Chad

At the outset, I should like, on my own personal behalf and on behalf of the Republic of Chad, to express our great pleasure and congratulations on your brilliant election, Sir, to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-third session. The confidence placed in you to guide our work reflects the international community?s recognition of the contribution of your country, Uruguay, to the defence of the ideals of the United Nations. Your competence and experience reinforce our conviction that you will conduct our work with success. Please be assured of the support and cooperation of the delegation of the Republic of Chad in the accomplishment of your task. I cannot continue without first expressing all my delegation?s gratitude to your predecessor, Mr. Hennadiy Y. Udovenko of Ukraine, who, during his term of office, worked with such dedication, competence and tact on the many pressing issues calling for mankind?s attention. I also pay a well-deserved tribute to our Secretary- General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his constant efforts to strengthen the role of our Organization on the international scene, especially in the quest for international peace and security. In this context, may he rest assured of the renewed support of the Republic of Chad for the reforms that are needed to make our Organization better able to achieve its goals in the context of the rapid changes sweeping the world. The ever growing problems facing humankind — including, inter alia, civil wars, famine, epidemics and pandemics, terrorism, and the evils of globalization and mondialisation — are making our United Nations increasingly sought after to solve them. More than ever, the Organization needs the genuine cooperation of each of its Members in support of its efforts to ensure international peace and security, the sine qua non for economic and social development. The ongoing participation of the Republic of Chad in the work of this Assembly; its payment of all its arrears, despite its financial difficulties; and the presence of elements of the Chad Armed Forces in the Inter-African Mission to Monitor the Implementation of the Bangui Agreements (MISAB) and, later, in the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA) bear witness to our desire to cooperate with our Organization in the accomplishment of its noble mission. But this effort would never have been possible had we not first sought to stabilize the situation in our own country, which, until recently, was beset by a civil war fuelled by all types of outside interference. In fact, since 1 December 1990, when President Idriss Deby came to power, Chad has resolutely followed the path of national reconciliation and pluralistic democracy. The rule of law has become a tangible reality, based on the Constitution adopted by referendum on 31 March 1996, which was followed by presidential and legislative elections. In order to complete the process of democratization, the Government, together with the National Assembly, is establishing the other institutions provided for in the Constitution. In this respect, I am pleased to point to the adoption by my country?s National Assembly, in early 1998, laws on the Supreme Court and the High Court of Justice. The bill on the Constitutional Council is currently being considered. At its next session, the National Assembly will consider a bill on decentralization. In the economic sphere, I would note that the extreme poverty in my country is not irreversible, since we have excellent opportunities to emerge from it. This conviction has prompted my Government to take the course of economic and financial reform with the principal goals of restoring the macroeconomic balance, disengaging the State from public enterprise and promoting the private sector. Thus, since July 1995, the Government of Chad has adopted a medium-term strategy for economic recovery. This is aimed at laying the foundations for sustainable economic and social development. In this framework, a structural adjustment programme has been adopted in order to achieve high and sustained economic growth, reduced external imbalances and strengthened competitiveness. This programme, supported by the International Monetary Fund in the framework of a triennial agreement under its Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility, covering the period 1995-1998, has also enjoyed financial assistance from the World Bank and other multilateral donors. Apart from our hopes for agriculture and animal husbandry in the fight against poverty, we rely on the important mineral and oil resources beneath Chadian soil. The exploitation of our oil is one of my Government?s priorities, because with the expected oil revenue, Chad?s income will increase substantially early in the next century, not to mention the fact that the flow of oil investments will also generate important added value for local enterprises. In this respect, we have tirelessly reaffirmed that oil income will be allocated to the fight against poverty and will help to finance health, social and educational materials; the modernization of agriculture and husbandry; and infrastructure and environment. In other words, the entire population of Chad will benefit from this oil manna. In this respect, we stress the fact that Chad is one of the rare countries of the world that is managing such a sensitive endeavour as oil exploitation in all transparency. Meetings and seminars with the various sectors of civil society and open parliamentary debates have been organized by the Government in order to explain this endeavour in all its aspects. Despite the political and economic advances in my country, we deplore the campaign of lies that is being led against my Government. Indeed, for some time now, disinformation and untruths have been spread among the international institutions and some friendly countries about both the oil question and the human rights situation in Chad. Nonetheless, my country has made considerable progress in the area of human rights. We have ratified the main international instruments relating to human rights and have suppressed all extraordinary judicial procedures, such as the court martial established in 1991. To better guarantee respect for human rights, we have established a national commission for human rights, which chooses at its own discretion the questions to be considered and governs its own activities. After more than three decades of civil war, foreign interference and ruthless dictatorships, Chad, thanks to the determination of its people, has succeeded in turning the dark pages of its history and in making the necessary institutional reforms for the establishment of a state of law and pluralist democracy, and it now legitimately expects the international community?s help in fulfilling the fundamental right of the people of Chad to economic and social development. In this respect, I solemnly invite friendly countries and international institutions, governmental and non- governmental alike, interested in Chad?s development to participate extensively in the Geneva IV round table, to be held from 20-22 October 1998, on strategic development options for Chad for 1998-2001. Our appeal for the development of our country would be incomplete if we were not to raise a serious subject of concern, the improvement of our environment, which has been endangered by the approximately 1 million mines that infest a large part of our national 2 territory and prevent all development activity. In this respect, we reiterate the appeal for international assistance made here by President Idriss Deby at the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of our Organization and reiterated by our delegation at the fifty-second session of the General Assembly. Our concerns about domestic policy in no way divert our attention from the international situation. In Africa, we are gratified at the progress made in settling conflicts through negotiation. This applies particularly to Western Africa, under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), particularly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and, more recently, in Guinea-Bissau. The efforts undertaken in the Central African Republic first by MISAB and then by MINURCA have yielded satisfactory results. My country is proud to have been a participant in these efforts since 1996. We are duty-bound to work towards consolidating peace, which remains fragile in that fraternal neighbouring country. The legislative elections will be an important stage in the peace process, and the elections therefore call for the full support of the international community. A premature withdrawal of MINURCA, before these elections which are but one stage of the process, would endanger the costly efforts made for peace. In these troubling times throughout Central Africa, we appeal for much more patience in order to enable the international community to assist the Central African people even farther along the path of national reconciliation and security, as the United Nations does everywhere. The strengthening of existing structures for the prevention, management and settlement of conflicts in Africa must be encouraged and firmly supported by the international community, regardless of whether it is a matter for the Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa or the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa, located at Lomé, Togo. Despite the existence of these mechanisms, hotbeds of tension have emerged here and there in Africa, dangerously threatening peace and security on that continent, which more than ever needs peace and security for its economic recovery. Thus, we deplore the persistent situation of war in the countries of the Great Lakes region, and particularly the ravages of war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is urgently necessary that genuine efforts be made by the international community under the aegis of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), with the cooperation of the States of the region, so that the Democratic Republic of the Congo can exercise its right to national reconciliation, the unity of its sons and daughters, its territorial integrity and national sovereignty. This means the withdrawal of the forces of aggression that occupy the entire eastern part of that brotherly country. With respect to Angola, Chad believes that Mr. Jonas Savimbi is the only party responsible for the deterioration of the situation. We therefore make a heartfelt appeal to the international community and the Security Council to acknowledge the new direction taken by UNITA and to provide it the assistance necessary to promptly achieve the terms of the Lusaka Protocol. In the Horn of Africa, the armed conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea threatens peace in that part of the continent. The relative calm obtained, thanks to OAU mediation, must be observed in order to facilitate negotiations with a view to a peaceful settlement of the dispute between those two fraternal countries. Close to those two countries, the situation of latent war in Somalia is far from reassuring. In that country, where the different factions in conflict are sowing terror, war could break out at any time. It is important to make a concerted effort to reintegrate that country into the international community. The consequences of these hotbeds of tension afflicting the African continent can be measured in the number of homeless people and refugees moving from one country to another in search of a land that will welcome them, not to mention the very high number of innocent victims, including maimed and starving individuals. Having recently suffered the horrors of war ourselves, our country is keenly aware of the value of peace and appeals to the collective conscience to bring an end to the multiple tragedies affecting innocent African populations. The same challenges confront us in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the implementation of the Dayton Agreement must be firmly supported so that a lasting peace can be established in that part of the world. In Afghanistan, Chad urges the Taliban in power in Kabul and the opposition coalition to undertake a frank and sincere dialogue in order to achieve a lasting peace. 3 In the Middle East, the hope of peace raised by the Oslo accords is fading daily because of the stalled Israeli- Palestinian talks. We urge all the parties concerned to respect their commitments, as this is the only way to achieve a lasting peace in that part of the world. Neither violence nor extremism, much less intransigence, will enable the achievement of a just and definitive solution to this crisis which has lasted too long. My country, Chad, noted with satisfaction the end of the bipolar world and the radical change that took place in the international situation. By resuming diplomatic relations with the Republic of China on Taiwan, the Government and the people of Chad had only one consideration: to diversify relations of friendship with cooperation with all the peace- and justice-loving countries of the world on the basis of equality and solidarity. Thus Chad gave its support to the request that an examination of General Assembly resolution 2758 (XXVI) of 25 October 1971 be inscribed on the agenda of the fifty-third session, because of the radical changes in the international situation and the coexistence of two Governments, one on each side of the Straits of Taiwan. We are gratified at the progress, however slow, that has been achieved in recent years in the fields of disarmament and the fight against narcotic drugs. However, we denounce the scandalous trade in conventional weapons which fuel so many conflicts and bring bloodshed to so many parts of the world. We are prepared to support all measures aimed at combating this scourge. Furthermore, and in the face of the globalization and universalization that is engendering the arrogant triumphalism of the powerful, the international community must rise above the disparities among its members and find adequate ways of overcoming the negative impact on a fragile international balance of the mutations that are currently taking place. In so doing, it must give priority to consensus and agreement among its members and reject unilateral actions conducted in its name but in disdain for the principles and rules that govern it. Therefore, it is urgent that peace- and justice-loving nations speak out to denounce the frequent interferences in the internal affairs of States and take a unanimous stand against the economic sanctions that are often ineffective and are unjust and fraught with social consequences, as well. For this reason, Chad once again firmly condemns the haste with which unilateral air strikes were made against a simple pharmaceutical factory in the Sudan, causing the loss of innocent lives in that fraternal neighbouring country. In this respect, Chad reiterates its support to the appeal made from this rostrum by the current Chairman of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to send a fact- finding mission to study the matter. As for the Lockerbie affair, while we support the resolution of the latest OAU summit, in Ouagadougou, on this question, Chad is also gratified that the United States and Great Britain have agreed that the trial of the two suspects take place in a neutral country. We appeal to those two countries and to the Netherlands to undertake negotiations with Libya, either directly or through the mediation of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in order to conclude an arrangement for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1192 (1998) and thus to establish the modalities for the trial, including measures of security and guarantees for the suspects. These negotiations are indispensable if this question is to be truly resolved. That being said, may there be no mistake as to the meaning of our policy. We wholeheartedly condemn terrorism in all its forms. The many victims of the recent terrorist actions against the United States Embassies at Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam, as well as the equally tragic reactions that have ensued, force us to reaffirm strongly that no end can justify such recourse to an aggressive and blind fundamentalism. It is clear that the infinite despair in which millions of human beings are submerged cannot be alleviated by the use of force, wherever it may originate. Furthermore, the radical fundamentalism often inveighed against today is not the preserve of any specific faith. To attribute it lightly to one religion or one people inevitably reduces the scope of the actions undertaken to circumscribe it. We therefore support the plan for the urgent convening of an international conference under United Nations auspices in order to establish the modalities of an effective international cooperation for the total eradication of terrorism in all its forms. On another matter which is related to the preceding concerns, we would like to express our deep concern at the present state of international economic relations. It is indeed deplorable to see that the process of detente that is evident in the international political situation and in the globalization of the economy has in no way modified the unequal economic relations, so that the imbalances between rich and poor States are increasingly glaring. If growth has continued in the developed countries for 4 almost fifty years now, the opposite has taken place in the developing countries, where growth has stagnated, if not regressed. Thus, the eternal problems of indebtedness and deterioration in the terms of trade have been compounded by the problem of the constant marginalization of the developing countries, in particular those of our African continent, on international economic circuits. In order to achieve the objective of lasting growth and development in the interests of humankind, we invite the international community to work for a system based on rules that are just, fair and more open; for the progressive liberation and elimination of obstacles to trade, in both goods and services; for the rejection of all forms of protectionism; etc. It is therefore urgent that concrete measures be adopted to make it possible for Africa to achieve sustained growth which should lead to real development. In conclusion, we would like to reiterate our complete support for the United Nations both in the maintenance of international peace and security and in the establishment of a just and equitable international order. But if the United Nations wishes fully to play the role it has been given, it must adapt to the realities of the day. It must be credible and its legitimacy must be undeniable. The Security Council in its current form is far from enshrining these ideals, for two principal reasons: first, its composition does not at all reflect the views of the whole and especially of the least and the smallest; secondly, it pursues a policy based on a double standard, which makes its decisions increasingly vulnerable. Given this situation, the need for Security Council reform is self-evident. Such reform must respond to the expectations of Member States. This means that there must be a recomposition of the Council as well as a review of its decision-making procedures, in particular the right of veto, which is used and abused. We must reaffirm the position taken by the last Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity: the African continent must be equitably represented in that organ where the fate of all humanity is at stake. It is inconceivable and impossible to accept that an important sector of humanity continues to endure the harshness of decisions in which it did not participate.