Laos

At the outset, I wish to express my pleasure at seeing you, Sir, assume the presidency of the fifty-first session of the General Assembly. Your election to this very responsible post attests to the important role of your country, Malaysia, a country with which the Lao People’s Democratic Republic has excellent relations of friendship and cooperation in many areas. Aware of your outstanding 4 competence and your qualities as an experienced diplomat, I am convinced that this session’s proceedings will be crowned with brilliant success. I also wish on this occasion to express my sincere appreciation to Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for the outstanding work he has accomplished during his five years in office in the service of the nations and peoples of the world. The strengthening of cooperation for development among peoples that we have seen in recent years reflects the general trend throughout the world. In various regions, however, we must sadly note the persistence of complex situations and tensions arising from bloody ethnic conflicts and religious differences. Even more serious, we are witnessing interference in the internal affairs of States. Hegemonic policies are targeted against small States through arbitrary economic blockades, which constitute new forms of racism and slavery. This threatens and could destroy harmonious coexistence among States and peoples. The entire international community must work even harder to find ways and means to solve these problems as soon as possible. This is no easy task. We must all be patient and resolute. If we work together, keeping equity and justice in our sights as we have done many times, we believe that we can reach our ultimate goals. In Europe, the Dayton Peace Agreement signed on 14 December 1995 to address the problems of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the recent ensuing elections, marked an important stage in the search for a solution to the distressing and destructive conflict in that country. We appeal to all parties concerned to show maximum restraint and objectivity in their sincere and rigorous implementation of the commitments made, in order to restore peace, stability and cooperation in that region. In South Africa, under the resolute guidance of President Mandela, the South African people are trying to overcome the aftermath of apartheid and rebuild the beloved country. We pay tribute to the new South African authorities for their determination and courage, and hope that South Africa and its courageous people will enjoy every success in these difficult undertakings. In the countries of the Caribbean, economic cooperation and cultural and other relations have continued to develop in accordance with the current international climate, thereby enhancing peace and security in that part of the world. Given this logical course of events, we hope that the United States of America will adopt a more reasonable position in its efforts to solve the ongoing problem with the Republic of Cuba through sincere dialogue in order to respond to the legitimate interests of the two peoples and help promote understanding between the two countries. In the Middle East, following the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in accordance with the Washington peace accord signed in 1993, the peace process was a source of great hope. But recently it has run into difficulties. Events last week in Jerusalem further compound the situation. We are deeply concerned at the situation and the Government of Laos hopes that the coming meeting between leaders of the parties to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will help normalize the situation so that the commitments they made can be respected in the interest of peace and cooperation in the region and throughout the world. On the Korean peninsula, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the United States are rightly continuing to implement agreements reached, thereby helping consolidate peace in the region. We welcome this situation, and the Government and the people of Laos express their full support for the deep-seated aspirations of the Korean people for a situation in which a new war becomes impossible and the peaceful reunification of Korea can take place on the basis of dialogue and new, suitable mechanisms that can turn aims into reality. In South-East Asia, a movement towards peace and cooperation has gathered strength. Recently, in Malaysia, representatives of the countries of the region discussed a planned railroad from Asia to Europe, from Singapore towards China via Laos. This project would enhance cooperation in the region. With this in mind, the countries of the region are trying to work together to solve their problems by peaceful means in accordance with regional realities. By remaining true to their policies of peaceful coexistence and security in the interests of development, these countries, including the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, have signed a treaty on the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free-zone in South-East Asia. This historic event is their major contribution. The Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic believes that the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty by the fiftieth session of the General Assembly is a sign of the immeasurable success of efforts made by the international community to bring about the gradual elimination of nuclear weapons throughout the world. 5 In the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the economic reform that began in 1986 has borne its first fruits for our people. Average annual economic growth over the past five years, from 1991 to 1995, stands at approximately 6.4 per cent. The inflation rate is generally stable, thereby helping gradually to raise the living standards of the multi-ethnic Lao populations. What we have accomplished has helped maintain political stability and social harmony. This was why, during its congress last March, the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party gave an exhaustive account of socio-economic development and decided to continue reform unremittingly on the basis of a market economy. It also decided to aim for average annual national economic growth of 8 to 8.5 per cent and a per capita income of $500 per year by the year 2000. Currently, our Government is encouraging the various economic sectors to develop and is helping foreigners invest in the potential of the country with a view to laying down material and technical foundations that can help the country say goodbye to underdevelopment by the year 2020. This is a major and arduous task which the Government will work hard to fulfil. In its foreign relations, the Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic intends to continue its policy of peace, independence, friendship and cooperation with all countries and international and non-governmental organizations. For now, it will focus its efforts on preparing the conditions necessary for us to be able to join the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1997. This will enable the country to develop along the general lines of other countries in the region and throughout the world. We are pleased that Cambodia and Myanmar have indicated that they too wish to join ASEAN. Positive developments are taking place in the international economic situation. Some countries are showing signs of progress. However, there have been no indications that the world economy will make a speedy and lasting recovery. Increased interdependence and globalization in the international economy have both provided new opportunities and caused new tensions and imbalances, and have, in particular, increased the marginalization of developing countries. The entire international community must act together to ensure that there will be a more favourable and more equitable international economic environment in which developing countries can effectively wage their struggle against poverty in order to achieve progress throughout their societies. The right to decent housing for all is essential in guaranteeing stability and sound development in the socio- economic sphere. We are therefore pleased to note the accomplishments of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, held in June at Istanbul. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic is also pleased to note the positive results achieved at the ninth United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, which took place last May in Midrand, South Africa. Recently, the World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, held in Stockholm, Sweden, seriously considered the troubling situation in which every year, more than a million children throughout the world are victims of abusers of all sorts, and presented various measures to the international community to combat this new danger which threatens the future of the new generation. The Lao Government supports these efforts and is determined to implement them in every manner possible. The problem of drug abuse continues to weigh heavily on the international community. Because of its globalization, this problem can be solved only through effective international cooperation founded on the principle of shared responsibility. In recent years, the Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic has formulated a comprehensive programme for drug control through the year 2000, which consists in a gradual reduction in poppy cultivation through the implementation of integrated rural development projects. Given the seriousness of drugs in our society, we have recently amended our penal code and laid down more severe sentences for such offenses. We have achieved a certain number of satisfying results in implementing this programme, although a great deal remains to be done. With the cooperation and assistance of friendly countries and international and non-governmental organizations, we hope to be able to make even greater progress in the future, which will contribute to the international community’s effort to eradicate this scourge from the face of the Earth. The environment is one of the issues to which the international community attaches great importance. Developed and developing countries alike have a sovereign, sacred right to exploit their natural resources. In exercising this fundamental right, sustained, economic growth must go hand in hand with environment protection, and vice versa. Environmental protection should in no way imply a rejection of economic development out of fear of damaging the environment. As the two pillars of lasting development in all countries, these concepts must be mutually reinforcing. It would be 6 unwise, in our view, to emphasize one at the expense of the other. Only equal regard for these two aspects will guarantee the success of any development effort. We live in a complex and still uncertain world. In this context, nations and peoples throughout the world accord great importance to the United Nations, the only universal multilateral forum for the consideration of world problems. In order to ensure that it can discharge its great duties, the institution needs to adapt itself to new world realities. In this vein, it is essential to affirm the role of the General Assembly, where all States are represented, as the United Nations system’s principal organ for deliberation and decision-making. As for the Security Council, the Lao delegation believes that it should be restructured and made more democratic, and that there should be a limited expansion in the number of its permanent and non- permanent members according to equitable geographic distribution and taking into account the relative importance of the various countries. In an effort to achieve this goal, certain countries, such as Japan, Germany and India in particular, should become permanent members of the Security Council. The Security Council would thus be in a position to meet the legitimate aspirations of Member States, and particularly of the developing countries, which constitute the vast majority of nations on our planet. In this vein, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, in cooperation with other delegations, will spare no effort to positively contribute to the current efforts to strengthen our universal Organization.