Mozambique

It is with satisfaction that my delegation and I would like to congratulate His Excellency Ambassador Samuel Insanally, on his election as President of the forty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. I wish him success in discharging his duties. My delegation is available and ready to cooperate with him in the task of ensuring a successful conclusion to this session’s deliberations. To His Excellency Stoyan Ganev of Bulgaria we extend our congratulations on the wonderful work he did as President of the forty-seventh session of the General Assembly. I should like to take this opportunity to address my special appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Boutros Boutros- Ghali, the Secretary-General of our Organization, for his unflinching dedication in the search for solutions to the many problems that affect humankind. I wish to reiterate our gratitude and appreciation for his personal commitment and dedication to the cause of peace and stability in my country. To the new Member States which have just joined this great United Nations family we express our congratulations and our readiness to work with them to fulfil the objectives enshrined in the Charter of the Organization. When I last addressed the Assembly, in 1990, I had the opportunity to say that my Government had begun direct negotiations with RENAMO with a view to putting an end to the long war of destruction and destabilization. For my Government the dialogue had as it main objective - besides ending the war - to restore peace, normalize life and promote understanding among all citizens of Mozambique. These conditions are essential if the process of national reconstruction is to gain root and prosper. It is worth indicating here that, for reasons alien to the Government, the dialogue with RENAMO was complex and too long. We wish to express our appreciation and thanks to the international community for its unwavering support, which helped us to conclude the negotiations successfully and sign the General Peace Agreement in Rome on 4 October 1992. For Mozambique the signing of the General Peace Agreement represents an important step in the life of its people. With it, hopes for the Mozambicans to rebuild their country in a peaceful and harmonious environment were renewed. The fact that almost one year has elapsed without any major breach of the cease-fire is reason for joy. We are witnessing the revival of economic and social activity in the country. The refugees have begun to return. Displaced people are resettling in their areas of origin or in other areas of their choice. The reconstruction of roads, bridges, schools and health centres is under way in spite of the shortage of financial and material resources with which the country is confronted. The flow of people and goods is increasing as the roads are reopening to traffic. We are witnessing a normal movement of people all over the country, except in RENAMO-occupied areas. There is a growing interest on the part of foreigners in seeking investment opportunities in Mozambique. 6 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session The challenges ahead of us are enormous. The war of destabilization that ravaged the country for more than 16 years has caused economic and social damage amounting to about $20 billion. As a direct consequence of this war, 6 million people were displaced or became refugees in neighbouring countries; more than 500,000 children became orphans and an equal number were traumatized. In addition to this, 3000 primary schools and about 1000 health centres were destroyed in rural areas. Together with this, power lines, sugar plants, tea factories - among others - bridges and mines were destroyed. Many agricultural and industrial activities of primary importance were paralysed, thus reducing considerably our capacity to export. Unemployment was aggravated. These are the problems we are endeavouring to solve as we proceed with the implementation of the General Peace Agreement. The demobilization of forces and their economic and social reintegration require a tremendous effort on our part. As can be seen, these challenges cannot be met successfully without the support of the Assembly. The Government of Mozambique has approved a national reconstruction plan the main objective of which is to reactivate the economic and social life of the population so that people may go from a situation in which they survive on emergency aid to one of rehabilitation and sustained development. Thus, the aim of the plan is to put an end to the structural poverty of the population by giving it the means it needs to relaunch productive activity and to become self-sufficient. We believe that in the medium term this plan will contribute to a rapid expansion of essential services in rural areas as well as to that of overall economic and social activity in the country in general. On humanitarian assistance, it is worth noting that with the support of the United Nations we drew up a consolidated programme for action in the repatriation process, demobilization of military units, supply of emergency aid, re-establishment of essential services, and institutional capacity-building in the country. Humanitarian assistance will be required for some years to come until the whole process of resettlement of the population is completed. In spite of these challenges the Government has proceeded with the implementation of the economic recovery programme, with the assistance of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Economic Community (EEC) and other partners. After a decline in the gross domestic product last year we expect a slight growth of about 4 per cent this year thanks to peace and the good climatic conditions we are enjoying in the country. We are convinced that the success of present efforts and of the large national reconstruction plan will, to a great extent, depend on the creative spirit, determination and hard work of all Mozambicans. On the other hand, the success of this same project will also depend on the generous support of the international community. We appeal to our partners to provide timely assistance, inasmuch as the delays we are observing in delivering assistance already committed have, in many cases, been partly responsible for the weak performance of the economy, particularly in the industrial sector. We would like to take this opportunity to recognize and express our thanks to the United Nations, and to all those countries that have contributed funds, resources and personnel to the United Nations Operation in Mozambique (UNOMOZ). We equally thank them and the many non- governmental organizations that have been operating in the country for their assistance in successfully meeting these challenges. We have spoken about encouraging developments in Mozambique. However, we regret to say that the other face of the situation in the country is a source of serious concern. After the international community succeeded in catching up with the initial delay in setting up the UNOMOZ operation, RENAMO found new pretexts to further protract and delay the implementation of the Peace Agreement. In its dilatory manoeuvres RENAMO is moving from precondition to precondition, though many of the preconditions have nothing to do with the General Peace Agreement or are a blatant breach of it. From the very inception, RENAMO delayed sending personnel to fill its positions in the commissions for the implementation of the General Peace Agreement. At present, RENAMO is stating reservations concerning Security Council resolution 863 (1993) on Mozambique, to which my Government fully subscribes. As members know, that resolution calls, among other things, for urgent implementation, without further preconditions, of the process of assembly and demobilization of forces and of beginning the training of the new army. On the consultations for the adoption of the draft electoral law, RENAMO is raising difficulties that can hardly be understood, particularly with respect to the composition of the National Electoral Commission. The organization and holding of multiparty elections is a Government responsibility. The Government cannot excuse Forty-eighth session - 27 September l993 7 itself from that responsibility at a moment when the Mozambicans and the international community as a whole are anxiously waiting to see the free and fair multiparty elections that are to be held not later than October 1994. We cannot postpone the elections indefinitely. RENAMO must be made to understand this. The Government will continue to engage in consultations, and will spare no effort to make sure that the elections are held at the proper time. The overview we have just presented compels us to make some observations on the situation in Angola and South Africa, given the affinities of the regional situation as a whole. We are deeply concerned over the resumption of hostilities in Angola because they not only represent a serious threat to peace and to the future of the country but also threaten to perpetuate tension and instability in the whole region of southern Africa. We continue to believe that compliance with the Bicesse Accords, respect for the election results and the unconditional implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions constitute a valid platform in the efforts towards a lasting peace in Angola. We are hopeful that dialogue will prevail in the search for the best solutions to the conflict in Angola. Within that context, my Government fully subscribes to Security Council resolution 864 (1993). Strict observance of the spirit and letter of that resolution by UNITA is a fundamental condition for an end to the protracted and devastating war which is responsible for the great suffering of the Angolan people today. We also believe that compliance with that resolution will certainly lead to humanitarian assistance being channelled to the people in greatest need. I would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm my Government’s readiness to cooperate with the United Nations in the implementation of that resolution. We have followed with great interest the talks within the framework of the Multiparty Negotiating Forum in South Africa. We would like to commend the decision taken by that organ, specifically regarding the creation of the Transitional Executive Council soon to be established as a decisive step in preparing for the first multiracial elections in the country’s history. The end of the apartheid system and the formation of a democratically elected Government will greatly contribute to peace and stability in the region, thus enhancing the prospects for even more prosperous economic cooperation within the context of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The peoples of southern Africa have high hopes for that organization of regional economic integration as a special forum for harmonizing their economic and social development programmes. The region possesses enormous economic potential yet to be explored, and continues to call for investment in order to become a viable, more competitive economic partner in the international arena. On the Middle East, we welcome the signing of the agreement between the Israeli Government and the Palestine Liberation Organization in Washington on 13 September 1993. This agreement constitutes a historic and important landmark on the road to the solution of the issues in the Middle East conflict. The question of East Timor, whose people shared with Mozambique a common colonial history, remains unresolved. We encourage the ongoing dialogue between Portugal and Indonesia under the auspices of the Secretary- General, aimed at finding a solution that will safeguard the right of the Maubère people to self-determination. We are also convinced that, through dialogue, the other conflicts still prevailing in Africa and other continents will come to satisfactory solutions. The world economy continues to be characterized by stagnant growth with an increasing disparity in development levels. Various factors on the international scene led to this state of affairs. External debt constitutes one of the main obstacles to the economic growth of developing countries. The external debt burden is aggravated by the deteriorating prices of basic export goods and by weak foreign investment in productive areas which could have a positive impact on the balance of payments and on domestic savings. We believe, therefore, that the international community should pay special attention to the external debt of the developing countries and take necessary, adequate measures aimed at finding a definitive solution to this crisis. Moreover, we have noted a decline in financial assistance to the developing countries; such assistance is being diverted to other countries, in Europe, at the very time when we are experiencing a reduction in the flow of official development assistance. This affects the economies of low- income countries. Notwithstanding the enormous efforts undertaken in the structural-adjustment process during the last decade, the economic and social situation in Africa remains very serious. The real economic growth rate in African countries remains far behind the population growth rates. Per capita income 8 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session and other development factors continue to decrease, and remain among the lowest in the world. If the alarming economic situation I have described is not addressed by the international community, and reversed, the peace dividends resulting from the end of the cold war and from the progress of the democratic process world wide will not benefit all the peoples of the world. It is in this context that we support the efforts to produce a solid consensus on a development agenda to the benefit during this session of the General Assembly. We also believe that a speedy conclusion of the Uruguay Round of negotiations would contribute to a solution of the problems relating to international trade that affect the world economy. With regard to environment, the Republic of Mozambique has established a National Commission for Environment to look after issues in this area. The implementation of "Agenda 21" in Mozambique has a legal basis within the Republic’s Constitution, which contains provisions relating to the management of natural resources and environment in general. The National Commission for Environment is at present working on harmonizing measures aimed at integrating environmental aspects into economic and social programmes, and it is also producing a National Plan for Environment Management, whose main objective is the promotion of the country’s sustained development. In order to fulfil international obligations in this regard, Mozambique is making the necessary preparations to adhere to the main international Conventions and other agreements on environment. A brief appreciation of the international situation shows that the era of bipolarity has given way to the beginning of an era characterized by dialogue in international cooperation, particularly in joint efforts to face the problems affecting peace, international security and economic and social development. Solving the problems we face today requires the promotion of cooperative relations, based on interdependence, complementarity and mutual benefit between nations. In various parts of the world significant steps have been taken bearing testimony to the prevailing political will for, and commitment to, political, economic and social democratization. However, these efforts are faced with social problems deriving from the institutional and economic fragility of the States involved. It is therefore imperative that the international community take cognizance of these difficulties and adopt measures in support of those efforts. The new challenges we are facing today lead us to believe even more in the United Nations as the most privileged forum for harmonizing the global interests of all peoples of the world, with the aim of fostering an international environment in conformity with the noble principles and objectives enshrined in its Charter. In conclusion, I should like to highlight the importance of peace-keeping and humanitarian assistance in the world, and especially in my own country. In this regard I appeal to Member States to redirect their efforts and resources in order to strengthen further the United Nations. To this end, we should like to appeal to all Member States to channel material and financial resources to the United Nations so that its role as the guardian of international peace and security may continue to be strengthened.