Guinea

It is with real pleasure and great interest that I stand before the Assembly to convey the warm greetings of the people of Guinea and of its President, General Lansana Conte. I join with the many preceding speakers in warmly congratulating Ambassador Razali on his election to the presidency of the fifty-first session of the General Assembly. His election is testimony to the international community’s high regard for Malaysia, his country, with which the Republic of Guinea is honoured to have special ties of friendship and cooperation. I am convinced that under his skilful guidance our work will enjoy every success. I assure him of the support and cooperation of the delegation of Guinea in this task. My congratulations also go to his predecessor, Mr. Diogo Freitas do Amaral of Portugal who, with skill and clearsightedness, enabled the Assembly to address the concerns of the international community during the fiftieth session. My country, the Republic of Guinea, takes this opportunity to greet and stress our tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, whose courage, intelligence and tireless efforts have contributed significantly to the attainment of the Organization’s noble purposes of peace, justice and progress. This is why my delegation reiterates its support for his candidacy for a second term of office, in accordance with the decision of the most recent Summit Meeting of the Organization of African Unity, held at Yaounde from 8 to 10 July 1996. A host of challenges are now threatening to upset the balance of the United Nations as we approach the end of the millennium. Despite encouraging results in terms of maintaining international peace and security, many conflicts incompatible with people’s aspirations of economic and social progress persist. In addition to the tensions and conflicts which are tearing peoples apart, of equal concern are the poverty, unemployment, malnutrition and environmental degradation that continue to threaten the existence and future of many populations of the world. Today more than ever there is an urgent need radically to restructure our common institution, the United Nations, so that it can adapt better to current changes, respond appropriately to the expectations of our populations on the major questions which challenge humankind and make the outlook for the future one filled with hope. The need to prevent and settle conflicts, to support the efforts of States to ensure sustainable development, to provide easier access to suitable housing and to guarantee sufficient food for all are now becoming elements of the promotion of human rights. The same holds true for how we deal with the implications of the globalization of the international economy through reliable mechanisms. The Republic of Guinea welcomes and strongly encourages the initiative of Japan, our great friend, to design and implement, with our countries, a new development strategy. In this respect, it supports the organization in 1997 in Tokyo of the second International Conference on African Development in which it undertakes to play an active role from the preparatory phase to the end of its work. We are convinced that there 18 is an urgent need and obligation to support firmly a new form of world partnership involving all nations, large and small. The Republic of Guinea, aware of the fresh challenges facing developing countries on the eve of the third millennium, has decided that its diplomacy should be based on development. This role of diplomatic linchpin in the area of economic advancement will not only strengthen our commitment to subregional and regional integration, but will also increase significantly our participation in international trade. Questions of international peace and security must remain at the forefront of our concerns. In this respect, my delegation considers that the main role of the United Nations is to continue and intensify the search for ways and means to increase the effectiveness of its action in the areas of the maintenance of peace and of preventive diplomacy. My delegation welcomes the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which I have just signed on behalf of the Government of Guinea. We see this as an important step towards total disarmament. If the Treaty is to attain all of its objectives, the main one being to spare humanity from chaos, it must be signed and respected by all States of the world. To do this, we must calmly and jointly seek to give the assurances of the international community to countries that hesitate to take the decisive step towards the salvation of humanity, so that in the near future the accession of all Member States of the United Nations will enshrine the universality of this important Treaty. Along the same lines, my delegation calls on the international community to implement global measures to prohibit the illegal traffic of fissile materials, the transborder trafficking in conventional small arms and the production, stockpiling and use of anti-personnel landmines. More than 110 million mines are now scattered around the world, ready to explode at any time, indiscriminately striking down innocent civilian populations. The Republic of Guinea welcomes the adoption of the text of Protocol II to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May be Deemed to Be excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, on Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Such Devices during the Review Conference on the implementation of that Convention. Other threats weigh heavily on international peace and security. Our Organization must react vigorously to the threats of terrorism, organized crime and drug trafficking. Apart from their many disastrous consequences, these threats, because they are transborder threats, must be considered as real dangers to the health, security and stability both of our populations and of our States. My delegation, while welcoming the decisions of the Group of Seven and Russia on combatting terrorism and transnational threats, believes that a more complete use of the potential of the United Nations as an instrument for developing joint international strategies and cooperation among all States in the area of fighting crime would allow for more effective coordination of the actions of the international community. We greatly appreciate the United Nations efforts in other areas as dangerous as terrorism: money-laundering, trafficking in children and all related crimes. Fighting these scourges of our time is everyone’s business. In Africa, tangible progress has been made in the area of peace and democracy. The Republic of Guinea, however, remains concerned by the conflicts which continue to rage on the continent. In the West African subregion, the situations in Liberia and Sierra Leone have tangibly improved, despite some obstacles, which we are striving to overcome within the context of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its peace force, the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). The conflict in Liberia has lasted for seven long years. It has caused the death of tens of thousands of people and has led to a mass exodus of hundreds of thousands of refugees to neighbouring States, including my country, the Republic of Guinea, on whose territory are hundreds of thousands of refugees, to whom it offers assistance and protection while at the same time espousing total neutrality in relation to other States members of ECOWAS in the search for a political solution to end this conflict. The joint efforts of that subregional organization with such major forums as the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the United Nations led to the signing of the most recent peace agreements at Abuja, Nigeria. The Republic of Guinea, true to its policy of good- neighbourliness and neutrality, firmly supports these 19 agreements, which provide for free and transparent elections in May 1997, and will ensure their strict implementation. An end to this conflict is of interest to the Republic of Guinea, my country, mainly because of the presence on our territory of more than 650,000 refugees compared with a population of 7 million Guineans: one refugee for every 10 inhabitants. This is a situation with rare precedents. Similarly, our participation in the peace effort places a heavy burden on our economy and compromises many of our development projects. I would like to make an urgent appeal to all the parties concerned with this conflict to implement the Abuja Agreement in full, and in a timely manner, to the benefit of stability in the subregion. The promises of assistance from friendly countries and by the international community could, if kept within the timetable, effectively lead the final settlement plan to success. The initiatives under way in this regard are very encouraging. We welcome the action of the United States of America to assist ECOWAS peace efforts and thank the United States warmly for its latest contribution to the financing of the activities of ECOMOG. The deterioration of the socio-political climate in Burundi stirs fears today of a repetition of the threats experienced in neighbouring Rwanda, a country with which it shares many social, historical and cultural similarities. The continuation of this crisis also poses a serious threat to stability in the region and to peace. This is why the United Nations, together with neighbouring countries, must be further involved in the search for a final solution to this crisis. We lend our full support to the recent decision taken by the OAU and by the conference of Heads of State of the Great Lakes region, held at Arusha, against the Government stemming from the coup d’état. We urge all the sons of Burundi and all those of good-will worldwide to support OAU efforts towards the peaceful settlement of the crises in Burundi and in Rwanda through dialogue, tolerance and reconciliation among the various communities. As regards Western Sahara, my Government supports the international community’s efforts for a peaceful solution to this question, in accordance with the United Nations settlement plan. With respect to Angola, my delegation strongly encourages the Angolan Government and União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola (UNITA) to persevere along the path to peace and national reconciliation on the basis of the implementation of and respect for the Lusaka Protocol. Regarding the situation in Somalia, we must say that leaving Somalians to their fate would be contrary to the United Nations ideal of solidarity. Despite the difficulties, the United Nations must continue to be involved actively in the process of restoring peace to that country, through a continuous search for mechanisms to promote national reconciliation, peace, security and stability in Somalia. On the Middle East, my Government remains greatly concerned by the latest developments in Jerusalem, in Gaza and in the West Bank. The seriousness of these events could jeopardize the peace process. We are convinced that rapid approach of Palestinian autonomy in the Gaza Strip, in Jericho and in the West Bank, and the necessary continuation of the peace process are the responsibility of the entire international community. This is why my delegation solemnly calls upon all the parties involved with the Middle East conflict, especially Israel and its Arab neighbours, to continue courageously on the path of peace, through the pursuit of negotiations, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions and the Peace Agreements. The Republic of Guinea, convinced that dialogue, the creation of a climate of mutual trust and a greater mutual understanding constitute the only path towards a lasting solution on the Korean peninsula, will continue to encourage the two Korean States to persevere in their efforts towards independent and peaceful reunification. The signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995 has opened up fresh prospects for the restoration and consolidation of peace in the Balkans. With the recent elections in Bosnia, developments in the situation strengthen the aspirations to peace, stability and security of the region’s peoples. We must however remain vigilant. In this respect, my delegation welcomes and supports the efforts of the United Nations, of the Implementation Force (IFOR) and of the international criminal tribunal, aimed at consolidating peace and prosecuting those responsible for crimes against humanity. We invite the international community to display firmness in dealing with this question, in order to extinguish any re-emergence of the practices of “ethnic cleansing”. The Organization of the Islamic Conference must be involved more closely in the process begun in this country. The situation in Jammu and Kashmir continues to deteriorate. At its various summits and ministerial conferences, the Organization of the Islamic Conference has appealed to the international community to urge the protagonists to abide by the relevant Security Council 20 resolutions and thus enable the Kashmiri people to exercise freely its right to self-determination. We repeat this appeal, and invite them to begin a constructive dialogue. The Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which is chaired by the Republic of Guinea, requests the United Nations and the Security Council to shoulder all their responsibilities by becoming decisively involved in the search for peace in the Indian sub-continent. Security Council resolutions 47 (1948), 91 (1951) and 122 (1957) on Jammu and Kashmir, which remain unimplemented after five decades, should not remain among the forgotten resolutions of our system. The Republic of Guinea therefore gives its full support to efforts by the Government of Pakistan aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the problem of Jammu and Kashmir through the opening of talks with India. My country follows the development of the situation in Afghanistan with the greatest attention. It urges all the parties concerned to work fraternally for the restoration of peace and for national reconciliation. In the context of its actions within the Organization of the Islamic Conference, of which it is a founding member and current Chairman of its Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs, the Republic of Guinea — a secular country with a strong Muslim majority — is dedicated to promoting understanding and tolerance among civilizations, cultures and religions and to contributing to the rise of the forces of progress, justice and democracy in Muslim regions and in the world beyond. At a time when the world is experiencing profound changes of unequalled complexity and scope, it is essential to promote and consolidate an international environment that will foster peace, growth and development. It is regrettable that Africa does not play a greater role in major international negotiations. We must not continue to be spectators while the rest of the world carries out negotiations which involve us directly or indirectly. We are convinced that Africa has a role to play in this area. In the new configuration of today’s world, a country such as the Republic of Guinea — through its policy of peace and because its interests do not diverge from those of other regions of the world; through the nature of its sometimes exceptional relations with the parties in latent or overt conflicts in various regions; through its membership in several geo-political groups, several cultural zones and several continental and non-African organizations — could, where desirable, play a useful role in international negotiations. The permanence and fairness of development will be illusory so long as modalities that preserve and perpetuate present inequalities continue to govern international relations. Economic and social development, whose correlation with international peace and security is clear, requires of States and of the international institutions that are our development partners a pragmatic and coherent approach which takes into account the specific socio- economic needs and realities of our States. My delegation is pleased with the efforts that have already been made in the area of debt relief for developing countries and appeals to the solidarity of the international community for a real increase in development assistance, whose current tendency to decrease is a real source of concern for us in the face of our pressing development needs. In this regard, we welcome the decisions of the last summit of the Group of Seven, held at Lyon. Although the conclusion of the Uruguay Round opens up new prospects for the stimulation of international trade, it is essential to introduce new, energetic measures to save Africa from marginalization and impoverishment. It is a human, social, political and economic imperative for the international community and for all the actors and partners in development, in their own specific actions, to work responsibly for a more just and equitable framework for international trade, favouring a free and democratic economic partnership. We therefore congratulate the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali for his praiseworthy efforts which have made it possible to develop the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative for Africa. My country would like to express the hope that this will not suffer from the same lethargy which the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development suffered from. Such a failure would be highly prejudicial and damaging to the credibility of the United Nations. In this regard, my delegation seeks the urgent implementation of this ambitious Initiative, for it is undeniable that it is one of the best ways of giving development a chance and new hope for future generations. We would also like to express our satisfaction at the convening of the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements and to support the important 21 resolutions arising from that Conference promoting access to suitable housing for all. Along these lines, my delegation would like to take this opportunity to welcome the holding of the World Food Summit, which will take place from 13 to 17 November 1996 at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. My Government believes that the enhancement of our Organization’s effectiveness lies above all in the redefinition of some of its objectives, especially in adapting the functioning of its organs to reflect better the new face of international relations. With regard to the Security Council, my Government fully supports the review and expansion of its current composition on the basis of equitable geographical representation so that the southern hemisphere — which since 1945 has been the theatre of many conflicts — can participate in its activities which are fundamental to the maintenance of international peace and security. My wish, therefore, is for the United Nations to carry out its restructuring. Whether with regard to revitalizing the General Assembly and its organs, to expanding or strengthening the Security Council, to rationalizing activities and procedures, to redefining programmes and mandates or to consolidating the financial and material bases of the Organization, all Member States must work with courage, clarity and a high sense of responsibility for the proper implementation of these reforms in order to give the United Nations reliable and effective institutions worthy of the vision and aspirations of our peoples. That is why my delegation, while expressing its satisfaction at the evident willingness and efforts of our Organization to adapt to the world’s changes, is in favour of strengthening its potential and improving the interaction among the various organizations of the United Nations system and other development partners. In conclusion, the Republic of Guinea would like to express the hope that courageous and realistic decisions will come out of the work of this session, and it remains convinced that — apart from divergences and differences in approach in the search for ways and means to achieve solutions to the problems facing our States — the United Nations community which we constitute will continue to work successfully for peace, security and the well-being of all, in the spirit of active solidarity, as the founding fathers of this Organization dreamed.