General Assembly Session 51 meeting 91

The President

Before we begin our consideration of the items on the agenda for this morning, I should first like to invite the General Assembly to pay tribute to the memory of the late Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China, His Excellency Mr. Deng Xiaoping, whose passing on 19 February 1997 is a loss not only to China but to the international community as well.

With his vision of reform and pragmatism, Mr. Deng will be remembered as an astute leader who stayed China's course towards international peace and security during a time of global transition. He will also be remembered for his unparalleled contributions as the chief architect of modernization, liberalization and economic prosperity in China.

On behalf of the General Assembly, I request the Permanent Representative of China to convey our heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy to the Government and the people of China and to the bereaved family.

The Assembly will also pay tribute to the memory of the late President of the Republic of Guyana, His Excellency Mr. Cheddi Jagan.

A favourite son of Guyana and an esteemed statesman, Mr. Jagan distinguished himself as a tireless champion of democracy at home and as a staunch supporter of the ideals and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

On behalf of the General Assembly, I should like to convey our heartfelt condolences to the Government and the people of Guyana and to the bereaved family.

I now invite representatives to stand and to observe a minute of silence in tribute to the memories of the late Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China and of the late President of the Republic of Guyana.

The President

I call on the representative of Egypt, who will speak on behalf of the Group of African States.

Mr. Elaraby (Egypt)

In behalf of the Group of African States here in New York, I wish to express the Group's sincere condolences to the people and Government of the People's Republic of China upon the death of their leader Mr. Deng Xiaoping.

With his passing, China has lost an important living symbol and leader who planned the emergence of China as a Power on the international scene. The world has lost an epoch-making international figure. Mr. Deng Xiaoping was indeed worthy of the respect and admiration of the international community for his key role in promoting China's resurgence in every field.

China has stood by the African States and is linked to us by bonds of true friendship and productive economic cooperation. I am convinced that China, given its relations with and particular interest in Africa, will pursue this policy of cooperation under its new leadership, to the benefit of both populations.

Mr. Deng Xiaoping was active in his country's politics for the past 50 years. At its helm for the past 18 years, he participated in the planning and implementation of China's policies. He has left a clear and indelible stamp on the political, economic and social life of China that will endure through the ages. China and the entire world will recall with admiration his wise guidance and service.

On behalf of the African Group, I wish to convey our sincere condolences to the delegation of China.

In my capacity as Chairman of the African Group, I also wish to extend our sincere condolences to the people, Government and delegation of the Republic of Guyana on the death of Mr. Cheddi Jagan. He served his country and people throughout his life and earned respect nationally and internationally.

On behalf of the African States, I also wish to convey our deep condolences to the Government and people of Jamaica on the occasion of the death of their former Prime Minister, Mr. Michael Manley, who led his country and enjoyed national and international standing.

The President

I call on the representative of Oman, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Asian States.

Mr. Al-Khussaiby (Oman)

On behalf of the Group of Asian States, I have the distinct honour and privilege to join the members of this Assembly in paying special tributes to the memory of the late leader of the People's Republic of China, His Excellency Mr. Deng Xiaoping, and to the memory of the late President of the Republic of Guyana, His Excellency Mr. Cheddi Jagan.

I am indeed grateful to be accorded this solemn opportunity to convey collective sentiments of heartfelt condolence from the States members of the Asian Group to the bereaved families of His Excellency Mr. Deng Xiaoping and His Excellency Mr. Cheddi Jagan in their grief and to all the people of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Guyana on their great loss.

We recognize that the passing away of His Excellency Mr. Deng Xiaoping is an immeasurable loss to the People's Republic of China and a tremendous source of grief to the Chinese people. To the international community, he was well known as the Paramount Leader who made historic contributions that have a vital bearing on the future and fate of his people and his country.

Guided by his theories, China's economy has made unprecedented achievements over the past years. His people's living standards have greatly improved and his country's outlook has undergone profound changes, winning wholehearted support from his people. Mr. Deng paid close attention to reforms, opening a modernization drive with a high sense of historic responsibility.

To people of the world from all walks of life, His Excellency Mr. Deng was regarded as the founder of the new China and the bearer of the key that opened the doors of the great walls of China to the entire world. His unprecedented move laid down an epochal milestone in the annals of history and received worldwide accolades and acknowledgment.

We are equally anguished and feel a great sense of loss over the demise of His Excellency Mr. Cheddi Jagan, the late President of the Republic of Guyana, who led the Government since his second accession to office in 1992 after the first free and fair elections in post-independent Guyana.

He was well known to the friendly people of Guyana as a man of the people, which in itself says a lot about him. President Jagan has bequeathed to his nation a legacy of commitment to the upliftment of the working people, the poor and the disadvantaged. In 50 years of public life, he displayed confidence, courage and commitment in his lifelong crusade against poverty.

Mr. Jagan's contribution to the struggle against colonialism and for independence transcended Guyana's borders and has been a staple feature of the Guyanese and Caribbean political process for the past five decades. With Guyana as an active member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), he became its Chairman during the last years of his life. At the recent CARICOM conference of Heads of Government in Antigua and Barbuda, it was noted that Mr. Jagan's contribution to global economic issues and his commitment to the region's development were deeply appreciated by all of his colleagues within CARICOM. Furthermore, his most recent mission was the promotion of a new global human order.

We join the rest of Guyana and people everywhere in mourning the passing away of Guyana's greatest patriot and statesman.

In remembering these two great leaders of our times, the Group of Asian States invites everyone to join together and encourage the people of the People's Republic of China and of the Republic of Guyana to turn their grief into strength, carry forward their leaders' visions and express their mourning through concrete actions towards the achievement of democracy, peace and prosperity. May Almighty God rest their souls in eternal peace.

The President

I call on the representative of the Republic of Moldova, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Eastern European States.

Mr. Ciobanu (Moldova)

On behalf of the Eastern European States, I wish to express our profound sorrow on the death of the senior statesman of China, Mr. Deng Xiaoping.

Over the past two decades, Mr. Deng Xiaoping was an extraordinary figure on the world stage, a great leader and an illustrious son of the Chinese people. He was the driving force behind China's unprecedented modernization and dramatic economic development. He made a monumental contribution to China's well-being and placed it in the ranks of the major countries of the world.

Mr. Deng Xiaoping's life spanned a century of turmoil, tribulation and remarkable change in China. He spurred China's historic economic reform programme, which greatly improved living standards in China and modernized much of the nation.

But not only China benefited from his leadership; the world at large gained from his effort to emphasize peace and development.

China today plays an important role in world affairs, in no small part because of Mr. Deng Xiaoping's determination to open his country to the world and his fight for peaceful and principled relations between States. He will always be remembered by the international community as a paramount personality who stamped his indelible mark on the twentieth century.

I wish to convey, on behalf of the Group of Eastern European States, our sincere condolences to the bereaved family and to the Government and the people of China for this tragic loss.

Again on behalf of the Group of Eastern European States, I wish to join previous speakers in expressing our deep sadness over the passing of Mr. Cheddi Jagan, President of the Republic of Guyana.

President Jagan was a man of high stature, widely known for his frankness, dedication, determination and integrity, an exemplary figure for the people of the Republic of Guyana and a distinguished citizen of the world.

He left his nation a valuable legacy of commitment to the service of the common people and to tireless efforts in the fight for freedom, as well as in the fight for prosperity for his own compatriots and all the world's poor. He was a brave fighter against any form of domination and exploitation at the international level.

We inherit the late President Jagan's immense intellectual contribution on global economic issues. His vision went beyond the borders of his country, of the Caribbean region and of the southern hemisphere. Indeed, his pursuit of a new global human order won him our respect and admiration.

We are deeply saddened to bid farewell to President Cheddi Jagan. The memory of his work and ideas in the service of his people and of the international community will stay with us.

I wish to convey to his bereaved family and friends and to the people of Guyana our heartfelt condolences for a loss we all regret.

The President

I call on the representative of Paraguay, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States.