Mali

Allow me to begin by expressing, on behalf of the delegation of the Republic of Mali, heartfelt congratulations to the President on his election to lead the fifty-first regular session of the General Assembly. His election reflects the trust and esteem he enjoys in this Organization because of his great diplomatic skills and his vast experience of international relations. While this is an honour for him, it also honours his country, Malaysia, a friend of my country’s and one that plays an important role in international affairs, particularly within the Non- Aligned Movement. I am therefore convinced that the President will conduct the business of the fifty-first session in a competent and well-advised manner. He can certainly count on the support of the Republic of Mali to contribute to the success of his mission. Allow me also to thank his predecessor, Mr. Diogo Freitas do Amaral, for the outstanding work he accomplished during his term of office. Finally, I should like, on behalf of my delegation, to pay well-deserved homage to the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for his courageous action and tireless efforts for peace and understanding among peoples. The end of the cold war gave the peoples of the world cause to hope for the advent of a new era marked by the promotion of more stable and balanced international relations. To this end, the international community must mobilize to find just and lasting solutions to the many hotbeds of tension and conflict that jeopardize international peace and security. In this respect, Mali welcomes the qualitative development of the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We welcome the holding of elections on 14 September, which marked a decisive stage for the future of the country. We exhort the international community to work to preserve and consolidate this newly restored peace. We likewise welcome the possibilities that arose at the latest Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) summit in Liberia for a settlement based on 24 national reconciliation and the restoration of democratically elected institutions. Mali has worked steadfastly to find a solution to the crisis in Liberia and is prepared to make available a battalion to the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). Likewise, Mali supports the efforts undertaken by the international community to assist the people of Burundi to establish a lasting peace and national reconciliation. Mali also supports United Nations efforts to establish a just and lasting peace in Angola. The international community must do everything possible in Somalia to help bring about reconciliation and the establishment of national institutions that are supported and trusted by all Somalis. Recent developments on the question of Western Sahara require that our Organization work even more intensively towards the holding of a referendum, in keeping with the relevant resolutions adopted on the matter. Mali has always reaffirmed its support for international law and is concerned at the continued sanctions imposed on Libya, which have compounded the sufferings of the Libyan people, with whom my country reiterates it solidarity. Like other countries in the international community, Mali is seriously concerned over recent developments in the situation in the Middle East. My country remains convinced that in order to settle the Israeli-Arab conflict, there is no alternative to the possibilities offered by the Madrid Peace Conference. Mali therefore calls for the continuation of the peace process and for compliance with the commitments previously undertaken. To promote more stable and balanced international relations, the present mechanisms for the consolidation of peace need to be strengthened; but we also need to find new tools. The Agenda for Peace opens new possibilities in this area. Accordingly, Mali welcomed the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty as a historic stage in the strengthening of general and complete disarmament. We likewise welcomed the adoption on 11 April 1996 of the Pelindaba Treaty, which made Africa a nuclear-weapon- free zone. My country also hopes that further progress might be made to eliminate anti-personnel mines. Mali has demonstrated its commitment to strengthening the process of general and complete disarmament through specific national and international initiatives. Accordingly, in 1994, the President of the Republic of Mali, His Excellency Mr. Alpha Oumar Konaré, requested and obtained special assistance from the Secretary-General of the United Nations to establish a consultative mission responsible for studying ways and means to stem the proliferation of small arms in the Sahelo-Saharan region. Indeed, our countries, which are not arms producers, have become lucrative markets for the war industry. Where did these weapons come from? What are their transit points? An answer to these questions, in my delegation’s view, would make it possible to find ways and means to guarantee that the people of the affected countries enjoy a safe environment conducive to pursuing development. Besides the support of other countries in the Sahelo- Saharan region, Mali’s initiative was also backed by other regions during the forty-ninth and fiftieth sessions of the General Assembly, namely through the adoption of resolutions 49/75 G and 50/70 H. Mali’s initiative helped give rise to our Organization’s now-famous concept of micro-disarmament, which seeks to draw the attention of the international community to the disastrous consequences of small weapons, particularly in the developing countries, where they are used mostly to fuel conflicts. A better-structured and more united international order seems today to be the very precondition for international peace and security. Development is one of the major challenges that our Organization must meet today. As Pope Paul VI has stressed, “Development is another word for peace.” Thus, in order to establish the basis for a lasting peace, the problems of poverty, destitution and social marginalization must therefore be given priority at the United Nations. I should like in this respect to stress the great importance Mali attaches to the drafting of an Agenda for Development, the indispensable counterpart to the Agenda for Peace. This entails the organization of international cooperation for development on a new basis, an area in which my country is working with resolve. The role of the United Nations system in the development process also must be strengthened. 25 In this connection, the Agenda for Development — which my delegation hopes will be adopted at this session of the General Assembly — will make it possible to refocus the world’s attention on cooperation for development, particularly by encouraging new, more complete and more effective approaches to development. It could also provide a way to strengthen coordination within the United Nations system, particularly by recognizing the Organization as a network of institutions responsible for the economic and social development of the Member States. In this respect, because of the persistent foreign-debt crisis of the countries of the South and the dwindling of official development assistance, the question of development financing requires special attention. The Agenda for Development should likewise take into account the recommendations contained in the Plans of Action adopted by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro; the International Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo; the World Summit for Social Development, held in Copenhagen; the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing; and the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, held in Istanbul. The Agenda for Development clearly must give special attention to Africa. The socio-economic situation of our continent is indeed of great concern. Africa, which is confronting all kinds of epidemic and endemic diseases — including malaria and AIDS — has only one doctor for every 18,000 people, as compared to one doctor for fewer than 400 people in developed countries. More than 80 million school-age African children do not have access to primary or secondary education. More than one third of Africa’s population suffers from famine, and more than 23 million children are malnourished. Finally, Africa is reeling from an external debt that in 1995 was estimated to be $322 billion, the debt servicing of which absorbs more than one third of its export earnings. Given this situation, in an increasingly interdependent world, the international community must show solidarity with Africa. That is why a solidarity pact between Africa and the rest of the international community was sealed with the adoption of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s. As we know, under the terms of this New Agenda, Africa solemnly reaffirms that Africans themselves are primarily responsible for the economic and social development of the continent, while the international community undertakes to support Africa’s efforts in attaining its development objectives. Commendable efforts have been made by African countries in implementing this New Agenda. In the political and economic spheres, in particular, these have been achieved by consolidating the democratic process, by promoting investments and by taking account of environmental and population problems in development policies. Mali has thus established a policy for economic recovery and improved public financing. Macro-economic goals, on the whole, have been attained. A broad range of structural measures has been implemented through price liberalization; privatization; the elimination or restructuring of many public enterprises; and the reform of the agricultural sector, with a view to reducing costs and to increasing and diversifying production. These tangible results enabled Mali in February 1996 to conclude a new three-year agreement for the period 1996-1998 in the framework of the Reinforced Structural Adjustment Facility. Mindful of the need to accompany the promotion of economic growth with resolute efforts in the social domain to improve significantly the living standards of peoples and to reduce poverty permanently, my Government has expanded social services. In addition, priority in socio-economic development programmes has been given to women. Since 26 March 1991, Mali has continued its steady progress towards consolidating its regained peace and building a State based on the rule of law. The qualitative developments that have taken place in Mali’s northern regions show clearly the determination of Mali’s young democracy to tackle and resolve all problems in a concerted and peaceful way, with the active participation of all players and with scrupulous respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The organization of the “Flame of Peace” ceremony was an eloquent illustration of this. It was a symbolic ceremony to destroy the stockpiles of several thousand weapons that were surrendered by ex-combatants of the Mouvement et Fronts Unis de l’Azawad and the Mouvement Patriotique Malien Ganda Koy. It took place on 27 March 1996 in Timbuktu under the presidency of the Head of State of Mali, His Excellency Mr. Alpha Oumar Konaré, and in the presence of the President of the Republic of Ghana, the current President of ECOWAS and several ministerial delegations of Mali’s neighbouring countries. The United Nations, which contributed to the peace efforts through the Department of Political Affairs and the United Nations Development Programme as well 26 as to the small-arms collection process, was also represented by an important delegation. During that ceremony the Mouvement et Fronts Unis de l’Azawad and the Mouvement Patriotique Malien Ganda Koy issued a joint declaration under which they “solemnly and irreversibly proclaim the dissolution of their respective movements and fronts”. These positive developments in northern Mali mean that real prospects now exist for integration and socio- economic development in the region. We therefore appeal to the international community to support the efforts of the Government of Mali to consolidate democracy in the country; to continue to strengthen the peace that has been established with the participation of the country’s various communities; and to show its solidarity concretely, by providing the necessary humanitarian assistance to meet the needs of returning refugees and to help promote their reintegration. It is thus important to undertake urgent work to develop the regions concerned by, inter alia, reintegrating displaced peoples, restoring our administration, boosting agricultural production and improving the functioning of public services, in particular in the areas of education, health and justice. I take this opportunity to urgently appeal to Mali’s development partners quickly and effectively to implement this programme, which, in the long run, aims at development within a State based on a strengthened rule of law and on democracy and human rights. Respect for the rule of law is of major importance to Mali’s Third Republic, which makes the promotion and defence of human rights one of its priorities. In this connection I should also note the institutionalization, which has now been going on for two years, of the Space for Democratic Discourse, which enables individuals, civil society and political parties to make direct and public appeals to the Government on 10 December every year with regard to the respect of human rights in Mali. We likewise have institutionalized a children’s parliament, which provides a forum for the free expression of Mali’s children to assist the public authorities in implementing the national plan of action for the survival, development and protection of children. Mali — one of the six countries that initiated the World Summit for Children in 1990 — welcomed the commemorative meeting held on 30 September 1996 to review the progress made and to give thought to the additional steps that need to be taken on behalf of children. The consolidation of Mali’s young democracy requires also the harmonious organization of relations between civilians and the military. With the support of the United Nations, the Government of Mali held a seminar on this subject last July. A code of good conduct is being drafted in this connection. I should like to underscore here, simply but forcefully, the importance Mali attaches to human rights, in particular the rights of women and children. We are convinced that the role played by our Organization must be backed up by concrete actions that stress the right to education, health and life. The international economic situation clearly shows that the gap between developed and developing countries is widening. By generating an increase in inequalities and in the risk of social upheavals, this imbalance is making the future of the world increasingly uncertain. Given the situation, the international community must find adequate solutions. It is imperative that we find an answer to the external debt problem of the countries of the South. In spite of the progress made in this area, relief measures for debt servicing remain insufficient. My delegation therefore makes an urgent appeal that the ongoing discussions at the current meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund on the creation of a special fund aimed at considerably reducing the multilateral debt of poor countries under structural adjustment result in a successful outcome. My delegation deeply appreciates the important extension of $500 million, intended to reduce the debt of African countries, made by the Group of Seven major industrialized countries last June at their summit meeting in Lyons. This is an encouraging sign and an example to follow. It is just as important to support the efforts of the African countries to diversify their economies and the range of their commodities. It is also necessary to reverse the current trend towards disinvestment and dwindling financial resources destined for Africa. 27 We should facilitate the access of African products to world markets, particularly by lifting the tariff and non- tariff barriers that affect its finished, semi-finished and manufactured goods. They should also receive preferential treatment, as provided in the Final Act of the Uruguay Round concluded in Marrakesh. Finally, the international community should give its full support to the Secretary-General’s United Nations System-wide Special Initiative for Africa so that it does not suffer the same fate as the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development. In addition to the critical economic and social situation in Africa, there is the problem of the least developed countries. For this reason, my country appeals to the international community to implement urgently the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s. Mali also welcomes the proclamation of 1996 as the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. We hope that the international community will achieve the goals of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty. My country hopes that the next World Food Summit, to be held in November in Rome, will make it possible for the international community to reaffirm its commitment to ensuring that poverty-eradication strategies are fully integrated into all United Nations initiatives. Mali has signed and ratified most international arrangements regarding the environment and therefore welcomes the convening of a special session devoted to a review of the progress made by Agenda 21. Mali intends to continue to work towards the elaboration of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa. Mali is therefore pleased at how fast the necessary ratification of 50 Member States was achieved. My delegation is nevertheless concerned about the deadlock on the question of a world mechanism. Mali believes that the mechanism should serve as a data bank and a supplier of the resources necessary to implement national plans to combat desertification. Our Organization faces new challenges, both in the consolidation of peace and in economic and social development. Its role is constantly growing, and increasing numbers of voices throughout the world appeal to it. In order to meet the challenges of the day, our Organization must have a sound and adequate financial basis. It must also carry out the necessary reforms so that it can be more effective and thus meet the aspirations of peoples for security, justice and development. Accordingly, these reforms must apply to the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Secretariat, but particularly to the specialized and development agencies responsible for elaborating and implementing development programmes. This is an ambitious challenge, and Africa must contribute significantly to efforts in that direction. The international community must renew its trust in Africa by giving a second term of office to the Head of our Organization, in keeping with past practice.