refugees and the plight of the world’s children. These

problems pose a real threat to growth and development in

many regions of the world.

In view of what I have said, there is an urgent need,

as a part of the continuing effort to forge a new and fairer

international economic order, for the peace dividends derived

from the easing of bipolar tension to be deployed to meet

the development needs of the world’s most economically

disadvantaged regions. They should not be reserved for the

exclusive use of the already wealthy nations, and they should

not be directed only towards the political and economic

liberalization of a particular region of the world. All must

take into account the fact that economic opportunity and

social justice are essential preconditions for peace and

security in our global village.

The post-cold-war era has offered the United Nations

new opportunities and challenges, particularly in the

fulfilment of its unique responsibility as the conscience of

mankind. In recent years, the United Nations has taken bold

decisions in peacemaking, peace-keeping and peace-building,

humanitarian intervention and the protection of human rights.

These assertive approaches have made the United Nations

appear more relevant to the peoples of the world.

It is hoped that, in its honourable pursuits, the United

Nations will continue to be led by men of vision who can

ensure the realization of the noble ideals enshrined in its Charter -

fostering world peace and promoting development and

cooperation amongst all the peoples of our one world.