Laos

In accordance with tradition, I take this opportunity to begin by congratulating the President most warmly on his assumption of the presidency of the fifty-second session of the United Nations General Assembly. His unanimous election, which has placed him in this highly responsible post in this important international arena, is a warm tribute to his country, Ukraine. I wish him every possible success in the discharge of his difficult duties. I would also like to congratulate his predecessor, Mr. Razali Ismail, Permanent Representative of Malaysia, 14 on his dynamic presidency during the last session of the General Assembly. The Lao delegation also wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Kofi Annan, our new Secretary-General, for his good work so far. His first nine months at the helm of our Organization have been a time of strenuous effort and resolute action aimed at reforming our universal Organization to make it more effective and better suited to meeting today’s challenges. To our new Secretary-General, we express our sincere wishes for success in shouldering his weighty and great responsibilities. The general trend towards dialogue and cooperation between States and peoples for the progress of humankind in this new era continues to characterize international relations. Clearly, we are delighted because on the whole this is highly positive. However, in several regions of the world we still witness persistent tension and conflict, due to interference in the internal affairs of States; the implementation of policies aimed at hegemony over developing States; and tribal, ethnic, religious and other divisions. This situation of tension and conflict is a potential threat to peaceful coexistence and harmony between States, and may even jeopardize the current atmosphere of international cooperation to promote development. In the interests of world peace, a sine qua non for the promotion of socio-economic development, we should work together patiently and resolutely, to find realistic and appropriate solutions as soon as possible. In Europe, the peace accords signed in Dayton on 14 December 1995 opened the door to resolving the painful and destructive conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We truly hope that the parties concerned will sincerely and strictly honour their commitments in order to preserve the fragile peace and cooperation in that region. In some African countries tribal and ethnic conflicts continue to rage, causing serious harm to their peoples. We express our sincere sympathy to the peoples of these countries over the untold suffering they have had to endure. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic considers it imperative that the international community, and in particular the countries concerned, redouble efforts to resolve these disputes as quickly as possible. In the Caribbean, multifaceted cooperation between the States of the region continues to grow, thus contributing to peace and security in that part of the world. In this context, it is time the United States of America made greater efforts and undertook reasonable negotiations with the Republic of Cuba to resolve their differences, in the interest of both the American and the Cuban peoples and in the interest of regional and global peace. In the Middle East, the establishment of the Palestinian Authority, in accordance with the Washington accords signed in 1993, marked a crucial stage in the search for a just and lasting solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, which dates back over 30 years. The peace process which had been set in motion is now confronting grave difficulties, as the recent violence clearly demonstrates. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic expresses its grave concern regarding this situation. We very much hope that the parties concerned — Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization — will show great wisdom, and even greater restraint, and will engage in serious negotiations to resolve their problem, thus contributing to restoring peace and stability to this sensitive region. In the Korean peninsula, the implementation by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the United States of America of agreements that had been concluded and the recent opening in New York of preliminary quadripartite talks on peace in Korea are important stages in the efforts to ease tension and confrontation in that region. In this context, the Lao Government and people, while welcoming the efforts of the parties concerned, express their unswerving support for the legitimate aspirations of the Korean people to live in peace and achieve the peaceful reunification of the Korean homeland. In South-East Asia, efforts to strengthen economic, cultural and other cooperation and improve the settlement of disputes by peaceful means are clearly priorities. The admission of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Myanmar as fully fledged members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) on 23 July last was a historic event of great significance. It is our firm hope that an ASEAN of 10 will become a reality in the near future and will contribute to strengthening our region, and making it more prosperous, in the interests of peace, stability and cooperation in Asia and the Pacific, and in the world at large. Another problem which has aroused international concern is the recent event in Cambodia. Fortunately, the current Government has been able to restore normality in accordance with the country’s legislative procedures. The international community, including the Lao People’s 15 Democratic Republic, continues to recognize and respect His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk as Head of State of Cambodia. It is our hope that all countries and the United Nations will also respect his royal authority. In the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, political stability continues to be solidly guaranteed. The multi- ethnic Lao people are living in solidarity and unity — a fact which ensures social harmony. In accordance with our Constitution, the fourth elections for the National Assembly will be held in mid-December. That election will once again demonstrate the fervent patriotic spirit of the Lao people and the development of its democracy towards the establishment of a State of law, a State of the people, by the people and for the people. In the economic sphere, implementation of the renewal policy, which began in 1986, has made it possible for our economy to experience sustained growth, with an annual rate for the past five years of approximately 7 per cent. Unfortunately, this year, my country suffered equally sizeable losses because of natural disasters and the repercussions of financial recession in South-East Asia. Nonetheless, cooperation between Laos and the international community remains very strong. Parallel with its admission to ASEAN, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic continues to strengthen its relations of bilateral cooperation with neighbouring countries in the region and in the world on the basis of the principles of equality and mutual interest. In order to ensure the sustained development of the national economy, the Lao Government has taken important measures to integrate its economy and its market with those of the region and of the world. This integration is of great benefit to national and foreign investors thanks to the country’s economic and other potential such as its geographical location, in relation to major regional markets, its transit role, its role as a supplier of hydroelectric power to neighbouring countries and export producer, using the country’s raw materials, and its innumerable natural tourist attractions. Following up its endeavours and successes of the last 10 years through the implementation of its renewal policy, the Lao Government firmly intends to continue its policy of developing the country on the basis of a market economy and broadening relations of cooperation with the international community. Its aim is to extricate the country from its state of underdevelopment by the year 2020 and to establish a preliminary basis for its gradual transformation into an industrialized, modern country under the slogan “Building a strong and prosperous country, ensuring the well-being of the people, forming a civilized and fair society”. The world economy is seeing some signs of growth. Nonetheless, this growth falls short of expectations. We witness growing inequalities between developing and developed countries. The international economic environment in terms of access to markets and financial resources granted on preferential terms for development purposes is, in general, in decline. Faced with this situation, the developed countries must spare no effort to take the necessary steps by coordinating their macroeconomic policies in order to bring about a recovery of the world economy thanks to a stronger liberalization of trade, which would contribute to establishing an international economic environment more favourable to development. The problem of drug abuse remains a subject of international concern. My country has taken many national and international measures with a view to contributing to the global effort to eradicate this scourge from the face of the earth. For the first time, in May, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic was unanimously elected a member of the important Commission on Narcotic Drugs by the Economic and Social Council. We are profoundly grateful to the international community for this demonstration of confidence and support and we will make every effort to discharge our responsibilities honourably. Last June, after over three years of hard work, the General Assembly adopted, without a vote, An Agenda for Development. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic is pleased at its adoption, which it regards as an important stage in the effort to build a real partnership between the developed and developing countries. The Agenda for Development, a highly valuable document, provides a foundation of principles, objectives, measures and actions which can serve as a guide to Member States in the global approach to development questions in the immediate and long term and at the national and international levels. That June, the General Assembly met in special session to review the implementation of Agenda 21 five years after the Rio Summit on environment and development. At the conclusion of that session, a follow- up programme on the implementation of Agenda 21 was adopted without a vote; the importance of that implementation, inter alia, to the eradication of poverty in the years to come was stressed. The international 16 community is therefore called on to exert every effort to strengthen cooperation to make this programme a reality. As we near the twenty-first century, the United Nations — the only universal multilateral body — has an important role to play in the consideration and management of international affairs. If it is to be commensurate with that task, our Organization must adapt to the new dynamic and complex world. In this context, we express our sincere gratitude to our Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for the important initiatives of his programme of reform, issued last July, which aim at reorganizing our global body in order to make it more flexible in its structure and more efficient in its actions. This very important programme generally tries to take the interests of Member States into account. In considering these questions, it is necessary to emphasize that any reform process must have the primary goal of strengthening the Organization’s capacities to promote social and economic development for all States, particularly the developing among them. At the same time, this promotion must be undertaken while addressing questions related to peacekeeping, human rights and humanitarian activities. It is on the basis of these essential criteria that we would wish to see the Organization reformed and revitalized and given an improved structure, a more democratic regime and a solid financial footing. If we do so, the United Nations will be able effectively to meet the new challenges of our times.