Uganda, 1992

Mr. President, allow me to congratulate

you most warmly on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at

its forty-seventh session. I am confident that, given your skills and

experience, you will successfully guide our deliberations. I wish also to pay

a well-deserved tribute to your predecessor. Ambassador Samir Shihabi of the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for the excellent manner in which he steered the work

of the forty-sixth session.

It is with a sense of pride and satisfaction that I take this

opportunity, firstly, to congratulate Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, a

distinguished son of Africa, on his deserved election to the important post of

Secretary-General of our Organization; and, secondly, to express sincere

appreciation to him for the commendable leadership he has showed in carrying

out his duties. Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali's long and valuable service to

Africa, especially within the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the central

role he played in peacemaking under the Camp David accord, and the

considerable familiarity he has with the burning issues of the developing

world give him impeccable credentials for this Organization's highest and most

challenging post. We wish him every success; he enjoys Uganda's full

confidence; and he can count on our constant cooperation and support.*

Uganda welcomes the 13 new Members of the United Nations, with which we

look forward to forging close and mutually beneficial relations. An important

principle of this Organization is self-determination by the people of the

Member States. The admission of new Members is in keeping with that principle.

When we gathered here at the forty-sixth session of the General Assembly,

it was against a backdrop of international political developments which had

profoundly altered the global landscape. The transformation of international

relations has, over the last year, increased in pace and ushered in a new

pattern of relations. In place of the cold war between East and West, we now

Mr. Kalpage (Sri Lanka), Vice-President took the Chair.

see a more cooperative relationship. Mutual suspicion, conflict and the

attendant arms race between the major Powers have been replaced by dialogue

and joint endeavours. Dictatorships are giving way to democracies, and

conflicts are being resolved through dialogue.

As a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, Uganda has always urged the

major Powers to put an end to their rivalry and, instead, pool their efforts

to promote international peace and security and also the economic and social

development of all countries, as envisaged by the Charter. We therefore

welcome the emerging peaceful relations among the major Powers, and we

accordingly have a good basis for hoping that investment in economic and

social development worldwide will now receive a higher priority. In this

connection, special note must be taken of the important address to this

session of the Assembly by President George Bush of the United States when he

put forward new ideas about international economic cooperation. These ideas

merit serious consideration.

It will be recalled that the cold-war divisions hampered the efforts of

the Organization in fulfilling its mandate. But now the correspondence of

objectives among the permanent members of the Security Council, as

contemplated by the founding fathers, has facilitated the United Nations

central role in finding solutions to various regional crises. From Yugoslavia

and Cambodia to Somalia, to name but a few, it has now become possible for the

United Nations to handle the underlying causes of crises without its actions

being hamstrung by the ideological differences between its Members.

As the confidence being reposed in the United Nations has increased, so

have the responsibilities the Organization is being called upon to undertake.

Yet its resources remain precarious. There is an urgent need for the

Organization to be strengthened, in order to be able to be appropriately

restructured, and to be provided with adequate means meet the challenges

before it.

It is critical that the United Nations organs be made more representative

so that they can cater more meaningfully to the interests and aspirations of

all its Members. The objective should be to make the decision-making process

in the United Nations, including the Security Council, more democratic and

transparent. It is with this in mind that Uganda will positively examine the

various proposals for reform of the United Nations. We are thus prepared to

examine proposals for reform and expansion of the Security Council to reflect

contemporary realities that will lead to a more equitable and balanced

representation without, however, sacrificing capacity and efficiency.

The present structure of the Security Council reflects the realities of

1945 and the resultant cold war. Countries were designated permanent members

because of their capacity, at the time, to contribute to the maintenance of

international peace and security and to prevent war. For the record, it ought

to be stated, with appreciation, that the Organization's structures have

discharged their principal obligations well, and have, in particular,

safeguarded the international community against a world war and against a

nuclear catastrophe.

It must, however, be acknowledged that we are now moving into an age

where new issues such as development, environmental protection and

technological advancement are critical in international relations and affect

the security of the world. We therefore believe it is necessary to review the

criteria for permanent membership in order to take into account the capacity

of countries to contribute in this regard.

If only for the sake of accountability, it is imperative that Member

States, on which our Organization will increasingly depend as the main source

of contributions for the implementation of its new agenda for the next

century, should also have a say in the decision-making structures of the

United Nations.

Secondly, in any restructuring of the Council, it is also important that

consideration be given to having for each major region a permanent member,

which would be designated through consultation with the relevant regional

groups or organizations. An important criterion to take into account is that

a country, large or small, seeking membership on the Security Council must

fully embrace, and be seen to act in accordance with, the underlying values of

the United Nations mandate for peace, respect for human rights,

democratization and other accepted international norms. In our view that

would enhance both confidence in the Council on the part of the Members of the

Organization and the acceptability of the Council's decisions.

While the rapprochement between the super-Powers, as well as the

prevailing international climate, has been instrumental in the resolution of

long-standing conflicts, we should not be lulled into complacency. There are

still many formidable obstacles to overcome in our quest for a more peaceful,

secure, just and equitable new world order. Along with increased integration

among States and increased democratic governance, we see centrifugal forces

tearing States and societies apart, be it in Europe or in developing

countries. Many of those conflicts are driven by ethnic, religious, racial or

other sectarian differences and have resulted in the loss of many lives and

the suffering of very large numbers of innocent people on account of

displacement, the destruction of social and economic infrastructure, the

breakdown of law and order, and the lack of food, medical facilities and

shelter. Quite appropriately, these conflicts ought to be the focus of our

attention in our deliberations. In addressing ourselves to such conflicts, it

is legitimate for the international community to press for their peaceful and

prompt resolution and to resort to such mechanisms as are deemed practical in

coming to the immediate rescue, with humanitarian assistance, of those who are

suffering. National sovereignty should not be invoked for the prevention of

delivering needed humanitarian assistance to the innocent.

In South Africa we were encouraged by the positive steps taken by

Mr. De Klerk towards the dismantling of the apartheid apparatus. The repeal

of the legislative pillars of apartheid the Population Registration Act, the

Group Areas Act and the Land Act followed by the convening of the Convention

for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA), gave us hope that at long last we were

on the verge of putting in motion an irreversible process towards the

establishment of a united, non-racial and democratic South Africa. It was

therefore a matter of deep regret that the process was subsequently undermined

and endangered by the violence which claimed thousands of lives among the

black population. We vividly recall the carnage at Boipatong early this year

and more recently in the Ciskei bantustan. The failure of. the South African

Government to prevent and contain violence clearly raised doubts about the

Pretoria Government's commitment to the process of fully dismantling apartheid

and ushering into the country a truly democratic order.

We welcome the recent talks between Mr. Nelson Mandela and Mr. De Klerk

aimed at breaking the impasse. Those talks should give impetus to the

process. The De Klerk Government needs to take drastic steps to control

violence and to engender confidence in the negotiation process. It should

also release all remaining political prisoners without delay. We commend the

decision of the United Nations to station observers in South Africa at this

time to monitor the situation and to assist in the process towards democratic

change. It remains our conviction that many more observers are needed in

order to ensure an effective international presence.

This Organization has been at the forefront of the struggle against

apartheid and it is imperative for it to stay the course until the objective

is achieved. Uganda's position remains that until the apartheid constitution

is scrapped and replaced with one which guarantees human rights and political

freedoms to all South Africans on equal terms, we shall not have achieved our

goal. While agreeable to the phasing out of sanctions in response to the

progress registered, we believe the international community should maintain

the necessary pressure to keep the South African Government negotiating in

good faith. It is critical to agree on a constitution that enjoys the widest

consensus. To that end, it becomes crucial for all parties in South Africa to

take part in the negotiations and for South African leaders and the

international community to spare no effort in encouraging all necessary

consultations to ensure that no significant group feels left out.

The events in South Africa have a great impact on developments elsewhere

in southern Africa. Apartheid has always been a source of destabilization for

the region, especially for the front-line States, with Angola and Mozambique

being the most affected. Over the years, those countries have been the object

of a destabilization campaign that encouraged fratricidal internal conflicts.

We are glad to note that in both countries progress has been made towards

reconciliation and the comprehensive resolution of their internal conflicts.

Angola has just held an election in which all the parties have participated.

The United Nations, through the United Nations Angola Verification Mission,

(UNAVEM) II, has greatly contributed to the creation of an atmosphere

conducive to reconciliation. In Mozambique, the Government and RENAMO have

reached an accord, which is spelt out in the Joint Declaration signed in

Rome. We welcome that accord, and it is our hope that a cease-fire agreement

will soon be signed so as to facilitate elections and pave the way for an

enduring peace.

Mozambique, Angola and other front-line States have borne the brunt of

the struggle against apartheid. Their economic and social infrastructures

have, in the process, been damaged. Their economies will therefore take a

long time to recover. The long drought they are currently experiencing has

compounded these problems. I wish to call on the international community to

render them the requisite assistance for their economic recovery and

development.

In Somalia we have a disaster of enormous proportions which, on the one

hand, is man-made and, on the other, is compounded by drought. Both the OAU

and African leaders in the regional and subregional contexts have made

strenuous efforts to resolve the underlying political differences, but without

success. Last Saturday President Museveni of my country, with a view to

promoting dialogue between the parties, had discussions with, among others,

Somali interim President Ali Mahdi and General Farah Aideed of the United

Somali Congress, in which he appealed to both of them to resolve their

differences. Already the conflict has brought misery and massive loss of life

to the Somali people. A major problem now is that the continued fighting is

making it extremely difficult to distribute food. We appeal to the various

groups in Somalia to put an end to the conflict. We commend the efforts of

the United Nations and its agencies, such as the United Nations Children's

Fund (UNICEF), at providing humanitarian assistance, and we call on the

international community to increase support for this initiative. We appeal to

the various groups involved in the fighting in Somalia to cooperate with the

United Nations and work for national reconciliation. We support the call by

the current OAU Chairman, President Abdou Diouf of Senegal, for the convening

of an international conference on Somalia after due preparation.

The Secretary-General, in his annual report and in "An Agenda for Peace",

underscores the role of regional and subregional efforts in defusing tension

and in working out long-term solutions. We agree with the Secretary-General's

observations.

In East Africa the efforts of our Heads of State have gone a long way

towards finding long-term solutions to regional problems, in particular that

of refugees.

The joint commissions we have with our neighbours have been most helpful as

confidence-building measures. The United Nations should be supportive of our

efforts.

As regards Liberia, Uganda will continue to support the initiative of the

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for a peaceful settlement.

The groups in Liberia should cooperate with the EOWAS Cease-fire Monitoring

Group (ECOMOG) and abide by the terms of the accord they reached at

Yamoussoukro, which were recently reaffirmed by the Dakar summit of ECOWAS,

especially with regard to demobilization and peaceful transition to democratic

governance. There is also need for active involvement of the United Nations

to assist the subregion in preventing the situation from getting* worse.

The conflict in southern Sudan has been a source of anguish for us. The

people in this area have for long experienced the agony of war with the

attendant loss of lives and the problems of refugees and population

displacement. The path towards a long-term solution lies in dialogue and

reconciliation among the parties in the Sudan. Time is of the essence in this

situation. Uganda appreciates and encourages the efforts of President

Babangida and of the OAU towards this end. I wish to register our gratitude

to the international community for coming to the rescue of. the civilian

population with humanitarian aid. It is our hope that both the Government of

Sudan and the Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) will facilitate the

international humanitarian relief effort, which at the moment is, regrettably,

suspended, with only little help reaching the affected population.

Uganda commends the fruitful regional and international initiatives for

the resolution of the social and armed conflict in Rwanda. Uganda

acknowledges and supports the ongoing dialogue, under Tanzanian mediation,

between the Government of Rwanda and the Rwandese Patriotic Front, in

accordance with agreements and recommendations reached in regional conferences

and under OAU auspices. Uganda appreciates the constructive and helpful role

played by the international observers in these negotiations.

As to Western Sahara, Security Council resolution 690 (1991) remains the

only agreed basis for the resolution of the problem. It is our hope that the

obstacles with regard to the criteria of eligibility to vote will soon be

resolved so that the way can be paved for holding the referendum as envisaged

in the settlement plan.

The Middle East crisis, at the core of which is the question of

Palestine, has been one of the most intractable problems on the agenda of the

United Nations. Peace in the region will continue to be elusive if a solution

is not found to that question. Uganda thus welcomed the United States

initiative in launching negotiations between all the parties concerned,

beginning with the Madrid conference last year. While we regret that no

breakthrough has yet been made, we are encouraged that the dialogue is still

continuing. We call on the parties to persist in their negotiations, remove

mutual suspicion, engender confidence, and grapple with the real issues that

will bring forward a comprehensive, just and durable solution.

Uganda welcomed the restoration of Kuwait's independence, in which the

United Nations played a key role. It is our hope that with the Gulf War

behind us, it will be possible to restore prosperity and to refocus the

energies of the countries in the region on economic and social development.

As regards Cyprus, we support the Secretary-General's efforts to reach an

agreement on fundamental principles for an overall settlement. We maintain

our position that the settlement should safeguard the sovereignty, unity and

territorial integrity of Cyprus.

In the Korean peninsula, Uganda continues to be supportive of the

aspirations of the Korean people for peaceful reunification. We wish to

encourage them in their dialogue for. this purpose.*

In Cambodia, we note the progress made by the United Nations Transitional

Authority in implementing the agreements for a comprehensive political

settlement. It is for us a matter of regret that there are problems with

regard to the second phase of the cease-fire regarding the regrouping,

cantoning and disarming of the various armed forces. We call on all parties

to the agreements to live up to their undertakings so that peace and stability

can return to that country.

Uganda has been deeply concerned at the continuing conflict in the former

Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia was a pillar of the

Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. It contributed a lot to the Movement and

to the struggle for the independence of our States when the cold war was at

its height. It is, therefore, a source of great anguish to see that in its

breakup, Yugoslavia has become a region of instability, strife and war based

on ethnic and religious differences. We reject the notion of "ethnic

cleansing" as being repugnant to accepted norms.

The United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) has been functioning under

very dangerous and trying circumstances. It deserves our maximum support as

it endeavours to restore peace in the area. We call on the parties to embrace

the path of peace and reconciliation.

In the field of disarmament, Uganda welcomes the successful conclusion of

the negotiations regarding the Convention on the complete and effective

prohibition of the development, production and stockpiling of chemical weapons

and on their destruction, which is due to be submitted to the Assembly at this

session for adoption. As a party to the non-proliferation Treaty, Uganda also

looks forward to actively participating in the preparation for the 1995 Review

Conference, which will decide on the extension of the Treaty. It is our hope

that the review will strengthen the Treaty by removing the present imbalances,

and result in increased assistance to developing countries in the peaceful

application of nuclear energy.

Uganda is happy to see that the question of human rights has a place of

pride on the international agenda. In both our domestic and our foreign

policies, we give high priority to this issue. As part of its commitment to

this end, a preoccupation of my Government has been to strengthen the rule of

law and our capacity to enforce those rights. We regard the proper training

of law enforcement officials as crucial. Therefore, this has been given due

priority in our programmes. Currently, Uganda has embarked on a process for

the enactment of a new constitution that should have built-in safeguards for

fundamental human rights and political freedoms. I wish to place on record

our appreciation to those countries that are rendering assistance to Uganda in

this regard.

Uganda looks forward to the third World Conference on Human Rights

scheduled to take place in Vienna next year. That Conference should provide

us with an opportunity to enhance the implementation of existing human rights

instruments, to develop new norms where necessary, and to examine fully the

intrinsic relationship between human rights and development.

It has been emphasized that people must be at the centre of development.

We agree. This requires us to strive for the attainment of social justice and

equality for all peoples. Our avowed commitment for human rights and

democracy cannot be taken seriously if it is not equally matched with a

commitment to address the problems of underdevelopment, mass poverty and the

social misery in which the overwhelming majority of the world population is

trapped. Durable peace can only be anchored in the bedrock of economic

progress among and within nations.

Regrettably, as we approach the next millennium, the economic and social

problems of the developing countries continue to worsen. The overall external

environment remains unfavourable, with most of our countries confronted with

worsening terms of trade, a crippling debt burden and a reduction in the flow

of resources earmarked for development. While there is increasing integration

in the process of production and the globalization of world trade, the trend

of marginalization of the least developed countries continues.

Of grave concern is the critical economic situation in Africa. The

Secretary-General in his annual report aptly describes the plight of Africa as

follows:

"Most Africans are poorer today than they were when their countries

achieved independence in the late 1950s and 1960s. The continent as a

whole accounts for 32 out of the world's 47 least developed countries.

Africa is the only low-income region in the world where the number of

people living in poverty is, if the current trends continue, likely to

increase by the year 2000. It is also the only region of the world whose

total debt equals or exceeds its economic output. The freshly-witnessed

momentum for political pluralism in Africa can hardly withstand a

continuing assault by desertification, famine and deprivation. Poverty

is infertile soil for democracy. It breeds a search for survival that

cannot be held back by national frontiers. The African countries need to

become masters of their economic destiny in a more supportive global

framework." (A/47/1, para. 62)

In response to this plight, the General Assembly adopted at its

forty-sixth session, in resolution 46/151, the New Agenda for the

Development of Africa in the 1990s, whose objective is to accelerate the

transformation, integration and diversification of African economies. The New

Agenda aims at achieving an average real growth rate in gross national product

of about 6 per cent a year through the decade, paying special attention to

such goals as increased life expectancy, lower rates of child and maternal

mortality, and improved health, water, sanitation, basic education and shelter.

Most African countries have undertaken major reforms of their internal

economic policies and mechanisms. In Uganda, for example, we are committed to

the liberalization of the economy and have enacted an attractive foreign

investment code. These reforms can be meaningful only if the external

economic environment is supportive and there is a positive response in the

form of increased investment and trade. It will be recalled that the United

Nations Programme of Action for African Recovery and Development 1986-1990 did

not achieve its objectives because of the failure of the international

community to provide the requisite resources. For the New Agenda to succeed,

therefore, our partners must have the political will to live up to their

commitments.

The System-Wide Plan of Action which is before the General Assembly

provides a framework for the United Nations system to give more focussed

attention to Africa. In this regard, Uganda strongly welcomes the

International Conference for Assistance to African Children, scheduled to take

place in Dakar in November, and we commend the United Nations Children's Fund

for the preparatory work already undertaken.

We appeal to the international agencies to earmark resources for the

implementation of the New Agenda. In this connection, we commend the

International Fund for Agricultural Development's Special Programme for

Sub-Saharan Africa. I also wish to register my appreciation to the Government

of Japan for initiating and arranging to host, in 1993, an African development

conference that will bring together African countries, major aid donors and

international agencies to discuss ways and means of accelerating African

economic development.

Two major conferences were held last year: the Eighth United Nations

Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD VIII) and the United Nations

Conference on Environment and Development, which culminated in Agenda 21. It

is necessary to maintain the momentum achieved at Rio and at UNCTAD VIII by

putting in place measures to implement those decisions. The Rio Summit

established a clear link between environment, growth and development. The

need to help developing countries achieve sustainable development was

underscored. It is our hope that the Uruguay Round will soon be successfully

completed and that it will remove the impediments to our products reaching the

markets of the industrialized countries.

In the report "An Agenda for Peace" (A/47/277), issued as a follow-up to

the statement adopted at the conclusion of the Security Council's historic

Summit meeting of 31 January 1992, the Secretary-General outlines his

proposals on how the United Nations role in the maintenance of international

peace and security can be strengthened. The report contains a number of

useful proposals on preventive diplomacy, peacemaking, peace-building and the

role of regional groupings which, if adopted, will enhance the effectiveness

of the United Nations. We agree that regional arrangements in many cases

possess a potential for early warning of.

monitoring and defusing conflict situations, a potential that should be

realized. The United Nations and the international community should help them

to improve that capability.

The Organization of African Unity, for example, is in the process of

trying to establish a mechanism for conflict-prevention, conflict management

and conflict-resolution. Such a mechanism would strengthen the OAU's

peace-keeping capabilities. Any assistance given in this regard will be an

important and useful investment for peace and development in Africa.

I wish to emphasize that, as indicated in the Secretary-General's annual

report, underdevelopment and poverty are prime sources of conflict. The

United Nations, through its macroeconomic policy formulation and

implementation, has played a central role in forging global consensus on

development issues. As envisaged by the United Nations Charter, the

Organization must continue fulfilling this function, especially now, when many

developing countries are restructuring with a view to integrating their

nations into the global economy. We should therefore endeavour to integrate

our agenda for peace with our agenda for development. By strengthening the

Organization's peacemaking and peace-keeping capabilities, we should not, by

default or neglect, reduce the United Nations focus on economic and social

issues. Clearly, development and peace are so intimately related that they

must be tackled under a common agenda.

We stand at a historic watershed, especially given the fact that the

global transition period we are entering is marked by contradictory trends.

At this crossroads, however, a unique opportunity exists for the United

Nations to achieve the objectives envisaged in the Charter. Whether or not

the United Nations can help create a better world for the twenty-first

century, in which the interests of us all are adequately catered for, depends

on the structures we create now. History will judge us harshly if we fail to

construct a firm foundation for the edifice of the future. That is our

challenge.