Malawi, 1998

It was the wish of His

Excellency Mr. Bakili Muluzi, President of the Republic of

Malawi, to come and address the General Assembly in

person, but owing to pressing commitments at home he has

been unable to do so. I therefore deliver this statement on

his behalf.

Let me join preceding speakers in conveying deep

sympathy to the peoples of the Caribbean region and of the

southern United States with regard to the natural disaster,

in the form of a hurricane, which has struck them over the

past few days.

Let me congratulate Mr. Didier Opertti on his election

to the presidency of the current session of the General

Assembly and to affirm our confidence in his ability to

conduct the work of this session successfully. I would like

also to pay a special tribute to his predecessor, Mr.

Hennadiy Udovenko of Ukraine, for the innovative and

constructive manner in which he carried out his task

during the fifty-second session. His wit and sense of

humour helped the Assembly accomplish so much during

a very difficult session, which was probably a turning-

point in the work of the United Nations. The reforms that

we agreed upon during the reform Assembly should

surely provide the necessary momentum for a more

efficient and effective United Nations.

Let me also express my sincere appreciation to the

Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, especially for the

manner in which he has shouldered his important

responsibilities. His outstanding leadership role,

particularly with regard to United Nations reform, the

problems of my own continent, Africa, and during the

recent Iraq crisis has put the United Nations back at

centre stage in its meaningful engagement in international

affairs. We encourage the Secretary-General to continue

his good work with the same dynamic spirit so as to

better adapt the Organization to the current and future

needs of mankind.

Malawi fully supports the reforms that are being

undertaken by the United Nations. We have no doubt that

they will not only increase the effectiveness and

efficiency of our Organization, but also enable it to

respond effectively and in a timely manner to new

challenges. I particularly welcome the creation of the post

of Deputy Secretary-General. I believe that with this new

office the United Nations will continue to play a central

role in promoting economic and social development and

enhancing assistance for development, particularly to

developing countries.

The development agenda, focusing on the eradication

of poverty and the provision of basic amenities to

humankind, corresponds to the efforts of the Organization

in the area of peace and security. They indeed

complement each other.

Malawi looks forward to the finalization of the

remaining issues on the reform package, including

proposals on the Millennium Assembly, which we fully

support.

This year’s session of the General Assembly comes

at a time when we are commemorating the fiftieth

anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights. We believe it is now time to take stock of the

progress that has been made in the promotion and

protection of human rights since the Universal Declaration

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was adopted in 1948 and identify additional ways and

means to help enhance the promotion and protection of

human rights universally.

The United Nations machinery for the promotion and

protection of human rights has done an impeccable job in

the past, and Malawi places a lot of trust in it to do even

better in the near future, particularly in a reformed United

Nations where a human rights culture will permeate the

system as a whole. While recognizing the critical role

played by the United Nations in this field, we also believe

that Member States hold the key to a world free of

impunity, a global society where human rights transcend all

our apparent divisions.

We should therefore not only preach the promotion

and protection of human rights but also put into practice

what we preach and deepen our understanding of the

subject. Since the concept of human rights may not be

clearly understood by many sectors of our societies, the

success of building a human rights culture across our

societies will depend on the ability of our Governments and

civil society to provide civic education to the people.

In Malawi we have created necessary institutions, such

as the Human Rights Commission, the Law Reform

Commission, the Office of the Ombudsman and the Anti-

corruption Bureau which, together with various non-

governmental organizations, are playing a critical role in

enhancing a deeper understanding of human rights as well

as related issues of governance.

As we commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the

adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, our

optimism about a better future based on the rule of law and

respect for the rights of others has been further fortified by

the adoption last July in Rome of the Statute on the

establishment of the International Criminal Court. Malawi

fully supports this Court and looks forward to the early

entry into force of the Statute and the finalization of the

outstanding issues before the Preparatory Commission.

However, we pause in our optimism about a better

world because of certain trends and developments. Malawi

is particularly disturbed by the recent wave of terrorist acts.

Terrorism is a threat to peace, security and stability, and

therefore cannot be condoned in whatever form or

manifestation. We condemn terrorism and reject this

cowardly phenomenon as a means of resolving disputes,

misunderstandings or political differences. We believe that

collectively we should redouble our efforts to deal with

terrorism by establishing more measures aimed at its total

elimination. Malawi also strongly condemns the barbaric

acts of terrorism that took place during August in Nairobi,

Kenya; Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania; Omagh, Northern

Ireland; and Cape Town, South Africa.

Similarly, we are gravely concerned about the

amassing of weapons of mass destruction, including

nuclear weapons, which threaten the future of mankind.

Recent tests by some countries confirm our fears. We

cannot place blame on these countries alone, so long as

others possess these weapons. The Treaty on the Non-

Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) regimes

are not an end in themselves. We believe that our

ultimate goal should be the complete elimination of all

these dangerous weapons within a specific time frame, so

as to guarantee the safety of the world.

As we approach the new millennium, it is important

that all the existing contradictions which hinder the

achievement of global peace and security be removed.

One way of doing this is to abide by relevant

international instruments. In this regard, I wish to inform

the Assembly that Malawi has recently ratified the

Chemical Weapons Convention and the Convention on

anti-personnel mines. Malawi welcomes the coming into

force of the Convention on anti-personnel mines. We

appeal to all States which have not yet done so to become

parties to these instruments without further delay.

Malawi has a long-standing history of peace, as well

as social and political stability. In 1994 Malawians opted

for a democratic multi-party system of government which

guarantees fundamental freedoms to every citizen. In the

last four years we have established democratic institutions

that stand for the rule of law and good governance, as

well as respect for fundamental freedoms such as

transparency and accountability. We have managed to

achieve these because of the peace and stability that now

prevail in our country. The right to peace is a right that

we cherish for all. The development that we seek for the

world cannot be realized without security and peace.

Within our region Malawi attaches considerable

importance to cooperation with respect to conflict

prevention and resolution. The commendable work

undertaken through the Organization of African Unity

(OAU) Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management

and Resolution deserves special mention. Given the

magnitude and complexity of the problems to be resolved,

that body needs increased support from the international

community to accomplish its laudable goals.

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We believe that the best way to resolve disputes or

conflicts in order to guarantee durable peace, security and

stability is through amicable negotiation and not force.

Malawi therefore welcomes the Secretary-General’s report

on Africa and the interest it has generated. We are

encouraged by the positive interventions that the United

Nations has made to date. The debate of the Security

Council last week at Foreign Minister level will only fortify

Africa’s resolve to galvanize its collective political will.

Indeed, Malawi applauds the commitment of the

United Nations in the maintenance of international peace

and security. Despite all the efforts of the United

Nations — during which many have lost their lives in the

service of peace — conflicts and factional wars continue in

various parts of the world, causing death, massive

displacements of populations and floods of refugees and

loss of property. Angola, Kosovo, Afghanistan and other

parts of the globe continue to furnish tragic examples of the

problems that beset us.

We are disturbed by developments in Angola. The

delay in the implementation of the Lusaka peace accord and

the non-compliance with various Security Council

resolutions are of grave concern to us. The people of

Angola deserve much better. The ultimate tribute to the late

Mr. Alioune Blondin Beye and all the many others that

have died in the quest for peace would be the restoration of

peace and reconciliation in Angola. We therefore call on

UNITA in particular to take all necessary steps to facilitate

the implementation of the remaining issues under the

Lusaka peace accord in order to give the people of Angola

a chance for peace and security.

We are equally concerned with the developments in

the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Malawi supports the

decisions taken by the Southern African Development

Community (SADC) at its recent summit meeting in

Mauritius. Peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

and the whole Great Lakes region will only make Africa

realize its vast potential.

In Burundi, the Republic of the Congo, the Central

African Republic, the Comoros and Guinea-Bissau, and

between Ethiopia and Eritrea, dialogue must prevail in the

search for solutions to the problems that affect them. We

call on all parties to give a peaceful resolution of their

problems a chance in order for them to achieve a lasting

solution. Kosovo and Afghanistan continue to bleed, while

hunger and despair ravage the southern belly of the Sudan,

and the humanitarian crisis in Somalia continues. The

international community can indeed make a difference.

In Sierra Leone, we express our relief that the

democratically elected Government of President Ahmad

Tejan Kabbah has resumed its rightful place. We applaud

the efforts of the Economic Community of West African

States (ECOWAS) and the OAU in this regard. We

support the initiatives that President Kabbah is pursuing

as the country starts the long, slow process of

reconstruction and rehabilitation. Malawi welcomes the

developments in Nigeria, and we encourage President

Abubakar to forge ahead with all the necessary reforms

towards the restoration of democratic rule in Nigeria. In

Western Sahara, Malawi is following the developments

with keen interest. We welcome the Houston accords and

look forward to the referendum later in the year.

The overwhelming adoption on 7 July last of

resolution 52/250 on Palestine was a clear manifestation

of the international community’s desire to begin a new

chapter in the Middle East. As with civilization, peace

and security in the Middle East would no doubt have a

reverberating effect on developments in world affairs as

we enter into the next century. We call upon Israel and

the Palestinian Authority to bring fresh impetus to their

negotiations. Malawi welcomes the current initiatives

aimed at giving new momentum to the negotiations.

Malawi also welcomes the recent developments on the

question relating to the Lockerbie disaster. We trust these

developments will lead to an early resolution of the

matter and therefore an urgent lifting of sanctions against

Libya.

One of the major issues for the United Nations is the

concern for national identity. In this century nations have

been born. Great nations have disintegrated, while others

have found new solutions and come back together. It is in

this spirit of helping the powers of healing that Malawi

stands to reiterate its conviction that the question of the

participation of the Republic of China on Taiwan in the

activities of the United Nations on the basis of respect for

the principle of universality and the sovereign equality of

States deserves consideration. Malawi believes that

appropriate participation by the Republic of China on

Taiwan in the international community would be an

important factor for peace, stability and international

cooperation in that part of the world.

Malawi will hold general elections next year. This

follows the multiparty elections held in 1994, the first in

30 years. During that election, the United Democratic

Front took the reins of power following a free, fair and

credible electoral process. The change that we decided

upon is irreversible, and all necessary measures are being

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taken to consolidate the new dispensation. We are

committed to facilitating the exercise by all of our people

of their civil and political rights. The Government of

Malawi is committed to holding free and fair presidential

and parliamentary elections.

We therefore invite the international community to

come to Malawi and witness the electoral process. At the

same time, we appeal to it, particularly development

partners, to help us with logistical, financial and human

resource support. Free and fair elections can be realized

only through the provision of adequate resources. We

expect the United Nations to play a critical role in this

overall effort, which the people of Malawi so desire.

Since the multiparty Government was ushered in, it

has striven to increase the pace of economic reform in

Malawi. We value economic, social and cultural rights,

including the right to development, in the same way as we

do civil and political rights. We believe that the private

sector should be the engine of economic growth and that

the duty of the Government is to create a conducive

environment. In this respect, the Government of Malawi has

embarked on a privatization process, disengaging itself from

the commercially oriented parastatals.

Apart from the conducive investment climate obtaining

in Malawi, banking and financial services have also been

liberalized. The economic and financial reforms that we

have embarked on can be successfully sustained only if

they are backed by adequate support from the international

community, including a favourable international economic

climate.

The world trade and financial outlook, however,

appears hostile for commodity-dependent countries like

Malawi. As we approach the next millennium, the negative

effects of globalization and liberalization, particularly on

weak economies, should be addressed with the necessary

resolve and in a holistic fashion. The persistence of poverty

in the world, particularly in Africa, requires the elaboration

within the various bodies of coherent policies to confront

the major problems that impede development. External

debt, deteriorating terms of trade, difficulties in or lack of

access to international markets, declining official

development assistance and the negative effect of structural

adjustment programmes all form a myriad of issues that

require urgent attention.

All these issues have to be addressed within the

context of the need for the rational utilization of the world’s

natural resources and the need to protect the environment.

The world cannot remain aloof as poverty and despair

wreak havoc on many of our people. The many gains that

we will have made in civil and political rights will have

no meaning at all if the socioeconomic ills that the people

confront are not addressed. We are encouraged by the

high-level dialogue held here recently. What is needed is

action to realize fully the economic, social and cultural

rights that we also seek.

The founding fathers of this Organization gave us an

instrument which has withstood the test of time. It

remains a relevant instrument. As we prepare for the third

millennium, let us operationalize it in partnership for the

global community, so that we may together triumph over

suffering and despair.