I have great pleasure, Sir, on behalf of the
Government of Cape Verde, in carrying out the
pleasant duty of extending to you our warmest
congratulations on your election to the
presidency of this thirty-seventh session of the
General Assembly. Your well-known statesmanlike
qualities and your experience in the diplomatic
arena are an earnest of the positive role which
we are confident you will play during your term
of office. We wish to express to your
predecessor, Mr. Kittani, our great appreciation
of the manner in which he carried out the onerous
duties involved in guiding the proceedings of the
thirty-sixth session, which dealt with problems
crucial to the future of the world. We should
like to take this opportunity also to wish Mr.
Perez de Cuellar every success in the performance
of his difficult task and to express to him our
appreciation of the efforts he has made since
taking office to reduce world tension, strengthen
the credibility of the Organization and
consolidate its foundations.
The decades which followed the founding of the
United Nations may be described as decades of
struggle for the application of one of its
fundamental principles: the right to
self-determination and independence of colonized
countries and peoples. It has been a titanic
struggle, on the scale of whole continents, a
struggle of whose results the United Nations can
well be proud.
The present international situation, marked by a
proliferation of sources of tension and armed
confrontation and also by a gradual return to
force as the primary instrument in international
relations, contains elements which pose a threat
to peace and impede the economic and social
development of peoples. The refusal to accept the
inexorable evolution of international relations
towards the strengthening of the links of
economic interdependence between the various
parts of the world and between different social
and political systems is undeniably the outcome
of the perpetuation of that situation. This
interdependence, which presupposes a global
effort to overcome the existing condition of
crisis, cannot be said to be compatible with the
specific interests of a particular country or
group of countries. More than ever before the
moral conscience of the peoples of the world
demands that relations of domination be replaced
once and for all by relations of co-operation,
force by dialogue and the risk of confrontation
by stability, security in international relations
and, finally, peace.
The Government of Cape Verde, for its part, is
sparing no effort to ensure the achievement of
these objectives, not only because they are in
keeping with the wishes of the people of Cape
Verde but also because it is convinced that to do
so is in the interests of the whole of mankind
and in accord with humanity's aspirations. The
Government of Cape Verde therefore bases its
actions on stubborn defense of the principles of
non-alignment and the Charter, the search for
fruitful co-operation with all peace-loving
nations and States which respect international
law, the promotion of domestic economic and
social development and the defense of all its
prerogatives of sovereignty and independence of
thought and action.
The African continent, which over the past few
decades has gradually found its way back to
sovereignty and independence, is today in the
grip of profound upheavals due to the delicate
stage in the evolution of its society and the
emancipation of its peoples. Those upheavals,
while reflecting an unshakeable will for change
and a persistent effort to meet the requirements
of the times, are nevertheless accompanied by
inhibitions and uncertainties, indicating the
limits and weaknesses of this movement, which is
on the rise, which is in progress now and which
should allow Africa to develop its potential and
guarantee its peoples the realization of their
most legitimate aspirations.
The economic crisis, which is particularly
affecting our continent, has made political
instability more likely, and this undermines the
basis of coordinated and integrated economic
development at the regional and sub-regional
levels. Situations of war or confrontation
between States of the continent undermine
confidence between our peoples, jeopardize
African unity and facilitate external
interference, threatening our sovereignty and
independence, which were won at such cost.
Among the crucial problems affecting the southern
part of the African continent, the question of
Namibia and the persistence of apartheid in South
Africa have an important place, because of their
implications for Africa and for the world. In
spite of the persistent efforts of the
international community, reflected in the many
Security Council resolutions and in the positions
taken by the non-aligned movement and by the
Organization of African Unity, Namibia continues
to be occupied by South Africa. Recent
initiatives to promote the application of
Security Council resolution 435 (1978) have
encountered difficulties of all kinds, including
delaying tactics by South Africa, intended not
only to create conditions favorable to a
conditional independence but also to destabilize
neighboring sovereign States. We hope that the
current talks on the question will soon produce
results, finally permitting the Namibian people
to be masters of their own destiny and to occupy
their proper place in the Assembly.
The independence of Namibia is the collective
responsibility of all the States Members of the
United Nations. We should therefore substantially
increase our support for the South West Africa
People's Organization, for the valiant Namibian
freedom fighters and for the front-line
States—particularly the People's Republic of
Angola, which has spared no effort and has shrunk
from no sacrifice—so that our duty and
responsibility towards the Namibian people shall
not be thwarted by South Africa.
The final declaration of the recent conference of
heads of State of Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-
Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe,
held in Praia, Cape Verde, on 21 and 22 September
this year, stated that making Namibia's
independence conditional on the withdrawal of
Cuban forces from Angola constituted flagrant
interference in the internal affairs of a State
Member of the United Nations and was contrary to
the spirit and the letter of resolution 435
(1978). Similarly, destabilization measures taken
against the front-line States, designed to deter
them from giving decisive support to the
liberation of Namibia, undeniably reflect a
desire to perpetuate colonial domination over
that Territory.
No one can any longer doubt that South Africa is
directing, financing and materially supporting a
large-scale destabilization operation against the
whole southern region of the African continent,
with particular emphasis on the People's Republic
of Angola and the People's Republic of
Mozambique. Since its independence in 1975 the
People's Republic of Angola has never known
peace. Its wish to bring about its development
and its efforts to reconstruct the country have
been systematically thwarted by the criminal
actions of the troops of the South African racist
regime, which have been invading and destroying
that country on various pretexts.
We flatly reject the avowed encouragement of, and
support for, the armed gangs that operate on
Mozambique territory in order to create a climate
of permanent instability. That action constitutes
a flagrant violation of the most elementary norms
governing coexistence between nations.
The inhuman system of apartheid is becoming ever
more arrogant and aggressive. Acts repugnant to
the conscience of mankind continue to be carried
out under it, and its constitutes an intolerable
defiance of the repeated decisions of, and
constant appeals from, the United Nations system.
In North Africa a fratricidal war is still going
on. Apart from its destruction of human life and
property, it threatens, by its very scale, peace
and security in the region. I am speaking of the
conflict between the Sahraoui Arab Democratic
Republic and the Kingdom of Morocco. In spite of
the difficulties in resolving the conflict within
the framework of the OAU, the need to bring about
a cease-fire and to bring the two parties to the
negotiating table, in accordance with the
relevant resolutions of the OAU and the United
Nations, has become urgent. The fact that the
Sahraoui Arab Democratic Republic is today
recognized by almost a third of the members of
the international community shows the justice of
its struggle and the international support
enjoyed by the Sahraoui people.
The situation of the OAU today well illustrates
the dangers now threatening international
organizations which serve as instruments for the
liberation and emancipation of peoples. The
paralysis of and the explosive situation in the
OAU are reflections of the deliberate offensive
undertaken by forces which are counting on
splitting Africa and thus weakening it, with the
obvious goal of consolidating foreign interest in
the continent, strengthening the apartheid regime
and impeding the consolidation of the
independence of African States.
However, we are convinced that the moves at
present being undertaken will bring about a
resumption of dialogue and the beginnings of a
solution which would preserve the cohesiveness
and effectiveness of our continental
organization, because the survival of the OAU is
without any doubt of capital importance for all
the African States and peoples.
The problems that must be confronted by the OAU
have a varying impact, but they also have an
effect on the collective security of mankind and
on other international organizations, including
the United Nations itself.
We note with apprehension the undesirable
tendency to relegate the United Nations to a
secondary role in the resolution of conflicts and
when it is a matter of defusing tensions which
endanger world peace and security. Indeed, the
resolutions and recommendations of the supreme
organs of the Organization have been
systematically ignored; instead, what we have
seen are accomplished and the use of force. Acts
of this kind impede the just and final settlement
of conflicts by keeping them latent, and this in
turn makes them chronic and periodically
explosive. The United Nations and the principles
on which it is founded are the fruit of the
undeniable moral progress of mankind and
therefore provide the appropriate and reliable
framework for the just solutions of the conflicts
which plague us.
The Secretary-General, in the thorough and
courageous report on the work of the
Organization, devoted a large part of his text to
an assessment of the functioning of the
Organization and the denunciation of situations
and attitudes which reduce its effectiveness. His
analysis should give considerable food for
thought to all Member States which believe in the
unique and irreplaceable role of the United
Nations in the defense and promotion of
international peace and security. For small
countries like my own whose military capacity is
merely symbolic compared with the vast
destructive power accumulated by the great
Powers, the effectiveness of and strict respect
for international law and United Nations
decisions are of vital importance, because our
survival depends on recourse to dialogue to
resolve conflicts between States.
In this sense, and in keeping with the concern
expressed by the Secretary-General in his report,
my Government supports all initiatives designed
to strengthen the effectiveness of the United
Nations, which is the forum par for concerted
work and collective action for the maintenance of
peace and security.
Over the past few months we have witnessed
unprecedented exacerbation of the Middle East
crisis because of the aggression against and
occupation of Lebanese territory, as well as the
massacre of civilians carried out by Israeli
troops in a vain attempt to drown the Palestinian
people in blood and crush their heroic
resistance. We reaffirm our conviction that it
will be possible to reach a final solution only
when Israel withdraws from all the Arab
territories occupied since 1967, including
Jerusalem, and with the participation of the PLO,
the sole legitimate representative of the
Palestinian people, on an equal footing with all
the otherparties concerned, in all negotiations
on the solution of the Middle East problem.
We wish to pay a sincere tribute to the
progressive forces in Lebanon and the freedom
fighters of the PLO. Through their heroism and
their sense of dignity they have increased the
stature of the Arab nation and proved, with the
blood of its martyrs, t'<at peace in this region
will be possible only when the Palestinian people
are able to exercise their inalienable national
rights, including the right to establish their
own State.
The United Nations, in keeping with the
initiatives of the non-aligned movement and the
Organization of the Islamic Conference in
particular, should persist in its efforts to put
an end to the Iraqi-Iranian war, promote the
establishment of peace and bring stability to
this area.
Similarly, in South-East Asia, efforts must be
made to establish a climate of peace and
good-neighborliness.
In East Timor the occupying Power has not
succeeded in stifling the aspirations of the
Maubere people to independence and dignity. We
remain convinced that the international community
cannot tolerate a situation in which the politics
of accommodation is raised to the status of law,
and will assist the heroic people of East Timor
in its struggle for self- determination and
independence, under the leadership of the Frente
Revolucionaria de Timor Leste Independente, its
sole legitimate representative.
The international community, and in particular
Portugal, as administering Power, should continue
their efforts to mobilize all possible resources
to ensure that the Indonesian occupation forces
withdraw immediately from the Territory of East
Timor. The international community should not
tolerate a situation in which selfish interests
and agreements replace honor, morality and law,
thus denying by force of arms the political and
cultural identity of a whole people which has
proved that it is ready to make the supreme
sacrifice to liberate its homeland.
The persistence of other crisis situations in the
world in no way contributes to the attainment of
the noble goals of the Organization in Cyprus, we
still await a solution which would preserve the
rights of the two communities and the unity,
territorial integrity and sovereignty of that
non-aligned country.
In Afghanistan, respect for the right of the
Afghan people freely to choose its own destiny
should promote the restoration of stability and
permit that people to continue its work of
building a prosperous society.
The situation in the Indian Ocean region
continues to arouse the greatest concern,
particularly among the coastal countries.
Everything possible should be done within the
United Nations to transform the Indian Ocean into
a zone of peace, in keeping with the aspirations
of these countries and the wishes of the
international community at large.
Similarly, the heroic Korean people has been
persevering in its efforts to bring about the
peaceful reunification of its country. To ensure
the exercise of this legitimate right concrete
measures must be taken, in accordance with the
principles and recommendations of the non-aligned
movement, in particular those concerning the
replacement of the armistice agreement by a peace
agreement, non-interference in internal affairs
and the complete withdrawal of foreign troops
from Korean territory. We believe that these
conditions must be met if the peaceful
reunification of Korea is to be achieved and true
national unity established.
In Central America there continue to persist
alarming situations which contradict the most
elementary norms of international law and
constitute defiance of the objectives of the
Charter.
The arms race, which is reactivating the policy
of confrontation and tension, and which
engendered the cold war, is undermining the
principles laid down in the Charter and its noble
ideals of peace, justice and progress. At its
twelfth special session the General Assembly
found that the development of the situation since
1978 had not met the hopes aroused at its tenth
special session. Indeed the Programme of Action
contained in the Final Document of the Tenth
Special Session of the General Assembly remains
largely unimplemented. Although some progress has
been achieved in negotiations, we cannot but note
that the arms race, and in particular the nuclear
arms race, has assumed dangerous proportions, and
military expenditures have increased
considerably. We subscribe whole-heartedly to the
conclusions of the twelfth special session on
disarmament and support the comprehensive
programme of disarmament drafted by the General
Assembly at that session, which constitutes an
important step towards general and complete
disarmament under international control.
If they are to be lasting, international peace
and security cannot be built upon the
accumulation of arms; nor can they be maintained
through the precarious balance of deterrence or
doctrines based on strategic supremacy. We
continue to believe that the creation of
conditions favorable to disarmament and the
strengthening of peaceful coexistence, together
with a global development effort, are the key to
the collective security of the world.
Cape Verde, whose foreign policy is based on
non-alignment, will continue to work for the
implementation of the principles proclaimed by
the United Nations, an essential task of the
present time that is the responsibility and
indeed the duty of all States represented here.
The various elements of the international
situation are so closely interconnected that a
realistic analysis of the present situation must
be global in nature. In any ease, the concept of
peace cannot possibly be dissociated from the
equality of nations, the independence and
sovereignty of all States and the right to the
social and economic development of the world's
peoples.
We cannot claim to be working for peace in the
world as long as there are people living under
subhuman conditions. It is in this context that
we wish to express our concern at the evolution
of the international economic situation marked by
a generalized crisis which further exacerbates
the present injustice of the international
economic order. Inflation, high interest rates,
protectionism, unemployment, the reduction and
indeed the dislocation of economic growth and
economic activities are all factors that have a
dangerous impact on developing countries.
Although the present situation entails a serious
risk of driving the international economic system
towards uncontrollable imbalance, there are some
who see in this an additional reason not to
embark on genuine negotiations, sartorially or
globally, with the developing countries and thus
disregard the interdependence of the economies of
the North and the South. Furthermore this fails
to take account of the fact that collective
security can be achieved only through an adequate
response to the unjust situation created by
current international economic relations and the
persistence of a framework of economic relations
dating from colonial times.
No one can remain indifferent to the
international economic crisis—certainly not those
who are suffering most severely from its effects
and whose development has been severely thwarted
by this crisis. That is why we note with
apprehension the delay in opening global
negotiations and implementing the International
Development Strategy for the Third United Nations
Development Decade. The wish of the developing
countries to start global negotiations in
accordance with General Assembly resolution
34/138, which was adopted by consensus, stems
from the fact that for them these negotiations
are by no means futile initiatives. On the
contrary, they have to be reflected in tangible
results, in an improvement of their standard of
living, particularly with regard to food, health,
education and culture and the restructuring of
international economic relations.
Recently we had occasion to note with great
concern the undermining of the conditions for the
realization of the objectives of international
economic cooperation for development. We should
like to stress particularly the relative decline
in the level of contributions to financial
institutions within the United Nations system,
especially UNDP, an agency that makes an
important contribution to developing countries.
In this regard we would recall the recent appeal
made in the Final Declaration of the Foreign
Ministers of the Group of 77 on the imperative
need to make a firm start on the strengthening of
multilateral economic co-operation.
Economic co-operation among developing countries
is an important factor in international economic
relations. This co-operation, which cannot be
viewed as an alternative to North-South
co-operation, was strengthened by the meetings in
Arusha, Buenos Aires and, most recently, Caracas.
We welcome the additional momentum given to this
co-operation through the Caracas Programme of
Action and at subsequent meetings.
One year ago we expressed the wish that the last
scheduled session for negotiations on the Third
United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea
should really be the final one. Today, after
several years of difficult negotiation, the
Conference has succeeded in adopting the
Convention it drafted. The adoption of the
Convention by a great majority of countries is an
important victory for the international community
and also represents an important step towards the
establishnent of a new legal regime governing the
oceans.
We believe that the Convention protects the
interests of all countries and represents an
instrument of justice, peace, development and
co-operation among States. Despite the complexity
of the subject- matter and of the various
interests involved, the text of the Convention
was negotiated by consensus and is the result of
the balance that proved possible among the
interests of each and every one. That is why we
hope that all countries will be able to sign the
Final Act and, if possible, sign the Convention
itself at the session of the Conference that is
scheduled for December.
We deplore any unilateral or multilateral
initiative aimed at exploiting the resources of
the sea-bed outside the framework negotiated at
the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of
the Sea.
Cape Verde belongs to the group of least
developed countries, which was the subject of the
Conference held last September in Paris. At that
Conference the Substantial New Programme of
Action for the 1980s for the Least Developed
Countries was adopted. We believe that the
Conference was a significant stage in the
difficult process of dialogue between the
countries of the North and of the South, and we
welcome the objectives set forth. The achievement
of those objectives will be a response to the
problems facing the least developed countries,
whose economic situation has deteriorated in
comparison not only with the rich countries but
also with the developing countries.
We hope that the strengthening of selfish
nationalism and the deterioration in
international economic relations will not become
serious obstacles to the implementation of the
decisions of the Paris Conference.
Cape Verde, with the support of UNDP and pursuant
to the decisions of the Paris Conference,
organized a round table with its partners in
development from 21 to 23 June, at Praia. This
meeting helped not only to reconcile my country's
needs with what its partners could offer, but
also to explore procedures making possible a
tangible improvement in the effectiveness of
official development assistance for Cape Verde.
The head of Government of the Republic of Cape
Verde, in opening the discussions at the round
table, established a framework for this work and
described our concept of development, in the
following terms:
"The option of development in independence and
dignity is a strictly national option. We are
sure that the people of Cape Verde alone can
provide the driving force for their own progress
and we are determined to take up our self-imposed
task in a responsible and consistent manner.
"Nevertheless, in view of the scanty means
available to us for remedying our difficult
economic situation, it would be impossible for us
to overcome our current problems and build a
viable economy without the firm and programmed
support of the international community.
"Accordingly, we do not perceive external aid
merely as a means of alleviating the tragic
burden of the colonial legacy, or mitigating the
effects of recurring crises, or binding our
wounds in emergencies. We see it, at the present
stage of our economic and social development, as
something stable, programmed and rationalized,
adjusted to the imperatives, arising from the
process of establishing viable productive
structures for our country."
It is within this framework of mutual
responsibility, not to say collective
responsibility, that we believe that actions to
permit our people to enjoy their right to food,
education, health and justice should find their
proper place.
Consequently Cape Verde attaches great importance
to dialogue and co-operative efforts, with due
respect for the choice of each of us in resolving
problems connected with official development
assistance which, in our view, must be
predictable, guaranteed and adapted to the real
needs and development options of our country.
We think that the international community should
concern itself with improving the modalities of
assistance, in order to facilitate disbursements
and to make external aid a real support for the
efforts of our peoples to transform the harsh
circumstances they have to overcome. Apart from
the adverse effects of the international economic
situation, Cape Verde must also deal with a
series of unfavorable circumstances, such as the
lack of productive structures, and the existence
of such natural handicaps as the fact of being an
island with a mountainous terrain and, above all,
drought, which this year again has left my
country severely stricken and led to the loss of
almost all our crops.
I should therefore like to take this opportunity
to thank, on behalf of the Government and the
people of Cape Verde, all those who continue to
help relieve the heavy burden of underdevelopment
inherited from the colonial period and worsened
by natural catastrophes.
Cape Verde attaches particular importance to the
Permanent Inter-State Committee on Drought
Control in the Sahel, of which the President of
the Republic of Cape Verde, Mr. Aristides
Pereira, is the current Chairman. The efforts of
the member countries of this Committee to fight
against the scourge of drought are well known to
the international community. Nevertheless, we
must recognize that these efforts are not
sufficient, in the light of the disastrous
effects of natural catastrophes, particularly in
terms of the steady deterioration of the soil of
a group of countries which are regarded as among
the most impoverished on our planet. Consequently
we are confident that the international community
will not neglect to strengthen its assistance to
the peoples of the Sahel, who are involved in an
arduous struggle to safeguard their food and
their development.
Despite the deadly conflicts, endless crises and
continuing supply threats afflicting mankind, we
can see real progress in some areas. That fact,
together with our confidence in man and in his
capacity to overcome his weaknesses, give us the
hope and the conviction that the international
community will find ways and means of eliminating
the nuclear threat, transforming the system of
unjust relations which prevails today in the
world, enabling the most impoverished to achieve
their aspirations, and bringing peace and
progress with justice.
It is therefore a matter of urgency that the
ability of the United Nations to take action be
strengthened and that the implementation of its
decisions and recommendations by all Member
States be assured. Relations among peoples, based
on a new concept of moral, political and legal
phenomena, will be increasingly in keeping with
mankind's ambitions, will make a contribution to
its emancipation and will guarantee the
ever-growing role of the United Nations system.
In conclusion, we should like to express our hope
that the work of this thirty-seventh session will
fulfil the expectations of the international
community, and especially of those whose right to
live in freedom and dignity has been infringed.