Liberia

I bring the Assembly greetings from President Charles Taylor and the Government and the people of Liberia. On behalf of the delegation of Liberia and in my own name, I convey my sincere congratulations to Mr. Opertti on his assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-third session. His unanimous election to this high office is a credit not only to him but also to his esteemed country. I assure him of my delegation?s fullest support and cooperation and wish him every success in the discharge of his duties. I should like also to register my delegation?s appreciation to the President?s distinguished predecessor, Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko, the then Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, for the able manner in which he conducted the work of the fifty-second session. The many successes achieved during his tenure of office, especially in the reform of this Organization, attest to his diplomatic skills and his understanding of the problems which confront the Organization and our determined efforts to build a more just and humane international order that is responsive to the legitimate aspirations of all mankind. We offer special thanks to our Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his unrelenting pursuit of the implementation of the mandates entrusted to him by the Assembly. My delegation also commends him for his efforts aimed at the successful execution of the administrative reforms of the Secretariat, and the important focus he has placed on development, peacemaking and peace-building efforts, especially in Africa, as the most assured basis for sustainable development. The Secretary-General?s report (A/52/871) on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa provides an in-depth analysis of the social and economic ills of the Continent, which was thoroughly discussed at the ministerial meeting of the Security Council. We fully agree with his assertion that while African Governments must ultimately be held responsible for the problems confronting their countries, meaningful steps must be taken by this Organization to lend support to national measures aimed at alleviating these problems. In this connection, it is notable that on 6 October 1998, the United Nations will observe the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of its peacekeeping operations. Africa continues to benefit from the United Nations peacekeeping operations aimed at the resolution of conflicts on the continent pursuant to Chapter VIII of the Charter. While welcoming this cooperation, Liberia calls upon the Security Council to employ impartiality and non- selectivity in the execution of its primary role of maintaining international peace and security. The international political situation continues to be characterized by sustained efforts aimed at the maintenance of international peace and security. While there has been no major eruption of military confrontation between States, intra-State conflicts and civil wars in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, the Sudan and Kosovo, and the territorial dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea have claimed the attention of regional and subregional organizations such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union and the Organization of African Unity (OAU). These organizations and regional bodies are endeavouring, with the complementary support of the United Nations, to seek negotiated peaceful solutions and to minimize the humanitarian crises, refugee flows and internal displacement caused by conflicts and wars. With regard to the Middle East, my delegation is deeply concerned about the lack of progress, particularly in connection with the Madrid Conference and the Oslo accords. We are of the view that new initiatives should be undertaken to restart the peace process, focusing on the understanding reached by the parties. Liberia will support renewed efforts by the international community that seek to bring the volatile situation in that region to a fair and equitable conclusion. The rise in acts of terrorism threatens the independence, sovereignty, freedom, economic and social development of all States. It cannot be overemphasized that terrorism has no justification as a means to solve political differences. Therefore, the Government of Liberia strongly condemns the bombings in Dar-es- Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya. It is imperative that concerted actions be taken to combat this unwholesome phenomenon which has no bounds. Liberia is in accord with the proposal of President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt for the convening of an international conference on terrorism to deliberate on the issue. The world is faced with the frightening prospect of an increase in the number of States with nuclear capability, as well as the proliferation of conventional weapons. We therefore call for more States to accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). There is an urgent need to curtail the trafficking in small arms and to promote greater transparency in arms transfers. The scourge of the worldwide drug problem necessitated the convening of the drug summit in New York in June of this year. It is a source of concern that drug sales have overtaken trade in other commodities, and the money value of this illegal act has reached over $400 billion annually. My Government reaffirms its commitment to tackling the drug problem within its borders and to cooperating at the regional and international levels in keeping with the Political Declaration and the guiding principles outlined at the conclusion of the summit. The 1990s have been declared an era of globalization. However, the rapid growth of international trade and financial flows has affected most economies in profound ways. Globalization threatens the weak and vulnerable by marginalizing them in the global economic system. For most developing countries, the debt overhang and unequal participation in the regulation of commodity pricing, declining official development assistance and capital flows are perennial problems that hamper their economic development and integration into the world 2 economy. My delegation therefore joins in the call for the industrialized countries to bring about equity in the regulatory framework for the financial and exchange markets. In this connection, Liberia reaffirms its support for the position of the Non-Aligned Movement summit, held recently in Durban, South Africa, that developed countries be urged to accelerate the review of the world financial system, thus ensuring that capital flows were supportive of expansion in trade, employment and development. In addition, there is the need to boost development aid from Western countries and to remove restrictive conditions linked to receiving international assistance. In particular, my Government welcomes the call by President William Clinton of the United States of America for a meeting in Washington, D.C., in mid-October of this year, of finance ministers and central bank governors from nations of the G-7 and emerging economies to debate steps to shore up the tottering global financial system. His reaffirmation of this proposal, as well as his pledge made to this Assembly on 21 September last, to forge a partnership with Africa, deserves our commendation and support. Also, we cannot agree more with the Secretary- General that the United Nations should be included in the discussion. Its participation will give more international credibility to the decisions that would emerge from the meeting. Even though recent indicators point to improvement in the economies of several African countries, the vast majority continue to experience negative growth. The largest number of least developed countries are in Africa, and the crippling effects of the heavy external debt and decline in investment and financial flows have been major contributors to the poor economic performance of these countries. There is a need for concerted international action to remedy this state of affairs. The United Nations system- wide support for the development of Africa is a step in the right direction. My delegation welcomes the recent decision of the substantive session of the Economic and Social Council, held in July of this year, and the Council?s ministerial communiqué on market access for exports from least developed countries, as well as capacity-building and in- service infrastructure development. These decisions deserve full support and should be implemented by Member States. In this connection, the important initiative taken by the Government of Japan, a prominent member of the G-7, to urgently address Africa?s development has the highest commendation of my Government and the appreciation of all African States. My delegation looks forward to actively participating in the important ministerial meeting which will be convened in Tokyo next month on Africa?s economic recovery. Moreover, this initiative deserves the wholehearted support of Member States of this Organization, particularly the developed countries. My delegation notes with satisfaction the efforts by the United Nations to harmonize the issues of development and the environment. With respect to the environment, the decision reached on Agenda 21 during the 1992 Rio Conference is the most comprehensive effort undertaken by the international community to raise awareness of the degradation of the environment and the need to reverse the negative trend. We trust that the issue of the environment will remain a priority on the global agenda. One important and unquestionable achievement for our Organization to celebrate is the great improvement in the universal character of the Organization. Nevertheless, more efforts must be deployed to ensure that every country becomes a member of this Organization. My delegation believes that in that regard, the exceptional situation of the Republic of China on Taiwan must be examined with a view to the unification of the Chinese people based on their own will and decision. However, we also believe that it is the responsibility of this Organization to provide the impetus for the unification of the two Chinas. History is replete with examples of the membership in this Organization of divided countries, where unification was peacefully settled under the aegis of the United Nations. We have confidence in the ability of the United Nations to allow history to be repeated on a similar matter of grave importance to this Organization. In the interest of equity and the maintenance of regional peace and security, my country calls for the parallel representation in the United Nations of the People?s Republic of China and the Republic of China on Taiwan. The matter of reform is one that needs no justification. It is an imperative for the continued relevance of the United Nations. An Organization made up of 185 Member States must, by its nature, allow fair play and democracy to prevail, and not the rule of weighted influence. The tenets of the United Nations Charter do not submit to the principle of “might makes right”, but to the enlightened principles of international law which emerge from the objective need for peaceful coexistence. Unless the powerful States recognize this 3 imperative, the international system will move towards international anarchy rather than towards a more humane, peaceful and stable world order. These reforms will be meaningless unless parallel reforms can be achieved within the Bretton Woods institutions, the very essence of weighted and undemocratic global influence. On the question of increase in the membership of the Security Council, Liberia reaffirms its support for an increase for Africa and other under-represented regions on the basis of equitable geographical representation, consistent with the decisions of the Organization of African Unity and the Non-Aligned Movement. During the fifty-second session of the General Assembly, it was my honour to read the prepared text of Mr. Charles Taylor, President of the Republic of Liberia, to this Assembly. At that time, only two months had passed since his assumption of the leadership of Liberia, following seven years of civil war and the holding of democratic elections in the country. Since then, the Government has undertaken measures towards the rebuilding of the country, national reconciliation, rehabilitation, repatriation and resettlement. In light of this, from 19 July to 12 August 1998, the people of Liberia participated in a national conference to deliberate on the future of Liberia under the theme “Vision 2024”. This historic undertaking not only reaffirmed President Taylor?s commitment to participatory democracy but also afforded a unique opportunity for Liberians at home and abroad to freely deliberate on and propose solutions for the building of a new Liberia. At the conclusion of the conference, a commission was established and given the responsibility to seek full implementation of the decisions reached. Those decisions ranged from decentralization of the Government to the enactment of legislation covering all facets of the society. My Government has attached high priority to the implementation of the decisions of the national conference, since it has helped produce an agenda which complements that of the Government and identifies issues and measures as well as courses of action that could be adopted for the stability and development of Liberia. President Taylor is aware that the key to Liberia?s stability and development lies in fostering genuine reconciliation among Liberians. A human rights commission established since the inception of the Government continues to function. The protection of human rights will remain one of the cornerstones of Liberia?s domestic policy. This is why my Government has now undertaken legislative action to ratify and accede to all human rights instruments as a concrete attestation of our commitment to promote and protect human rights in Liberia. Convinced that democracy is indispensable for development, the Government has also undertaken measures to realize its intention to build institutions to consolidate the democratic process in the country. We have encouraged the continued existence and growth of the 13 political parties that participated in the last elections. We hold regular consultations with these parties concerning national issues. We believe that these efforts are necessary for the dynamic development of a modern Liberia. Meanwhile, international support remains a necessity in order for Liberia to find its way forward and consolidate the gains made by the return to civilian, constitutional rule. Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter vests the Security Council with the authority to decide what measures may be taken to maintain or restore international peace and security, following a determination of the existence of any threat to peace, breach of the peace or act of aggression. In a number of cases, the imposition of a sanctions regime or embargo by the Council has yielded, with minimal collateral harm, the results for which punitive measures were authorized. However, in other cases, sanctions have led to grave and intolerable humanitarian crises which have deprived large numbers of innocent and vulnerable persons, mainly women and children, of their most basic needs, while not achieving their intended objectives. Within this context, the Government of Liberia believes that any sanctions regime should clearly define the punitive measure, its specific target, a definite time- frame and exemptions to mitigate the unintended harmful consequences for the whole population of a given country and those of contiguous States. In 1992, during Liberia?s civil war, the ECOWAS subregional grouping imposed an arms embargo on Liberia as a means to facilitate the peace process and reduce the level of violence. ECOWAS also further 4 appealed to the Security Council to facilitate the universal application of the embargo, an appeal the Security Council heeded positively by adopting a resolution imposing an arms embargo on Liberia. By 1997, the Liberian civil war was brought to an end through the process of a negotiated political settlement, disarmament, demobilization and the holding of free and fair democratic elections. After the inauguration of the elected and constitutional Government, ECOWAS lifted all sanctions and embargoes imposed against Liberia and called upon the international community to do the same. The Government of Liberia, since its assumption of office, has repeatedly called upon the Security Council to lift the arms embargo, an appeal that has fallen on deaf ears. The Liberian Government has a constitutional responsibility and a sovereign right to defend, protect and preserve the independence and territorial integrity of the Republic. We strongly believe that the arms embargo currently in force against Liberia is patently unfair since it is open- ended and provides no criteria for the lifting of the embargo, as has been the procedure in other, similar cases. Moreover, the intent and purpose of the 1992 arms embargo have been achieved by the peaceful resolution of the Liberian civil crisis through the holding of democratic elections in Liberia and the installation of the Government headed by President Charles Taylor on 2 August 1997. As a responsible member of the international community, Liberia would accede to the wishes of the Security Council if it were decided that there was justification for the maintenance of sanctions against Liberia based on concrete facts or a violation of international law or covenants. However, to do so under a sanctions regime that no longer has validity is unwarranted and inimical to the interests of the country. The Government of Liberia requests that the Security Council take cognizance of Liberia?s legitimate aspirations and constitutional obligation to its people. It should be noted that in spite of the support of the Liberian people for their Government, there may remain some disgruntled citizens and external actors who seek to disturb the peace and reverse the progress achieved thus far by capitalizing on the perceived inability of the Government to adequately protect itself because of the present arms embargo on the country. For the Security Council to place a Member State of this Organization in such an untenable position is inimical to the interests of the Liberian Government and people and inconsistent with the purposes and principles of the United Nations. The Government of Liberia calls on the Security Council to impartially assume its responsibility under the Charter by expeditiously redressing what is considered to be an injustice to Liberia by lifting its 1992 arms embargo, imposed on the country for the reasons already mentioned. At the threshold of the twenty-first century, it must be recognized that the full achievement of the goals and objectives of this Organization has been largely undermined by the long period of the cold war. Its demise held out the promise of a peace dividend that was to be applied to the development activities of the United Nations. Regrettably, that is not the case today. However, within a renewed, principled spirit of interdependence, the international community can evolve an effective means of partnership and cooperation to achieve equity in the areas of economic development and social advancement as necessary conditions for the maintenance of global peace and security. By so doing, we will have crafted a workable agenda that will propel the human family into the new millennium with the hope of a just world order that is responsive to the needs of all inhabitants of our common planet, as envisaged in the Charter. Let me give the assurance that Liberia remains committed to this basic goal in the same determined manner as when it signed the Charter of the United Nations in 1945.