Nigeria

I am delighted to address the General Assembly in the year of its fiftieth anniversary. On behalf of the Nigerian delegation, I convey warm congratulations to the President on his election to preside over the General Assembly at its fiftieth session. We are confident that in carrying out his duties he will bring his wisdom, competence and diplomatic skills to bear on the work of the Assembly. We congratulate his friendly country, Portugal, and reaffirm the warmth of the bilateral relations between our two countries. Let me also convey our sincere thanks to his distinguished predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Amara Essy of Côte d’Ivoire, for the outstanding manner in which he conducted the affairs of the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session. I also wish to express my delegation’s appreciation to the Secretary-General for the courageous manner in which he is responding to the challenges of his office. The uniqueness of the current session is not lost on my delegation. It is not only a solemn occasion to reflect on the achievements and difficulties of our Organization during the past 50 years, but also a golden opportunity to chart a new way forward. We therefore hope that the work of this and future sessions of the General Assembly will continue to be inspired by the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. The establishment of the United Nations in the aftermath of the Second World War marked a turning point in the history of international relations. As an intergovernmental Organization whose principal tasks include the maintenance of international peace and security, the promotion of international cooperation for 7 development and the progressive development and codification of international law and respect for human rights, the United Nations best epitomizes the will of the peoples of the world to live together. We in Africa attach great importance to this fiftieth anniversary, as in 1945 the vast majority of our countries were not independent and therefore could not participate in the processes leading to the signing of the United Nations Charter in San Francisco. It is gratifying, however, that from being represented by only four countries on that occasion, Africa has since grown to be the largest regional group within the Organization. This is in accordance with the universalist aspirations of the United Nations. The phenomenal growth in membership evokes happy memories of the transition of a large number of Member States, particularly from Africa and Asia, from colonial dependencies to nationhood. For many years the United Nations was the catalyst in this process. Our continental organization, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), from its inception in 1963, similarly embraced this objective as a primary preoccupation. It was my country’s privilege to be associated at the regional and global levels with the struggle against apartheid and for freedom and self-determination on the continent. The United Nations is perhaps best known for its endeavours in the maintenance of international peace and security. This remains a major preoccupation, as events since the end of the Cold War have demonstrated that civil conflicts and political instability in many countries, particularly in the developing world, have become endemic, with grave consequences for international peace and security. These conflicts, which have their origins in, among other things, new nationalisms, ethnic differences and religious bigotry, constitute a test of the international community’s will to meet the new challenges and provide appropriate solutions. On this occasion, therefore, it is the hope of the Nigerian delegation that the Assembly will make sustained efforts to take decisions that will significantly enhance the prospects of global peace and security. We expect that further thought will be given to redefining the role of the United Nations and its perspectives on preventive diplomacy, peacemaking, peace-keeping and peace-building as continuing imperatives in crisis management and conflict resolution. Given that the maintenance of international peace and security is a shared responsibility, the United Nations should undertake to realign and strengthen its cooperation with regional organizations and arrangements. This is not to underestimate the need for Member States to make serious efforts to prevent war and civil conflict through confidence-building measures and the formulation and implementation of appropriate domestic policies. In this regard, we cannot but reaffirm the continuing validity of the peaceful resolution of disputes through mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement and respect for applicable international laws. We deplore the growing arms race and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, on which vast resources are now being wasted. The nuclear genie has left the bottle and cannot now be led back into it; the trauma of Hiroshima and Nagasaki persists and continues to haunt the international conscience. Let us therefore resolve that such a tragedy will never happen again. The time for disarmament under effective international control is now. Although progress towards the achievement of general and complete disarmament has been slow, we would like to commend the United Nations for its role in this sphere. Nigeria regards the agreements banning biological and chemical weapons as landmark arrangements. We must remain committed to the ultimate goal of the total elimination of all weapons of mass destruction. On its twenty-fifth anniversary, in May of this year, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was extended indefinitely. Developments since then have seriously undermined the confidence we have all reposed in the Treaty and its regime, and have regrettably cast major doubt on the commitment of Member States, particularly the nuclear Member States, to disarmament. In our view, efforts to achieve this must remain fundamental and include the conclusion of a comprehensive nuclear- test-ban treaty by 1996, the cut- off in the production of fissionable materials for weapons purposes, and the granting of security assurances by the nuclear-weapon States to non-nuclear-weapon States in a legally binding instrument. In our continuing efforts to ensure a peaceful and secure environment for the development of the African continent, Nigeria is delighted to welcome the successful completion of the negotiations on the Treaty of an African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, which was endorsed by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Council of Ministers in June 1995. By this action, African leaders 8 have given concrete expression to their collective commitment to make the continent a nuclear-weapon-free zone. It is our expectation that during this session the international community will respect this initiative through the endorsement of the Treaty. We hope that the nuclear- weapon States will ratify the protocols to be annexed to the Treaty. The framers of the Charter of the United Nations did, in fact, recognize that peace and development go together. Among the high purposes of our Organization is the promise of economic and social achievement by all peoples. To this end, a good deal of effort has been made by the United Nations and its agencies to support the implementation of programmes of action initiated by developing countries at national, subregional and regional levels. We commend these agencies for their efforts in tackling the problems of social and economic development. In discussing the general issue of development, we recognize the primacy of the United Nations in promoting international cooperation for development. It is in this connection that we have welcomed the contribution of the Secretary-General in his Agenda for Development. For us in Africa, development is a question of survival. We place a particular premium on it as we confront the challenges of poverty and underdevelopment. While the unsatisfactory economic situation of Africa has been the subject of many international conferences, the resulting programmes of action have remained largely unimplemented. Such programmes include the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development 1986-1990 and the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, adopted in 1991. The failure to implement these programmes has been due primarily to the lack of will and acceptance of a concept of economic interdependence by our development partners. Yet, it remains important that development should be seen as an integral and indivisible whole, an objective to be pursued collectively in the global economy. The economic crises confronting the developing countries are multifaceted. I would, however, like to stress the pre-eminent need for the international community to resolve the external-debt crisis, which is a key impediment to growth and development in our respective countries. Most African countries devote a large proportion of their foreign exchange earnings to debt-servicing. It has, therefore, been difficult for these countries to also pursue sustained economic development objectives. It is clear that Nigeria — as, indeed, most other countries of our continent — faces limited possibilities for the implementation of their economic reform programmes without urgent and adequate debt-relief measures. We believe that development cooperation should engender genuine interdependence, mutual interest and benefits in the context of global partnership. In the expectation that the developed countries will support and indeed assist the developing countries in their development efforts, we call for fuller cooperation between the two sides. The initiative to hold the Asia- Africa Forum in Bandung, Indonesia, in December 1994, as a follow-up to the Tokyo International Conference for the Development of Africa, was bold and imaginative. The conclusions and recommendations of these initiatives, which are also critical, need to be faithfully implemented. The integrated approach to development being pursued by the United Nations is right and deserves to be commended. In this regard, we welcome the outcome of the recently concluded World Summit for Social Development and Fourth World Conference on Women. These conferences have helped to promote women in development and to enhance their role in public affairs. We acknowledge the interdependence of societies as underscored by these conferences, and the fact that all cultures have a contribution to make at the crossroads of civilization and development. While recognizing the achievements of the United Nations, it is fit and proper, at this point, to identify also those areas in which the Organization has not fully realized its objectives. On peace and security, it should be acknowledged that the United Nations has a commendable record of success. Since its founding, it is significant that there has been no global war and that the end of the cold war has enhanced the prospects for cooperation and the lessening of tension. However, new conflicts have emerged which have defied solution by the United Nations. It is evident that the challenges of peacemaking, peace-keeping and peace-building require new perspectives and commitments from Member States. Moreover, while seeking to provide solutions to these conflicts, the United Nations must accept that it has a limit to its capacity. It should, therefore, not micromanage the internal political arrangements of countries in conflict. It is equally important that the United Nations be seen to be transparent and even-handed in crisis management in all regions. Furthermore, the United Nations should do more 9 to cultivate and cooperate with regional organizations and arrangements in conflict resolution. On decolonization, the balance sheet of the United Nations performance is largely positive. However, the legacies of colonialism and the challenges of nation- building have created difficulties for new States. These difficulties have resulted in the inability of many of the new States of the developing world to conduct their domestic and external relations in a manner consistent with the provisions of the Charter. The experience of a number of these States indicates that powerful members of the international community continue to insist on their models as standards for universal behaviour and application. The political and economic lives of the new States are further circumscribed by international financial institutions dominated by the economically strong. These institutions, which are as old as our Organization, have yet to adapt to the new economic realities and needs of the new States they seek to serve. With regard to development, the objectives of the Charter have remained largely unfulfilled in view of the growing economic disparities between a minority of developed countries and the vast majority of countries which are classified as developing. Regrettably, dialogue between the North and the South, which is vital to effectively address this imbalance, has reached a deadlock. This dialogue needs to be relaunched in order to achieve a just and equitable world order for sustainable development. Since joining the United Nations 35 years ago, Nigeria has played its part in upholding the purposes and principles set forth in the United Nations Charter. It has also pursued its objectives with dedication and commitment. From decolonization to peace-keeping, we have spared neither efforts nor resources in fulfilling our obligations under the Charter. Our record in peace-keeping speaks for itself. Within the ambit of South-South cooperation, Nigeria has extended assistance to other developing countries, particularly in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. In our subregion, we are in active partnership with the countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to accelerate development through cooperation. It is our hope that ECOWAS will become an essential component for continental integration as envisaged under the Abuja Treaty on the African Economic Community. To avoid any doubt, I wish to state that we in Africa have long accepted that the primary responsibility for the development of our continent rests squarely on our shoulders. But the reality of our experience is that we have had to fight on the two fronts of political and economic reforms at the same time. Few regions of the world have borne such excruciating burdens in their development process. This calls for understanding and encouragement rather than indifference and benign neglect. Consequently, in addition to regional integration efforts, we in Nigeria have undertaken bold economic and political reforms. On the economic front, the current Administration in Nigeria has deregulated the economy and created new incentives for domestic and foreign investments. On the political plane, Nigeria has embarked on courageous reforms. In spite of unforeseen difficulties and the complexities of the Nigerian situation, we have continued to make steady progress in our determined efforts to establish a veritable and enduring democratic polity. Indeed, only three days ago my Head of State, General Sani Abacha, announced a comprehensive programme of transition to democratic rule and the final disengagement of the military from power. This programme was carefully drawn up taking into account the objective realities of our national situation to ensure not only an orderly transition, but also the institutionalization of durable democratic structures of governance at all levels. While we recognize and appreciate the understandable concerns of our foreign friends and the international community at large, we hope that due support will be given to our endeavour in the full realization that a democratic Nigeria, the most populous black nation on Earth, is an asset to itself and has much to offer the international community. In order that the United Nations might be better equipped to discharge its responsibility as a forum for harmonizing the actions of nations, it is essential that the ongoing process of revitalization and institutional reforms be intensified. This is necessary if the United Nations is to assert its central role in the establishment of a new world order. It is also vital if the United Nations is to truly reflect the equity and geographical balance that are critical for its efficiency and authority. Nigeria, therefore, reaffirms its support for the expansion of the Security Council both in its permanent and in its non-permanent membership and, in this connection, my delegation renews the offer made by our country to serve the international community as a permanent member in the expanded Security Council. 10 As we look to the future, it is obvious that the effectiveness of the United Nations will depend on the collective will and support of its entire membership. There are two levels of responsibility in ensuring a strong and vibrant United Nations. The first is what the United Nations itself must do; the second, and more important, is what we the Member States accept to do to enable the Organization to respond effectively to our collective quest for peace, freedom, justice and development. In pursuit of these objectives, Nigeria is determined to continue making its contributions.