Mali, 1996

Allow me to begin by expressing, on behalf of the

delegation of the Republic of Mali, heartfelt

congratulations to the President on his election to lead the

fifty-first regular session of the General Assembly. His

election reflects the trust and esteem he enjoys in this

Organization because of his great diplomatic skills and his

vast experience of international relations. While this is an

honour for him, it also honours his country, Malaysia, a

friend of my country’s and one that plays an important

role in international affairs, particularly within the Non-

Aligned Movement.

I am therefore convinced that the President will

conduct the business of the fifty-first session in a

competent and well-advised manner. He can certainly

count on the support of the Republic of Mali to contribute

to the success of his mission. Allow me also to thank his

predecessor, Mr. Diogo Freitas do Amaral, for the

outstanding work he accomplished during his term of

office. Finally, I should like, on behalf of my delegation,

to pay well-deserved homage to the Secretary-General,

His Excellency Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for his

courageous action and tireless efforts for peace and

understanding among peoples.

The end of the cold war gave the peoples of the

world cause to hope for the advent of a new era marked

by the promotion of more stable and balanced

international relations. To this end, the international

community must mobilize to find just and lasting

solutions to the many hotbeds of tension and conflict that

jeopardize international peace and security.

In this respect, Mali welcomes the qualitative

development of the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We welcome the holding of elections on 14 September,

which marked a decisive stage for the future of the

country. We exhort the international community to work

to preserve and consolidate this newly restored peace.

We likewise welcome the possibilities that arose at

the latest Economic Community of West African States

(ECOWAS) summit in Liberia for a settlement based on

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national reconciliation and the restoration of democratically

elected institutions. Mali has worked steadfastly to find a

solution to the crisis in Liberia and is prepared to make

available a battalion to the ECOWAS Monitoring Group

(ECOMOG).

Likewise, Mali supports the efforts undertaken by the

international community to assist the people of Burundi to

establish a lasting peace and national reconciliation. Mali

also supports United Nations efforts to establish a just and

lasting peace in Angola.

The international community must do everything

possible in Somalia to help bring about reconciliation and

the establishment of national institutions that are supported

and trusted by all Somalis.

Recent developments on the question of Western

Sahara require that our Organization work even more

intensively towards the holding of a referendum, in keeping

with the relevant resolutions adopted on the matter.

Mali has always reaffirmed its support for

international law and is concerned at the continued

sanctions imposed on Libya, which have compounded the

sufferings of the Libyan people, with whom my country

reiterates it solidarity.

Like other countries in the international community,

Mali is seriously concerned over recent developments in the

situation in the Middle East. My country remains convinced

that in order to settle the Israeli-Arab conflict, there is no

alternative to the possibilities offered by the Madrid Peace

Conference. Mali therefore calls for the continuation of the

peace process and for compliance with the commitments

previously undertaken.

To promote more stable and balanced international

relations, the present mechanisms for the consolidation of

peace need to be strengthened; but we also need to find

new tools. The Agenda for Peace opens new possibilities in

this area.

Accordingly, Mali welcomed the adoption of the

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty as a historic stage

in the strengthening of general and complete disarmament.

We likewise welcomed the adoption on 11 April 1996 of

the Pelindaba Treaty, which made Africa a nuclear-weapon-

free zone. My country also hopes that further progress

might be made to eliminate anti-personnel mines.

Mali has demonstrated its commitment to

strengthening the process of general and complete

disarmament through specific national and international

initiatives. Accordingly, in 1994, the President of the

Republic of Mali, His Excellency Mr. Alpha Oumar

Konaré, requested and obtained special assistance from

the Secretary-General of the United Nations to establish

a consultative mission responsible for studying ways and

means to stem the proliferation of small arms in the

Sahelo-Saharan region. Indeed, our countries, which are

not arms producers, have become lucrative markets for

the war industry. Where did these weapons come from?

What are their transit points? An answer to these

questions, in my delegation’s view, would make it

possible to find ways and means to guarantee that the

people of the affected countries enjoy a safe environment

conducive to pursuing development.

Besides the support of other countries in the Sahelo-

Saharan region, Mali’s initiative was also backed by other

regions during the forty-ninth and fiftieth sessions of the

General Assembly, namely through the adoption of

resolutions 49/75 G and 50/70 H. Mali’s initiative helped

give rise to our Organization’s now-famous concept of

micro-disarmament, which seeks to draw the attention of

the international community to the disastrous

consequences of small weapons, particularly in the

developing countries, where they are used mostly to fuel

conflicts.

A better-structured and more united international

order seems today to be the very precondition for

international peace and security. Development is one of

the major challenges that our Organization must meet

today. As Pope Paul VI has stressed,

“Development is another word for peace.”

Thus, in order to establish the basis for a lasting peace,

the problems of poverty, destitution and social

marginalization must therefore be given priority at the

United Nations.

I should like in this respect to stress the great

importance Mali attaches to the drafting of an Agenda for

Development, the indispensable counterpart to the Agenda

for Peace. This entails the organization of international

cooperation for development on a new basis, an area in

which my country is working with resolve. The role of

the United Nations system in the development process

also must be strengthened.

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In this connection, the Agenda for Development —

which my delegation hopes will be adopted at this session

of the General Assembly — will make it possible to

refocus the world’s attention on cooperation for

development, particularly by encouraging new, more

complete and more effective approaches to development. It

could also provide a way to strengthen coordination within

the United Nations system, particularly by recognizing the

Organization as a network of institutions responsible for the

economic and social development of the Member States.

In this respect, because of the persistent foreign-debt

crisis of the countries of the South and the dwindling of

official development assistance, the question of

development financing requires special attention.

The Agenda for Development should likewise take

into account the recommendations contained in the Plans of

Action adopted by the United Nations Conference on

Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro; the

International Conference on Population and Development,

held in Cairo; the World Summit for Social Development,

held in Copenhagen; the Fourth World Conference on

Women, held in Beijing; and the second United Nations

Conference on Human Settlements, held in Istanbul.

The Agenda for Development clearly must give special

attention to Africa. The socio-economic situation of our

continent is indeed of great concern. Africa, which is

confronting all kinds of epidemic and endemic diseases —

including malaria and AIDS — has only one doctor for

every 18,000 people, as compared to one doctor for fewer

than 400 people in developed countries. More than 80

million school-age African children do not have access to

primary or secondary education. More than one third of

Africa’s population suffers from famine, and more than 23

million children are malnourished. Finally, Africa is reeling

from an external debt that in 1995 was estimated to be

$322 billion, the debt servicing of which absorbs more than

one third of its export earnings.

Given this situation, in an increasingly interdependent

world, the international community must show solidarity

with Africa. That is why a solidarity pact between Africa

and the rest of the international community was sealed with

the adoption of the United Nations New Agenda for the

Development of Africa in the 1990s. As we know, under

the terms of this New Agenda, Africa solemnly reaffirms

that Africans themselves are primarily responsible for the

economic and social development of the continent, while

the international community undertakes to support Africa’s

efforts in attaining its development objectives.

Commendable efforts have been made by African

countries in implementing this New Agenda. In the

political and economic spheres, in particular, these have

been achieved by consolidating the democratic process, by

promoting investments and by taking account of

environmental and population problems in development

policies. Mali has thus established a policy for economic

recovery and improved public financing. Macro-economic

goals, on the whole, have been attained.

A broad range of structural measures has been

implemented through price liberalization; privatization;

the elimination or restructuring of many public

enterprises; and the reform of the agricultural sector, with

a view to reducing costs and to increasing and

diversifying production. These tangible results enabled

Mali in February 1996 to conclude a new three-year

agreement for the period 1996-1998 in the framework of

the Reinforced Structural Adjustment Facility.

Mindful of the need to accompany the promotion of

economic growth with resolute efforts in the social

domain to improve significantly the living standards of

peoples and to reduce poverty permanently, my

Government has expanded social services. In addition,

priority in socio-economic development programmes has

been given to women.

Since 26 March 1991, Mali has continued its steady

progress towards consolidating its regained peace and

building a State based on the rule of law. The qualitative

developments that have taken place in Mali’s northern

regions show clearly the determination of Mali’s young

democracy to tackle and resolve all problems in a

concerted and peaceful way, with the active participation

of all players and with scrupulous respect for human

rights and fundamental freedoms.

The organization of the “Flame of Peace” ceremony

was an eloquent illustration of this. It was a symbolic

ceremony to destroy the stockpiles of several thousand

weapons that were surrendered by ex-combatants of the

Mouvement et Fronts Unis de l’Azawad and the

Mouvement Patriotique Malien Ganda Koy. It took place

on 27 March 1996 in Timbuktu under the presidency of

the Head of State of Mali, His Excellency Mr. Alpha

Oumar Konaré, and in the presence of the President of

the Republic of Ghana, the current President of ECOWAS

and several ministerial delegations of Mali’s neighbouring

countries. The United Nations, which contributed to the

peace efforts through the Department of Political Affairs

and the United Nations Development Programme as well

26

as to the small-arms collection process, was also

represented by an important delegation.

During that ceremony the Mouvement et Fronts Unis

de l’Azawad and the Mouvement Patriotique Malien Ganda

Koy issued a joint declaration under which they

“solemnly and irreversibly proclaim the dissolution of

their respective movements and fronts”.

These positive developments in northern Mali mean

that real prospects now exist for integration and socio-

economic development in the region. We therefore appeal

to the international community to support the efforts of the

Government of Mali to consolidate democracy in the

country; to continue to strengthen the peace that has been

established with the participation of the country’s various

communities; and to show its solidarity concretely, by

providing the necessary humanitarian assistance to meet the

needs of returning refugees and to help promote their

reintegration.

It is thus important to undertake urgent work to

develop the regions concerned by, inter alia, reintegrating

displaced peoples, restoring our administration, boosting

agricultural production and improving the functioning of

public services, in particular in the areas of education,

health and justice.

I take this opportunity to urgently appeal to Mali’s

development partners quickly and effectively to implement

this programme, which, in the long run, aims at

development within a State based on a strengthened rule of

law and on democracy and human rights. Respect for the

rule of law is of major importance to Mali’s Third

Republic, which makes the promotion and defence of

human rights one of its priorities.

In this connection I should also note the

institutionalization, which has now been going on for two

years, of the Space for Democratic Discourse, which

enables individuals, civil society and political parties to

make direct and public appeals to the Government on 10

December every year with regard to the respect of human

rights in Mali. We likewise have institutionalized a

children’s parliament, which provides a forum for the free

expression of Mali’s children to assist the public authorities

in implementing the national plan of action for the survival,

development and protection of children.

Mali — one of the six countries that initiated the

World Summit for Children in 1990 — welcomed the

commemorative meeting held on 30 September 1996 to

review the progress made and to give thought to the

additional steps that need to be taken on behalf of

children.

The consolidation of Mali’s young democracy

requires also the harmonious organization of relations

between civilians and the military. With the support of the

United Nations, the Government of Mali held a seminar

on this subject last July. A code of good conduct is being

drafted in this connection.

I should like to underscore here, simply but

forcefully, the importance Mali attaches to human rights,

in particular the rights of women and children. We are

convinced that the role played by our Organization must

be backed up by concrete actions that stress the right to

education, health and life.

The international economic situation clearly shows

that the gap between developed and developing countries

is widening. By generating an increase in inequalities and

in the risk of social upheavals, this imbalance is making

the future of the world increasingly uncertain. Given the

situation, the international community must find adequate

solutions.

It is imperative that we find an answer to the

external debt problem of the countries of the South. In

spite of the progress made in this area, relief measures for

debt servicing remain insufficient. My delegation

therefore makes an urgent appeal that the ongoing

discussions at the current meetings of the World Bank

and the International Monetary Fund on the creation of a

special fund aimed at considerably reducing the

multilateral debt of poor countries under structural

adjustment result in a successful outcome.

My delegation deeply appreciates the important

extension of $500 million, intended to reduce the debt of

African countries, made by the Group of Seven major

industrialized countries last June at their summit meeting

in Lyons. This is an encouraging sign and an example to

follow.

It is just as important to support the efforts of the

African countries to diversify their economies and the

range of their commodities. It is also necessary to reverse

the current trend towards disinvestment and dwindling

financial resources destined for Africa.

27

We should facilitate the access of African products to

world markets, particularly by lifting the tariff and non-

tariff barriers that affect its finished, semi-finished and

manufactured goods. They should also receive preferential

treatment, as provided in the Final Act of the Uruguay

Round concluded in Marrakesh.

Finally, the international community should give its

full support to the Secretary-General’s United Nations

System-wide Special Initiative for Africa so that it does not

suffer the same fate as the United Nations Programme of

Action for African Economic Recovery and Development.

In addition to the critical economic and social situation

in Africa, there is the problem of the least developed

countries. For this reason, my country appeals to the

international community to implement urgently the United

Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the

1990s.

Mali also welcomes the proclamation of 1996 as the

International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. We hope

that the international community will achieve the goals of

the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of

Poverty.

My country hopes that the next World Food Summit,

to be held in November in Rome, will make it possible for

the international community to reaffirm its commitment to

ensuring that poverty-eradication strategies are fully

integrated into all United Nations initiatives.

Mali has signed and ratified most international

arrangements regarding the environment and therefore

welcomes the convening of a special session devoted to a

review of the progress made by Agenda 21. Mali intends to

continue to work towards the elaboration of the United

Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those

Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or

Desertification, particularly in Africa. Mali is therefore

pleased at how fast the necessary ratification of 50 Member

States was achieved. My delegation is nevertheless

concerned about the deadlock on the question of a world

mechanism. Mali believes that the mechanism should serve

as a data bank and a supplier of the resources necessary to

implement national plans to combat desertification.

Our Organization faces new challenges, both in the

consolidation of peace and in economic and social

development. Its role is constantly growing, and increasing

numbers of voices throughout the world appeal to it. In

order to meet the challenges of the day, our Organization

must have a sound and adequate financial basis. It must

also carry out the necessary reforms so that it can be

more effective and thus meet the aspirations of peoples

for security, justice and development. Accordingly, these

reforms must apply to the Security Council, the General

Assembly and the Secretariat, but particularly to the

specialized and development agencies responsible for

elaborating and implementing development programmes.

This is an ambitious challenge, and Africa must

contribute significantly to efforts in that direction. The

international community must renew its trust in Africa by

giving a second term of office to the Head of our

Organization, in keeping with past practice.