Tanzania

Please permit me, Sir, at the outset, to offer my sincere congratulations to you on your election to the Presidency of the fifty-second session of the General Assembly. In the same vein, our congratulations are directed to the members of the Bureau on their election. I wish to assure you of the full cooperation of my delegation in the discharge of this heavy responsibility entrusted to you. I would also like to express my thanks to Ambassador Razali Ismail of Malaysia for the able manner in which he discharged his responsibilities during his Presidency of the last session. At this juncture, I would like to pay a special tribute to Mr. Kofi Annan for his deserved election as Secretary-General of the United Nations and for the able manner in which he is carrying out his responsibilities. Looking at the agenda of this meeting, it is an historic meeting of the General Assembly and you, Sir, will be remembered for many years to come. Personally, I feel proud and privileged to be associated with this meeting. Last year, here in New York, members of the Group of 77 and China elected my country, Tanzania, to the chairmanship of the Group. The last nine months or so in that post have been a very exciting and challenging experience for me and my colleagues at our Mission to the United Nations and for the entire Government of the United Republic of Tanzania. We have been involved in several meetings, debates and negotiations on behalf of the Group. I am glad to say that, despite some setbacks, notable success and progress have been made in all our endeavours. All this was made possible through the cooperation, support and, above all, teamwork of all members of the Group. We thank all members for their support. Two years ago, world leaders met here to celebrate 50 years of the existence of the United Nations. Besides taking stock of the progress made and the lessons learned, the Heads of State or Government endeavoured to chart the institutional framework and operational parameters that could enhance the Organization's relevance and effectiveness in a changed international environment. In this context, apart from the Organization's traditional roles of maintaining international peace and security and providing humanitarian assistance, it was also found essential to place development cooperation issues at the centre of United Nations activities. The United Nations itself needed to undertake appropriate reform measures so that it would be better able to deal with the challenges of the new global economy. To facilitate the reform process in the socio- economic field, developing countries participated actively and effectively in work on the Agenda for Development to ensure the successful conclusion of the negotiations of this important process. These negotiations were completed in June 1997, and I should like to commend the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group of the General Assembly on this issue for its good work. Building on the outcome of recent United Nations conferences and other relevant agreements, the Agenda for Development underscores that sustained economic growth is essential to the economic and social development of all countries, in particular developing countries. While acknowledging the importance of national policies and measures in the development process, the Agenda for Development calls for action towards a dynamic and enabling international economic environment, including such aspects as an open, rule- based, equitable, secure, non-discriminatory, transparent and predictable multilateral trading system and the promotion of investment and the transfer of technology and knowledge. Additionally, the Agenda calls for enhanced international cooperation in the mobilization and provision of financial resources for development. It also underscores the need for an effective, equitable, development-oriented and durable solution to the external 21 debt and debt-servicing problems of the developing countries. Many developing countries are not able to benefit from the twin processes of the liberalization and the globalization of the world economy. These processes benefit some countries while causing instability and marginalization in others, particularly in developing countries. The least-developed countries face the greatest risk of further marginalization. This is why they continue to demand that such uneven trends be addressed, and that the World Trade Organization and other related international organizations adopt specific and concrete measures to mitigate the adverse effects arising from the implementation of the Uruguay Round agreements. These measures must include long-term financial and technical support, the transfer of technology, and the improvement of the trade performance of the developing countries. It is also necessary to ensure full and effective participation of the developing countries in the international economic decision- making processes. Concerning financial flows, it is imperative to reverse the overall decline in official development assistance and to achieve the agreed target of 0.7 per cent by the turn of the century. We appeal to developed countries to reaffirm their commitments to meet this target. Other sources of concessional external financial assistance should also be strengthened to enable them without conditionalities to increase resources for disbursement in support of the developing countries. In addition to official development assistance and multilateral assistance, the growth in foreign direct investment in developing countries is of particular importance. However, foreign direct investment portfolio flows are going to very few developing countries, those which are already growing fast; very little, or none, is going to the least-developed countries. For example, Africa has received only a small proportion of the total net private flows, despite extensive reforms that continue to be undertaken. The challenge to the international community in this respect is to ensure that adequate capital and investment flows also reach the least-developed countries so as to accelerate their pace of development. This could be done through, inter alia, the improvement of economic and social infrastructure in the least-developed countries. External indebtedness is one of the major obstacles to the development efforts of many developing countries. It is acknowledged that even with sound economic policies and with full appreciation of the debt-rescheduling arrangements in place, developing countries continue to face an unbearable debt-servicing burden. There is hence an urgent need for adopting durable solutions to external debt and debt-servicing problems, particularly those of the heavily indebted poor countries. More also needs to be done in terms of debt stock cancellation and forgiveness. We appreciate recent initiatives to reduce debts, both those within the Naples terms of the Paris Club, and those within the multilateral framework, such as the heavily indebted poor countries initiative of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. However, the criteria for eligibility should be more flexible to enable more countries to benefit from these arrangements. As it is now, it is almost a nightmare for a country to qualify in terms of conditionalities involved and the time it takes before reaping the first benefits after qualifying. It is like being so near yet so far. The debate on development is closely interlinked with that on the environment. In June this year, a special session of the Assembly was held to review and appraise the implementation of Agenda 21 five years on. It is regrettable that the special session came out with no concrete agreement or commitments on the cross-cutting issues of financial resources and technology transfer. For while it was possible to agree on follow-up action on some of the sectoral issues such as forests, energy, climate change, desertification, fresh water and others, lack of concrete agreement on issues related to financial resources and technology transfer militates against effective realization of the little that was agreed upon. In his statement at the special session on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, my President, His Excellency Mr. Benjamin William Mkapa, emphasized that all countries should rededicate themselves to the Rio Declaration in order to achieve the goals of sustained economic growth and sustainable development. He further stressed the need for creating a more conducive international economic environment, to enable developing countries to gain access to new and additional resources and technology on concessional and grant terms. I wish to reiterate that call today. Other major international conferences and world summits held since 1990 will also come up for review in the near future. It is our hope that a new spirit of international partnership in resolving the various socio- economic problems facing, particularly, developing countries will emerge and that international support for the implementation of the various programmes of these 22 conferences will continue to be provided by the international community. In recent years, South-South cooperation has evolved into an important modality for addressing the development needs of developing countries. We are convinced that South-South cooperation provides a sound basis for promoting economic growth and increasing technical capacities for acceleration of development in the developing countries. The Group of 77 and China pledge to intensify existing cooperation and solidarity among its members with a view to sharing development experiences and solving some of the development problems facing them. I agree with the Secretary-General that reform of the United Nations is not an event but a process. General Assembly resolution 50/227 and the Secretary-General's proposals provide a basis for the discussion of United Nations reforms. However, we strongly feel that emphasis should be placed on the overall policy thrust and mission of the Organization geared towards the strengthening of its economic role. Furthermore, institutions that deal with economic issues, such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the relevant Economic and Social Council bodies and regional commissions, should remain. They should also be strengthened to ensure that the development concerns of developing countries are taken fully into account. As for the reform of the Security Council, my country stands for more democratization and equity in this crucial organ of the United Nations. We stand for the expansion of its membership in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, with the additional members in the permanent category getting veto power. The expansion in both categories should include not only Japan and Germany, but also equitable representation of the developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. All reforms must be conducive to realizing the broad purposes and principles of the Charter and to improving the efficiency of the United Nations in all areas. They must also contribute to a more positive and effective United Nations role in promoting world peace and development, and meet the aspirations of developing countries. I am confident that we will be able to achieve a broad consensus as long as all of us engage in deliberations in good faith and with a readiness to consider all legitimate concerns. Tanzania appreciates the changes that have taken place in the area of disarmament. The threat of nuclear war may not at present manifest itself in the ideological confrontation of the past, but it has not gone away or receded. It is still with us, and we should guard against any complacency that we are any safer today. Nations still possess nuclear warheads, and new generations of these weapons are being manufactured. The total elimination of these weapons must continue to be the central purpose of our disarmament agenda. While nuclear weapons still pose a potentially grave threat to international peace and security, conventional ones have had a devastating effect, particularly in areas of conflict. Among these are anti-personnel landmines, which maim and kill the innocent, even long after war has ended. The effects of these weapons are evident all over the world, with their most violent manifestation in countries such as Angola, Cambodia, Mozambique and Bosnia. Tanzania has supported, and will continue to support, a worldwide ban of these weapons through the framework of the Ottawa process and looks forward to becoming an effective party to the instrument just concluded in Oslo, Norway. At the same time, we hope that the elimination of anti-personnel landmines will not be seen as an end in itself, but as part of the overall objective of eliminating other weapons, especially weapons of mass destruction. As the United Nations grapples with the challenges of peace and development, it is still faced with many political problems which need urgent resolution if humanity is to prosper. From Latin America and the Caribbean to Europe, from Asia to the Middle East and Africa, the United Nations is faced with the arduous task of promoting peace, democracy and good governance as the enduring pillars of development. We congratulate the people of Liberia for having conducted a successful democratic election, which, we hope, has ushered in a new era of peace in that country. Now, as they seek to regain their footing and begin the arduous task of national reconciliation, healing and economic reconstruction, they will need the support of the international community. At a time when Liberia is emerging from destruction and suffering, we are deeply concerned that Sierra Leone is sinking deeper into chaos at the expense of peace, development and democracy for that country. The Government of Tanzania has associated itself fully with the efforts made within the framework of the 23 Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to restore democracy and constitutional rule in Sierra Leone. Even at this late hour, we continue to hope that the Sierra Leonean military will realize the folly of their misadventure and agree to return their country to constitutional rule. In the meantime, the continuing efforts of the West African region, and Africa in general, merit expanded support so as to put an end to the destructive cycle of military coups in Sierra Leone. In Angola, we continue to be concerned by the manoeuvres of UNITA to stall the process of implementation of the Lusaka accords. Our concern is given added urgency by the steady degeneration of the situation in the country and the likelihood of a return to open hostilities and war, with all the destruction and suffering that portends for the people of that country. We urge UNITA to abandon its obstructionist policies and abide by the Lusaka peace accords. We hope the United Nations will remain engaged in Angola. The situation in the Great Lakes region remains precarious. The consequences of decades of misrule in some countries of the region have been horrendous in terms of suffering, war, death and lost opportunities to harness its great development potential. We regret that the situation in Burundi shows no sign of improvement. The military authorities have persisted in frustrating the efforts of the region within the framework of the Arusha initiative, under the chairmanship of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, to facilitate the process of political dialogue. Tanzania and the other countries of the region are persisting in their efforts because we believe there is no alternative to dialogue but war and more suffering for innocent civilians. The region has no other interest in Burundi but to help. At the regional level, meetings were held in Arusha on 4 September, and the leaders reiterated their commitment to the search for peace in Burundi and called upon the military authorities there to abandon the course of confrontation and seek dialogue and political accommodation with all elements in Burundi. The region has been categorical in restating that the Burundi authorities should be under no illusion that they can bury their heads in the sand or wish the problem away. They simply have to face reality and dutifully rise to the occasion. Certainly the region and the international community cannot leave them alone and allow them to lead the country into self-destruction and war, with all the attendant problems that creates for Burundi and its neighbours. I wish to appeal to the international community to continue assisting the region so that our goal of restarting the dialogue for peace in the country is achieved. In Rwanda, fortunately, the situation is steadily stabilizing, particularly after the return of most of its citizens, who had been coerced into a drifting life in exile as refugees. Yet the difficulties which face that country are enormous. The process of recovery from the immense moral, physical and spiritual effects of the 1994 genocide will be painful and slow. As Rwanda struggles to come to terms with the genocide, reconcile with itself and continue on the path of national healing and renewal, it needs our solidarity and support. With President Laurent Kabila's assumption of the leadership of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the process of returning to democratic rule has begun, albeit slowly. We realize that it will not be an easy or swift process, given the political rigidity and the policies of political exclusion to which that country was subjected for decades. We appreciate the enormity of the task of putting the country back on its feet, restoring Government institutions and setting out towards democratic recovery. Given this background, what the Government and people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo need most is solidarity, understanding and material support from the international community. The political problems of the Great Lakes have precipitated a grave humanitarian challenge as millions of people have been forced into a life of exile as refugees. This has placed an enormous burden on the countries of the region, including my own, which has had to shoulder it without commensurate resources. We appreciate the great work done by United Nations agencies and many humanitarian non-governmental organizations in terms of providing the much-needed assistance to the refugees. Indeed, without this support, the life of the refugees would have been most unbearable. Yet even with this much-appreciated assistance, the burden left to refugee- receiving States has been enormous. The economic, social, environmental and security consequences of hosting the refugees will have long-lasting effects from which these countries will continue to suffer even after the repatriation of the refugees has been completed. This raises the fundamental issue of assisting the asylum countries, not only to cope with the immediate task of meeting the needs of the refugees, but also with the long- term effects of hosting them. This aspect needs addressing. 24 Somalia may no longer be on our television screens or worthy of the news headlines, but it is still a problem which must not be forgotten. The country is still fragmented, and fighting among the factions in conflict is not yet over. There is a chance that through the Sodere initiative there may be some positive developments. The United Nations needs to continue associating itself closely with the efforts being expended by the Intergovernmental Authority for Drought and Development and the Organization of African Unity aimed at bringing durable peace to Somalia. In Western Sahara, too, we are concerned by the apparent freeze in the implementation of the settlement plan. As we reiterate our solidarity with the Frente POLISARIO, we express the hope that the initiatives of the representative of the Secretary-General, in the person of the former United States Secretary of State James Baker, will bear fruit and remove the prevailing political difficulties in the implementation of the settlement plan. Tanzania continues to follow closely the developments in the Middle East which now threaten peace in the area. In this regard, Tanzania reiterates its solidarity with the Palestinian people and calls upon the Palestinian and the Israeli authorities to persist in their efforts to consolidate dialogue and move forward in elaborating permanent arrangements for peace. We still believe that, ultimately, enduring peace in the region lies in the return of all the occupied Arab land and in the full enjoyment by the Palestinian people of its inalienable right to self- determination and independence, including the establishment of a homeland for themselves within internationally recognized boundaries. In conclusion, as we move into the new millennium, the world is still a place largely besieged by poverty and underdevelopment, conflict and war. The giant leaps of science and technology which have enabled humankind to explore outer space and to shrink the world into a global village have so far not been adequately and evenly channelled into meeting the compelling needs of the greater part humanity. The world will transit into the next millennium divided between those who are prosperous and at peace and those living in abject poverty and at war. Therefore, it must be the overriding objective of the United Nations to ensure that this disparity is overcome. The challenge that we must all face is to strengthen this Organization by unconditionally supporting it fully, politically and financially to enable it to serve humanity better.