Maldives, 1993

It gives me great pleasure

to congratulate Ambassador Insanally on his election to the

presidency of the General Assembly at its forty-eighth

session. His election to this important post is, beyond a

doubt, a testimony to his personal credentials and the

important role being played by his country in international

affairs.

I should also like to commend the work of his

predecessor, Mr. Stoyan Ganev of Bulgaria, who

demonstrated outstanding skills of diplomacy, and

dedication.

It is also my pleasant duty to pay tribute to the

Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for his

untiring efforts in promoting international peace and security.

I should also like to extend a warm welcome to the six

new States, Andorra, the Czech Republic, Eritrea, Monaco,

the Slovak Republic and the Former Yugoslav Republic of

Macedonia that have joined us during the past year. I am

confident that their participation and contribution will further

enrich the work of the Organization.

Along with the end of the cold war came promises:

promises of a better future, without the threat of nuclear

holocaust, where scarce resources would not be spent on

building up military might, where millions of starving would

be fed and provided with their basic health care needs, safe

drinking water and a basic level of education, where a safe

and clean environment would be provided along with the

right to sustainable development, and where the dignity of

the human being would be respected. This is the vision that

gave rise to this Organization in 1945.

We have rededicated ourselves to this vision with

renewed vigour following the demise of the cold war. The

30 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

moral authority of the United Nations has been reasserted

over military might. A number of protracted conflicts have

shown signs of movement towards resolution. International

cooperation in addressing global issues such as environment,

disarmament, international peace and security and human

rights have reached new heights. As a consequence, the

United Nations has gained new respect and been entrusted

with new responsibilities. In order to live up to the

heightened expectations, the Organization must continue to

receive the unwavering commitment of its Member States.

The Republic of Maldives would like to take this

opportunity to renew its commitment to the purposes and

principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

These changes in the work of the United Nations reflect

corresponding changes in the political, economic, and

security landscape that underpins efforts in international

cooperation today. In view of this reality, the Security

Council of the United Nations needs to be reformed and

restructured. We should be careful not to take a piecemeal

approach to this: any expansion of the Council, and the

status of the members, should be based on the principles of

equitable and balanced representation. We should formulate

principled criteria that reflect the political, economic and

demographic realities of the world today.

The events in Bosnia and Herzegovina have shamed us

all. A State Member of the United Nations has been

subjected to naked aggression. The entire population of a

small country is being progressively exterminated. It is

deliberate genocide.

We need to examine why the international community

has failed to stop the carnage that is taking place in that

country. Regional, international and direct diplomacy have

been applied, but to no avail. At a time when the world

community has rededicated itself to the sanctity of human

rights, it is a tragic shame that systematic violation of these

rights has gone unpunished owing to lack of will on the part

of the international community.

We condemn the continued violence and genocide in

Bosnia and Herzegovina and call upon the international

community to take more decisive steps so that the

responsibilities entrusted to us under the Charter of this

Organization may be discharged fully. We fully recognize

the inherent right to self-defence, as prescribed in the

Charter. We believe that the right to self-defence comprises

the most fundamental right - the right to life.

A permanent solution to the situation in Bosnia should

be found by peaceful means and within the parameters of the

Charter of the United Nations, one of which is the principle

of territorial integrity.

The continued violations of basic human rights that are

taking place in Angola and Somalia are a matter of serious

concern to us. The events in Somalia - especially the attacks

on the United Nations peace-keeping personnel - are grave

developments that threaten the working of this Organization.

United Nations involvement in Somalia now raises several

questions, including those concerning the sincerity of the

warring parties with regard to their acceptance of help from

the international community to overcome the extreme

poverty that has ravaged the entire country.

Today, the United Nations is learning a lesson that is

very expensive, in terms of both human life and financial

resources, as it provides humanitarian assistance and seeks

to protect the people of these countries. It is indeed ironic

and tragic that peace- keepers have themselves become

targets of violence. My Government condemns such

violence in the strongest possible terms and believes that

those responsible for such acts should be brought to justice.

These experiences demonstrate that if the parties

involved are not sincere in the efforts to find a peaceful

solution and to avoid violence, the United Nations, acting on

its own, will be unable to perform miracles.

Developments taking place in South Africa have been

encouraging. The very active and high-level role currently

being played by the United Nations in facilitating the

cessation of political violence and the promotion of

negotiations to establish a democratic and non-racial State in

South Africa is commendable. My Government also

commends the African National Congress (ANC) and the

Government of South Africa for their positive attitude

towards working out the details of the multi-party elections.

In this connection, the recent agreement to set up a

multi-party Transitional Executive Council is a welcome

development. We feel that the end of the era of apartheid,

which is an affront to human dignity, is imminent. In this

context, we urge all parties concerned to refrain from

violence and actions that would subvert the peace process.

It is our hope that when we meet here in New York

next year we shall have amongst us the true representatives

of the South African people and that this Organization will

be able to benefit from their experience and knowledge.

Forty-eighth session - 4 October l993 31

The Arab-Israeli peace talks that began in 1991 have

made remarkable progress. The signing of the declarations

of principles by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)

and Israel in Washington last month was an historic event.

In this context, I should like to express to the PLO and the

people of Palestine our admiration for their courage and their

determination to find a comprehensive and peaceful solution

to the question of Palestine.

The Maldives pays tribute also to the Government of

the United States of America and other Governments

involved for the important role they are playing in the

Middle East peace talks. It is our earnest hope that this

agreement will lead to the restoration of the inalienable right

of the Palestine people to self-determination, sovereign

independence and the establishment of a national homeland

on their own soil.

The tragic consequences of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait

are still a matter of serious concern to the international

community. All outstanding issues, such as the border

dispute and the release of Kuwaiti and third-country

prisoners still being held in Iraqi jails, should be settled

immediately. The resolution of these issues, in conformity

with international law and practice, will contribute to the

elimination of tension and to the restoration of security and

stability in the region.

In this regard, the Government of Maldives welcomes

the completion of the work of the Iraq-Kuwait Boundary

Demarcation Commission and the endorsement of the report

of this Commission by the Security Council. We also feel

that Kuwait’s acceptance of the Commission’s report is a

very positive step indicative of that country’s eagerness and

sincerity in its attitude towards a comprehensive solution.

The Government of Maldives urges Iraq to adopt an equally

positive attitude in the interests of peace, security and

stability.

In June this year the international community came

together at the second World Conference on Human Rights

to review and assess progress and setbacks in the area of

human rights since the adoption of the Universal Declaration

in 1948. I am happy that we were able to make

considerable progress in several key areas. We believe that

some of the achievements of this Conference will give new

impetus to the promotion of human rights throughout the

world. However, we all need to be very realistic in

addressing this very important issue. The international

community should not let the promotion of human rights be

used by a few as an excuse for imposing uniformity in

human behaviour and thinking, at the expense of diversity.

Rather, it should emphasize the significance of the

universality of human rights. We know only too well the

fate of societies that try to impose uniform thinking and

behaviour on their peoples. Differences between individuals

and societies should be valued. Such diversity enriches our

family of nations.

The Government of Maldives has always attached great

importance to disarmament and international peace and

security. It is our firm belief that the production and

stockpiling of armaments will only worsen the security of

the entire world. In this regard, Maldives calls upon the

international community not to lose the current momentum

towards disarmament. We therefore urge the parties

involved to continue to build upon past achievements,

particularly in the elimination of weapons of mass

destruction, the control of proliferation, the achievement of

greater transparency in armaments and the negotiation of

other confidence-building measures.

Early this year, Maldives acceded to the Convention on

the Prohibition of the Development, Production and

Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin

Weapons and on Their Destruction, and, today, on behalf of

the Government of Maldives, I have signed the Convention.

Maldives is not involved in the production and stockpiling

of such weapons. My Government’s accession and signature

therefore demonstrate our commitment to supporting all

international efforts to eradicate such weaponry.

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was one of the

first international Treaties to which my country became a

party after gaining its independence in 1965. Our

commitment to this Treaty is unwavering because we fully

realize the consequences of the proliferation of such

weapons of mass destruction. My Government supports the

indefinite extension of the Treaty beyond 1995. We believe

that, within its framework, progress could be made in the

establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones and zones of

peace, for which my Government reiterates its full support.

We feel that the establishment of such zones will further

contribute to the promotion of international peace and

security.

I also wish to express my Government’s unqualified

support for the total eradication of all weapons of mass

destruction, be it chemical, biological or nuclear, and to

reiterate our call for the conclusion of effective agreements

on a comprehensive ban on nuclear testing. In this

connection, the Government of Maldives commends the

United States for its unilateral decision to extend its

moratorium on nuclear testing until the end of 1994.

32 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

The Charter of the United Nations recognizes the

inherent rights of all States to self-defence. However, only

a privileged few possess the ability to provide for their own

security unilaterally. Small States which lack adequate

financial resources for the acquisition of military equipment

and face severe constraints in manpower are never in a

position to provide suitably for their own security. Any

attempt by small States to build their military capabilities up

to a level of even near self-reliance would be a mere waste

of resources. The United Nations remains the only guarantor

of security for the small States.

In the economic sphere, the world economy once again

failed to meet the expected rate of growth. It continues to

be characterized by deteriorating terms of trade for the

developing countries and rising protectionism in developed

countries. For decades the developing countries have sought

a new world economic order that would eliminate the

imbalances existing in the present system. However, little

has been accomplished towards the attainment of this goal.

The scientific and technological gap between the developing

and the developed countries is becoming ever wider. The

flow of official development assistance has declined as a

result of the slow growth in the economies of the donor

countries.

The global arrangements and institutions established to

manage economic relations between States have not been

able to lift the world from its present depression. This

failure has serious implications for the developing countries.

In order to avoid disastrous consequences, we call for an

early conclusion of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade

negotiations of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

(GATT) that will set the tone for a future based on an open-

trading system.

The North-South dialogue must be reactivated on a new

basis comprising common interests and benefits and shared

responsibilities. Similarly, South-South cooperation must be

intensified, allowing States to pool their resources and

pursue concrete development efforts within the framework

of collective self-reliance and continued support for open

trading systems. The world cannot rise out of its economic

disarray and be assured of stability until the North and the

South can together work out a system that encourages closer

economic relations and strengthens the North-South

exchange.

One particular concept that needs emphasis is the

inseparability of development from the equitable sharing of

its fruits and its responsibilities. This twofold aspect of

development must be pursued at one and the same time and

with equal intensity if development is to succeed. In this

regard, let me reiterate my Government’s firm belief that

sustainable development is the only way to guarantee

continued life on this planet Earth. We need to accelerate

our efforts to meet the commitments we made in Rio last

year. We call on all States urgently to ratify the climate

Convention and the bio-diversity Convention. My

Government is proud to announce that it was one of the first

to ratify both these Conventions.

The establishment of the Commission on Sustainable

Development is a welcome development. We commend the

Commission for the very productive work accomplished at

its first substantive session and hope that its future work will

be of the same high standard.

The preparatory work for the Global Conference for

Small Island States on Sustainable Development and its

Implications began during this year. My country, as a small

island State, regards this Conference as a very important step

in addressing and finding practical solutions to the unique

problems facing us in our developmental efforts. We hope

that the international community will continue to participate

constructively in the preparatory process and will participate

in the Conference itself.

The responsibility that has been thrust upon us today is

tremendous. The realization of the dreams of our peoples

are in our hands. We cannot afford to be blind to the

desires of our peoples to be better fed, to have safer drinking

water, to have access to education and health-care needs and

to be free from the prospect of nuclear holocaust and the

dangers of environmental degradation. We cannot afford to

be embroiled in the build-up of stockpiles of armaments and

weapons of mass destruction while our economies are the

main victims of these acquisitions for death and destruction.

We should rise above all this and become more human

in all our endeavours. I have no doubt that together we can

actually achieve the better future that has been promised to

us.