General Assembly Session 55 meeting 91

The President

Before turning to the items on our agenda, may I, on behalf of the members of the Assembly, extend to the Governments and the peoples of Bolivia and El Salvador our deepest sympathy for the tragic loss of life and the extensive material damage resulting from the recent floods in Bolivia and yet another earthquake in El Salvador. May I also express the hope that the international community will demonstrate its solidarity by responding promptly and generously to any request from Bolivia and El Salvador for assistance in their present plight.

The President

I should like to draw the attention of the General Assembly to document A/55/745/Add.1. In the letter contained in that document, the Secretary-General informs the President of the General Assembly that, since the issuance of his communication contained in document A/55/745, Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Mongolia, Nicaragua and Turkmenistan have made the necessary payments to reduce their arrears below the amount specified in Article 19 of the Charter.

May I take it that the General Assembly duly takes note of the information contained in that document?

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Costa Rica to introduce draft resolution A/55/L.74.

Mr. Niehaus (Costa Rica)

On behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, I have the honour to introduce the draft resolution entitled "Assistance to Bolivia as a result of the flooding experienced in recent months", which has been published under the symbol A/55/L.74. I am pleased to announce that all the members of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States -- Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela and Costa Rica -- have sponsored the draft resolution.

Austria, Cyprus, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Turkey have also become sponsors of the draft resolution.

The adoption of this draft resolution is a matter of urgency. In recent weeks, Bolivia has been the victim of a true humanitarian crisis. Torrential rain in the northern part of the country has led to extensive flooding and landslides. The loss of human life has been enormous and the material destruction is immeasurable. It has been estimated that more than 40,000 families have been made homeless and that more than 200,000 people have been displaced. Not only have these displaced persons lost all of their possessions and their means of subsistence, but they are now being threatened by various infectious diseases and epidemics.

The international community has the moral duty to provide assistance to this population in danger. It is crucial to provide these displaced persons with basic goods for their survival. Bolivia therefore urgently requires food, emergency medicines, tents, water purification units, basic tools, waterproof clothing, water pumps, emergency electricity generators, basic cooking equipment and educational material. The draft resolution under consideration includes such a plea to the international community and urges it to respond generously to the needs of the Bolivian population.

In the preambular part of the draft resolution, the General Assembly expresses its concern about the humanitarian crisis that has occurred in Bolivia. It highlights the efforts of the Government of Bolivia to provide assistance to the victims of the crisis as well as its achievements in the area of democracy and human development. Finally, the preambular part emphasizes the importance of international cooperation to remedy the effects of humanitarian crises, given the enormous financial and technical resources that such work requires.

In the operative part of the draft resolution, the General Assembly reiterates its support to the people and the Government of Bolivia, and thanks the international community for the support that it has provided for rescue and relief efforts for the stricken population. In paragraph 3, States Members of the United Nations, specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations are urged to respond generously to Bolivia in its reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. Finally, the draft resolution requests the Secretary-General to promote and coordinate the assistance provided by the United Nations system to Bolivia at this difficult time.

I should like to conclude by strongly urging all delegations to support the draft resolution and asking them for their utmost cooperation with the brotherly people of Bolivia.

I should also like to make a plea for international solidarity with regard to the disaster that has again affected the brotherly country of El Salvador. As has been said, yesterday the Republic of El Salvador was again struck by a violent earthquake -- the second time that that has happened in several weeks -- and international support is urgently required.

I should like to take this opportunity to join you, Mr. President, in expressing my most sincere condolences to the brotherly people of El Salvador and to call on the international community to provide the necessary assistance.