Niger

It gives me great pleasure to convey to Mr. Razali Ismail the heartfelt congratulations of the delegation of Niger on his outstanding election to the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly at its fifty-first session. His election is testimony to the high esteem and prestige enjoyed by his country, Malaysia, in international affairs for its contribution to the attainment of the ideals of our Organization. It is also recognition of the fact that he is a seasoned diplomat and a man of great experience. I extend my congratulations to the other officers of the Assembly, and we assure Mr. Razali of the full cooperation of the delegation of Niger in the discharge of his duties. I should like to convey to his predecessor, Mr. Diogo Freitas do Amaral of Portugal, our great pleasure at, and our compliments on, the excellent job he did during his presidency. The President of the Republic of Niger, General Ibrahim Maïnassara Barré, reaffirms his unreserved support for and encouragement to the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for his tireless efforts for peace and development. As the Assembly knows, this support was demonstrated to the Secretary-General at the recent Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), when my country joined the unanimous tribute to him. I know that my country’s decision to propose one of our sons as a possible candidate for the post of Secretary- General has given rise to much comment. Let me here make it clear that Mr. Hamid Algabid, the candidate in question, is simply a “candidate for the candidacy”. In other words, if in the coming weeks no veto opposes the re-election of Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali as Secretary- General, Africa would only stand to gain. It would be perfectly normal for a son of our continent, who is just as qualified as his predecessors, to enjoy, as they did, a second mandate at the head of our distinguished Organization. The annual session of the General Assembly gives my country an opportunity to renew its faith in the ideals and principles of the United Nations Charter. The fiftieth anniversary of our Organization, which we commemorated last year, gave us an opportunity to look at the progress made and to define the priorities on which we should focus. Among those priorities is joint action by the international community to reduce the economic imbalance between the nations of the North and the nations of the South. Unfortunately, the map of economic 24 and social development of the world contains a geography of contrasts and disparities, although there were reasonable hopes that the end of the cold war would facilitate the mobilization of the international community for development. Everywhere, and more specifically in the countries of the South, poverty is the greatest threat to political stability and social cohesion. The destitution of the shanty towns, the destitution of the street children, and absolute poverty are a disgrace to us all, and they will be as long as we see marginalization as inevitable. As the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Frederico Mayor, stated so well: “From poverty to marginalization, from marginalization to exclusion: this is how the most fertile breeding ground for violence is created.” It is this violence which we must avoid, by offering better alternatives to the peoples to whom we are responsible — most particularly in Africa. Indeed, this continent shows signs of being a land full of vitality, capable of major economic achievements, if the international community gives us a chance and the resources. Accordingly, the commitments jointly entered into in the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s are as relevant as ever. And more than ever they require that greater efforts be made for Africa by other members of the international community. The question of external debt, and in particular the question of multilateral debt, which was given special attention at the G-7 summit in Lyon deserves radical, urgent treatment. Niger fully supports the recommendations adopted at the mid-term review of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa. We welcome the launching on 15 March 1996 of the United Nations System- wide Initiative on Africa. We hope that this programme, which is in any case an important framework for cooperation, will make it possible to ensure sustainable economic and social development in Africa. Official Development Assistance — quite rightly identified as one of the main conditions for the revitalization of the African countries — should be increased to the level indicated in the resolutions adopted on this subject. At the upcoming Singapore meeting of the World Trade Organization appropriate follow-up action should be taken to ensure that the rights and interests of all countries, and in particular of the African countries, be protected. Likewise, the provision of technical and financial assistance to implement horizontal and vertical policies to diversify exports will give African countries the means for greater economic independence. Since the end of the cold war, our Organization has certainly had some success in the maintenance of international peace and security. Among these successes was the coming into being of a democratic and multiracial South Africa and the end of the disastrous war in Mozambique. We have also made significant progress in the peace process in Angola, in the crisis in the Middle East and in the former Yugoslavia, in particular the holding a few days ago of elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Niger is following closely the efforts undertaken by the authorities in Rwanda to overcome the aftermath of the tragic events we all witnessed and in particular to consolidate national reconciliation and lasting peace. The situation in Liberia has seen a change for the better after the recent Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) summit devoted to that country. Niger supports the recommendations which emerged from it and has decided, despite our own financial difficulties, inter alia, to strengthen the structure of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in Liberia by sending a contingent of about 500 men. My country believes, however, that these efforts will only be successful with the valuable support of the international community, which inter alia must honour its commitments to this country.I take this opportunity to commend the tireless efforts made in Liberia by Nigeria, the great friend and brother of Niger. Somalia also deserves support. My country has been following with great interest the evolution of the situation in Western Sahara and hopes for a resumption of dialogue between the two main protagonists there so that, in the near future, efforts by made by the United Nations will finally lead to the self-determination referendum which the international community hopes to see. Concerning the sanctions imposed on Libya, Niger believes that the constructive proposals made by the authorities of that country provide a serious basis for negotiations to resolve that crisis, the consequences of which are adversely affecting the Libyan people as well neighbouring countries. In the Middle East, for three years now, considerable progress has been made on the path to peace. Until recently, President Arafat, living among his own people, 25 was developing a dialogue with his former enemies that, while certainly difficult, was also useful. With the support of the international community, that dialogue must go on. But unfortunately, since the return of the right wing to power in Israel, all hopes seem to have been dashed. Our Organization must shoulder its responsibilities and do everything in its power to stop the Middle East from plunging into a new war with unforeseeable consequences. If the State of Israel has the right to exist and to live in peace, the same goes for all States in the region — beginning with Palestine. Niger is similarly concerned about the serious situation in Jammu and Kashmir and hopes that the international community will discuss it further. It is indispensable that in that region of the world as well, and with the encouragement of all countries of good will, that wisdom and dialogue prevails, so that in the near future the people of Kashmir can finally exercise freely their inalienable right to self-determination. Disarmament and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, have a central role to play in conflict prevention and the promotion of peace and economic and social development. This is why Niger renews its appeal for universal accession to international conventions and treaties that relate to weapons of mass destruction, and in particular to the cornerstone treaty: the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Further efforts should be made to control conventional weapons and, generally speaking, to establish confidence- building measures among States. The signing of the Treaty of Pelindaba, on the creation of a nuclear-weapon free zone in Africa, was a source of legitimate pride. My country welcomes the adoption here in New York of the important Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which finally puts an end to the fears of millions of human beings for their lives and for their environment. It is certainly a significant step towards nuclear non-proliferation. Niger was among the sponsors of the resolution submitted by Australia, and will be signing the Treaty in the near future. We hope that this stage, which puts an end to the risks of horizontal proliferation, will lead to a substantial reduction in existing arsenals. Finally, as in previous years, my country will join in initiatives to be taken to combat illicit trafficking in small arms. It will also join the increasingly unanimous condemnation by the international community of the manufacture and use of those deadly devices: anti- personnel landmines. The building of a better world, which is our common goal, is still dependent on the establishment of international relations based on the principle of cooperation and human solidarity. We have had major discussions on this subject: in Rio on the environment, in Cairo on population, in Copenhagen on social development, in Beijing on the promotion of women, in Istanbul on human settlements, and soon, in Rome, on food. All the concerns of humanity have been taken into account in the many important recommendations which emerged from those conferences and which outlined a vision of a better world. We believe that only genuine human solidarity can transform that vision into reality. Before concluding, I would like to provide an overview of the political solution in my country. Niger is one of the African countries which, early on, chose the path of democracy. In less than five years, it has tried everything: a national conference, democratic transition, and free and transparent elections which established the institutions of our Third Republic. Following the dismissal of the Government by the National Assembly, and the dissolution of that Assembly by the President of the Republic, the ensuing elections brought about the victory of the opposition and the establishment of a power- sharing regime marked by institutional instability in which the higher interests of the country were sidelined. The resulting paralysis of State structures prompted the army to seize power. Understand me clearly: I have no wish to justify military coups d’état. But in Niger, the putsch was the lesser evil. At least that is how it was perceived by the people of Niger, who spontaneously organized demonstrations in support of the new regime. As I speak to you now, Niger, having elected a new President, General Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara, is now preparing for legislative elections. The Government is doing this in cooperation with the opposition, which only last week finally agreed to hold discussions with the representatives of the presidential party and to define with it the conditions for organizing future popular elections. The two parties have agreed to abandon sterile polemics and to create the calm conditions so necessary to work effectively in the higher interests of Niger. This shows that Africa in general, and Niger in particular, is not allergic to democracy. But in the matter at hand, what my country wants is to be given the opportunity to build to its democratic system — based, 26 without question, on respect for human rights and freedoms — at its own pace, taking into account its own political, economic, social and cultural context. And I venture here to say that one of the dominant features of African culture is that we do not turn public administration into a dichotomy between those in power and the opposition, between those responsible for running the country and those who are excluded from that process. In Africa, we do everything together. We work together, we eat together and we manage things together. Of course, in the interest of the human community to which everyone belongs, everyone should know his rightful place in this process and everyone should play the role he has been given. In this regard, I would like to add that even just in our subregion, West Africa, there are several examples of countries that have understood this process and that are fruitfully applying it on a daily basis. This is the case of Senegal and Burkina Faso. Let us try to find in our culture — or better in our cultures — all the elements that can enable our countries to establish a viable, properly adapted democracy, while also rejecting categorically any kind of ready-to-wear democracy that might be foisted upon us. In conclusion, allow me to reaffirm Niger’s faith in the ideals of the United Nations and in its ability to find in the solidarity of all its Members appropriate responses to the new challenges facing humanity.