General Assembly Session 49 meeting 80

Mr. Henze (Germany)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. Austria supports this statement.

The Second International Conference of New or Restored Democracies, which was held at Managua, Nicaragua, from 4 to 6 July this year, adopted two important documents, the Managua Declaration and the Plan of Action, which were supported by 74 States. This shows again how deeply the idea of pluralistic democracy has taken root worldwide. The European Union co-financed the work of this important Conference with a contribution of more than $120,000.

The European Union has always supported the evolution towards political pluralism and democracy. That evolution has changed the basis of international relations. Cooperation has replaced confrontation. We share common values of pluralism, the participation of all in political affairs and full respect for human rights, and we support the goal of strengthening and promoting those values. It is in this spirit that we are a co-sponsor of the draft resolution before us.

In Latin America, in the second half of the 1980s one military or dictatorial regime after another began to crumble, and the countries, one after another, began to give themselves constitutional frameworks inspired by the idea of pluralistic democracy. At the end of the 1980s Mr. Gorbachev, in the former Soviet Union, set in motion the process which eventually led to the end of the authoritarian regime. At the end of that process, democracy was installed in the Russian Federation and in other states of the former Soviet Union. Even earlier, countries in Central and Eastern Europe had abolished their one-party systems. One of the results was the peaceful reunification of Germany.

Early in the 1980s the momentum of the democratic idea intensified in Africa, and in Asia the number of countries that have introduced multiparty democracy has increased since the second half of the 1980s.

We in the European Union have followed with great interest and sympathy the democratization process in Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa, and we identify with the new or restored democracies.

The European Union's position with regard to the interrelated and mutually reinforcing connections between democracy, human rights and development is well known. We believe that the strengthening of democratic institutions, which guarantee the rule of law, the promotion of the values of democracy and respect for human rights, is of paramount importance. We think that those principles not only widen the opportunities for citizens to participate in political decisions but also provide society with an economic impetus.

We are fully aware of the fact that a transition to democracy is not easy. Not only does it require the commitment of political leaders but, more important, it needs the support of the people. In many countries, the change to democratic rule was accompanied by a far-reaching reform of economic structures, which put a burden on the most vulnerable groups of society in particular. In the long run, democracy has to prove that it is the best form of government and that it provides the greatest benefits to all members of society.

In this respect, we are firmly of the belief that economic and social development has greater chances of success in a democracy founded on the rule of law than in a dictatorship in which political and economic decisions cannot be criticized by a parliament or a free press and where the Government is not under pressure to achieve economic success in order to win the next elections. Even where undemocratic regimes pursue sound economic policies, foreign investors might be discouraged because they have no guarantee that such policies will not suddenly be reversed by those regimes. In any case, the issue is not to facilitate governing but to respond to the legitimate wishes and interests of the people. Only a Government elected through universal, equal, free and secret elections can consider itself legitimized to exercise political power.

Here at the United Nations we can witness from day to day how much democratic evolution has changed the character of international relations. In this respect, I should like to point out that living in a community of democracies carries with it certain obligations. Through our participation and commitment we all have to strengthen democracies and help them in their development and in their establishment of a functioning judicial system. The European Union is aware of these obligations. In order to fulfil them, we are ready to help the new or restored democracies in their process towards democratization. I would like to recall that the European Commission is currently making available approximately $50 million for the fostering of democracies. In addition, a number of States members of the European Union are also contributing on a bilateral basis to this end.

On behalf of the European Union and Austria, let me conclude by expressing once again to the Governments and peoples of all new or restored democracies our hope that their efforts to consolidate their democratic systems will succeed. We will assist them in that task.

Mr. Chaves (Kyrgyzstan)

It is indeed a signal honour for me to address the General Assembly on behalf of the Kyrgyz Republic on an issue which is not only of the utmost importance but is extremely timely.

The global community, now approaching the twenty-first century, must end the millennium as a human society composed of nations secure in their sovereignty and firmly established in the rule of law and in democratic forms of self-government that provide equality of freedom and opportunity for all. The democratic basics of society presuppose that all the fundamental needs of all of its members are met. Democracy also requires the full participation of citizens in government. The United Nations, as an organization of the global community, has a primary responsibility for the establishment of conditions that eliminate the causes of discrimination, conflict -- particularly ethnic conflicts -- political and religious tensions, all forms of violence and ultimately war. The survival of democracy in the countries of the world is by no means assured today, and therefore each and every member of the global community has a responsibility for its survival. This responsibility cannot be overemphasized.

In his report, "An agenda for development", the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, made a number of very important proposals, including reorganizing the United Nations system; greater cooperation with the Bretton Woods institutions and the new World Trade Organization; the urgently needed empowerment of women; the eradication of poverty; and, nearly the most important, the cancellation of the debt of the poorer nations, which weighs so heavily on the budgets of so many nations today. However, his most important proposal was to end the reliance of the United Nations on voluntary contributions to support development efforts. On this crucial issue the Kyrgyz Republic has officially proposed the creation of a United Nations endowment fund. The Ambassador of Nicaragua this morning spoke about his Government's proposed creation of a special fund, with contributions from Governments, for special emergencies. We fully support the proposal of the President of Nicaragua, but our proposal, though complementary, is quite different.

A United Nations endowment fund of no less than $20 billion might offer a possible source of funds to meet emergencies, which are bound to occur each year for different reasons. Such a fund would be established as an international goodwill institution, exclusively funded from private sources and in no way from government contributions. It would be established with its own charter and statutes and be subject to its own international board, elected in tuito personae and not as representatives of any country or group of countries. However, all continents would be represented. Such an endowment fund could be recommended and approved by the General Assembly as a response to the urgent statement by the Secretary-General during this session. In order to advance this initiative, a small working group could be set up. A preliminary plan and proposal for the creation of a United Nations endowment fund could be ready in reasonable time. Another method might be to create a United Nations endowment fund as an independent, private foundation to support financially the work of the world Organization. It would function outside the mechanism of the United Nations system, similar to other philanthropic foundations. The income from the fund would be donated to the United Nations.

In addition, the Kyrgyz Republic fully supports the 20/20 initiative for achieving universal access to basic social services for sustainable human development, which has been endorsed by the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations Children's Fund. The initiative has universal goals, which we strongly support, and for which we must all work. They include: basic education for all, with a special emphasis on education for women and girls; basic health care for all, including nutrition, reproductive health and family planning services; universal access to safe drinking water and basic sanitary facilities; basic requirements for an acceptable quality of life for all people, including a sustainable livelihood and productive employment; access to credit, land and information for all; adequate shelter; ample participation in governance and decision-making; and full human, political, civil, economic and social rights for all. These are also the requirements of a true democracy.

Draft resolution A/49/L.49 deals with the new or newly re-established democracies. Democracy is a process of constant and laborious achievement. The French philosopher Ernest Renan said that democracy was like a daily plebiscite, the result of the joint efforts of all people. For Hans Kelsen, freedom and equality are the fundamental ideas of democracy. In the mind of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, democracy is the ontological and functional transformation of the subject into a citizen.

It might, nevertheless, be worth while to remember that the "Citizen of Geneva" -- as Rousseau signed his Social Contract, which had such a great impact on the constitution of so many democracies -- also said, "Democracy has never existed and never will".

But we in Kyrgyzstan are convinced that we in the Kyrgyz Republic have a democracy in the best sense of the term. In that sense, we believe, to refer to the immortal words of Abraham Lincoln, that we are a nation, under God, that has had a new birth of freedom and that has a Government of the people, by the people and for the people. We are also conscious that there are other countries in similar situations, experiencing, as we are, increasing difficulties that require and deserve considerable aid. For that aid to be effective, there must be a study and a plan, which must be undertaken at the international level. That is the study and plan on ways and means which the draft resolution requests the Secretary-General to undertake.

Therefore, the Kyrgyz Republic, which is co-sponsored the draft resolution and supports it wholeheartedly, expresses the hope that it will be adopted by consensus.

Mr. Telles Ribeiro (Brazil)

Brazil is pleased to co-sponsor the draft resolution, entitled "Support by the United Nations system for the efforts of Governments to promote and consolidate new or restored democracies". Having actively participated in both the First and the Second International Conference of New or Restored Democracies, my country is committed to the Conference purposes and shares its ideas with respect to promoting and consolidating representative democracy, with due regard for the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other States.

The 1988 Constitution of Brazil clearly defines the political framework on which Brazil is founded: sovereignty, citizenship, the dignity of the human person, the social values of labour and of free enterprise, and political pluralism. In addition, it states that all power emanates from the people, who exercise it through elected representatives or directly.

In Brazil democracy is fully consolidated. We practise a system where concern for the individual lies at the heart of the conscience of society. The actions of my Government are oriented towards ensuring that each and every citizen is provided with effective means to achieve his or her well-being and social justice.

Democracy is the best political system for peoples to seek economic and social development, but it is not sufficient by itself. In a world where the universality of certain values is increasingly pursued, little progress has yet been made on promoting the universality of the right to development. We must focus our efforts on strengthening the solidarity of the international community through the values of democracy, but also on international cooperation for development.

In this context, as stated in the Plan of Action adopted at the Second International Conference of New or Restored Democracies, held in the sister nation of Nicaragua, the new or restored democracies have requested the Secretary-General to undertake a study on the ways in which the United Nations system could support the efforts of Governments towards consolidation. My delegation very much supports that initiative and hopes that the international community as a whole will join in that request to the Secretary-General.

Mr. Laing (Belize)

The delegation of Belize is honoured and pleased to co-sponsor the sponsor the draft resolution.

Until less than a decade ago it was widely perceived that there were far-reaching threats to the older and more established democracies. More recently, however, this perception has waned and so, largely, have intimations of the mortality of those democracies. However, even in relation to those democracies, we have been taught some useful lessons through the outstanding initiative of the International Conferences of New or Restored Democracies, organized, first, by the Philippines and, most recently, by the Republic of Nicaragua.

We were specifically reminded by the Nicaragua Conference that democracy is an organic concept and that it is a fragile commodity. As such, it is exceptionally subject to the slings and arrows of general misfortune in the body politic. We were reminded that, even in established democracies, a declining quality of life spells danger for democracy. We recall that there is a close symbiosis between the formally popular structure on which the institutions of the State are based and the possession by all citizens of the goods, services and amenities of modern civilization. As economic vicissitudes proliferate while we try to reconfigure appropriate strategies for global development, the structure of the democratic order becomes more tenuous. This is accentuated by such phenomena as the extraordinary population explosion and the unstructured and incoherent system of global social order.

Because democracy is a fragile plant which thrives when it is sedulously tended, with adequate resources, the deleterious effects of these phenomena are even more harsh in the new and restored democracies. In many of those States, furthermore, the difficulty of maintaining a fully democratic order is intensified by the problematic effects of the dynamism of the present era. Some of these problems are, paradoxically, attributed to the successes of democracy itself. Thus, refugees and internationally displaced persons in search of democracy, freedom and a better life are attracted by the magnetism of such success. Belize can attest to this as it tries to accommodate the 15 per cent of its population who are such persons.

To some extent, this international migration is stimulated by the instant knowledge conveyed by our modern media and communications technologies. To an extent which we are only just learning, these technologies also contribute to a sometimes crass materialism, which may result in undue diversions of energies and resources and the despair consequent on the lack of fulfilment of burgeoning desires. The evidence is accumulating that these technologies and such diversion and despair contribute to the rapidly growing preoccupation with deadly violence now so rampant in the streets of the vast majority of the cities of the world. The case histories of countries like mine, where television was introduced just over one decade ago, prove the point I am making.

The phenomena of which I speak were unknown before the introduction of television. In that short space of time, things have changed. These technologies have vast potential and are undoubtedly popular. However, instead of functioning as the modern electronic surrogates of the ancient market square and town hall, they contribute to the rapid erosion of security and satisfaction, which are the requisite conditions for democracy.

My delegation contends that the issues relating to democracy and symbiotic economic and social questions all pose serious challenges both for global polity and for the absorptive and managerial capacities of our system of international organization. These problems are fully within the purview of the Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and all other relevant bodies of our system.

This system was put in place near the end of the last world war. At that time the gravity and internationalized nature of the challenges induced the realization that the mechanisms of world order needed to be organic and interrelated. Thus, the key instruments of the wartime era which ushered in the current order stressed the symbiosis of economic, political, security and social dimensions. As for democracy itself, those instruments expressed a clear commitment to the exercise by peoples of the right to govern themselves -- that is to say, democracy. They also stressed that each individual and community deserved to enjoy the social and economic conditions needed to underpin democracy.

Too often today we hear strong reaffirmations of selected portions of those wartime commitments. The importance of economic orthodoxy is stressed, especially economic liberalism, non-discrimination and adjustment. But insufficient attention is given to the elaboration and enforcement of special and differential trade and development measures and we devise inadequate strategies to reduce the dead weight of debt on States that are poorest or unconscionably burdened. Neither are desperately needed indigenous technological and industrial capabilities being sufficiently stimulated.

In view of the organic nature of these phenomena, they are an incubus on democracy. That fragile plant is even more endangered when, as is often the case, it is not acknowledged that the very models of democracy often have to vary as much as do the broad groupings of people on this planet. Besides, it is insufficiently acknowledged that democracy is merely a species of human rights and that human rights are composed of diverse elements, including those of a cultural, developmental, economic and social nature. We now know that these concerns are not within the exclusive preserve of State jurisdiction. This organic conception of human rights is a proper and full subject of our international system, which is required to act as facilitator, coordinator and even governor. And, as stressed in the Managua Declaration and in current debates in Committees of the Assembly, effective democracy worldwide will be stimulated by more coherent application of democracy in the family of the United Nations.

The delegation of Belize therefore calls upon the Assembly to adopt this noble initiative of the Republic of Nicaragua and to support the enhancement of this valuable commodity in the new or restored democracies.

Mr. Valencia Rodriguez (Ecuador)

My delegation is pleased that the General Assembly has agreed to include this additional item on its agenda and that it is discussing the item today. This is a question of particular importance to the international community. My delegation therefore supports the Managua Declaration and the Plan of Action adopted at the Second International Conference of New or Restored Democracies, held in Managua from 4 to 6 July 1994.

We must use as a point of departure the widely acknowledged belief that democracy is now the form of government that best meets the needs of peoples and guarantees their development. I need not recall that various ways have been chosen to adapt to the traditional and historical characteristics of various cultures and civilizations. We acknowledge that there cannot be a single form of democracy that can be applied indiscriminately to all peoples. Democracy is a concept that evolves continuously in response to the requirements of politics and history. No country, even those that boast that they are the representatives of the best-structured and oldest democracies, can point to the democratic system that could be regarded as the most perfect. Political, economic and social vicissitudes, from which no country is exempt, have frequently led to the suspension or weakening of democratic institutions.

In those conditions, the promotion and consolidation of democracy has been a rather difficult, and sometimes even a traumatic and painful, process. Even today we see many examples of this.

While there is no single model of democracy that can be universally applied, there are none the less fundamental values that can be emphasized as a foundation for the process to which I have just referred.

First, there is an extricable link between the supreme values of democracy and freedom. The only basis for true democracy and political pluralism is the will of the people, freely expressed, in all sovereignty, at the ballot box. This implies full respect for the essential characteristics of the human being, the unrestricted rule of law and the total application of the principle of the equality of all before the law. It follows from this that all discriminatory practices, for any reason or on whatever pretext, are prohibited.

The promotion of and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are also a sine qua non for a truly democratic system. In this connection, we must emphasize the principle of self-determination -- that is, the right of peoples freely to choose their own economic, political and social system and to make proper, rational and sovereign use of their natural resources.

Democracy also entails raising the living standards of societies that find themselves totally unprotected. Thus the struggle against abject poverty must be a joint effort on the part of Governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations. The war on poverty also implies ensuring broad access to education, culture and health care as well as providing better employment opportunities for all. The World Summit for Social Development especially will be called on to play an important role in this connection.

While Latin America now presents a broad and optimistic picture of representative democracy, that system none the less has undergone serious upheavals, interruptions and changes. Aside from the elements I mentioned earlier, which in Latin America frequently did not come to fruition or suffered regrettable setbacks, there exists another threat to democratic stability: subversion. In some countries, this phenomenon is particularly dangerous. It should be made entirely clear that some forms of subversion, which might be considered to be terrorism, with all its consequences, imperil the fundamental rights of the human person and jeopardize democracy and the maintenance of peace.

To this we must add the serious phenomena resulting from criminal drug-trafficking and the near-institutionalized corruption that exists, which, in some cases, is undermining the very moral and economic foundations of society.

This once again leads us to recall the fundamental link between the promotion of democracy, sustainable development and peace. These concepts are closely interrelated, and progress must therefore jointly be made on all of them. There can be no doubt that development is a guarantee of the full exercise of democracy.

To sum up, we believe that promoting and consolidating democracy should be achieved on the basis of respect for the principles set forth in the Charter of the United Nations and strict adherence to the commitments entered into by Governments under international instruments, particularly with regard to human rights and fundamental freedoms.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the lofty goal of promoting and consolidating democracy requires solidarity and a considerable and sustained effort on the part of the international community. This goal can be most consistently and harmoniously achieved through existing United Nations machinery.

Mr. Kaikobad (Pakistan)

We live in an age where the democratic ideal is increasingly triumphant. The long and arduous struggles of peoples have culminated in the attainment of democracy in regions all over the world. Democratic polities have dramatically increased in numbers. Tyranny and authoritarianism appear to be nightmares of the past.

These are times for rejoicing, and yet there is a deep sense of foreboding - an all-pervasive anxiety that the recent, hard-won democratic victories might be reversed. The reason for this lies in the fact that the new or restored democracies face grave challenges in the way of consolidating their systems. There is a danger that some of these democracies might be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problems confronting them.

The new democracies are threatened on two fronts. Many are faced with a hostile security environment, and all are beset with harsh economic conditions. On both fronts, the United Nations system can take measures to help these nascent democracies.

Threats to security are a direct threat to democracy. To ensure that a democratic polity is able to develop and flourish, it is essential that threats to its security are addressed and removed. The continuing tragedy of Bosnia offers a vivid example of a democracy struggling to cope with an extremely adverse security environment. In essence, the situation in Bosnia is quite simple. A multicultural, democratic State has become the victim of fascist aggression. Instead of being helped to resist aggression, the Bosnian Government has seen its ability to defend itself restricted. Instead of international law being upheld and Serbian aggression vacated, the aggressors are being rewarded with plans that seek to preserve their territorial gains.

The United Nations could play an important role in protecting and preserving a democratic State. No dramatic measures are required. All that is needed is for the United Nations to uphold the principles enshrined in its Charter: the aggressors should be punished, and the aggressed should be allowed the means to defend themselves.

In our own region, the democratic process is threatened by the situation in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. In complete violation of United Nations resolutions, the people of Kashmir have been denied their basic right to self-determination. Their struggle to exercise this right is being crushed with extreme brutality. The over-600,000-strong Indian occupation force incarcerates, tortures and even at times rapes Kashmiris with impunity. Unable to crush the indomitable Kashmiri people and their spirit, the Indian forces also adopt a threatening posture towards Pakistan. There are incessant violations of the line of control by the Indian forces. There are also bellicose statements by the Indian leadership. Recently, Prime Minister Rao threatened to send his forces to take over Azad Kashmir. Such threats are made in the vain expectation that Pakistan will be cowed into muting its voice in support of the rights of the Kashmiris. The constant Indian threat of the use of force exacts a heavy toll on our polity. Resources have to be diverted from development activities for defence, and the people are constrained to postpone their hopes for a better future.

The United Nations can play a vital role in strengthening the democratic dispensation in South Asia. It can do so by seeking an immediate halt to the gross violations of human rights in Kashmir. Equally important, the United Nations needs to initiate efforts to urgently resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with its own resolutions.

Besides ensuring security, the United Nations has a key role to play in alleviating the economic difficulties faced by the new or restored democracies. The establishment of democratic structures quite naturally raises people's expectations that their material conditions would improve quickly and substantially. Such expectations are not easy to fulfil. The new democratic Governments inherit economies that are mismanaged, grossly inefficient and geared to benefit a privileged minority. To set these economies on the right track, difficult decisions have to be taken, wasteful subsidies have to be withdrawn, market forces allowed to operate, and competition introduced. These decisions, while increasing productivity, tend to hurt the more vulnerable segments of society.

Despite a willingness to take tough decisions, many democratic Governments have not been able to ensure economic growth. This is primarily due to an international economic environment that impedes sustained growth. Decreasing capital inflows, crippling debt burdens, restricted markets for exports and adverse terms of trade impact negatively on economic growth regardless of the boldness of decisions taken by the democratic Governments.

Lack of significant growth aggravates the tensions that invariably exist in societies that are undergoing social and political change. These tensions can manifest themselves in divisive politics based on narrow ethnic and sectarian considerations. Once unleashed, such tendencies are difficult to reverse and can pose dangers to newly established democratic institutions.

The role of the United Nations system in such a situation is quite clear. The United Nations must ensure that the global economic environment is conducive to the growth of all States. An essential prerequisite for achieving this is to develop mechanisms within the system that would allow all States to play a meaningful role in the formulation of macroeconomic policy. This would result in more equitable and constructive policies on the key issues of capital flows, debt and trade.

In addition to the larger task of creating a favourable external economic environment, the United Nations needs to assist the democracies in lessening the negative impact of economic restructuring programmes. The United Nations financial and development agencies should help the democratic Governments to put in place social safety nets to soften the impact of economic readjustment on the most vulnerable segments of society. Contrary to what is sometimes asserted, this would not be an economically wasteful measure. It would prevent the alienation of peoples from the democratic process. It would also deprive demagogues of grounds to exploit the people for their own ends. Thus, it would contribute to social stability and consequently ensure proper conditions for economic growth.

The restoration of a number of democracies and the emergence of many new ones provides an historic opportunity for creating an irreversible trend in favour of the democratic ideal. The United Nations system, by addressing key security and economic issues and thereby consolidating the nascent democratic polities can contribute immeasurably to this trend. This would ensure that the next century begins with a world confident that the factors inimical to democracies have been contained and even vanquished.

Mr. Martinez Blanco (Honduras)

The item before us today -- which was considered in depth at the International Conferences convened on this subject in Manila, the Philippines, in June 1988 and Managua, Nicaragua, in July 1994 -- deserves the Assembly's particular interest, as the new democracies are an integral part of political processes and processes of reconciliation and development in national societies and of peace and security in the international community, within a concept of greater and more unified security.

As indicated in the 15 November 1994 explanatory memorandum which the sponsors of the draft resolution submitted to the President of the General Assembly when they requested the inclusion of this item on the agenda of the forty-ninth session for consideration in this plenary session, in the Managua Declaration, the Conference, composed of 74 States, expressed:

"the conviction that a sound democratic and pluralistic system based on the principles established in the Charter of the United Nations and in international covenants and conventions on human rights is closely linked to the implementation of policies aimed at promoting sustainable development ... and equal opportunities" and that "In order to achieve the objectives put forward by the Conference, the Plan of Action drew attention to the need to work out and strengthen at the bilateral and multilateral level modalities for international cooperation that take into account the various realities of the new or restored democracies, in order to strengthen democracy and peace with development." (A/49/236, paras. 4-5)

To return to these concepts, my delegation reiterates the view that the United Nations system should support the efforts of Governments to promote and consolidate new or restored democracies, of which there are many in the international community and this world Organization.

None of these new or restored democracies is free of problems, be they political, economic, social or other kinds. That is why, if they do not receive the appropriate support, many of them will, unfortunately, have to face serious problems that could further impair the peace and security that should prevail internationally. The United Nations must therefore be a more active protagonist in the promotion and strengthening of these new democracies, giving them the support they need for their development. This support should be not only economic but also technical and institutional, as required. The United Nations has already successfully demonstrated its expertise and efficiency in this area, by means of which it could increase its expertise and efficiency with optimum results in those regions of the world that desperately need its assistance.

When we see with great sadness that many of the new or restored democracies are experiencing economic and social difficulties; that their meagre development is stagnant or shrinking; that they have tremendous debts which they cannot pay because of a lack of resources; and that their creditors, be they Governments of developed countries or international credit institutions, are imposing conditions that further slow their growth and development, we are drawn to the immediate conclusion that those Governments and institutions could help to alleviate the painful situation of these less fortunate countries. Humanizing international credit, revising the external debt and paying a fair price for our export products are, inter alia, some measures that could contribute to a partial solution to these problems.

That is why I wish to express the support of the delegation of Honduras for the draft resolution in document A/49/L.49, entitled "Support by the United Nations system for the efforts of Governments to promote and consolidate new or restored democracies", under agenda item 159. The draft resolution requests the Secretary-General, from within existing resources, to study the ways and mechanisms in which the United Nations system could support the efforts of Governments to promote and consolidate new or restored democracies, and to submit a comprehensive report thereon to the General Assembly at its fiftieth session. The maintenance of international peace and security deserves all this and more.

Mr. Illueca (Panama)

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