Maldives

It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Ambassador Insanally on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session. His election to this important post is, beyond a doubt, a testimony to his personal credentials and the important role being played by his country in international affairs. I should also like to commend the work of his predecessor, Mr. Stoyan Ganev of Bulgaria, who demonstrated outstanding skills of diplomacy, and dedication. It is also my pleasant duty to pay tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for his untiring efforts in promoting international peace and security. I should also like to extend a warm welcome to the six new States, Andorra, the Czech Republic, Eritrea, Monaco, the Slovak Republic and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia that have joined us during the past year. I am confident that their participation and contribution will further enrich the work of the Organization. Along with the end of the cold war came promises: promises of a better future, without the threat of nuclear holocaust, where scarce resources would not be spent on building up military might, where millions of starving would be fed and provided with their basic health care needs, safe drinking water and a basic level of education, where a safe and clean environment would be provided along with the right to sustainable development, and where the dignity of the human being would be respected. This is the vision that gave rise to this Organization in 1945. We have rededicated ourselves to this vision with renewed vigour following the demise of the cold war. The 30 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session moral authority of the United Nations has been reasserted over military might. A number of protracted conflicts have shown signs of movement towards resolution. International cooperation in addressing global issues such as environment, disarmament, international peace and security and human rights have reached new heights. As a consequence, the United Nations has gained new respect and been entrusted with new responsibilities. In order to live up to the heightened expectations, the Organization must continue to receive the unwavering commitment of its Member States. The Republic of Maldives would like to take this opportunity to renew its commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. These changes in the work of the United Nations reflect corresponding changes in the political, economic, and security landscape that underpins efforts in international cooperation today. In view of this reality, the Security Council of the United Nations needs to be reformed and restructured. We should be careful not to take a piecemeal approach to this: any expansion of the Council, and the status of the members, should be based on the principles of equitable and balanced representation. We should formulate principled criteria that reflect the political, economic and demographic realities of the world today. The events in Bosnia and Herzegovina have shamed us all. A State Member of the United Nations has been subjected to naked aggression. The entire population of a small country is being progressively exterminated. It is deliberate genocide. We need to examine why the international community has failed to stop the carnage that is taking place in that country. Regional, international and direct diplomacy have been applied, but to no avail. At a time when the world community has rededicated itself to the sanctity of human rights, it is a tragic shame that systematic violation of these rights has gone unpunished owing to lack of will on the part of the international community. We condemn the continued violence and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina and call upon the international community to take more decisive steps so that the responsibilities entrusted to us under the Charter of this Organization may be discharged fully. We fully recognize the inherent right to self-defence, as prescribed in the Charter. We believe that the right to self-defence comprises the most fundamental right - the right to life. A permanent solution to the situation in Bosnia should be found by peaceful means and within the parameters of the Charter of the United Nations, one of which is the principle of territorial integrity. The continued violations of basic human rights that are taking place in Angola and Somalia are a matter of serious concern to us. The events in Somalia - especially the attacks on the United Nations peace-keeping personnel - are grave developments that threaten the working of this Organization. United Nations involvement in Somalia now raises several questions, including those concerning the sincerity of the warring parties with regard to their acceptance of help from the international community to overcome the extreme poverty that has ravaged the entire country. Today, the United Nations is learning a lesson that is very expensive, in terms of both human life and financial resources, as it provides humanitarian assistance and seeks to protect the people of these countries. It is indeed ironic and tragic that peace- keepers have themselves become targets of violence. My Government condemns such violence in the strongest possible terms and believes that those responsible for such acts should be brought to justice. These experiences demonstrate that if the parties involved are not sincere in the efforts to find a peaceful solution and to avoid violence, the United Nations, acting on its own, will be unable to perform miracles. Developments taking place in South Africa have been encouraging. The very active and high-level role currently being played by the United Nations in facilitating the cessation of political violence and the promotion of negotiations to establish a democratic and non-racial State in South Africa is commendable. My Government also commends the African National Congress (ANC) and the Government of South Africa for their positive attitude towards working out the details of the multi-party elections. In this connection, the recent agreement to set up a multi-party Transitional Executive Council is a welcome development. We feel that the end of the era of apartheid, which is an affront to human dignity, is imminent. In this context, we urge all parties concerned to refrain from violence and actions that would subvert the peace process. It is our hope that when we meet here in New York next year we shall have amongst us the true representatives of the South African people and that this Organization will be able to benefit from their experience and knowledge. Forty-eighth session - 4 October l993 31 The Arab-Israeli peace talks that began in 1991 have made remarkable progress. The signing of the declarations of principles by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel in Washington last month was an historic event. In this context, I should like to express to the PLO and the people of Palestine our admiration for their courage and their determination to find a comprehensive and peaceful solution to the question of Palestine. The Maldives pays tribute also to the Government of the United States of America and other Governments involved for the important role they are playing in the Middle East peace talks. It is our earnest hope that this agreement will lead to the restoration of the inalienable right of the Palestine people to self-determination, sovereign independence and the establishment of a national homeland on their own soil. The tragic consequences of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait are still a matter of serious concern to the international community. All outstanding issues, such as the border dispute and the release of Kuwaiti and third-country prisoners still being held in Iraqi jails, should be settled immediately. The resolution of these issues, in conformity with international law and practice, will contribute to the elimination of tension and to the restoration of security and stability in the region. In this regard, the Government of Maldives welcomes the completion of the work of the Iraq-Kuwait Boundary Demarcation Commission and the endorsement of the report of this Commission by the Security Council. We also feel that Kuwait’s acceptance of the Commission’s report is a very positive step indicative of that country’s eagerness and sincerity in its attitude towards a comprehensive solution. The Government of Maldives urges Iraq to adopt an equally positive attitude in the interests of peace, security and stability. In June this year the international community came together at the second World Conference on Human Rights to review and assess progress and setbacks in the area of human rights since the adoption of the Universal Declaration in 1948. I am happy that we were able to make considerable progress in several key areas. We believe that some of the achievements of this Conference will give new impetus to the promotion of human rights throughout the world. However, we all need to be very realistic in addressing this very important issue. The international community should not let the promotion of human rights be used by a few as an excuse for imposing uniformity in human behaviour and thinking, at the expense of diversity. Rather, it should emphasize the significance of the universality of human rights. We know only too well the fate of societies that try to impose uniform thinking and behaviour on their peoples. Differences between individuals and societies should be valued. Such diversity enriches our family of nations. The Government of Maldives has always attached great importance to disarmament and international peace and security. It is our firm belief that the production and stockpiling of armaments will only worsen the security of the entire world. In this regard, Maldives calls upon the international community not to lose the current momentum towards disarmament. We therefore urge the parties involved to continue to build upon past achievements, particularly in the elimination of weapons of mass destruction, the control of proliferation, the achievement of greater transparency in armaments and the negotiation of other confidence-building measures. Early this year, Maldives acceded to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction, and, today, on behalf of the Government of Maldives, I have signed the Convention. Maldives is not involved in the production and stockpiling of such weapons. My Government’s accession and signature therefore demonstrate our commitment to supporting all international efforts to eradicate such weaponry. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was one of the first international Treaties to which my country became a party after gaining its independence in 1965. Our commitment to this Treaty is unwavering because we fully realize the consequences of the proliferation of such weapons of mass destruction. My Government supports the indefinite extension of the Treaty beyond 1995. We believe that, within its framework, progress could be made in the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones and zones of peace, for which my Government reiterates its full support. We feel that the establishment of such zones will further contribute to the promotion of international peace and security. I also wish to express my Government’s unqualified support for the total eradication of all weapons of mass destruction, be it chemical, biological or nuclear, and to reiterate our call for the conclusion of effective agreements on a comprehensive ban on nuclear testing. In this connection, the Government of Maldives commends the United States for its unilateral decision to extend its moratorium on nuclear testing until the end of 1994. 32 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session The Charter of the United Nations recognizes the inherent rights of all States to self-defence. However, only a privileged few possess the ability to provide for their own security unilaterally. Small States which lack adequate financial resources for the acquisition of military equipment and face severe constraints in manpower are never in a position to provide suitably for their own security. Any attempt by small States to build their military capabilities up to a level of even near self-reliance would be a mere waste of resources. The United Nations remains the only guarantor of security for the small States. In the economic sphere, the world economy once again failed to meet the expected rate of growth. It continues to be characterized by deteriorating terms of trade for the developing countries and rising protectionism in developed countries. For decades the developing countries have sought a new world economic order that would eliminate the imbalances existing in the present system. However, little has been accomplished towards the attainment of this goal. The scientific and technological gap between the developing and the developed countries is becoming ever wider. The flow of official development assistance has declined as a result of the slow growth in the economies of the donor countries. The global arrangements and institutions established to manage economic relations between States have not been able to lift the world from its present depression. This failure has serious implications for the developing countries. In order to avoid disastrous consequences, we call for an early conclusion of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) that will set the tone for a future based on an open- trading system. The North-South dialogue must be reactivated on a new basis comprising common interests and benefits and shared responsibilities. Similarly, South-South cooperation must be intensified, allowing States to pool their resources and pursue concrete development efforts within the framework of collective self-reliance and continued support for open trading systems. The world cannot rise out of its economic disarray and be assured of stability until the North and the South can together work out a system that encourages closer economic relations and strengthens the North-South exchange. One particular concept that needs emphasis is the inseparability of development from the equitable sharing of its fruits and its responsibilities. This twofold aspect of development must be pursued at one and the same time and with equal intensity if development is to succeed. In this regard, let me reiterate my Government’s firm belief that sustainable development is the only way to guarantee continued life on this planet Earth. We need to accelerate our efforts to meet the commitments we made in Rio last year. We call on all States urgently to ratify the climate Convention and the bio-diversity Convention. My Government is proud to announce that it was one of the first to ratify both these Conventions. The establishment of the Commission on Sustainable Development is a welcome development. We commend the Commission for the very productive work accomplished at its first substantive session and hope that its future work will be of the same high standard. The preparatory work for the Global Conference for Small Island States on Sustainable Development and its Implications began during this year. My country, as a small island State, regards this Conference as a very important step in addressing and finding practical solutions to the unique problems facing us in our developmental efforts. We hope that the international community will continue to participate constructively in the preparatory process and will participate in the Conference itself. The responsibility that has been thrust upon us today is tremendous. The realization of the dreams of our peoples are in our hands. We cannot afford to be blind to the desires of our peoples to be better fed, to have safer drinking water, to have access to education and health-care needs and to be free from the prospect of nuclear holocaust and the dangers of environmental degradation. We cannot afford to be embroiled in the build-up of stockpiles of armaments and weapons of mass destruction while our economies are the main victims of these acquisitions for death and destruction. We should rise above all this and become more human in all our endeavours. I have no doubt that together we can actually achieve the better future that has been promised to us.