General Assembly Session 52 meeting 35

The Acting President

The Assembly will first hear an address by the President of the Republic of Mozambique.

The Acting President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I have the honour to welcome to the United Nations the President of the Republic of Mozambique, His Excellency Mr. Joaquim Alberto Chissano, and to invite him to address the Assembly.

President Chissano (Mozambique)

On behalf of the people and the Government of Mozambique, and indeed on my own behalf, it is a great honour for me to address this august Assembly. I bring to you the warm felicitations and best wishes of all Mozambicans.

Two years ago, during the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, we committed ourselves not only to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, but also to rededicate our efforts to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness for our universal Organization, with a view to enabling it to play a pivotal role in promoting sustainable development, particularly in the developing countries. Therefore, our deliberations in all subsequent General Assembly sessions should reflect that firm political will and commitment.

On that occasion, I informed the Assembly of the progress we had achieved in our continued endeavours to consolidate peace and democracy and promote socio-economic development. I am happy to state that, today, these positive trends are prevailing and that the situation in my country is improving. We envision the future with renewed optimism.

Our pluralist democracy continues to flourish; we are further strengthening our democratic institutions; and the state of the economy is gradually and steadily improving. However, many challenges lie ahead. We still have schools and hospitals to rehabilitate, and new ones to build. We still have roads to repair, and new ones to build. We still have landmines to clear. We have to address our heavy debt burden and find ways and means of bringing it to sustainable levels.

These challenges are indeed immense, but not insurmountable. With hard work and the generous support of the international community, I am sure we shall succeed in our quest for better living standards for our people. The United Nations and the international community at large have invested a lot in order to ensure a lasting peace and stability in Mozambique. I say to all the members of the international community: your effective work has helped put an end to the suffering of our people in a delicate and complex peace process. The cost of peace was high, but it would have been higher if you had failed to fulfil your obligations. We therefore urge you to recommit yourselves to providing all necessary means for the consolidation of the peace you have helped to achieve.

The advent of peace has made it possible for Mozambicans to rededicate themselves to the implementation of sound political and economic reforms, with visible positive results. It is our earnest desire to take maximum advantage of the rich potential of our natural resources and to use them in a sustainable and balanced manner with a view to creating wealth and a better future for our people.

As a result of the implementation of the structural adjustment programme, launched in 1987 under the most adverse conditions, encouraging developments are taking place in our economy. In 1996 the gross domestic product grew by around 6.4 per cent and exports increased by 24 per cent. The inflation rate declined sharply to 16.6 per cent from 70 per cent in 1994 and 54 per cent in 1995. The mid-year evaluation indicates 3.2 per cent, and we expect a single-digit cumulative rate for 1997. Moreover, we have also registered important progress in currency stabilization. We estimate that the 1997 figures for virtually all major economic indicators will be better than the previous ones.

Our successes in the consolidation of peace and democracy reflect the values our people have inherited throughout history; they reflect our common desire and noble aspirations to live together in unity and harmony within diversity, thanks to our growing culture of tolerance and forgiveness. They also constitute a vivid example of a culture of peace we have embraced in our country. We believe that the promotion and further consolidation of a culture of peace should be the next most important challenge to all societies as well as to each individual citizen.

It was within this framework that my Government, in close collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), convened at Maputo a conference on culture of peace and good governance. The outcome of this conference and of other similar conferences that have taken place worldwide was to recognize once again the existing relationship between peace, democracy and development, as well as the common challenges to all countries committed to implementing these values and processes. For these reasons, I welcome the efforts under way towards the adoption of a meaningful draft resolution on this contemporary issue.

Peace and stability cannot be ensured by the mere holding of multiparty elections, nor should they be seen as a simple absence of military conflict. Recent history proves that in conflict resolution a proper balance should be struck between the need for elections, with their inherent hostile and partisan propaganda, and the need for reconciliation that should follow the aftermath of a democratic process.

Our own experience reminds us that it is not enough to ensure reconciliation of former conflicting parties in order to guarantee a lasting peace. Our task today is to guarantee that a culture of peace is embedded in the minds of all citizens as an important step forward in conflict prevention and management. All citizens are called upon to participate, notwithstanding the diversity of opinions and sometimes of interests. Only commitment to supreme national interests can ensure that individual interests do not hamper these noble objectives.

Peace and democracy are fundamental tools for fostering development in all its aspects, especially in today's world, where one fifth of the world population is still confronted with absolute poverty, hunger and malnutrition, illiteracy and endemic disease. It is therefore incumbent upon all of us to take concerted actions in order to reverse this picture and to create an enabling environment for sustained development, with emphasis on education and the provision of basic health care, potable water and housing.

This requires the strengthening of the rule of law, good governance, transparency and accountability. It also requires security in all its components, including economic, social, environmental and all related issues. As we are about to cross the threshold of the new millennium, the concept of security must be considered in its global dimension. No country, no matter how big or how small, can develop in isolation. Indeed, environmental problems, refugees and displaced persons, transboundary movements of people and goods, drug trafficking, money laundering and other transnational crimes can only be addressed effectively through a cooperative approach in a global context.

Without peace and democracy, development will always be in jeopardy, and issues related to governance and social instability will continue to confront future generations. That is why democracy and development, two faces of the same coin, remain a daunting challenge to our societies. This is an undertaking that requires a common approach from all Governments and from civil society, including the private sector.

These are equally the challenges facing the southern African region today. Because we believe that only collective efforts will bring about durable peace and stability and sustainable development, we attach great importance to regional cooperation within the framework of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). With 14 member States and about 170 million people, SADC is a viable economic bloc poised to play a positive role in the efforts for continental development.

The 1997 annual summit of Heads of State or Government of our Community reviewed the activities of the organization and developments that had taken place in the region since the last summit. Within the framework of the establishment of the African Economic Community, and as one of its building blocks, we are, inter alia, according top priority in our domestic agendas to issues pertaining to the social development of our countries so as to ensure that our policies and strategies are in response to, and in support of, national priorities. Special emphasis is being given to the need for investment in the development of technology and infrastructures.

The summit also considered the applications for membership of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Seychelles, and decided to welcome those countries as the newest members of our Community.

The summit discussed in great detail the current situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We have agreed that the Democratic Republic of the Congo requires and deserves support from the international community in order to enable its newly established Government and its people to cope with the developmental challenges deriving from three decades of uncertainty.

A stable Democratic Republic of the Congo is equally vital for the attainment of the peace that has so far eluded the Great Lakes region and for the efforts under way with a view to finding a political settlement of the conflict ravaging the neighbouring Congo.

Furthermore, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has major strategic importance for the development of the region, and indeed, of the whole continent of Africa, given its great potential in such key areas as energy, water, tourism, transport and communications.

The issue of transport and communication is of paramount importance to southern Africa. The establishment of the Maputo, Beira and Nacala corridors are fundamental steps towards improving transport and communications within the region.

The concept of development corridors we are implementing in southern Africa represents a new partnership we are building in the region between Government, entrepreneurs and communities. A development corridor is not only a road or railway linking a harbour to one point at the border of a neighbouring country, but also, and more importantly, an area along the communications routes and beyond them into the interior of the countries concerned and open for investment in a great variety of economic activities, thus bringing about an integrated development of the region.

The areas of investment include improvements of sea ports and railways; improvement and construction of highways; and gas pipelines, energy and communications infrastructures, livestock, forestry, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, industry and tourism. We believe, therefore, that the development corridors will contribute significantly towards the realization of the noble goals and aspirations of the peoples of the region.

This is the path we have embarked on in southern Africa. We believe that, in so doing, we are making a positive contribution towards conflict prevention, resolution and management in Africa, and to building the blocks that shall sustain the development of our continent. In order to guarantee political stability as well as the sustainability of our development efforts, the region has established, within SADC, an Organ on Politics, Defence and Security with the responsibility of preventing, resolving and managing conflicts in the region.

This is the future that we envisage for the African continent: a continent in which the rule of law and legitimacy is above all other interests; a continent in which democracy, accountability and good governance must prevail; a continent in which development and social justice are promoted and safeguarded by all of us. This is where cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity must be further strengthened.

The Acting President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank His Excellency the President of the Republic of Mozambique for the statement he has just made.

The Acting President

As members are aware, in accordance with the provisions of Article 12, paragraph 2, of the Charter of the United Nations and with the consent of the Security Council, the Secretary-General is mandated to notify the General Assembly of matters relative to the maintenance of international peace and security that are being dealt with by the Security Council and of matters with which the Council has ceased to deal.

In this connection, the General Assembly has before it a note by the Secretary-General issued as document A/52/392.

May I take it that the Assembly takes note of that document?

The Acting President

In accordance with General Assembly decision 42/450 of 17 December 1987, the Assembly elects the members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination upon their nomination by the Economic and Social Council.

The Assembly has before it document A/52/440, which contains the nominations by the Economic and Social Council to fill the vacancies in the Committee, which will occur as a result of the expiration on 31 December 1997 of the terms of office of the Bahamas, Benin, France, Ghana, Mexico, the Russian Federation and the United States of America. Those States are eligible for immediate re-election.

I should like to remind members that, after 1 January 1998, the following States will still be members of the Committee: Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Cameroon, China, the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Uruguay and Zimbabwe.

Therefore, those 25 States are not eligible in this election.

The following States have been nominated by the Economic and Social Council: two African States for two vacancies -- Uganda and Zambia; one Eastern European State for one vacancy -- the Russian Federation; two Latin American and Caribbean States for two vacancies -- the Bahamas and Mexico; two Western European and other States for two vacancies -- the United States of America and France.

As stated in document A/52/440, the Economic and Social Council has postponed to a future session of the Council the nomination of two other members from the Western European and other States for a term beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 1999.

The number of States nominated from among the African States, the Eastern European States, the Latin American and Caribbean States and the Western European and other States is equal to or does not exceed the number of seats to be filled in each of those regions.

In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, all elections shall be held by secret ballot. However, in accordance with paragraph 16 of decision 34/401, the Assembly may, in elections to subsidiary organs, dispense with secret balloting when the number of candidates corresponds to the number of seats to be filled.

May I therefore take it that the Assembly wishes to declare those States nominated by the Economic and Social Council from among the African States, the Eastern European States, the Latin American and Caribbean States and the Western European and other States -- the Bahamas, France, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Uganda, the United States of America and Zambia -- elected members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 1998?

The Acting President

I congratulate the States that have been elected members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination.

With regard to the two remaining vacancies to be filled from among the Western European and other States, the General Assembly will be in a position to act on them upon the nomination by the Economic and Social Council of two Member States from that region.

I therefore propose that the Assembly keep this sub-item on the agenda of the fifty-second session.

If I hear no objection, I shall take it that the Assembly agrees to that procedure.

The Acting President

We have thus concluded this stage of our consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 16.

The Acting President

I call on the representative of Peru to introduce draft resolution A/52/L.6.