The Bahamas, 1992

I congratulate Mr. Ganev on his unanimous

election to the presidency of the forty-seventh session of the General

Assembly. We are certain that his diplomatic skills and considerable

experience will lead us to historic conclusions.

I also wish to pay tribute to his predecessor, Mr. Samir S. Shihabi,

Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia, for the excellent manner in which he

presided over the forty-sixth session of the General Assembly.

In his short time in office our Secretary-General,

Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, has inspired our confidence that he has the

qualities essential to perform the duties of chief executive of the United

Nations. I take this opportunity to congratulate him on his appointment to

this high office last year. I assure him of the continued cooperation of the

Commonwealth of the Bahamas during this session of the General Assembly, as he

leads a United Nations challenged to reaffirm its fundamental purposes and

principles, and obliged to redefine its role and function in this world of

unprecedented change.

The Bahamas warmly welcomes those States that have joined the United

Nations since our last session of the General Assembly.

In just six days on 12 October we who live in the Western Hemisphere

will mark the five-hundredth anniversary of the encounter between the old

world and the new, which comes at a most pivotal time in modern history. It

all began on one of the many islands of the Bahamas, now called San Salvador,

and we are pleased to mark this historic occasion.

On a number of occasions during that 500-year interval these worlds

referred to as East and West have encountered each other in angry and even

bloody disagreement, and sometimes those disagreements have resulted in a cold

separation of peoples, countries and cultures.

The quincentennial presents an opportunity and an invitation to East and

West to re-enact that initial encounter in a way that is relative and

meaningful to the nations and the cultures of the twentieth and the

twenty-first centuries for mutual benefit and for global preservation.

The present-day inhabitants of the Bahamas, like those of 1492, are a

peace-loving and hospitable people. Small though we are in population, we

firmly believe in the significance of the role we can play in achieving the

peaceful coexistence of nations and environmental preservation. In that

belief, I extend a warm and cordial invitation to all the nations represented

here to come and see and experience the peace and tranquillity of the country

where that encounter took place 500 years ago.

Today I address the Assembly on behalf of the Government and the people

of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas to reaffirm our commitment to the

purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and to pledge my

Government's cooperation as we seek to ensure that our Organization maintains

its objectives and enhances its effectiveness in international affairs.

The winds of political change, stirred by the innate desire of the

electorate for democratic representation and the concomitant responsibility of

those elected, did not bypass the Bahamas. The Bahamian people once again

demonstrated their long tradition of, and unswerving commitment to, the

democratic process when in the most dramatic yet tranquil manner, in the words

of Aldous Huxley, a "brave new world" was ushered into the lives of Bahamians,

and a new administration, the Government of the Free National Movement (FNM),

was democratically elected only seven weeks ago, on 19 August. That signal

event heralded a new era in Bahamian history. It is a reinvigorated Bahamas

that is now poised to take its place in this emerging new political arena.

Our vision is of a world free of tension, thus enabling us to deliver to

our people a new kind of freedom and social and economic justice.

This year natural disasters have occurred worldwide, exacting high tolls

on human life and the destruction of property and natural resources.

Just recently the Bahamas endured the ravages of Hurricane Andrew, which

caused severe damage $250 million-worth to several islands of the Bahamas,

resulting in a tragic loss of life and leaving more than 1,200 persons

homeless.

I wish on behalf of my Government to thank all those countries and

international organizations, as well as many, many individual friends, for

coming to the aid of the Bahamas as we begin the task of reconstruction. At

the same time, we extend our sympathy to the Governments and people of the

United States of America, China, Nicaragua and Pakistan for the devastation

and loss of life inflicted upon their countries by recent natural disasters.

All our countries face potential natural hazards. But natural hazards,

no matter how great, need not result in natural disasters. We often spend too

much time and money recovering from disasters and too little on prevention.

Widespread upheavals and conflicts, within States and between States,

have been responsible for the mass movement of persons from one country to the

other. This phenomenon not only threatens the security and stability of the

affected countries, but also creates competing demands for attention and vital

resources. This Organization must not be perceived as selective in mediating

problems of a political nature, nor as elevating the suffering of one group of

people over that of another.

In our region, the critical situation in Haiti demands urgent

international attention.

Almost two years ago, the people of Haiti spoke for democracy. But the

unconstitutional seizure of power by the military has subverted the popular

will. The great expectations which the world had for Haiti under a

democratically elected Government were dashed. Political unrest, economic

deprivation and poverty have caused a mass exodus of its people, who are

fleeing their homeland in unprecedented numbers and thereby placing an

unacceptably high burden on neighbouring countries, particularly the Bahamas.

I now make a plea for the people of Haiti. We call on the international

community to come to the aid of Haiti.

It must be appreciated that no matter how grave our disillusionments over

the plight of the Haitian people, no matter how solicitous our efforts to

understand and to help, and no matter how expansive our Christian charity in

this whole unfortunate affair, the Bahamas has a priority responsibility for

the welfare of the Bahamian people.

In the comprehensive Manifesto on which the Governing Party in the

Bahamas was swept into power in August this year, we reaffirmed our commitment

to that priority, and it is necessary that our sister nations in this

Organization fully understand the Bahamas' position on the matter.

For almost three decades the Bahamas has been subjected to this serious

problem of illegal Haitian immigration. The presence of large numbers of

illegal immigrants in the Bahamas has created unexpected demands on the

country's economic, health and welfare agencies. This situation cannot

continue, and the Bahamas :an no longer afford to be penalized by the

situation simply because of our geographical position.

The Bahamas supports the efforts of the Organization of American States

(OAS) to negotiate a settlement to the situation in Haiti. Fully appreciative

of the practical limits to action by the OAS, the Bahamas advocates and

supports United Nations efforts aimed at strengthening OAS initiatives and

finding a solution to this problem.

The Bahamas wishes to place on record its deep appreciation for the

continuing assistance which the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner

for Refugees has rendered to us in the difficulties caused us by this

problem. We implore all concerned to continue to pursue all peaceful means to

reach a comprehensive settlement of the Haitian situation.

I should also like to decry the problems of drug abuse, drug trafficking

and the illicit production of drugs, which continue to haunt the international

community with their catastrophic effects on our individual societies.

The creation of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme

has been our most recent collective step to strengthen, improve and

rationalize the legal and institutional framework for control of the

production, trafficking and abuse of narcotic drugs and psychotropic

substances. My Government wishes to affirm its support for the Programme and

its efforts in providing valuable assistance to countries fighting this menace.

However, a most significant element in the fight against the drug trade

is the requisite cooperation between States. My Government pledges to

continue its collaboration with our neighbours to fight against the drug

menace. In this regard, we wish to thank the Governments of the United States

of America and Canada for the assistance they have rendered to the Bahamas.

The world breathed a sigh of relief earlier this year when it appeared

that talks between the Government of South Africa and the African National

Congress gave promise of establishing a political solution to the problems of

South Africa. The Bahamas deeply regrets that the process of dialogue has

been interrupted. We condemn the massacre at Boipatong and other massacres of

innocent civilians, as we equally condemn the efforts by the South African

Government to delay the realization of majority rule in South Africa.

The United Nations has been a critical force in opposing the abhorrent

system of apartheid in South Africa and in moving that country towards a

non-racial, unitary and democratic society. The role of the United Nations is

even more critical since the lifting of sanctions by many influential States.

The United Nations must not fail the people of South Africa at this critical

moment. My country strongly supports the phased lifting of sanctions agreed

by States members of the Commonwealth, and it firmly supports the effort that

the United Nations is making to encourage the resumption of negotiations

towards a new constitution for South Africa and ending the violence which

threatens a total disruption of these negotiations.

The Earth Summit held in Rio in June of this year was a historic

beginning. The fact that wore than 118 world leaders attended is a measure of

the seriousness with which the global community is viewing the question of the

environment.

It is perhaps a trite truism to observe that the survival of the human

family depends to a great extent on how this generation protects the natural

environment. The positive results achieved by the Summit were due in large

measure to the cooperation fostered by the United Nations. Real success,

however, will be judged by the abilities of countries to carry out programmes

at the national level. Tins can come about only when national capacities are

strengthened and additional resources are available. We must therefore

continue to maintain the vision and basic principles of multilateral

cooperation.

The Bahamas therefore welcomes the decision to establish a United Nations

commission on sustainable development to monitor the follow-up action after

Rio. The Bahamas, an archipelagic State of pristine aquamarine water, with a

vibrant tourist industry, is committed to the protection of its own natural

environment as well as the promotion of the global environment. My Government

sees eco-tourism as a powerful instrument for sustainable development of the

Bahamas, and we are fully committed to protection of the environment. The

Bahamas therefore gives its assurance that it will scrupulously abide by the

conventions signed at Rio, and its commitment to sustainable development

remains absolute.

The World Economic Survey of 1992 indicates that world output has

declined for the first time since the Second World War. World trade has

experienced slow growth. Countries continue to wrestle with economic

recession and the decline in world financial markets. Failure to complete the

Uruguay Round of negotiations will undoubtedly lead to increased

protectionism. These are areas of concern to us all, as are the uncertainties

prevailing in world markets with regard to the future course of interest

rates. These introduce many constraints on investment capital flows and

consequently on the growth of developing countries in particular.

In spite of all these problems and uncertainties, the performance of the

world economy can be improved through the enhancement of international

cooperation and policy coordination, which must now be a principal objective

of the United Nations.

The United Nations has become the centre of a diplomatic revolution, one

that mirrors the revitalization of national political institutions in many

countries. Fundamental changes not only promise greater personal freedom and

more dynamic societies, but frequently provide new challenges which create

uncertainty in international relations. The United Nations will have to adopt

a new strategy for addressing these challenges.

Today, we live in a world of much lowered ideological tension, a world in

which representative democracy is of fundamental importance. Indeed, the

renewal in many parts of the world of the democratic process implies greater

respect for human rights. In that regard, the United Nations must play a

catalytic role in ensuring that human rights are assured.

We have also come better to understand the relationship between respect

for human rights and our search for economic and social development, and we

must measure that development by actual improvements in human lives and not

exclusively in monetary terms.

We are hopeful that the greatly changed international environment and the

renewal of interest worldwide in human rights will contribute to the success

of the World Conference on Human Rights scheduled for 1993. In this regard my

Government has undertaken to give early consideration to all of the human

rights conventions to which the Bahamas is not yet a party, including the

Covenants relating to economic, social and political rights.

The pace of change in international politics is straining mankind's

capabilities of assimilation and assessment. In Western Europe the outlines of

super-nationalism have become visible. In Central Europe the echoes of history

are heralded again after more than 40 years of silence. And in Eastern Europe

communism is in full-scale retreat under the implacable pressure of the

recognition of its limitations and of rising expectations. In Asia countries

that could scarcely feed themselves a generation ago have become tigers of

economic competition. Meantime, the spectre of famine remains over the Horn

of Africa, demonstrating that not all change is positive. Almost everywhere

pluralistic democratic values are surfacing and tending to dominate.

In a world of tinder, fire-breaks are needed. The United Nations

peace-keeping operations can be considered just such fire-breaks. The support

of the international community, both political and material, remains an

essential characteristic of peace-keeping operations, regardless of their

size. Political support by Governments can mean the difference between a

party's compliance with the terms of an agreement and serious infractions that

jeopardize lives and progress towards peace.

The price of United Nations peace-keeping is, by monetary standards, a

bargain. But the United Nations is more than just good value. The

contributions of the membership are certainly a more cost-effective and humane

solution to international disputes than the conflict and human suffering that

occur when States feel that they are unable, or are unwilling, to use the

machinery offered by the United Nations and resort to war.

We welcome the recent pronouncements of the Presidents of the

United States of America and of the Russian Federation of 17 June 1992 to

reduce their nuclear arsenals below the numbers agreed to last summer during

the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty Talks (START) and their joint statement on

chemical weapons in which they reiterated their commitment to the global

elimination of such weapons. The recently concluded negotiations on a

convention banning chemical weapons is a further important step forward in

curtailing the use of weapons of mass destruction. Further progress in this

area will be determined by the political will of Member States, their

commitment to their obligations under existing disarmament agreements, and the

more recent agreements, such as the United Nations universal and

non-discriminatory Register of Conventional Arms, which became operational on

1 January 1992. The Bahamas remains totally committed to general and complete

disarmament.

The bedrock for action by the United Nations lies in States adhering to,

and consistently applying, the principles of the Charter. It costs money to

put principles into practice. Expanded responsibilities translate into greater

costs, which must be borne by the States Members of the Organization.

In the coming decade it is vital to use in the most effective and

efficient manner this Organization, which has demonstrated the importance of

its promotional and catalytic role, particularly in bringing to the surface

issues which are likely to assume importance in coming years.

The creation of a stable and more favourable international environment is

fundamental to the strengthening of multilateral policy coordination within an

enhanced framework, especially if we are to realize our new vision for an

improved new world order. This requires the collective resolve of the giant

nations as well as of tiny nations, such as the Bahamas, to work together to

remove constraints and to allow for optimum growth and development. The new

world order can be lasting only if all constituent elements grow in harmony.

A multilateral, concerted and comprehensive approach is vital for the

implementation of effective and lasting solutions to global problems.

As I noted at the outset, this year's commemoration of the quincentennial

in the Bahamas and in the Western hemisphere offers a unique opportunity to

make real and meaningful and mutually beneficial that original encounter of

the old and new worlds. There are those who condemn that encounter but

Columbus did come and as a result a medley of old and new cultures and

civilizations emerged.

It was fitting that with the coming into being of the United Nations in

San Francisco in 1945 the Preamble to our Charter reaffirmed our determination

to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and our faith in

fundamental human rights, and established conditions under which justice and

respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of

international law should be maintained.

In those 47 years, many swords have been beaten into plowshares, and many

spears into pruning hooks. It is now left for us to make abidingly true the

end of that refrain, that nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall we learn war any more.