I have the honour to convey to you and to
all the representatives here the warm greetings of
His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, King of Bhutan, and his good wishes for
the success of the forty-seventh session of the General Assembly.
I should first like to congratulate you, Sir, on your election as
president of the forty-seventh session of the Assembly. Your unanimous
election is testimony to the high regard the international community has for
your country and the Assembly's confidence that your leadership will provide
the necessary direction on many important issues that we shall take up during
this session.
I should like to take this opportunity to place on record our deep
appreciation to Mr. Samir S. Shihabi, for the excellent manner in which he
conducted the proceedings of our last session.
I wish to extend our warm welcome to the Governments and peoples of all
the new Members of " ° United Nations. The large number of new Members is
testimony not only to t' 3 historic changes that are taking place in the world,
but also to the universality and importance of the United Nations. We welcome
them and look forward to the opportunity to work together.
During the last three years the world has witnessed the disappearance of
the ideological conflict that had divided it and pervaded every aspect of
social and economic life for much of this century. While these sweeping
changes have brought new opportunities for peace, stability and progress,
hopes have been dampened on the one hand by the unleashing of old hostilities
and new conflicts, and on the other by the further impoverishment of millions
of people for whom the changes in the international scene have little
meaning. The social and economic situation remains dismal not only in many
developing countries but also in many developed countries which are suffering
from a prolonged recession. Though the opportunity for peace and progress has
never been better, the challenges of inequity and poverty, which are the main
reasons for instability and conflict, continue to be daunting as ever.
In many ways the United Nations has been the greatest beneficiary of the
changes in international affairs. After many years of blatant disregard and
even disrespect by many and a lack of confidence in its abilities by others,
the international community is now increasingly turning to the United
Nations. There is greater willingness on the part of everybody to work
through the Organization.
In this context we should like to record our appreciation to our previous
Secretary-General, Mr. Perez de Cuellar, for having created this opportunity
and increased respect for the United Nations. We should also like to express
our admiration and appreciation to our present Secretary-General,
Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for taking immediate steps to make the Organization
relevant and more responsive to the needs of the world, particularly in the
area of conflict. We share his views on the need for immediate peace-keeping
and peace-making and for greater emphasis on conflict resolution. Above all,
we share his view on the need to give equal importance and attention to
conflict and suffering wherever they may be in the world.
The situation in the Middle East continues to be a major concern for
global peace. While the unnecessary and senseless aggression against the
peaceful people of Kuwait has been reversed, the issue of prisoners and
disarmament remains. This new confrontation has added another dimension to
the region, where peace and stability have already been denied for a long time.
We fully appreciate the efforts of the sponsors of the dialogue that is
taking place on the Middle East. We sincerely hope that the talks will defuse
the conflict and pave the way for peace in the region. However, this process
will not be successful unless the question of Palestine and occupied Arab
lands is addressed and the legitimate rights of the Palestinians to
self-determination in their homeland are guaranteed. Equally, the territorial
integrity of Lebanon and the security and safety of all States in the region,
including Israel, must be assured. Only then will there be meaningful peace
in the region.
In South Africa, while there has been progress towards change, the
process has been continuously marred by a heavy toll in human lives. The
violence must stop and the talks should continue. The inevitable course of
change should not be restrained any further.
While the cold war has ended, one of its last remnants still stands in
the division of the Korean peninsula. We welcome the recent exchanges between
the two countries and believe they will eventually lead to unification. We
fully support the pragmatic steps set forth by President Roh Tae Woo of the
Republic of Korea in his address to this session and share his vision of the
Korean peninsula presenting itself as one nation before this body in the near
future.
The supply of arms over the years has made it possible for conflicts in
Somalia and other regions of the world to continue despite the major changes
in the international scene. The results have been tragic, and we cannot but
emphasize the immediate need for humanitarian assistance and for resolution of
the problems.
The disappearance of the bipolar world has provided the best opportunity
for ending the arms race and bringing about complete disarmament. The chance
to direct all efforts and resources from the production of weapons of mass
destruction towards the service of humanity must not be allowed to slip by.
While there has been reduction of major weapons, the production and supply of
smaller arms have continued to thrive in many parts of the world. Developing
countries can ill afford to spend their resources on such unproductive and
destructive enterprises.
The tragedies of war and conflict are not the only factors contributing
to human suffering. While they may be dramatic and require immediate
attention, more suffering is taking place on a day-to-day basis, involving
millions of people in the world. Just as it is important to end conflict, it
is essential that the problems of poverty be addressed.
The decade of the 1980s produced few, if any, positive results in the
field of socio-economic development; consequently, the living conditions of
only a few are better than when the decade started. The International
Development Strategy for the 1990s, adopted by the General Assembly at its
eighteenth special session; the Cartagena Commitments agreed to at the Eighth
Conference of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD VIII); the Rio Declaration of the Earth Summit; and the Jakarta
Message of the Tenth Summit Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement all call
for renewed efforts in international development in the decade ahead.
On the otherwise discouraging scheme there have been two important
events: the World Summit for Children, in September 1990, and the
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in
Rio de Janeiro in June this year. The children's Summit clearly drew our
attention to the need to redouble our efforts to give our children the
necessary care, attention and education if we are to ensure a better future
for humanity.
The Earth Summit clearly established the common stake we all have in the
well being of the planet. It recognized that, while the responsibility for
preserving the delicate ecological balance falls on all nations, at the same
time those responsible for its degradation and abuse must be held
accountable. Our planet can no longer sustain a high level of exploitation,
and there must be a willingness on the part of those placing a high demand on
natural resources to reduce consumption. At the same time more resources are
necessary to improve the conditions and meet the basic needs of billions of
people in developing countries, particularly the more than 1.1 billion people
who live in absolute poverty. As further misuse of the earth's finite
resources would be disastrous, the only alternative is a greater willingness
to share.
The high pace of population growth and the resulting increase in demand
on resources is a serious threat to the environment and to the future.
Developing countries, where 4.3 billion of today's population of 5.5 billion
live, and where nearly all the next billions will be added in the decades
ahead, must take all measures to ensure that population and development are
balanced in a sustainable manner.
The next three to four decades will be the most challenging humanity has
ever faced, as they will determine the long-term survival of our planet. Just
as we have a common stake in the environment and social well being, our
futures are also tied in terms of overall global economic health. The slow
recovery in the North from a long protracted recession has affected all
countries. Similarly, the economic strength of developing countries clearly
affects economic opportunities for the North.
The long established target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product for
official development assistance has not been reached by most donor countries
and is not likely to be during this century. Official development assistance,
whether through bilateral or through multilateral channels, has been set back
not only in terms of slow growth but also in terms of slow disbursement
resulting from increasing modalities and conditionalities.
The question of debt still awaits comprehensive solution after more than
a decade of discussion. Both the need for debt relief and the requirement of
additional credit must be dealt with in a fair and comprehensive manner. The
serious imbalances in international trade in terms of prices for commodities
as well as volume of trade must be made more stable. Trade is one of the few
avenues available to developing countries for progress, and must not be
restricted. It is also necessary that access to knowledge and technology be
made easier.
Our discussions on development and political change must take into
account the human and social dimensions. There is increasing social tension
and disregard for human dignity arising out of poverty, high population growth
and resulting unemployment, migration and competition for scarce resources.
The wholesome well being of individuals and their rights can be assured if
there are stable social, economic, political and natural environments. We
look forward to the Second World Conference on Human Rights, in 1993, and the
proposed world summit for social development to address these important issues
in an integrated manner.
In my own country, Bhutan, development activities started only in the
1960s. Since then, major changes have taken place: an effective fiscal and
financial management system, a basic network of social services, roads
connecting all population centres, and a growing export sector comprised of
energy, minerals and agricultural products have been established. The
development of human resources and the preservation of our rich environment
have been given special attention. Despite the considerable progress, our
economic infrastructure remains inadequate, and the country's communications
and transport systems require expansion. In addition to the problems all
least developed countries face, Bhutan is further handicapped by being
landlocked.
Bhutan has always taken full responsibility for its own development, and
we will continue to do so, but the progress we have made thus far would not
have been possible without generous support, particularly that of India,
Japan, Switzerland, Denmark, Kuwait, Austria, Norway, the Netherlands,
Germany, the United Kingdom and Australia and various agencies and bodies of
the United Nations, in particular the United Nations Development Programme,
the United Nations Children's Fund, the International Fund for Agricultural
Development, the United Nations Capital Development Fund, the World Health
Organization, the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations, the United Nations Volunteers, the United Nations
Population Fund, the United Nations Department of Technical Cooperation for
Development and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization. I take this opportunity to express the sincere gratitude and
appreciation of the people and Government of the Kingdom of Bhutan to our
development partners.
One of the important issues before the Assembly is the establishment of
the Commission on Sustainable Development. We fully welcome such a
commission, but we must emphasize that its mandate and relationship to
existing organizations must be very clear, and its task must contribute
tangibly and substantively to socio-economic development. Let it not be one
of the multitude of international organizations struggling to bring about
development.
The strengthening, revitalization and reorganization of the United
Nations must extend to all its organs and organizations. In this context we
welcome the concrete steps that our Secretary-General has taken in
streamlining the Secretariat. The United Nations is finally being geared to
undertake its peace-keeping, peace-making and humanitarian relief work
effectively. We urge that a similar effort be made to ensure that the
multitude of organs and agencies involved in development be streamlined and
revitalized with the same vigour.
We have listened carefully to the various views on reforming and
democratizing the United Nations. This is an extremely important matter that
must take into account the significant historical changes and the current
membership of the international body. There is need for a new enlightened
balance among the principal organs of the United Nations. The General
Assembly must be provided with more responsibility, and the International
Court of Justice with more authority.
Finally, the United Nations is no longer the hostage of ideological
conflict and now has new found respect and confidence. While this opportunity
must not be missed, the path ahead is a long one, and the United Nations must
move quickly to make itself relevant and capable of meeting the
responsibilities it has long not been permitted to carry out. But above all
the United Nations must be fair in fulfilling the aspirations and meeting the
hopes and needs of all its Members, big and small.