I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to the President on his assumption of the office of the presidency of the fifty-second session of the United Nations General Assembly. His election to preside during this critical stage of change and reform in the United Nations system is a reflection of the confidence that the entire membership has in him and his country, Ukraine. I wish him a successful term of office, and assure him of Malawi’s full cooperation. Allow me to pay tribute to last year’s President, His Excellency Mr. Razali Ismail, for the excellent manner in which he handled the recently concluded fifty-first session of the General Assembly. President Razali Ismail brought with him a refreshing sense of purpose in the work of the General Assembly and the United Nations. His punctuality and forthrightness are attributes which will inspire us all as we move forward. My delegation wishes him well in all his future endeavours. Special tribute is due to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, who, within a short period of time, has demonstrated that a revitalized United Nations can work meaningfully towards the full realization of the principles and purposes of the Charter. He can count on Malawi’s support as he continues to discharge his responsibilities. Malawi welcomes the reforms that are taking place within the Organization. The Secretary-General’s commendable efforts in this regard will surely complement the work that has been, and continues to be, undertaken through the various intergovernmental processes. My delegation expresses its satisfaction with the recent adoption of the report of the General Assembly’s High-level Open-ended Working Group on the Strengthening of the United Nations System. By focusing attention on the institutional aspects and 23 operations of the United Nations, the outcome of the Working Group represents an indispensable input to the overall programme of reform. The two-track programme of reform submitted to us by the Secretary General adds, in our view, a comprehensive and useful thrust in the reform and transformation of this world body. My delegation looks forward to participating in the consultations that are necessary to carry through these proposals during this session. We welcome, too, the conclusion of negotiations on An Agenda for Development. We need a strong United Nations in development — a United Nations that is efficient, effective, relevant, able and well-resourced, to respond to the many needs of Member States. Such an Organization, however, cannot exist without meaningful progress in the other areas of reform. We therefore look for some tangible progress in the work of the Working Groups on An Agenda for Peace, on Security Council reform and on the financial situation of the United Nations during the current session. Last year my delegation observed that Malawi did not believe that the Working Groups that we had established were open-ended in time. We continue to hold this view. We need to seize the opportunity for change when the time is ripe. While a time-frame may not be imposed, we believe the time for change for the Organization is now, as we approach the next millennium. Progress in the three remaining Working Groups will make complete the changes that we all seek for the Organization. It is now over three years since the dawn of true democracy in Malawi. The Government of Malawi continues to work towards consolidation of good governance and respect for human rights. We seek to build a Malawi that is democratic and economically viable. Malawi has made commendable efforts to improve the promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights. A number of independent institutions for the protection and promotion of human rights are now in place. Let me also note that Malawi has acceded to the major international human rights instruments. With regard to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights aiming at the Abolition of the Death Penalty, the Government has decided to hold national consultations on whether or not the death penalty should be abolished. The initiative, whose modalities are being worked out, has received wide publicity. In this regard, I wish to register Malawi’s appreciation for the offer of assistance by Amnesty International to facilitate these consultations. In the meantime, our President, His Excellency Dr. Bakili Muluzi, has announced a stay until the outcome of the national consultations is known. With respect to the combat of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, Malawi has acceded to the 1988 Convention, and activities are under way to put in place an effective administrative machinery to coordinate the activities of government departments and civil society. We expect to establish a national commission on drug control as a focal point for internal and international activities, including the promotion of cooperation within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region in the fight against drug- trafficking. Malawi would greatly appreciate any assistance from the international community, including the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, to improve our own and the region’s ability to deal with the drug problem. We continue to make strides in socio-economic development. Against the background of prudent economic management, we have succeeded in arresting rising inflation and the stagnation in industry and construction as well as the total loss of confidence in the business sector. Although the situation is currently manageable, we are the first to realize that much more needs to be done. Like many other small countries, our economy continues to weather stormy turbulence caused by many exogenous factors. Drought has wrought havoc in the region in recent years. According to the current forecast, this season the region will experience yet another drought. Poverty continues to be the main source of concern. There is no doubt that democracy in Malawi has engendered massive expectations among the people, especially after having lived in an atmosphere of deprivation for decades. The level of expectation has generated insurmountable pressure on the limited resources which the Government has at its disposal. As a developing country, and one of the least developed among them, we are not yet able to mobilize adequate resources to accomplish all our national development programmes. Recurrent drought in the southern Africa region this decade, the weak economic base of the country, which is almost exclusively agricultural, a rather unbalanced social infrastructure, which is partly due to the low literacy rate inherited from the previous regime, and the problem of disease, including HIV/AIDS, pose a serious threat to our nascent democracy. A combination of these domestic as well as other factors of an international character bear the 24 frightening potential of reversing the noble gains we have made over the past three years. Despite these adverse forces, the Government is determined to broaden the economic base of our country. Political stability now obtaining in the country has created a conducive atmosphere for foreign investment. Malawi has abolished all retrogressive legislation which hindered both domestic and foreign investment. The economy has been liberalized, and a number of incentives have been introduced for potential investors. Measures include a comprehensive privatization programme. In a further effort to tackle the root cause of poverty in my country, our Government has instituted measures which seek to empower the common person, including youth, and women. Free primary education was introduced in 1994 to develop our human resources. This is coupled with the provision of free tuition at secondary school for the girl child. The aim of the Malawi Government is to double the average literacy rate by 1999. The efforts and impact of globalization are well-known to us all. Malawi cannot go it alone in the implementation of its development programmes. International cooperation among all nations in all sectors of human endeavour is no longer an option, but necessary for the very existence and survival of humankind. The truth of this proposition is very apparent and clear today, particularly in the areas of environment, development and international peace and security. We in Malawi recognize the importance of protecting the environment for the sustainable livelihood of all the people. The Government of Malawi participated in the nineteenth special session of the General Assembly, devoted to the overall review and appraisal of the implementation of Agenda 21, held in this very Hall from 23 to 27 June 1997. We trust that having candidly taken stock of the state of implementation of Agenda 21, and taking into account the shortfall at mid-decade, the international community will now redouble its efforts to fulfil its commitments in the next five years and beyond. The common and differentiated responsibilities that were agreed upon at the Earth Summit regarding the protection and preservation of the environment in order to achieve sustainable development were reaffirmed and accentuated, once again underscoring the importance of international cooperation. We will play our part in the protection of the environment for the benefit of present and future generations. The critical socio-economic situation of Africa continues to be an area of priority concern to us. More than one year after the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative on Africa, the situation still leaves something to be desired — though there are, of course, some hopeful signs for improvement. We find gratification in the fact that African ownership of African development is becoming a reality. We look forward to the consolidation of a global partnership for Africa. Malawi appreciates the assistance that it receives from the donor community. There is absolutely no doubt that increased international assistance and initiatives for debt relief or cancellation, increased official development assistance to meet agreed targets, private capital flows, increased foreign direct investment, and improved terms of trade would play a catalytic role in Africa’s efforts to achieve economic development. The remarkable progress achieved in the areas of regional integration and South- South cooperation gives us hope. Africa is indeed not a hopeless case. A genuine partnership in development and finance is, therefore, imperative. The demise of the cold war rekindled all our aspirations for lasting global peace and prosperity. The highly symbolic tumbling down of the Berlin Wall heightened expectations for a peace dividend. Unfortunately, the situation has not improved. Today, the United Nations continues to utilize most of its resources in managing or containing conflicts of varying origins and intensity. The role of the Organization in the maintenance of international peace and security has become more relevant than before. The situations in Angola, Burundi, the Republic of the Congo, the Great Lakes Region, Sierra Leone, Western Sahara, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Middle East, among many others, continue to occupy the work of this Organization. It certainly should be possible to resolve many of these problems that beset the world so that the United Nations can rechannel its efforts towards promoting the most refreshing aspects of the human experience. And there are many examples where the human spirit has triumphed over forces of doom and despair. Developments in Liberia and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are among the most recent examples. We congratulate the people of Liberia on choosing the way of peace. The role played by the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL), by the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group, and by other international observers in the Liberian peace and electoral processes once again 25 demonstrates that a global partnership for the maintenance of international peace and security can succeed and is perhaps the only way forward. Democracy, transparent and accountable governance and the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms are necessary for successful people- centred development to take place in our countries. It is unfortunate, though, that there are some around us today who believe that they can continue to deprive their own people of their birth rights and freedoms. We deeply regret that in Sierra Leone a military junta that usurped power from a democratically elected Government is still holding on, in spite of the international community’s opposition. Malawi calls upon the junta to hand over power to the democratically elected Government and President Kabbah so that the people of Sierra Leone can experience the peace that has eluded them for so long. The situation in Burundi continues to be as depressing as it was last year. We remain convinced that there is no alternative to freedom and democracy. We strongly urge the people of Burundi to set aside their differences and negotiate so that they may put in place a Government that would bring that country once again to normalcy. My Government has followed closely developments in the painstaking peace process for Angola. We have admired the magnanimity of the Government of Angola in fulfilling its obligations under the Lusaka Protocol and related agreements. We on the other hand regret the continued intransigence of Dr. Jonas Savimbi and his National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). While supporting wholeheartedly the Security Council resolutions on the situation in Angola, we make an earnest appeal to the UNITA leadership to fulfil its obligations in the peace process without further delay so that the people of Angola and the entire southern African region may realize their desire for a peaceful and prosperous future. We similarly regret the recent developments in the Republic of the Congo. We appeal to all the major players in this senseless struggle to exercise restraint and amicably resolve their differences. The Congolese people definitely deserve much better. We note with growing concern the apparent lack of meaningful progress in the implementation of the settlement plan for Western Sahara. Malawi applauds the indefatigable efforts of the United Nations in its search for a lasting solution to Western Sahara. It is our sincere hope that the recent appointment by the Secretary-General of Mr. James Baker as his Personal Envoy for Western Sahara will help in the resolution of that problem. We call upon the main actors to honour their obligations without further delay. My delegation is gravely concerned about developments in the Middle East. A few years back, we hailed the Middle East peace process as having acquired irreversible momentum. Malawi strongly believes that there is no alternative to the peace process launched in Madrid on 10 October 1991; there is no cogent alternative to this process for genuine peace and stability in the Middle East. However, recent developments have obviously shown that any provocative moves by any of the parties concerned will not help the process. We appeal for the utmost restraint and the quick resumption of negotiations. My Government is similarly pleased to note that the two Governments on the Korean peninsula are working together, although in a limited sense. It is our hope that this is a starting point from which a lasting solution to the existing tensions on the peninsula will be realized. In recent years the world has made major strides in the field of disarmament. The adoption last year of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty was indeed a major breakthrough for all peace-loving nations. For Malawi, however, the recent adoption of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction stands out as most significant. Our resolve to root out an evil that has adversely affected the lives of many in the world shall remain undeterred. The support garnered for the Convention within a short period of time is a clear sign of what human beings can achieve when working together for a common goal. We welcome the Convention and look forward to its universal acceptance. The United Nations today stands at the threshold of a new millennium. We pray that it continues to play its rightful role in the many issues that occupy us all in our everyday life. As we approach the twenty-first century, the relevance of the United Nations in enhancing international cooperation in all areas of human endeavour is, to us, no longer a matter of doubt but reality. We believe that the reforms we all desire will harness the gains already made in the area of international cooperation. We all seek a United Nations that responds effectively and efficiently to the needs of all people. Let me reaffirm the commitment of the Government and the people of Malawi to the noble goals and ideals of 26 the United Nations, an institution that continues to make a difference for humankind. We will continue to make our modest contribution to this intergovernmental process, for which we find no credible or viable alternative to its service to “We the peoples of the United Nations”.