The Gambia, 1993

May I at the outset congratulate

Ambassador Insanally on his unanimous election as

President of the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session.

His long and rich experience makes him suitably qualified

to preside over this session. I can assure him that he will

enjoy the full support and cooperation of my delegation in

carrying out his mission.

I should also like to take this opportunity to extend to

his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Stoyan Ganev of

Bulgaria, my heartfelt congratulations on the efficient

manner in which he presided over the General Assembly at

its forty-seventh session.

Let me also take this opportunity to pay a special

tribute, once again, to our Secretary-General, His Excellency

Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for the high quality of leadership

he is providing to our Organization.

It is encouraging to note the growing membership of

the United Nations each year. It is, in the words of the

Secretary-General, an explosion in United Nations member-

ship. I should like to extend, on behalf of the Gambia and

on my own behalf, sincere congratulations to Eritrea, the

Principality of Andorra and the Principality of Monaco on

their admission as Members of the United Nations. It is our

fervent hope that they will not only be able to realize their

national aspirations but also contribute to the positive

fulfilment of mankind’s hope for a better world.

It was with deep shock and sorrow that we learned of

the devastating earthquake in parts of India. In this

connection, I should like to convey the heartfelt condolences

of the Government of the Gambia to the Government of

India and the members of the bereaved families on the

occasion of this catastrophe. We also commend the laudable

efforts of the Government of India in coping with this

massive disaster.

We are meeting this year against the background of

renewed hope, following the significant developments in the

Middle East and South Africa. Until recently, the Middle -

East crisis and the situation in South Africa posed a real

threat to international peace and security. Today, however,

it can be said with a high degree of certainty that in both

cases the peace process is irreversible.

The other notable event of major international

significance has been the World Conference on Human

Rights held in Vienna last June. Coming soon after the end

of the cold war and 25 years after the first International

Conference on Human Rights, this year’s World Conference

16 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

on Human Rights reflected the hopes and aspirations of

teeming millions of human beings seeking new solutions,

readjustments, changes and improvements to their conditions.

In many ways, the World Conference on Human Rights

symbolized the end of one era and the beginning of a new

one with regard to the promotion and consolidation of a

strong human-rights culture world-wide.

For us in the Gambia, the convening of the World

Conference on Human Rights was a refreshing experience,

given our long-established tradition in the protection and

promotion of human rights. The Conference enabled us to

strengthen our resolve to continue to uphold these much-

cherished values.

In reviewing the outcome of the World Conference on

Human Rights, my delegation is pleased with the adoption

of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, which

will serve as a human-rights blueprint for the next century.

I would urge the Assembly to consider and approve the

document. We regret, however, the failure of the

Conference to agree on the setting up of the office of high

commissioner for human rights. My Government continues

to give its strong support to this proposal, as we are

convinced that the office, if created, would facilitate greater

coordination of United Nations efforts and provide a more

prompt and effective response to critical cases of gross

violations.

The issue of human rights, however, needs to be

addressed fully in all its composite parts. Political and civil

rights go hand in hand with economic, social and cultural

rights. Such problems as poverty, hunger, and illiteracy that

have characterized developing countries constitute a serious

threat to stability and respect for political rights in these

countries. As my President, Sir Dawda Jawara stated at the

Conference in Vienna in respect of political rights and the

right to development,

"We need to remind ourselves of the indivisibility and

the interdependence of both rights and the necessity of

giving equal attention and urgent consideration to both".

It is saddening to note that at a time when such

internationally recognized values as democracy, human rights

and rule of law are becoming the order of the day almost

everywhere, some seemingly intractable conflicts in other

parts of the world threaten to turn back the hands of time.

The situation in Somalia, which appeared to have

improved only about a year ago, has suddenly deteriorated,

generating cause for serious concern. My delegation is

particularly alarmed by the dramatic turn of events resulting

in the deaths of some members of the United Nations peace-

keeping force and also of some Somalis. To the families of

all these fallen servicemen and those of other innocent

victims of the Somali conflict, we extend our heartfelt

condolences. We very much regret these unfortunate

incidents, but they should, no matter how tragic, neither

dampen the enthusiasm nor weaken the resolve of the

international community to assist the Somalis in their search

for lasting peace and stability. Let us not forget now, in the

heat of the moment, the very positive achievements of the

intervention, which has made it possible to distribute food

among a population that was suffering from one of the most

horrendous forms of famine.

In the present circumstances the need for general and

complete disarmament of all factions cannot be

overemphasized, and this must be pursued with renewed

vigour. I should like to appeal to the United Nations and, in

particular, to the United States of America and all those

other countries that have agreed to send troops to Somalia to

continue their assistance so that peace and security can

return to this troubled land.

We call on all the parties to the conflict to cooperate

fully, to respect all the relevant Security Council resolutions

and to implement without any further delay the Addis Ababa

accord aimed at achieving national reconciliation.

The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina also

constitutes a major preoccupation of the international

community. Recent efforts to establish a credible and lasting

peace in the country have yet to bear fruit. The failure, so

far, to resolve the conflict and the persistent disregard of

Security Council resolutions - in particular, resolution 713 (1991) -

make the situation even more desperate. The Gambia

deplores the continued Serbian aggression against the

Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It deplores the

acquisition of territory by force, by means of the heinous

practice of "ethnic cleansing" and other war crimes. My

delegation is firmly of the view that if the international

community is unwilling or unable to protect the defenceless

Muslim population against Serbian aggression, it must be

given the opportunity to defend itself in accordance with

Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which recognizes

that peoples must be able to exercise their right of

self-defence. We welcome the establishment of an

international war crimes tribunal as a fitting response to the

atrocities perpetrated in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In Angola, the fighting continues with unprecedented

intensity and ferocity. We condemn the naked and brutal

Forty-eighth session - 6 October l993 17

aggression by UNITA against the Government and people of

Angola. The people of Angola, through the democratic

process - whose principles are the very ones we have been

proclaiming in this Hall - have given their verdict. Their

decision must be respected, and the international community

should provide all necessary support for action against any

force that seeks to disregard or overturn it. We therefore

welcome the recent decision of the Security Council to

impose sanctions on UNITA.

This year - 1993 - has not been one just of conflict,

turmoil and bloodshed. Very notable successes have been

achieved in mankind’s search for peace, and these augur

well for the future.

With the conclusion of the Cotonou Peace Accord and

the installation of a five-man Council of State to lead Liberia

to democratic elections after six months, there is renewed

hope of a peaceful and lasting solution to the Liberian

conflict. We welcome the contribution of the Government

of the United States of America to the United Nations Trust

Fund, and we call on all other donor countries to contribute

similarly so that additional peace-keeping forces may be

speedily deployed in Liberia to ensure full implementation

of the Economic Community of West African States

(ECOWAS) peace agreement.

With respect to South Africa, there are now clear

indications that the peace process is on track and that change

is irreversible. My delegation welcomes the agreement

reached in the multi-party negotiating forum to set up a

Transitional Executive Council, following agreement on the

date of the first non-racial, democratic elections.

In this connection, we fully support the recent appeal of

the President of the African National Congress (ANC),

Mr. Nelson Mandela, that sanctions be lifted. The removal

of sanctions would send to all parties a strong, positive

signal that the rest of the international community will not

be found wanting in support and encouragement for the

difficult transition to a non-racial and democratic society.

However, we regret the recurrence of violence, which, if it

is not addressed satisfactorily, may have serious

repercussions for the transitional arrangements. We

therefore call on the South African authorities to redouble

their efforts to stem the rising tide of political violence.

The recent breakthrough in the Middle East talks,

evidenced by the deal between Israel and the Palestine

Liberation Organization (PLO) granting limited autonomy to

the Palestinians in Gaza and in the city of Jericho, is a most

welcome development. It constitutes a major step in the

quest for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. We

extend our heartfelt congratulations to those in the leadership

of the two parties for their courage and foresight in making

even this limited success possible in a land often

characterized by hate, mistrust and destruction. It is true

that much remains to be done, but we are optimistic that the

momentum generated by the Israeli-PLO agreement will be

sustained and expanded to enable all parties to the conflict

to strengthen their resolve in the search for a comprehensive

and durable solution in accordance with Security Council

resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973).

While the recent developments between Israel and its

Arab neighbours provide ground for much optimism, the

situation between Kuwait and Iraq has failed to register

similar progress. I call on the Government of Iraq to

comply fully with United Nations resolutions and, in

particular, to ensure the early release of Kuwaiti and other

prisoners.

We have followed with keen interest the successful

conduct by the United Nations of elections in Cambodia.

We congratulate the Secretary-General and his staff, as well

as all the countries that helped to bring stability back to

Cambodia. We hope that the lessons of this exercise will be

consolidated and will be applied to other trouble spots that

may require the assistance of the United Nations.

The threat to world peace and stability emanates not

only from armed conflicts but also from socio-economic

factors. The global economic recession has led to worsening

economic and social problems. Among the pressing

economic difficulties that continue to face the developing

countries is the problem of external debt servicing, which is

one of the major obstacles to development. In sub-Saharan

Africa, the debt stock has increased to $185 billion -

equivalent to 110 per cent of that region’s gross domestic

product. As of today, one third of Africa’s total export

earning is paid to the developed countries in the North to

service its debts. This situation cannot be allowed to

continue. More than ever before, there is a need for a

concerted and innovative international effort to find a

permanent solution to the problem. It is our view that the

international community - particularly the industrialized

countries - has not given this problem the level of attention

it deserves.

While Africa’s indebtedness has continued unabated, its

production output, in both agriculture and industry, has

continued to decline. The combined negative effect is

aggravated by serious inflation, which has contributed to a

steep decline in domestic savings and investment.

18 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

The international community’s commitment to

sustainable development in Africa can best be enhanced by

encouraging increased direct foreign investment, as well as

an increased international transfer of financial resources to

the region. This is crucial to any long-term improvement in

Africa’s economic situation.

I should add that the removal of unfair trade practices

would go a long way towards eliminating the need for aid.

This is why we are anxious to see an early conclusion of the

Uruguay Round, which we hope will address the thorny

issue of market access, as this is of major concern to

developing countries.

Finally on this issue we call on the United Nations to

provide the necessary support for the successful implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development

of Africa in the 1990s and the work of the United Nations

Inter-Agency Task Force on African Economic Recovery

and Development.

We welcome the initiative of the Japanese Government

in convening the Tokyo International Conference on African

Development and hope it will contribute to the mobilization

of financial and technological resources much needed to

ensure Africa’s development.

In translating the spirit of Rio de Janeiro into action,

the Gambia has already launched its Environmental Action

Plan in order to address the serious environmental problems

facing the country. Coming from a Sahelian country we

remain particularly concerned about the continuous threat

posed by drought and human actions to our fragile

ecosystem. We welcome the setting up of the

Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee and the

commencement of the negotiation process for the drawing up

of an international convention to combat drought and

desertification particularly in Africa. The Gambia will

continue to give full support to this Committee.

The success of our efforts to implement Agenda 21 and

other programmes approved in Rio and adopted by the

General Assembly will depend to a very large extent on the

availability of funds and the commitment of our partners to

share resources and encourage technology transfer to forge

a truly global partnership between developed and developing

countries in sustainable development.

In this connection we share the view that the Global

Environment Facility (GEF) should be restructured to allow

for the increased participation of developing countries in all

its activities as well as for inclusion of desertification as one

of the areas eligible for GEF funding. It is hoped that in

phase II of the GEF there will be an expanded financial base

to allow for greater and more rational disbursements.

It has now become established practice to convene

summit meetings on issues of major concern to humanity.

These summits provide an opportunity to arrive at a

collective decision at the highest level on ways and means

of resolving these difficulties. It is in this light that we

welcome the World Conference on Population and

Development and the World Summit for Social Development

to be convened in 1995.

As we move closer to the end of this century, so is the

United Nations moving closer to its fiftieth anniversary,

signalling the maturity of our thoughts and the wisdom of

our actions in seeking global peace and security. As the

primary role of the United Nations is the maintenance of

world peace and security, it becomes imperative in this

post-cold-war era to prepare the world body to carry out its

mandate as stipulated in its Charter, taking into account the

prevailing international political climate.

In this connection my delegation notes with keen

interest the restructuring and revitalization of the United

Nations. We welcome efforts to streamline and rationalize

the work of the General Assembly at the level of both the

plenary Assembly and the Main Committees. These efforts,

it is hoped, will strengthen the decision-making role of the

General Assembly and enhance its effectiveness and

efficiency as the largest and most important organ of the

United Nations system. Furthermore, the relationship

between the General Assembly and the Security Council

should be redefined and better coordinated.

As regards the reorganization of the Security Council,

efforts should be made to ensure transparency in its work

and activities. The Gambia would support any proposals for

the reorganization of the Security Council on the basis of

equitable geographical representation.

I wish to conclude by again expressing our faith in the

capacity of the United Nations, strengthened in its authority

and credibility, to face the many challenges that lie ahead.