The delegation of Sri Lanka congratulates
Mr. Stoyan Ganev of Bulgaria on his election as President of the forty-seventh
session of the General Assembly. We assure him of our full co-operation and
support.
We wish to record our deep appreciation of the determined manner in which
his predecessor. His Excellency Samir S. Shihabi, conducted the affairs of the
forty-sixth session and of the keen interest he took in moving forward the
process of revitalization of the General Assembly.
We welcome the new Member States and wish them every success in their
legitimate national and international endeavours.
It is my special honour to convey to the General Assembly the greetings
of the President of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Ranasinghe Premadasa, and his
sincere good wishes for the efforts of the United Nations to ensure a just and
peaceful world.
The cold war is over. Momentous developments continue to dominate the
international scene. The consequences of these developments for a peaceful
world have yet to fully unfold. New independent States have emerged. The
transition to a stable and equitable order is full of uncertainties and
challenges. Several peace initiatives to resolve conflicts offer hope.
Nevertheless, there is simmering discontent within and among nations. Unrest
and turmoil prevail in parts of the world.
The violence in the territories of former Yugoslavia continues unabated.
The tragedy in Somalia appals and shames the human conscience. The peace
processes that began in Afghanistan and Cambodia have encountered setbacks.
In South Africa a non-racial and democratic Government is yet to be
established. The question of Palestine still remains on our agenda. We hope
that the Middle East peace process will enable that troubled region to soon
enjoy the peace for which its peoples yearn.
We thank the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali for his
comprehensive report on the work of the Organization in these and other areas
of activity during the year.
The Secretary-General's report on an "Agenda for Peace" is innovative and
challenging. The proposals in his report must be considered with the care and
seriousness they deserve given the instabilities that prevail and the
uncertainties that lie ahead. The central focal-point for any action in this
regard should be a revitalized and democratized United Nations.
The Secretary-General himself has observed that "the foundation stone to
this work is and must remain the State". The fundamental sovereignty and
integrity of the State are crucial to any common progress we seek to achieve.
Preventive diplomacy, peacemaking, peace-keeping and post-conflict peace
building must be pursued in a manner that meets the legitimate aspirations of
all Member States.
In keeping with the principles of universality and sovereign equality,
the post-cold war peace process must encompass and involve all Member States.
This is fundamental to the legal and moral authority of the United Nations.
The General Assembly should continue to be the principal policy-making
body of the Organization. We support all efforts to ensure more effective
functioning of the General Assembly as a forum of multilateral diplomacy to
achieve our common objectives.
The role of the United Nations in conflict prevention and conflict
resolution should be pragmatic. It should contribute to the stability and
long-term viability of the international system. The Secretary-General has
reminded us that unlimited "fragmentation" of sovereign entities would make it
more difficult to achieve peace, security and economic well-being for all.
External intervention in any guise cannot be justified, except in accordance
with the provisions of the Charter, particularly in cases where domestic
solutions have not been entirely exhausted.
To ensure the efficacy of our collective efforts towards fulfilling the
"Agenda for Peace", it is imperative that the United Nations assume a decisive
role in formulating and putting into effect an "agenda for development".
Lasting solutions can be found only through enlightened
development-cooperation policies pursued in tandem with strategies for
preventive diplomacy.
As the principal organ entrusted with the maintenance of international
peace and security, the Security Council now functions without the shackles
that made it ineffective during the cold war. However, its present
configuration continues to reflect the realities of the immediate-post-war
power structure. The Security Council could be made more representative. It
is important that its procedures be democratic and transparent. Its decisions
should reflect consensus, arrived at after proper discussion, and respect for
national sovereignty. There should be a better balance in the relationship
between the General Assembly and the Security Council.
The restructuring of the United Nations in its economic and social areas
has already begun. There is a need for better coordination of global economic
policies and for more effective policy-making and policy-implementation.
Coordination and integration of operational activities of the specialized
agencies and other bodies, functioning under the Economic and Social Council,
and strengthening of the field presence of the United Nations have become
vital. This will reduce duplication, inefficiency and a too-diffused focus of
United Nations assistance. The ultimate aim of the reforms must be to enable
the United Nations to be more effective in the promotion of development
cooperation for social and economic progress. However, in our enthusiasm to
reform the United Nations in the social and economic fields, we must maintain
the principles of democracy, universality and respect for the sovereignty of
States.
We wish to commend the Secretary-General for his bold initiatives in
streamlining the work of the Secretariat. We hope that continuing efforts to
maximize efficiency in the Secretariat will not diminish, but will enhance,
the capacity of the United Nations to respond to the pressing socio-economic
needs of the developing world.
We welcome the Secretary-General's efforts to reorganize the Secretariat
and to utilize fully its human resources. These efforts should be matched by
Member States' meeting their obligation under the Charter to make available
the required financial resources. If the present financial crisis of the
United Nations is to be resolved, these resources must be provided on time.
This year has witnessed a reaffirmation, by the nations of the
Bon-Aligned Movement, of the validity and relevance of non-alignment and of
its basic approach in addressing international problems and development. The
tenth Summit Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement, held in Jakarta last
month, emphasized the need to build a new and equitable international order
based on political and economic democracy both within and between nations.
The Jakarta Message conveys a clear consensus that the Non-Aligned Movement is
not a captive of its nomenclature, which reflects the historical context in
which the first Summit Conference took place.
In our commitment to promote and preserve the "dignity and worth of the
human person" we believe that the best defence of human rights lies in
democracy and openness in societies.
For over half a century Sri Lanka has had a proud record of uninterrupted
universal adult franchise and respect for the electoral verdict. My country
is a party to the Covenants on human rights. In Sri Lanka, steps are being
taken to establish a human-rights commission to strengthen the fulfilment of
our constitutional obligations relating to fundamental rights. We have an
enduring commitment to both national and international accountability.
Sri Lanka's policy of openness and of cooperation with national and
international bodies in the field of human rights is derived from democratic
traditions and institutions that are an integral part of Sri Lanka's value
system.
Socio-economic aspects of human-rights problems have found their
manifestations everywhere. This is evident from violent and undemocratic
expressions of grievances in both developing and developed countries. We
believe that a cooperative rather than a coercive approach would help
international action to achieve the desired results in the field of human
rights. Sri Lanka will participate constructively in the World Conference on
Human Rights in 1993 to develop such a positive approach to the promotion of
human rights world-wide.
International peace, security and development are indivisible. It is no
longer possible to conceive of security essentially in military terms. The
cold-war era, in which a highly militarized concept of security dominated
East-West relations, is over. Today, socio-economic factors have become major
determinants of global security. Multilateral disarmament and world peace and
security are inextricably linked. This makes it necessary for the United
Nations to play the central role in global disarmament. The United Nations
should also be a catalyst in facilitating regional disarmament.
The monitoring of the illegal arms trade and its elimination should be a
priority on the multilateral agenda on disarmament and conflict prevention.
The illegal arms trade and the highly destructive evils of drug trafficking
and terrorism are interlinked and mutually supportive. States should not
permit their territories or their citizens to be used for the perpetration of
acts of destabilization against other States through support for, or tolerance
of, arms smuggling drug trafficking and terrorism. Multilateral action to
address these real threats faced by democratic societies should constitute an
indispensable element of the peace agenda of the United Nations.
Sri Lanka strongly supported multilateral negotiations aimed at a total
prohibition of the entire chemical weapons cycle. The successful conclusion
of the convention on chemical weapons demonstrates the competence of the
United Nations in multilateral negotiations. Sri Lanka was among those
countries which signified an early interest in becoming an original signatory
to the convention. We hope that States parties to this convention will
promote international cooperation in the peaceful uses of chemicals in
accordance with its letter and spirit.
Efforts to establish a zone of peace in the Indian Ocean continue. In
view of the changing international situation, the United Nations Ad Hoc
Committee on the Indian Ocean was of the view that the General Assembly might
wish to consider alternative approaches. The Tenth Non-Aligned Summit Meeting
in Jakarta took cognizance of this view and reiterated the determination to
continue efforts to achieve the goals of the Declaration as considered at the
meeting of littoral and hinterland States held in 1979. We hope that the new
spirit of cooperation evident elsewhere in the world will embrace the Indian
Ocean region as well.
My delegation is pleased with the conclusions reached at the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro. We
endorse the principles enunciated in the Rio Declaration, the programmes in
Agenda 21, the commitment to a shared partnership by the provision of adequate
new and additional funding and the transfer of the necessary technologies to
developing countries. Sri Lanka has signed the Framework Convention on
Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity. We expect that the
creation of a commission for sustainable development will without delay move
forward the process of ensuring the sustainable development to which all
nations and peoples committed themselves in Rio de Janeiro.
The United Nations must take a visionary perspective in shaping the
future of a world already transformed into a global village by modern
technology. Yet, developing countries are still in a disadvantaged position
owing to the non-availability of the necessary technologies. Among these,
space technology is useful in the monitoring of the changing global
environment and can assist developing countries in maximizing the use of their
resources.
However, the high cost of space and other advanced technologies prevents
developing countries from reaping their potential benefits. The United
Nations and its specialized agencies must therefore work to ensure equitable
access to these technologies so that the benefits can be shared by all. This
will enable the development of a new regime of technological democracy.
The Convention on the Law of the Sea was signed 10 years ago. The
Preparatory Commission continues to labour painstakingly to ensure that the
resources of the seas and oceans a common heritage of mankind will be used
for the benefit of all. We welcome the initiative of the Secretary-General to
bring about universal participation in the Convention.
In different parts of the world regional organizations are being
strengthened. Sri Lanka hid the honour this year to be elected as Chairman of
the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC). The dynamic
leadership of His Excellency Ranasinghe Premadasa, President of Sri Lanka, has
significantly moved forward cooperation among the seven States members of
SAARC on a number of initiatives.
A South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation, established this year,
will enable fresh approaches to be taken on the basis of shared experiences in
alleviating poverty in our populous region. Sri Lanka's own approach has been
to provide opportunities and access to the poor to participate actively and
productively as partners in national development, rather than being treated as
passive recipients of charity.
A South Asian Preferential Trading Agreement (SAPTA) seeks to promote
trade and commerce among SAARC countries. Efforts to expand cultural
exchanges and to enhance people-to-people contact at various levels are under
way. Regional recognition has been granted to the SAARC Chambers of Commerce
and Industries.
The Second SAARC Ministerial Conference on Children in South Asia was
held in Colombo in September. The Conference resolved to set up several goals
and a time frame for their achievement. The specific goals deal with
education, child-welfare and children's rights.
SAARC is also looking forward to promoting mutually beneficial
cooperation with other regional and international organizations.
This has been a year of heightened activity in the SAARC region. The
countries of our region are determined to maintain this momentum.
In this context I quote the words of our President, His Excellency
Ranasinghe Premadasa:
"A sense of innovation must animate SAARC cooperation. We cannot
remain static. Fresh and imaginative approaches are needed. We have to
face new challenges. New ways have to be found to deal with old problems
that have lingered, defying solutions.
"We in South Asia, have the ability to forge together a unity based
on our ancient ties. Let us accept the challenge to build together a
solidarity of mutual respect; one which will strengthen each individual
nation in its independence. A solidarity which will weld our nations
into a purposeful and dynamic unity. We will be then be able to face
with confidence our common future".
These sentiments are a beacon for regional cooperation in South Asia.
In meeting the challenges that lie ahead it is abundantly clear that the
United Nations offers the best hope for humankind. The strong and the weak,
the rich and the poor, the industrialized and the developing are all
represented here. It is only through our deliberations that the problems of
our world come into global focus and solutions can be provided accordingly.
For the first time after the Charter of the United Nations was signed in
San Francisco, 47 years ago, the peoples of the world through their
representatives here assembled have it in their power to provide new
directions for ensuring peace, security, prosperity and social justice in
keeping with today's realities. The challenges are many; equally, the
opportunities are great. We owe it to the millions who crave equity and
justice and a better life in larger freedom that we shoulder our
responsibilities with courage and perseverance. We cannot afford to falter or
fail. We must succeed.