Namibia

Before I deliver my statement, let me express on behalf of my country our heartfelt sympathy to the Governments and peoples of the Caribbean that have fallen victim to the devastating onslaught of Hurricane Georges. I hope that we all in the international community will extend to them comfort and humanitarian assistance with all deliberate speed. Let me add my voice to the other speakers in felicitating Mr. Opertti upon his unanimous election as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-third session. Namibia will readily lend him our full support and cooperation during his tenure of office. Our two countries — Uruguay and Namibia — have worked very closely together and with other friendly countries in bringing about the African-Latin American initiative, a necessary and timely innovation aimed at concretizing a mutually felt need for greater interaction between our two neighbouring continents. I wish him all the luck. Let me also take this opportunity to congratulate his predecessor, Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko, former Foreign Minister of Ukraine, who so ably presided over the work of the General Assembly during a period in which the Organization took bold steps towards institutional transformation and in various social and technical fields. Not only did he prove his leadership qualities and diplomatic skills, but he also, and more importantly, sought to promote the important role of the General Assembly itself in the larger context of the maintenance of international peace and security, and particularly the preservation of human security. For small and developing countries like Namibia, the Assembly is where democracy comes alive as the worldâs biggest parliament. To the Secretary-General of our Organization, Mr. Kofi Annan, my delegation pledges its fullest support for his tireless efforts to provide effective leadership and practical ideas as we try to find workable solutions to the new challenges facing the global community. His annual report and the important statement he delivered yesterday provided inspiration and reassurance. I congratulate him for his vision and initiatives. Let me say a word or two about the United Nations reform process. We are two years away from the new millennium and, for some time now, we have all being addressing some of those challenges that lie ahead and how the United Nations can transform itself to more effectively respond to the needs and aspirations of its Members in the twenty-first century. The initial work of revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and development fields has been partially completed. Reform of the United Nations is an ongoing process and Namibia believes that an important lesson can be learnt from what has been achieved so far: no quick fixes, but also no indefinite negotiations. The management of the global economy is a top priority. Economic disparities and social backlogs in our societies must be mitigated. Africaâs position on the enlargement of the Security Council is on the table. It includes two permanent seats on the Council and additional non-permanent seats. Namibia also calls for the abolition of the veto power. We have done so before and I am repeating that call once again, for the veto negates the very idea of United Nations reform and democratization. Let me also say here that, while we take into account the purposes of the United Nations as stated in Article 1 of the Charter, it is also important that we take effective and collective measures to finance the United Nations. In this regard, Namibia urges all Member States to pay their contributions in full and on time and to clear their arrears in order to enable the Secretary-General to fully carry out the resolutions of the General Assembly and, indeed, also those of the Security Council. I wish to say a word or two about peace and development. In 1995, all the world leaders who converged on New York for the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the United Nations reiterated, in their different languages yet in unison, their common commitment to the highest virtues of human dignity, peace and security, sustainable development and prosperity for all. Three years later, it looks everywhere as if it is a question of business as usual. Much more needs to be done in the areas of poverty eradication, human resource development and gender equality, as well as transfer of technology and resources for development from the rich to the poor. 27 Wherever in this, our one world, economic disparity, social injustice, armed conflicts, political instability and indeed environmental degradation prevail, there can be no rewarding human existence, meaningful productivity to sustain life and civilization, nor lasting scientific and technological breakthroughs in the service of this and future generations. Todayâs very topical questions of democracy, human rights, good governance and globalization now seem to end up on the back burner of the global agenda. Other priorities always seem to enjoy more attention. Much needed resources are being driven more and more away towards greater benefits for the military-industrial enterprises of the rich and the powerful nations. The result is further impoverishment of the nations and peoples of the third world. Happily, we have been joined by two illustrious champions in a worthy human cause: Danny Glover, African-American actor activist, and Nadine Gordimer, South African Nobel laureate, who will, jointly and individually, articulate worldwide the plight of the forgotten masses in the third world, as the United Nations Development Programmeâs Goodwill Ambassadors. Both of them are my personal friends, and I congratulate them and heartily welcome them aboard. It has been said by a third world leader that: “We live in an international jungle. There is no law and order in international relations. There is very little justice. The high and the mighty rule everywhere. The weak and the poor just have to lump it.” It is hardly possible to dispute this. With regard to issues of multilateral trade that are of concern to the developing countries, there is an imperative need for us to articulate a specific and constructive South agenda. The developing countries must develop a common position on, for example, whether there should be a new round of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations or whether a sectoral approach is preferable. These are our common concerns that the Group of 77 should be spearheading in WTO negotiations, as well as in the South- North dialogue. Globalization is here to stay. We welcome it. But it is not in itself a panacea for ensuring the peopleâs economic rights at home or a just world order, based on cooperation and equity. Globalization must be our thing collectively as members of the human family. When one section of the family prospers, the rest should be allowed to share in that bonanza. To condemn a section of the family to a perpetual state of marginalization would be inhuman and unkind. The heavy burden of external debt is denuding the resources and capacity of poor nations, mainly those in Africa. External debt cannot merely be reorganized. Debt write-off is the best and the most humane thing to do, under the present circumstances. Some major Western creditors have written off debt, others should follow. Bretton Woods institutions should rethink their insistence on bleeding conditionalities in terms of official capital flows and debt relief in favour of providing assistance towards stimulating economic growth and productivity that will help poverty eradication in the developing countries. In this connection, it is to be hoped that the recent meeting held in New York with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be a harbinger of new and better things to come. The Group of 77, which is the task force for the member States of the Non-Aligned Movement, together with our many friends, must continue to work hard in order to hasten implementation of the Agenda 21 Programme of Action in its entirety. For globalization and liberalization to be carried out successfully in pursuit of our shared ideals of democratization, economic justice and human security, South-North dialogue should be open and constructive in the spirit of “smart” partnership, devoid of confrontation and blackmail. At the 1998 Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit of Heads of State or Government, held at Grand Bay, Mauritius, on 13 and 14 September, the regional African leaders endorsed policy guidelines that will facilitate the speedy completion of SADCâs transformation into a dynamic development community. This exercise will be carried out on the basis of the review and rationalization of the SADC Programme of Action. The Summit reaffirmed the ongoing work on sectoral coordination by member States to ensure streamlining of sectors and increase regional integration and productivity. The member States were urged to expedite ratification of the trade protocol as a matter of the utmost priority. This will open up greater opportunities for regional economic cooperation and trade between them. Added to these actions that have already been taken or are being envisaged was the strong reiteration that all 28 SADC regional policies and activities must be carried out pursuant to the objectives and goals of the African Economic Community. The first significant step taken in this direction was the signing on 25 February 1998, in Addis Ababa, of the Protocol on The Relationship between the African Economic Community and the Regional Economic Communities. For 1999, the Summit set a theme for SADC: “SADC in the next Millennium: The Challenges and Opportunities of Information Technology.” That is the vision that seeks to promote the socio-economic empowerment of the people. Political and economic reforms that have started in Africa must stay on course and produce the results that our people want. Regarding regional conflicts, as other speakers have noted, the maintenance of international peace and security is constantly being threatened by ongoing as well as new regional conflicts. Lately, dastardly acts of terrorism and indiscriminate counter-attacks have become frequent happenings. In Europe, bloody confrontation and human suffering persist in Bosnia, Albania and Kosovo. In West and South Asia, a very explosive political, military and nuclear situation is fast developing into an undeclared state of war and a likely destabilization of that strategic region. We welcome the high-level and face-to-face meetings now taking place between some of the leaders from that region. Sadly, there is a serious situation of stalemate, reversals and prevarication in the Middle East, and the peace process has by now, to all intents and purposes, reached a precipitous dead end. Israel cannot hope to live in security if the universally accepted principle of land for peace is not scrupulously adhered to and implemented without delay. The legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent State of their own, cannot be sacrificed because of a single-minded insistence on security. An early agreement on a just, comprehensive and durable peace for the whole of the Middle East is the only viable guarantee for peace, stability, security and cooperation in the best interests of one and all. Namibia supports that approach and not the politics of confrontation and nullification. In our own SADC subregion, some of the old conflicts have gone from bad to worse and new ones have been ignited. In Angola, renewed military attacks and defiance of the demands of the United Nations and the rest of the international community by Mr. Savimbi and UNITA have derailed the peace process and delayed the finalization of the implementation of the remaining aspects of the 1994 Lusaka Protocol. The Security Council has reacted forcefully to UNITAâs non-compliance by imposing stringent sanctions on it and, once again, has demanded speedy and full implementation of the Lusaka Protocol. Furthermore, the last summit of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), held in Ouagadougou, was equally unsparing in its condemnation of Mr. Savimbi and UNITA for unceasing delaying tactics and political violence against innocent Angolans and the unsuspecting citizens of neighbouring States, including my own country, Namibia. The recently concluded SADC Summit resolved, among other things, that measures must be taken to ensure compliance by Mr. Savimbi and UNITA with the decisions that member States have made through SADC, the OAU and United Nations resolutions. The Summit further called on the international community, particularly countries and leaders who have an influence on Mr. Savimbi, to persuade the rebel movement to rededicate itself to the path of peace and reconstruction in Angola, as a matter of urgency. On another front, the Kingdom of Lesotho is once again teetering on the brink of serious destabilization and social disorder just because some politicians, who were defeated in the last general elections, have taken the law into their own hands. It has become an acute situation, which our regional leaders are urgently and jointly trying to resolve peacefully. Moreover, other misguided men, driven by a blind ambition and appetite for needless confrontation, have plunged the Democratic Republic of the Congo into a devastating war, which has resulted in inter-African fighting on the battlefield of that sister country. Namibia has joined the other SADC member States, at the express invitation of President Laurent Kabila and his legitimate Government, for the sole purpose of preventing the collapse of the State machinery and the violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a fellow SADC member State by the invading armies and their collaborators. Namibiaâs involvement is for peace, democracy, human rights and regional cooperation. The recent SADC Summit expressed itself on the situation, and it is important that I quote a few passages what it said, as follows: 29 “The Summit expressed deep regret at the outbreak of war in DRC, as a result of attempts by rebels and their allies to forcefully remove the Government of President Kabila from power. “The Summit welcomed the initiatives by SADC and its member States intended to assist in the restoration of peace, security and stability in the DRC, in particular the Victoria Falls and Pretoria initiatives. In that regard, the Summit reaffirmed its call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and commended the Governments of Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe for timeously providing troops to assist the Government and people of the DRC to defeat the illegal attempt by rebels and their allies to capture the capital city, Kinshasa, and other strategic areas. The Summit emphasized the need for all political actor in the DRC to commit themselves to orderly and peaceful transition to multi-party democracy, primarily through constructive consultations and negotiations involving all stakeholders.” As freedom fighters, we never relied on ethnicity to win victory against the oppressor nor can we ever accept today any idea of regional hegemony based on ethnicity and Herrenvolk tendencies from any quarter. African unity and cooperation must be based on a genuine spirit of solidarity and sharing, and not on subversion and disunity. There are some outstanding questions that I would like to deal with now briefly. Our agenda still has on it the unfinished business of, for example, decolonization, conflict resolution and peacekeeping. The legitimate cause of the Palestinian people, led by the Palestine Liberation Organization, and their full enjoyment of the right to self-determination, independence and sovereignty, cannot end with the creation of an Authority which is only an interim mechanism. The goal which the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement and certainly we in Namibia support, is that of unfettered statehood as envisaged in the Charter of the United Nations and international law. I say this simply to restate our well- known position on the question of Palestine. Cyprus, a fellow Member State of the United Nations and of the Commonwealth, is being bullied by a bigger and powerful neighbour which is perpetuating by means of fiat the unlawful division of that peaceful island State. Namibia is aware of the repeated initiatives of the Secretary-General to end the deadlock; so far his efforts have been unsuccessful. The United Nations and the world community must not forget the nation of Cyprus and its heroic people. At last, there is a light at the end of the tunnel concerning the resolution of the question of Western Sahara. Following the Houston accords brokered by Mr. James Baker, former United States Secretary of State, there is now an agreement between the parties concerned for a free and fair referendum to be held in December this year. With this in mind, Namibia urges the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the United Nations to ensure that the deadline is kept and that the people themselves are given a genuine choice regarding their future. In this way, Africaâs last colonial question will be finally resolved and the Kingdom of Morocco will return to the fold of the OAU, of which it is a proud founding member. It will be a happy day for all Africans. Now that the question of East Timor has been put back on the front burner, Namibia lends its full support to the latest steps that the Secretary-General has taken to find an amicable and lasting solution, in cooperation with Indonesia, Portugal and the inhabitants of East Timor. We apparently welcomed too hastily what we thought was good news concerning a peaceful settlement of the Lockerbie affair by the application of law. The good news has all of a sudden been eclipsed by bad news or misunderstandings that need to be carefully sorted out in the spirit of give and take among the principal parties. There are clearly serious legal and technical matters that require further consultations and clarifications between Libya, on the one hand, and the United Kingdom and the United States, on the other. Africaâs well-reasoned and constructive position on this issue was reinforced at the last OAU summit, held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. In this connection, the decisions taken there are being implemented by African leaders. Among them is a renewed call for the Security Council to lift the punitive and outdated sanctions imposed on Libya several years ago. The suffering of innocent people should quickly be brought to an end. In conclusion, allow me to share a few personal thoughts. In his valedictory address to the General Assembly, President Mandela of South Africa referred to the connections between the United Nations and South Africa and invoked some memories of the past, beginning in 1946. Those memories and connections also included my own country, Namibia, a former colony of apartheid 30 South Africa and a territory for which the United Nations assumed direct legal responsibility for 24 years, from 1966 until 1990. That special linkage ended on 21 March 1990, the glorious day of our independence. But the long- established relationship between the United Nations family and the Namibian people continues unabated. During the past more than 26 years of my active involvement in politics and diplomacy, I have known the United Nations system as my home. In various incarnations, I have walked the heights, the depths and the corridors of this magnificent edifice of human brotherhood, liberation, equality and justice. Many mentors and friends from across the globe have held my hand in support, encouragement and solidarity. They have contributed enormously to my formation and maturity. I did my undergraduate and postgraduate studies in this country under a United Nations fellowship. On 25 September — that is, next Friday — I am going to receive an award from the World Association of Former United Nations Interns and Fellows for, they tell me, an “outstanding contribution to the promotion of human rights, peace and development, especially within the context of promoting Namibiaâs nation-building and the role that United Nations training and other economic and technical cooperation activities can still play”. I am deeply touched by this generous gesture, and I am immensely grateful. This is the result of my partnership with the United Nations and its varied agencies as well as with friends the world over. I, actively supported by my Government, have announced my candidature for the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth regular session, in 1999. In this connection, I am most delighted to announce from this mighty rostrum that in June this year, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, the OAU Assembly of Heads of State and Government endorsed me as the sole African candidate for the position. I trust that I can count on all the Member States from other regions to cast their votes in support of my candidature when the time comes. By doing so, you will have made me extremely happy. But, more than that, you will have endorsed unanimously the collective wish of the African continent. Lastly, and in this context, I endorse the sentiments expressed by our Secretary-General in respect of making the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly, which falls in the year 2000, the Millennium Assembly. But I believe the preparations must be made during the fifty-fourth session, and Africa is ready to lead the way into the twenty-first century.