Since its inception in 1945, the United
Nations has spearheaded humanity's common yearning for a peaceful, just and
prosperous world, a world freed at last from war, caprice, greed and other
abominable human and social impulses.
The brilliant and forward-looking authors of the Charter of the United
Nations and the rest of us who are the beneficiaries of their collective
wisdom and imagination have reason to hope for a firm consolidation of a
democratic, stable and compassionate world order, which would make a clean
break with the past, characterized by two unprecedented and most destructive
world wars in this century.
This world order, the optimists proclaimed, would be governed by the rule
of law, respect for human rights, universal exercise of the right to
self-determination, recognition of the equality of all nations, large and
small, and sharing among the members of the human family. On this basis it
was fair to expect that the great achievements in science and technology could
generously be utilized to assure the common survival of humanity, protection
of the environment and the unfettered enjoyment of larger freedoms by every
individual on this planet Earth.
After all, the founding fathers themselves made a solemn pledge in the
Charter
"to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in
our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind".
Their vision of a peaceful and harmonious world and peoples' hopes for social
advancement and economic prosperity have had a common source: total revulsion
against war, destruction and darkness.
Forty-seven years later, reflecting on the intervening years, we note
that the world has witnessed more, not fewer, incidents of just and unjust
wars, regional conflicts, racial and ethnic strife, acute forms of human
suffering, environmental degradation and an unmitigated endangerment of life
itself.
Namibia joined other member States of the Movement of Non-Aligned
Countries at its Summit in Jakarta in stating that
"the world today is far from being a peaceful, just and secure place.
Simmering disputes, violent conflicts, aggression and foreign occupation,
interference in the internal affairs of States, policies of hegemony and
domination, ethnic strife, religious intolerance, new forms of racism and
narrowly conceived nationalism are major and dangerous obstacles to
harmonious coexistence among States and peoples and have even led to the
disintegration of States and societies."
Nuclear conflagration, thank heavens, has not occurred, but the world is
far from being a peaceful and secure place. History does indeed repeat
itself, at least some of the time, if not most of the time.
Let me add to this assessment one more observation made in Jakarta by an
eminent Asian leader. His view, which is consistent with our own, was:
"We must also ensure that the new world order to which the leaders of the
industrialised countries often refer does not turn out to be but a new
version of the same old patterns of domination of the strong over the
weak and the rich over the poor."
For the new world order to be universally acceptable, it should be genuine in
its import and distinct from the old unjust and undemocratic order, and it
should show a way forward towards greater human solidarity and cooperation.
At this very moment, in South Africa, Somalia, Liberia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Cambodia and various parts of the former Soviet Union and
elsewhere in the world millions of victims languish in perpetual tragedy.
This carnage includes innocent and defenceless men, women and children who are
killed by guns or hunger. The current state of world affairs hardly
encourages confidence and optimism about our common future. One need not be a
cynic to hold this view.
My delegation is delighted to see our illustrious Secretary-General
occupying a lofty place in the United Nations Organization at this critical
time of a changing global environment. It was Africa's pride and
Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali's own crowning personal achievement when he was
unanimously elected last year as the first African Secretary-General of our
Organization. We commend him for his courage and initiative and for the manner
in which he has so ably carried out his daunting tasks.
Namibia welcomes the Secretary-General's "Agenda for Peace". Many of the
ideas and recommendations contained in it coincide with those emanating from
bodies such as the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the Non-Aligned
Movement, the Commonwealth and others, notably the Nordic States, which some
time ago circulated their views on the United Nations reform process.
With this in mind, Namibia is alive to a suggestion made from this
rostrum, and endorsed by other delegations, that a special meeting of the
Security Council be convened to consider the Secretary-General's proposals. If
and when this suggestion is carried out and the proposed meeting takes place,
we expect the Secretary-General and the members of the Security Council to
take into consideration the contributions I have mentioned and to ensure that
the intended consultations are inclusive and transparent. There ought to be a
careful balance between the need for a renewed commitment to strengthen
mechanisms for maintaining world peace and security, on the one hand, and a
focus on the burning issues of poverty and other forms of socio-economic
injustice, on the other.
In this context, I should like to refer to a bold initiative taken by the
Secretary-General of the OAU, Mr. Salim Ahmed Salim. I have in mind his
proposed creation of an institutional mechanism, within the OAU General
Secretariat, to deal promptly and effectively with conflict management,
prevention and resolution in respect of the eruption of major crises, similar
to those now prevailing in Somalia and Liberia, in any African State.
There is also a companion set of proposals in a package entitled "The
Kampala Document", which is the product of a meeting held last year in
Kampala, Uganda, devoted to guestions of security, stability, development and
co-operation in Africa. These proposals, in our view, are serious and
practical innovations by Africans themselves to confront major political and
security crises as and when they occur in any part of Africa, and we
wholeheartedly endorse them.
The United Nations Charter itself devotes its chapter VIII to regional
arrangements or agencies for dealing with issues such as peace, security and
conflict, and encourages appropriate action which is consistent with the
purposes and principles of the United Nations. The current Secretary-General
himself lamented the fact that the "cold war had impaired the proper
activation of this key provision of the Charter and also the fact that", to
paraphrase him, rather than helping to resolve regional conflicts super-Powers
actually managed to exacerbate them for their own selfish ends.
Quite clearly, there is a linkage between the priority agendas of the
Secretaries-General of the United Nations and of the Organization of African
Unity, and this is, as a matter of fact, in keeping with the long-standing
co-operation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity.
Mr. President, at this juncture I should like to address a few words to
you personally. May I begin by stating that your own unanimous election and
the critical role required of your office become not only propitious on the
time-scale of the global agenda, as evidenced by the items for discussion
during the current session of the Assembly, but equally by affording an ideal
opportunity to you boldly and unambiguously to articulate the concerns and
aspirations of the poor and developing Members of this Organization.
It gives me great pleasure, therefore, on behalf of the Government and
people of Namibia, to extend congratulations to you upon your brilliant
election. I have no doubt in my mind that, given your diplomatic skills and
vast practical experience, our deliberations will be crowned with success.
Our two friendly countries enjoy excellent relations, and I extend best wishes
to you.
To your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Shamir S. Shihabi of the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia, I say many congratulations for a job well done, and I should
like to wish him great success and happiness in his future endeavours.
The long cherished ideal of the universality of our Organization has been
further enhanced as more and more new nations have joined its membership. As
this world becomes unavoidably interdependent and we collectively realize that
the world is truly a global village, increasingly high expectations are now
being placed in the United Nations. This is yet another reason why the
Organization needs to be further revitalized and genuinely democratized.
The world's contemporary challenges stemming from rapidly changing
inter-State relations and social problems cannot be adequately dealt with by
the United Nations without fundamental institutional and procedural reforms,
including the revision of its Charter. It is in this context that Namibia
welcomes all the new Members and wishes them well, while assuring them of our
desire to promote close co-operation with all of them in a spirit of
friendship and peaceful coexistence.
The Rio Earth Summit made the matter abundantly clear: that global
economic development and environmental protection go hand in hand.
Development must be based on the sustainable utilization of the environment
for the sake of this and all future generations.
Namibia's Constitution contains a special provision on this crucial
subject. It states:
"The State shall actively promote and maintain the welfare of the
people by adopting, inter alia, policies aimed at ... the maintenance of
ecosystems, essential ecological processes and biological diversity of
Namibia and utilization of living natural resources on a sustainable
basis for the benefit of all Namibians, both present and future; in
particular, the Government shall provide measures against the dumping or
recycling of foreign nuclear and toxic waste on Namibian territory."
Moreover, it further charges the Ombudsman with the duty
"to investigate complaints concerning the over-utilization of living
natural resources, the irrational exploitation of non-renewable
resources, the degradation and destruction of ecosystems and failure to
protect the beauty and character of Namibia."
Towards implementing environment-friendly policies which aim at
sustainable development, the Government had, prior to the Rio Earth Summit,
adopted a "Green Plan" for Namibia that outlines a comprehensive framework for
development in accordance with sustainable environmental principles. The Plan
elaborates on the Government's approach to our ecological challenges and the
conscientious management of our natural resources and national assets.
During the days of apartheid colonialism and foreign exploitation, both
renewable and non-renewable resources that provided the very basis of the
economy were subjected to ruthless plunder mainly for the benefit of
foreigners. The Government has taken steps to put an end to this disastrous
situation. Many in the developing world, Namibia foremost among them, depend
on these resources for daily subsistence, and unless there are going to be
alternatives for dealing with debilitating problems such as the debt burden,
the foreign exchange dilemma and technological backwardness, many of us are,
sad to say, bound to remain in a perpetual state of poverty and
underdevelopment. This would in turn mean further degrading the environment
and endangering our very existence.
It follows that what is required now is an undertaking to speed up
implementation of Agenda 21, adopted in Rio. Its financing, it must be
stressed, is not only to assist the developing countries to fight poverty and
create jobs but equally to protect the ecosystem itself, which is very vital
for the survival of humankind.
In the same vein, let me add that Namibia, being a dry, semi-desert
country, endorses the proposed convention on combating desertification and
urges that the preparation of the international convention on desertification
be undertaken during the current session.
This brings me to the next topic, namely the current drought and acute
situation of hunger and suffering which has afflicted the whole of the
southern African subregion. Crop production, livestock farming and our
efforts to become food-sufficient and to achieve security have suffered
severely. The Government established a National Committee on Drought to
ensure, inter alia, better coordination and more efficient delivery of water
and food to the most needy sections of the population and the sustenance of
the livestock and game. An initial amount of 120 million rand was budgeted
for these vital schemes.
Furthermore, in addition to these national efforts, we have also made a
special appeal to the international community and, generally speaking, the
response has been prompt and helpful, for which Namibia is exceedingly
grateful.
A regional effort is under way which involves both the sharing of data
and the coordinating of programmes and communication and transport facilities,
coupled with the assistance received from the United Nations system,
intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and individuals around
the world.
In this connection, I should like to express a special word of
commendation and appreciation to Sir Ketumile Masire, President of the
Republic of Botswana, and to the secretariat of Southern African Development
Coordination Conference (SADCC) for having taken timely and decisive steps
with a view to sensitizing and mobilizing the international community as to
the plight of all our peoples in the subregion and for co-sponsoring an
important conference on the situation in Geneva early this year. Of course,
we all remain hopeful that there will be early and abundant rains this year,
and in all subsequent years, as this will, no doubt, mean saving lives. I
thought I should also add here a point which, with each passing day, is
becoming more and more clear to all Namibians. This has to do with finding,
preserving, planning and distributing water resources, as being perhaps the
single most precious primary commodity needed to keep us going and sustain
life itself.
The realization that the world is a global village and one market-place
with interlocking financial institutions and credit arrangements underlines
the internationalization of the world economy.
Namibia, being one of the poorest countries in the South, must continue
to raise its voice, in unison with other members of the non-aligned movement
and the rest of the developing countries, in favour of the creation of a new
and just international economic order. The call for global economic
restructuring and reform is a legitimate demand, which should find its place
among the top priorities on the agenda of this and other international forums.
The ending of the cold war, as it is alleged, and the emergence of a
so-called new world order, characterized in part by the rapprochement of the
nuclear Powers, have engendered a peculiar, new culture of economic blackmail
and sabotage. Powerful and rich countries have lately tended to tamper with
the sovereignty of weaker and poorer nations by using the power of the purse
and by laying down some stringent conditions. This is being done supposedly
to promote democracy, transparency in governance and public accountability a
situation which leads to unilateral and often punitive actions just to prove a
point. To us, it unfortunately constitutes an arbitrary and precipitous
exercise of power and judgement.
As Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, the former Chairman of the South Commission,
put it recently on another occasion:
"these events have had two very important consequences for the South, and
all the countries of it. First, they increase the urgency of developing
countries building national self-reliance and increasing their economic
co-operation in all fields. Secondly, the triumphant West now believes
that its success in the cold war gives it the right as well as the
untrammeled power aggressively to promote its economic and political
philosophy throughout the South.
"Directly, and through international finance and trade institutions
controlled by the wealthy States, and sometimes by embargoes or even
political intervention, the North is therefore forcing developing
countries of the South to conform to the patterns it designs.
"At the same time protectionism of different kinds is increasing in
the North, and our separate weakness is being used to ride roughshod over
our opinions in international negotiations as well as in bilateral
South-North discussions."
How can one disagree with this poignant observation?
The non-aligned Movement which represents the majority of humankind
is an ideal forum for the developing countries within which to plan and act
together on issues, including the important issues which preoccupy the United
Nations.
Allow me, once again, to cite Mwalimu's wise and telling words when he
asserted thus:
"We need a Movement of the South to speak for the rights of the countries
of the South. At present what we have is the Non-Aligned Movement, and
for United Nations negotiating purposes the Group of 77. Why then is
there this talk of the Non-Aligned Movement no longer being needed?"
This, I believe, remains the inescapable reality, whether the world was or is
bipolar or unipolar.
On the situation in South Africa, Namibia expresses support for and
solidarity with the liberation movements and all the democratic forces inside
that violence-torn neighbouring country. That is why we felt gratified, and
participated in the debate, when the issue of the raging violence in South
Africa was brought to the Security Council last July.
Our emphasis in our statement was that, now that the United Nations had
become engaged in the situation, its presence should be prolonged and the size
of its team increased in order to monitor the violence and assist in the
transition to a democratic, non-racial and united South Africa. For now, the
situation remains explosive and dangerous and, therefore, warrants the
continuation of international pressure on the South African Government.
In the meantime, we call upon Chief Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi of the
Inkatha Freedom Party to rejoin Comrade Nelson Mandela, President de Klerk and
his other compatriots in the negotiations, with the establishment and
consolidation of peace as the first prerequisite, and the adoption of a
democratic constitution as the next step in the transition.
For the first time in their history, our Angolan neighbours went to the
polls on 29 and 30 September, in multiparty elections, to choose a party and
candidates who must now install a new Government. It has not been easy, but
the sheer will and determination of the voters and monitors alike have
confounded many a cynic who believed that it would be impossible to hold free
and fair elections in Angola. Namibia sees this is a great victory for the
Angolan people,-and congratulates them. It also congratulates the leaders of
all the political parties on believing in their people's political maturity
and accepting the final verdict of the ballot-box. Namibia once again gives
its assurance that it will continue to work closely with the Government of the
day in that sisterly and friendly country, on the basis of friendship and for
the benefit of both countries.
The Government of President Chissano and RENAMO finally sat down together
in Rome and signed a ceasefire agreement to end the fighting in Mozambique and
rebuild the country. We congratulate both President Joaquim Chissano and
Mr. Afonso Dhlakama on demonstrating political will and for giving the
Mozambican people hope and confidence in their future. They deserve our full
and hearty congratulations on this momentous achievement, and we wish them
further success as they work for the adoption of a new constitution and for
the restoration of peace and order in their country.
Many helpers and interlocutors made this achievement possible. They
include the Italian hosts and, in particular, the United Nations. But I
should like to commend Presidents Mugabe and Masire for their mediation
efforts, which have paid off, to the great happiness of all Africans and their
well-wishers around the world. There was one more key player: Mr. Pik Botha,
the South African Foreign Minister, who was very active during the final,
delicate hours, thereby securing the signing of the cease-fire agreement.
Namibia is also pleased to acknowledge his contribution.
As regards the situation in Somalia, Namibia supports the request of
President Abdou Diouf of the Republic of Senegal, current Chairman of the
Organization of African Unity (OAU), that an international conference on the
human disaster in that African country be convened as a matter of the utmost
urgency. As the United Nations Secretary-General himself has put it,
"when it comes to death and misery, no one situation takes priority over
another." (A/47/1, para. 116)
On the situation in Western Sahara, Namibi supports the principle of
self-determination for the Saharan people. To this end, we endorse the
efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special Representative to remove all
the obstacles and help resolve disputes about the criteria for eligibility to
vote in the referendum, and thus to advance the process.
Likewise, Namibia has always held the view that the political
aspirations, and in particular the right to self-determination, of the
Palestinian people, led by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), are at
the core of the conflict in the Middle East. Here we include the
establishment of an independent Palestinian State, in accordance with Security
Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). The season of peace and
dialogue has arrived. In the present circumstances, that is the only viable
and sensible game in town. If a face-to-face meeting between the President of
Syria and the Prime Minister of Israel will give further impetus to the Middle
East peace process and pave the way towards a just, comprehensive and lasting
settlement, Namibia will strongly encourage such a historic undertaking within
the framework of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973).
Iran and the United Arab Emirates two sisterly and friendly
neighbours - ought not to allow the present misunderstandings to be magnified
beyond the confines of their bilateral relations. Rather, they should resolve
those misunderstandings through dialogue and by peaceful means.
Happily, Kuwait is going ahead with the consolidation of peace and the
reconstruction of the country. Namibia expresses its unswerving solidarity
with its Kuwaiti friends, and extends best wishes to them.
The carnage in Bosnia and Herzegovina is but the latest instance of man's
inhumanity to man. Whether it takes place under the banner of the notorious
"ethnic cleansing" or as religious retribution, this ugly tragedy cannot be
allowed to continue.
In and around the Korean peninsula, we see steady movement by all the
parties concerned in favour of dialogue, while de-emphasizing confrontation
and military solutions. This is indeed good news for world peace and
security. The reunification of Korea is no longer an unthinkable goal, as the
North and the South of that divided nation earnestly continue to regularise
high-level meetings and to encourage families to interact freely.
We urge the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea,
with both of which Namibia maintains excellent diplomatic and cooperative
relations, to remain engaged in those critical discussions until an amicable
and peaceful solution is found.
Peace and reconciliation in Cambodia are yet to be realized. Inspired by
the success of the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) in
Namibia, we hope and pray that the ongoing United Nations Transitional
Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) operation in that troubled country, too, will be
crowned with huge success.
In concluding my statement, I would be remiss if I did not give an update
to the General Assembly and the Secretary-General on the outstanding dispute
between Namibia and South Africa on Walvis Bay and the offshore islands. As
the matter stands now, a joint transitional administration of a limited
duration will be established over these territories on 1 November 1992. It
will be known as the Joint Administrative Authority and headed by two Chief
Executives, one Namibian and one South African. In the meantime, the two
Governments will keep the negotiations going on the core issue of
re-integration, in accordance with Security Council resolution 432 (1978).
Finally, may I also inform the Assembly that Namibia became the one
hundred and fifth member of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
on 15 September 1992 and also acceded to the nuclear non-proliferation Treaty
(NPT) and deposited the instruments to this effect with the designated
authorities.