Liberia

I have the honour to present my personal compliments to His Excellency Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko and to wish him every success during his presidency. 24 I have the honour also to deliver the address of His Excellency Mr. Charles Ghankay Taylor, President of the Republic of Liberia, who regrettably cannot be here today. The text of his address reads as follows: “At the outset, I wish to convey sincere greetings, on behalf of the Government and people of Liberia and in my own name. We are here today, having endured and survived a severe civil crisis of nearly a decade, through the acute consciousness of our subregion, whose empathy with Liberia’s plight created and orchestrated a mechanism to prevent us from self-destruction. And we stand no less indebted to a sea of humanitarian outreach through the international community, most notably the European Union (EU) and the United States; but absolutely, as a living testimony to God Almighty, whose compassionate will has removed the hand of evil from the activities of our nation. “Indeed, we are here because Liberia has stood the test of time and the full assault of hardship. Today, one added voice of a sovereign State of Africa — and an original Charter Member of this Organization — is being heard through its constituted Head of Government, which we symbolize, and for which we give all glory to God. “It is my pleasure to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko on his election to the presidency of this fifty-second session of the General Assembly. To this we add our best wishes for his success in meeting the challenges of this awesome assignment. Also, it is befitting that we extend our thanks to his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Razali Ismail, whose tenure was characterized by a resolute commitment to finding solutions to the many issues which impacted the proceedings of the fifty-first session. “I wish also to seize this opportunity to commend, on behalf of the Government and people of Liberia, Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Already, he has demonstrated that he understands the problems which afflict Africa, his native continent, and that his leadership is not confined to the accomplishments which he earned as a son of Ghana. Day by day, glimpses of his ability as an effective spokesman for all mankind are being made clearly visible. Permit me to also pay special honour to the former Secretary- General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, whose sense of purpose and invaluable efforts to strengthen the role of the Organization in the pursuit of international peace and security have brought benefits to mankind. We stand convinced that the patience he exercised and the many initiatives and the personal commitment he injected into the search for peace and understanding during his tenure deserve appropriate commendation by this Organization. “The establishment of the United Nations over five decades ago marked the beginning of a new era in international relations. The adoption of its Charter, a document of pride and durability, which Liberia helped to formulate, instituted a working system of international cooperation. Thus, nations are resolved to eradicate the scourge of war; to strengthen peace through justice and international law; to respect the equal rights of all nations — large and small; to promote social progress and to protect human rights throughout the world. We wish to reaffirm our avowed faith in the United Nations, and we retain the undiminished hope that this Organization will continue to be a veritable instrument for the good conduct of relations among all nation States. In so asserting our firm commitment to its ideals, we, therefore, rededicate ourselves to its objectives. Indeed, from nearly every perspective, this Organization continues to cater to the common aspirations of the international community. Today, with its increased image as a centre for harmonization, the vision of its Charter Members has expanded across its original spectrum of engagement. “Accordingly, as one of its visionaries who actively participated in its creation, we felt it propitious that — despite our recent civil conflict and its heart-rending accounts — we be personally represented at this fifty-second session, not only to reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism, but also to explore new ways of transforming our hopes for solidarity into concrete actions for peace and development; not only to make a ceremonial representation, but also to add frankness to the scope of discussions for the improvement of our Organization. “On 19 July, the eve of the sesquicentennial anniversary of our independence, the people of Liberia went to the polls and made a forthright decision for a great new beginning for democracy, for representative government within a constitutional order, and for peace and prosperity in the forward 25 march towards the twenty-first century. In that momentous exercise, the Liberian people demonstrated once again, as they had done throughout 150 years of survival, their resilience and unconquerable will to overcome imponderable odds, to keep alive the flame of national independence in Africa. “Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, at the birth of his nation defined independence as the moment ’when an age ends, and the soul of the nation, long suppressed, finds utterance’. “Thus, when the tragic events of our national experience in the recent past are viewed within the context of historical inevitability, we can safely say that the elections of 19 July 1997 gave rise to a newly liberated soul of the Liberian nation. “It is in this light that we see the landslide victory of 19 July 1997 as the final coming together of all of our people in a national embrace of unity to give vibrancy to the liberated national soul. The vote took place during the week of the solemn celebration of the 150-year anniversary of the founding of the nation. It was a vote rooted in renewed hope, which concurs with what one writer refers to as ’idealism suffused with a sense of ending’. The people voted to end civil war and national turbulence and to begin a new era of peace, stability, democracy, responsible government and prosperity. “We have fully grasped the message of our people’s verdict. Upon our inauguration on 2 August 1997, we set out to form a Government of inclusion. We have also embarked on a process of national reconciliation. We have invited all Liberians, irrespective of political party affiliation, religious orientation and ethnic origin, to come and join hands with us in rebuilding our country. We have assured all that our primary objective is to foster national unity as the best hope for genuine peace and progress in our country. “We have also reaffirmed the 1986 Constitution as the Organic Law of Liberia. That Constitution guarantees and protects the fundamental rights and freedoms of all alike. We are committed to making that sacred document work. Our Administration will guarantee and promote the functioning of a credible and independent judiciary. We shall also protect human rights and freedom of the press. Above all, we shall endeavour to promote internal stability through a Government of inclusion and national unity. “Our experience as a nation convinces us that the right to self-determination is a necessary prerequisite for any people to ensure national development and to play a meaningful role in the community of nations. The right to self- determination is not, in our view, limited to liberation from external control, but also applies to liberation from internal tyranny. It is being demonstrated time and again that it is unhealthy for external support to be tied to the survival of a particular regime rather than to the growth and development of the nation. There is no substitute for legitimacy and good governance. Internal liberation awakens a new consciousness about peace, security, stability and conflict resolution within a society. The institutions of the market economy are strengthened, and the people develop greater hope for a decent and better standard of living. “In this connection, and based on our experience, Liberia will continue to play the role of promoting regional peace and security, fostering national development through regional and subregional integration and promoting democratic values through institution-building. “We are aware of the significant changes which are taking place, including the increased tendency towards political pluralism and democratization, the rise in economic growth in a number of countries and the upsurge towards market economies, as well as progress towards the liberalization and globalization of the world economy. “The end of the cold war has resulted in a relaxation of tension, particularly between world Powers, and improved interactions among and between States. My Government must nevertheless register its grave concern that since the advent of the historic fiftieth anniversary of this Organization, some regional conflicts which appeared on the verge of resolution have defied settlement. We are deeply disturbed by ongoing conflicts in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Historical evidence has shown that conflicts, whether in Africa or elsewhere, will have negative consequences, not only for the countries directly affected, but also for their neighbours and the regions of which they are a part. Liberians know only too well the consequences of a 26 protracted conflict and therefore urge all parties to the various conflicts to seek a negotiated settlement of their differences. “In recent times, several unfavourable developments have continued to threaten international peace and security. At present, in the Middle East, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority is permeated with accusations, charges and counter- charges, despite the signing of the Agreement of 28 September 1995. In spite of the fact that efforts to pacify the situation are being undermined, we urge States within the region which are taking concrete steps, as well as the international community, to give more attention to ensuring that the peace process remains on course. “Within our subregion, while we draw immense satisfaction from the fact that the Liberian crisis has finally ended and the Liberian people have achieved durable peace and stability, we lament the reality of the threatening situation which recently has developed in neighbouring Sierra Leone. This matter truly leaves much to be desired, and we cannot overemphasize the fact that it is in the best interests of Liberia and its neighbours that peace be soon established in Sierra Leone and its people reconciled. “Liberia, a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Committee of Five on Sierra Leone, is committed to a peaceful, negotiated settlement of the Sierra Leonean crisis. We are of the firm conviction that it is our responsibility to ensure security and stability within our subregion. “Notwithstanding the individual and collective efforts of African States to achieve socio-political transformation, acts of destabilization continue to pose a serious threat to these countries. That is why African countries have intensified cooperation at the regional and subregional levels to stem this trend. We welcome the growing cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations in the fulfilment of Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, and the renewed commitment to conflict resolution through preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping and peace-building. “In the economic sphere, recent conscientious efforts have resulted in the registration of positive signs in the revitalization of the global economy. This progressive trend has been taking place against the backdrop of explosive growth in world trade and private investment flows. In the meantime, developing countries have thus far contributed 70 per cent of the growth in global gross domestic product and half of the growth in world trade. Notwithstanding this, the gap between developed and developing countries continues to grow, leaving many countries behind amidst the general positive economic progress occurring in the world. More importantly, official development assistance required to fill the gap in resource depletion has fallen to its lowest point in real terms during the past 23 years, thereby forcing many of the world’s poorest countries deeply into debt, and making it virtually impossible for them to undertake or sustain economic reforms. “This situation has affected most developing countries, particularly those in Africa which continue to experience the crippling impact of external debt, deteriorating terms of trade and decline in investment and financial flows. While we acknowledge that the development of the African continent is primarily the responsibility of its people, we hope that Africa’s development will, of necessity, remain an area of concern to the international community. We commend the Secretary-General for his continuing initiatives for the development of Africa. The Government of Japan also deserves Africa’s appreciation for helping to sensitize the international community to the need to assist African countries to overcome the negative trends which are impacting on their economies. “Closely related to the issues of development is that of the environment. The human impact on the environment has increased dramatically, with unprecedented effects on mankind. Nevertheless, we remain hopeful that the growing awareness of the degradation of the environment and the need to reverse this trend will remain a priority on the global agenda. In this connection, my Government commends the holding of the recent high-level meeting convened by the United Nations to review progress on the implementation of decisions reached on Agenda 21 since the 1992 Rio Conference on Environment and Development. “The Government of Liberia is concerned about the alarming incidence of drug trafficking and drug abuse, which have already destroyed and continue to ruin countless lives. While this unfortunate development has undermined the integrity of many 27 Governments, we commend cooperative efforts between Governments that have taken bold action to prevent and eradicate drug trafficking and drug abuse. We welcome the Secretary-General’s proposal to merge the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division and the United Nations International Drug Control Programme. “The Liberian Government is prepared to work very closely with the international community in order to bring success to the international campaign that strives to undermine the production of and trafficking in illicit drugs. We are assured in this connection that, working in the framework of international cooperation and given our commitment, we are bound to succeed in our efforts to make our world a safer place for ourselves and our children. “Regarding the restructuring of the Security Council, we must recall that with the founding of this Organization we committed ourselves and succeeding generations to continuously preserve peace and security in our world. Let us remember that peace will be elusive in the world where social, economic and political rights are flouted. In this connection, and in view of the Security Council’s primary role in the maintenance of international peace and security, its reform is of particular urgency. We note the emergence during the fifty-first session of the growing consensus to restructure the Council so as to ensure that it becomes more representative and democratic. This would encourage the advent of a greater balance between the requirement of efficiency and that of expansion, as well as transparency in its method of work. Moreover, with optimum utilization of the resources of those Member States that can contribute significantly to peacekeeping operations, immense successes will redound to the credit of this Organization. “Due to the far-reaching implications for global peace of the Security Council’s decisions and actions, there have been persistent demands to expand its membership to reflect geographic balance and ensure equitable representation. Besides, of the fifteen members of the Council, five enjoy the veto power. The right of veto, we believe, is against the principle of universality and leaves the fate of our world to be decided by only a few Members of the United Nations. “Accordingly, Liberia joins the call for expanded membership of the Security Council. We also request that, as the region with the single largest number of Members, Africa be given two permanent seats on the Council. We further call for the elimination of the veto power. “Liberia believes that no country or institution can prosper if it is resistant to change — the United Nations being no exception. In this connection, we agree with the Secretary-General’s decision to institute reforms in the administrative and operational aspects of the Organization. Notwithstanding this, we support a reform process that does not diminish the capacity of the United Nations to perform the Charter-mandated functions in the area of development, more especially to meet the needs of developing countries. We are, therefore, heartened by the Secretary-General’s indication that savings accrued from the exercise will be utilized to establish an economic- and social-development account for the sole purpose of financing development programmes launched by the United Nations. We note that $200 million will be saved for development by the year 2002. “The issue of sanctions has occupied much time and energy here over the years, and Liberia, like other African nations and nations around the world, has watched sanctions succeed, and fail, as a means of encouraging change. Sanctions’ greatest triumph was perhaps in South Africa, where international sanctions isolated the racist apartheid regime and contributed to its eventual downfall. “But unfortunately, as we know, sanctions are not always so successful. Time and again, nations singled out for punitive sanctions have been able to circumvent the edicts of this world body and obtain the goods or the weapons they seek. Still worse, the leaders of these nations, who are the real targets of the political and economic pressure that sanctions are meant to deliver, often feel no pain. Sadly, it is the innocent people — already the victims of these regimes — who suffer the most. On balance, then, our Government is sceptical about sanctions as a tool for change. Unless they are universally adopted, strictly enforced and carefully designed to achieve specific political goals, we believe that sanctions can too easily end up harming those they are designed to help. 28 “The Liberian civil war was to a great extent, a protest against the blatant disregard for and violation of the rights of Liberians. At the end of seven years of civil war, the need to consolidate peace is of the highest priority to my Government. It is essential to national survival and the sustenance of our newly created democracy that the post-war reconciliation policy be firmly grounded in developing a culture and tradition consistent with international norms of respect for basic human rights. “In furtherance of this objective, my Government has initiated a process to create by law a National Commission on Human Rights that will operate independently and that will investigate, document and report cases of human rights violations. Additionally, the post of Deputy Minister for Human Rights has been created within the Ministry of Justice, with specific responsibility to ensure the protection of basic human rights. “Since its inauguration on 2 August, our Government has taken prompt and appropriate steps that will protect the rights of all people, whether citizens or aliens, residing in the country. As a testimony to this commitment, some immigration officers were dismissed when they were found guilty of having brutalized some alleged aliens. Additionally, a private lawyer successfully filed a writ of habeas corpus against the Minister of Justice, the Commissioner of Immigration and the Director of Police for detaining a number of aliens for over forty- eight hours without the formal charge required. The lawyer won the case and the aliens were released. “Without a doubt, we as a Government are aware that we are being keenly observed, as if through a microscope, both internally and externally. Accordingly, we do not intend to water down our promise that matters relating to human rights will be kept clean and our record maintained unadulterated. As a candidate for the presidency, we made it abundantly clear that, when elected, there would be no witch-hunting. On this account, we stand to be challenged. “We are witnesses to the rapid growth of the global village through advances in technology, communications and tolerance, which, too, have encouraged world peace and stability. Indeed, when the illustrious architects of this noble Organization conceived the idea, from the Dumbarton Oaks Conference to the Yalta Conference, before drawing up the United Nations, the world was not as it is today. From its original membership of 51 nations in 1945, the United Nations now has an impressive membership of 185 nations. Out of this number, 28 have been admitted just since 1990, the latest being Palau, in 1994. “The parallel existence of the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China on either side of the Taiwan Strait constitutes for my country, a founding Member of the Organization, one of the difficulties and the source of the prevalent sense of frustration that continue to persist on the international political scene since the end of the cold war. “It really begs the issue to review the decision of the General Assembly on 25 October 1971, when its Members voted to admit the People’s Republic of China to membership while ignoring a compromise proposal that the Republic of China retain a seat in the General Assembly. My country, a life-long supporter of the principle of including every nation in the United Nations system, feels that there should be a re-examination of the proposal to which I have just referred, with a view to admitting the Republic of China to the General Assembly. Quite clearly, existing global realities make it necessary and prudent for us to review the action taken in 1971. We believe that the United Nations is the proper instrument for the correction of many seemingly intractable problems. We would add that this Organization is the most significant international forum for the resolution of complex crises and that all nations that desire to participate in the United Nations should have that right. Yet, in the highest sense, we believe that until reunification is achieved the parallel participation in the United Nations of the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China would be conducive to regional security and world peace. “One of the principal challenges facing Liberia today is the revitalization of its economy. The past prosperity of the Liberian economy was built on the successful development of the country’s abundant natural resources and the active participation of the private sector. We also enjoyed the benefits of a lively transit trade with our neighbours. During the years of economic mismanagement and civil strife, 29 the economy collapsed and the livelihood of ordinary people was impaired. “Bringing prosperity back to the country is an enormous challenge. We are determined that the benefits of such prosperity should reach all the people of Liberia, and not merely the privileged few. I am convinced that the private sector has a key role to play. The management of the economy must be transparent and cost effective. The burden of external debt, which we inherited, needs to be addressed. A positive relationship with the international financial institutions is central to the success of our reconstruction programme. We need an early infusion of financial resources on favourable terms to launch the post-war reconstruction programmes. “Private-sector operations in rubber, timber and mining will provide jobs and earn foreign exchange for the country. We need to create a favourable climate for new investment. This means that the fiscal regime must be reformed and simplified and that taxes be paid to the Government. My Government has already implemented a programme to centralize all revenue collection under the Ministry of Finance. Our exchange rate and currency practices are being reviewed in order to guide local and foreign investors and inform them about the transaction costs of doing business. “In managing the economy we must make the best use of scarce resources. There is no place in the new Liberia for ineffective public corporations and a bloated civil service that are a drain on the budget. Revenue collection is being tightened up, expenditure strictly controlled, and the budget used as the main vehicle for prudent fiscal management and public accountability. Given our very limited resources, this will mean that many priority projects will have to wait. “Liberia’s external debt to international financial institutions and other external creditors, inherited from previous Governments, imposes a huge burden on my Government. We believe that the size of that burden, coupled with the cost of rebuilding a shattered society, makes it essential that the international community make special concessions. “My Government intends to manage public finances in accordance with the high standards expected of any good government. But we cannot consolidate the transition from war to peace unless immediate funds are available to run the machinery of government and to start up the reintegration programmes designed by donors, in consultation with our Government. “I stand here in this great Hall and before honoured representatives of independence as the representative of a nation that only 75 days ago underwent a free, fair and peaceful election — perhaps one of the most transparent elections ever held anywhere in the world. I hail from a national heritage which, more than a century and half ago, was born out of enslavement, servitude and racism and which progressed from thence to freedom and independence, and my proud homeland, in its struggle to maintain its sovereignty and independence, lost almost half of its territory to external Powers. Indeed, I speak of a land of liberty that has passed through more than its share of political crucibles. “We have come, but not in anger. Rather, we have emerged from a stained past of self-inflicted suffering, which is perhaps not the surest rationale for qualifying. But our scars enable us to speak, with some constraint, at nearly first hand about how we have been able to survive and keep our dignity as a sovereign State and people. We ask that the Assembly accord us the requisite attention, while retaining the hope that the experience of conflict resolution in Liberia and the engagement of the United Nations and the international community, in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) through its peacekeeping instrument, the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), which helped restore peace and harmony to Liberia, will enlighten members on future undertakings in the arena of civil conflict. “In all candour, if there is anything of substance that must be said, it is this: Let us never again allow any form of human anguish to be left in isolation, no matter how meaningless it may appear in the eyes of controlling Powers. Should it not be understood that one human tear is just as painful as another and that the entire globe is united by the same life-generating substance? “We have come to the United Nations to advocate international cooperation. Let us not close 30 our eyes to the countless failures in the achievement of our common objectives as we enter the twenty-first century. Let us take note of the dangers and work together so that reason can prevail. The economic problems and social dangers the world faces are immense, and we have no right to postpone solutions or open the door to conflict and instability. Strategic confrontation dominated the best minds of this century. Perhaps it is now time to turn our eyes upon ourselves, upon our peoples and our societies, to assess their condition, their moral needs and their crises, and to attempt to find solutions. “To conclude, I wish to make an appeal to the heart, without distinction as to creed, dogma, political colour or national faction. I should like each of us to look the other in the eye and ask ourselves sincerely and frankly: Is this the world our children deserve? Will we be satisfied when, in the near future, the voice of history and of our blood summons us to judgement? The United Nations system and the entire international community will be judged on the basis of their response to those important questions.”