YouSaid · the spoken record

Rahman

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS RAHMAN

lines on the record: 122
first: 1991-09-24
most recent: 1995-09-24
sittings or episodes: 4
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“More importantly, the desire and ability of developing countries to contribute to the growth of the world economy and help to mitigate common global concerns as participants and not as bystanders has significantly increased. Yet, negative impulses everywhere challenge peace and security, democracy and human rights, economic progress and social cohesion. Together, they call for a concerted response, nationally and internationally, that is new and imaginative. Today, issues of territorial security are being overshadowed by concerns over human security. There is increasing recognition of non-military threats to security. Nation States are under siege from multiple forces from within and without that are retarding their capacity to act effectively and independently.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Pragmatic cutbacks in strategic weapons and a heightened focus on the destabilizing capabilities of conventional weapons have opened doors for more productive use of human, financial and material resources. Historic political changes in the Middle East and South Africa and political settlements in Asia and Central America can have a far-reaching positive impact on those regions. After a long period of stagnation the global economy is poised for its first significant expansion. The successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round and the creation of the World Trade Organization as a universal forum for trade negotiations and the settlement of disputes have brightened prospects for increased trade and long- term growth.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“International cooperation has become an imperative, not only because it is possible or necessary, but because it is indispensable in a world that has moved from interaction to interrelationship to interdependence. As we seek to seize opportunities and confront challenges at every level — individual, national or global — we are deeply aware of the contradictory forces at work, forces that emanate from both within and without our nations. The way we channel these forces into productive activities will determine the success of our common endeavour to forge a just and stable world order. On the positive side, ideological walls have tumbled, democracy has spread worldwide, more caring and responsible Governments have come to power and economic empowerment and social imperatives have lessened reliance on military culture.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Individuals find identity in nations and nations derive cognition in universalism. The success or failure of the United Nations stems from the contribution each Member makes to promote its goals. The Organization’s principal motivation arises out of the responsibility borne by each nation for the stability and welfare of its own people. It is the sum total of these individual efforts that marks the United Nations measured progress towards maintaining peace, securing justice and realizing the Charter prerogative of “social progress and better standards of living in larger freedom”. The limitations of Governments are also painfully evident.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“People form the key link that bind our global society, the source of democracy, the object of humanitarian concern, the spirit of justice in ensuring human and minority rights. They are the cause and object of all our endeavour. 8 Too often, people have been ignored, to our peril. As we see the stricken faces of men, women and children around our world, the dead, the brutalized, the frightened and dispossessed, the hungry, diseased and despairing, this lesson is dramatically brought home by the media. And yet our sense of purpose and achievement is ennobled as we witness the new light of hope dawning in South Africa, the Middle East, Cambodia and in many other States and societies where the painstaking process of peace, democracy and development take root and where solutions are characterized with a human face.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“I warmly congratulate you, Sir, on your unanimous election as President of the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session. Your election is a tribute not only to you personally but also to your great country, Côte d’Ivoire. I am confident you will carry forward the high tradition set by your predecessor, Ambassador Samuel Insanally of Guyana, to whom we owe our deep appreciation. The untiring efforts of the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, to renew, reform and revitalize our Organization deserve our special tribute. As we stand at the threshold of the United Nations fiftieth anniversary, one goal remains paramount, namely, the need to promote human development and human security in all its manifold aspects. The role and relevance of the people are enshrined in the very first words of the Charter.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“We are faced with an opportunity rare in the history of civilization to carry forward the momentum to resolve disputes peacefully, to promote partnership and responsible relations among States, to strengthen the rule of law and uplift the quality of life of all peoples in greater freedom. We must surely move with deliberation towards the realization of what the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, calls "the vast potential of this unique Organization to bring new life to the world of the Charter." (A/47/1, para. 170)”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In other parts of the third world, bilateral, regional and international efforts have seen many positive initiatives and advances. It is the combined solidarity and sustained moral pressure of the world community that has created a climate conducive to peaceful change. The enhanced role and contribution of the International Court of Justice also now assumes much greater relevance and credibility and must be strengthened. Let me say in conclusion that the world has reached a critical point in its struggle to advance stability and well-being. No doubt violence, aggression, foreign occupation, narrowly conceived nationalism, racial and religious discrimination and gaping social and economic disparities still persist. Yet there is today greater confidence and conviction that a better world is truly within our reach.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We commend the Secretary-General for his personal initiatives a¬ªid role in the difficult process of reaching agreement on a broad-based set of ideas leading towards an overall framework agreement. We hope that the leaders of the two communities who are to meet on 26 October 1992 will pursue direct and uninterrupted negotiations to reach an amicable and durable solution that will serve the legitimate interests of both communities. In Western Sahara, we fully support the Secretary-General's initiatives to reactivate the implementation of the settlement plan and to help overcome differences over criteria of eligibility to vote. We hope that the referendum can be effectively organized and supervised and thus bring about an early end to this long-standing dispute.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We believe that much more needs to be done to end the bloodshed and fully restore the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We remain steadfast in our support for the people of South Africa in their struggle to achieve their cherished goal of equal rights and majority rule. There can be no compromise until we have achieved the complete dismantling of apartheid. The international community must remain vigilant in its efforts to bring an effective end to the recent outbreak of violence and create conditions for negotiations leading towards a peaceful transition to a democratic, non-racial and united South Africa. Bangladesh welcomes the intensification of efforts to find a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The August 1992 London Conference and the mechanisms it has instituted remain a vital hope for the intensification of the search for solutions in all aspects and on a continuous basis. Meanwhile, the world is appalled by the Serbian aggression in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by the massacre of innocent civilians, the systematic persecution and even annihilation through the abhorrent policy of "ethnic cleansing". Bangladesh has taken a forthright stand in all international forums to condemn these acts. It has joined in the call for more decisive and resolute action that would reverse the aggression, stop the brutality, and ensure the unhindered supply of relief. We have also denied the claim of Serbia and Montenegro to be the successor State of former Yugoslavia in the United Nations and other international bodies.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We fully support the Security Council decision to strengthen the United Nations peace-keeping presence so as to break this cycle through a comprehensive programme of action that could reach vital relief assistance, consolidate the cease-fire, curtail violence and bring about national reconciliation. We also welcome the efforts of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Arab League to convene a conference on national reconciliation and unity in Somalia. The upheaval in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is a cause of utmost concern. It has unleashed a bitter mix of conflict, ambition, hatred and ethnic brutality.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The implementation of the 1991 Paris Agreement on a comprehensive settlement in Cambodia has progressed apace, despite obstacles raised by one of the four factions to move into the second phase of implementation. We welcome this advance and commend the intense and diverse attempts by the United Nations to nurture national reconciliation to foster the democratic process and to build peace and stability. In our own small way, as a part of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC), Bangladesh is committed to end the suffering of the Cambodian people and to allow them to determine freely their own destiny. The vicious cycle of starvation, factional fighting, the break-down of central authority, the violence and the exodus of refugees in Somalia has shocked the world. The response has been belated.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It is our hope that Israel will show sincerity of purpose and greater flexibility and will refrain from delaying the peace process. It is our fervent hope that all parties in Afghanistan will respect the cease-fire and faithfully implement the Peshawar Accord of April 1992, which reflected a broad consensus of all Afghan leaders. This would lay the groundwork for holding free and fair elections so that a permanent government could emerge reflecting the wishes and aspirations of the Afghan people. At the same time, it would ensure much needed political, economic and social stability. There is vital need for the world community to contribute generously and actively towards the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Afghanistan and towards the safe and voluntary return of refugees to their homeland.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Bangladesh is determined to contribute in whatever ways it can, directly or indirectly, to making it more effective and responsive in new and creative ways. I turn now to the critical political issues on our agenda. Bangladesh's consistent and categorical position on the Middle East question and the issue of Palestine needs no reiteration. We believe the Palestinians' cause to be founded on justice. We welcome the convening of the peace conference and the start of substantive parallel negotiations over the framework of a peaceful settlement. We believe that this should be comprehensive, should include Palestine, and must be based on a serious commitment by Israel to abide by Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 425 (1978), and the principle of returning land for peace.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“This year the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, along with the United Nations Children's Fund, is focusing particular attention on the rights of children in South Asia, in keeping with the commitment of the countries of the region to the full implementation of the Declaration and Plan of Action of the World Summit for Children. No statement is complete if we do not address ourselves to some of the outstanding conflict and tension points around the globe. Since the creation of the United Nations, over 100 major conflicts have taken a toll of some 20 million dead. The cold war imposed its own peculiar threat to security. With its demise, vital new possibilities have opened up for forging a new security regime. The United Nations has emerged as a central instrument for the prevention and resolution of conflicts.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Social aspects must also remain at the heart of our endeavours, especially concentration on disadvantaged groups that the pursuit of economic growth tends to bypass. We therefore wholeheartedly support the convening of the World Summit for Social Development. Bangladesh supports the view that the full integration of women in the development process at all levels is of critical importance. We stand committed to promoting the success of the World Conference on Women to be held in 1995. Equally, the rights and status of children remain a paramount priority.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“No one can doubt the serious potential for conflict that the absence of law holds in these areas. They remain a pressing priority for concentrated movement forward. Through national legislation, its regional extension and international participation, we have also contributed to addressing solutions to global problems of drugs, terrorism and protection of the environment. We welcome in particular the outcome of the Rio Conference, which has addressed the issues of environment and development, which are inextricably linked. Sustainable development calls for a new global partnership, including the provision of new and additional financial resources to developing countries and adequate access for them to environmentally sound technology.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We look forward to participating in the second World Conference on Human Rights, in June 1993, and to ensuring that the Conference addresses all aspects of human rights on the basis of universality, indivisibility and impartiality. Since the only real protection of small and weaker States is firmly rooted in the rule of law, Bangladesh has constantly striven to promote its progressive development and codification internationally and regionally, and to promote its due reflection at home through enabling legislation. We shall remain active in pursuing these endeavours, especially in promoting such priority areas as the non-navigational uses of international water-courses, the international law of the sea, environmental protection and the status of refugees, economic migrants and displaced persons.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Equally, without improved standards of living and a vision for the future that can sustain hope, democracy will wither. Human rights become meaningless in the face of the dire constraints of poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy. No other right can take precedence over the amelioration of this condition. Bangladesh fully reaffirms that basic human rights and fundamental freedoms are of universal validity. We believe that a human rights culture embracing all freedoms must evolve in a uniform way. Perhaps the most vital aspect of this that has yet to find universal acceptance is recognition of the right to development. Surely, peace and stability cannot be achieved unless conditions are created to remove the root causes of war and conflict, that is, economic and social deprivation.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It recognizes the need to raise investment so as to achieve growth in excess of 5 per cent per annum, and identifies efficiency improvement as one of the important means of attaining this end. It aims at achieving a symbiosis between agriculture and industry that will address the needs of growth, employment generation and poverty alleviation. To ensure that this link is sustained and can lead to a take-off for the economy, investment in the social sectors is given central importance. The factors I have mentioned highlight one basic reality: the fabric of self-reliance is intimately woven out of three strands democracy, development and human rights. Our own experience has underlined certain basic truths. Without democracy, a people's potential for socio-economic progress cannot flower.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round remains a pressing priority. These goals must be pursued to a logical and urgent conclusion. Another crucial element must be stressed: the development objective must be put in sharper focus than the theme of adjustment that has long overshadowed it; structural adjustment measures are necessary, but must avoid undue hardships which often lead the poorest sections of the population to bear a disproportionate part of the burden. At home, a crucial policy imperative has been the drawing up of a vision and strategy for the future that would align participatory democracy with the country's development needs. This new development perspective focuses on human development, participatory planning, and greater induction and involvement of women in development and the alleviation of poverty.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Three consequent goals have emerged: first and foremost, to bolster individual self-reliance and move away from aid-centricity to more defined development cooperation; secondly, to intensify South-South cooperation and collective self reliance in such specific and practical areas as food production, manpower planning, trade, investments and joint ventures and modalities to implement them; and finally, to reactivate constructive North-South dialogue and the creation of an external environment conducive to the revitalizing of growth and the targeting, in particular, of the reduction and elimination of poverty. There has been a growing convergence of strategies to redress the critical issues of falling investment, reduction and restructuring of debt, trade promotion and the transfer of technology.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We have striven, through specific initiatives, to participate constructively and with moderation and pragmatism in all socio-economic forums, especially to project the concerns of the least developed countries and to keep alive the commitment to preferential treatment of the poorest of the poor. The critical socio-economic situation in Africa deserves special attention. In Bangladesh we have learnt one fundamental lesson: there is no shortcut to progress, no matter how reliable or generous our friends may be. Whether it relates to achieving freedom from political oppression, vindicating human rights or seeking social and economic emancipation, a country must ultimately depend on itself.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“One recent measure of note in Bangladesh is that budget allocations for defence this year are less than those for education. At the same time, we have purposefully contributed to United Nations peace-keeping efforts through the despatch of military and civilian contingents to monitor the elections in Namibia, to police cease-fire lines in the Gulf, to help clear mines and support the restructuring effort in Kuwait, and to assist the United Nations peace processes in Cambodia, Yugoslavia and Western Sahara. We strongly support the strengthening of the financial and institutional base of peace-keeping and its growth in new and imaginative directions.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We believe that there is a real chance today that collective security can be achieved through promotion of the unrealized premises of the United Nations Charter, including the fostering of regional security arrangements under Chapter VIII. Regional groupings can and must concentrate on harnessing durable structures of stability, starting at the base and working through confidence-building measures and broad-based socio-economic cooperation. Reduced reliance on military security must be buttressed through monitoring, regulating and limiting the growing traffic in arms. At the national level, doctrines of minimum defence self-sufficiency equated with the innovative use of armed forces as human development investment could lead to a realistic release of a peace dividend.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Globally, Bangladesh supports all measures to strengthen the United Nation's capacity to prevent war and resolve conflicts and to extend this capacity in new and imaginative ways. It is of key importance to preserve the security of small States and to promote the concept of preventive diplomacy, especially to anticipate and contain damage in times of man-made or natural disasters. It is a matter of some satisfaction that the role of the United Nations in helping to resolve the Myanmar refugee problem was the first objective test of preventive diplomacy in action. The visit of Mr. Jan Eliasson, the Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs, to Bangladesh and Myanmar respectively, was to trigger the agreement between the two countries for repatriation of the refugees.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Given the dire compulsions under which the refugees fled, the process of persuading them to return is a difficult and drawn-out one. Time targets are at best approximate and increase the liabilities of the Government in terms of costs, environmental damage and tension with and among the local population. The critical catalyst for guaranteeing safe repatriation and resettlement remains an impartial United Nations presence. Efforts continue to overcome Myanmar's reticence on this score. Yet, bilaterally the two countries are cooperating positively. I am happy to announce that the first minimal step has been taken with the voluntary repatriation of some 49 refugees on 23 September 1992. It is hoped this will constitute a crack in the wall towards the voluntary return of the remaining refugees.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Some issues remain complex and sensitive but approaches to solutions are being forged through continuing and pragmatic dialogue. The exodus of Myanmar refugees to Bangladesh since November 1991 imposed a heavy additional burden on the new government, coming as it did in the wake of the devastating cyclone of May 1991 and the cumulative adverse impact of the aftermath of the Gulf War. The option of confrontation loomed large. Yet through circumspection, restraint and a conscious defusion of tension, the groundwork was laid for an eventual solution by mutual agreement in April 1992. Despite this agreement, some 270,000 Myanmar refugees still remain in our territory as efforts continue to repatriate them in honour, safety and dignity and above all on a voluntary basis.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It is on us, as Chairman of the forthcoming seventh summit of SAARC, that the onus of responsibility has fallen to promote these aims in more productive and tangible ways, especially as SAARC stands poised to enter its second cycle of annual summit meetings. Bilaterally, the democratically elected Government of Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, has initiated concerted steps to bolster a new chapter of positive interaction with our immediate neighbours, following years of inactivity. The upsurge of democracy throughout the region has significantly contributed to this objective. In recent months official visits by the Prime Minister to Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan have been motivated by one major determinant to eschew past inhibitions and look to the future.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“If the world Organization is to succeed and flourish, it will depend as much on the resilience of its Member States to prosper individually as on their ability constructively to contribute to its great goals and purposes. Positive efforts by each country cumulatively strengthen the sum total of the United Nations mandate. What then is Bangladesh's contribution to this grand design? The quest for a new world order must begin with putting our own house in order. In our region, Bangladesh has sought actively to maintain the momentum and credibility of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) and by promoting its essentially socio-economic mandate to create a broad-based climate of confidence-building, to reduce tension in the region and to resolve outstanding bilateral differences by dialogue and negotiation.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Other substantial inputs have been made or are envisaged including, inter alia: the 1990 World Summit for children; the special session of the United Nations General Assembly on narcotic drugs; the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Conference on Environment and Development; the 1993 summit on human rights; the 1994 conference on population and development; the 1995 world conference on women and a world summit for social development. These accompany far-reaching proposals that are under way to reform, strengthen and streamline the Organization to enable it to fulfil its responsibility as the central organ for the cooperative management of the world's problems.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The pre-eminent task before us is to forge a new, more focused and action-oriented world agenda to promote peace, tolerance, justice and development. It is of crucial import that this should be time-targeted, prioritized, fully-funded and cost-efficient. The structure and shape of this agenda has already assumed significant substance. The first-ever summit of the Security Council members took place in January 1992. The outcome of that meeting concentrated on an agenda for peace encompassing preventive diplomacy, peacemaking, peace-keeping and what the Secretary-General characterized as post-conflict peace-building.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It has brought realization to the right of self-determination, but it has also released long-suppressed ethnic, cultural, linguistic and cultural rivalries and has unleashed bigotry, extremism and violence. This is at a time when, after years of patient pressure, racism and racial discrimination were being isolated and apartheid dismantled. They have generated powerful centrifugal forces that threaten established boundaries. At the same time, poverty, disease, famine and repression have joined together to produce a massive movement of people within and beyond national borders 17 million refugees and 20 million displaced persons worldwide all of which have combined to create a new dimension of insecurity that must be addressed in all its ramifications.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Diversion of resources along an East-West axis can leave the South starved of political resources and investment. These fears are multiplied by the emergence of new constraints that circumscribe development cooperation standards of good governance, rigid structural adjustment measures, environmental criteria and scrutiny of military intentions and preparedness. What is basically at issue is a degree of perception. It is not opposition to these recognizably needed changes, but resistance to any form of dictation with regard to how they should be achieved. A flexible attitude is perhaps the best prescription. Too often the role of people has been ignored to the peril of the world community. One extreme manifestation is that national self-assertion has resurfaced.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“At the heart of the issue is the creation of an environment of peace. Ironically, the sources of conflict are rooted in the absence of progress in objectives we most seek to promote the enhancement of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the promotion of sustainable economic and social development for wider prosperity, the alleviation of human distress, and the curtailment of the existence and use of weapons of mass destruction. Of real concern to third world countries are certain negative impulses. A prime factor is continuing anxiety that their interests are being marginalized both politically and economically. Insularity and internal domestic preoccupations of the major Powers open up prospects of a power vacuum and of the consequent danger of regional competition and hegemony.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Their" presence strengthens not only our common goal for universality but adds a new forceful voice that gives meaning to the expression of the very first words of the Charter of the United Nations: "We the peoples of the United Nations". We look forward to working with them in close and friendly cooperation. Previous speakers have discussed at length the nature of the contemporary world setting, the massive pressures that have radically changed relationships between States and individuals, and the resulting positive and negative trends that have emerged. It is not my intention to repeat this analysis. Suffice it to say that one paramount task emerges: how to tilt the balance of contradictory forces in favour of the evolution of a new, more beneficial, more just and peaceful world order.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“I am confident that you will do great honour to the legacy left by your illustrious predecessor, Mr. Samir Shihabi, of Saudi Arabia, to whom we are all deeply indebted. We extend our warm tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali. He has taken charge and is steering the course of our Organization at perhaps its most daunting period of renewal, revival and resurgence. We pledge to him our unstinted support and cooperation in the furtherance of his endeavours.* I would also like to welcome in our midst the many new countries that have taken their seat in the General Assembly this year, swelling our ranks to 179 Member States. Most of them represent peoples who have recently gained freedom.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“I reaffirm today the total commitment of Bangladesh to furthering the objectives of the United Nations Charter and the cause of multilateralism. Indeed, this is a constitutional commitment. In doing so, I would like to underscore the dominant theme of my statement: How can a relatively small State contribute towards making this Organization a viable instrument, capable of dealing effectively and comprehensively with all aspects of human development, be they political, economic, social or environmental? Mr. President, before I proceed further, let me join my voice to the well-deserved tributes paid to you. Sir, on your election to the high office of President of the General Assembly at its forty-seventh session. Your knowledge and experience will, I am sure, guide us well in these challenging times.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Three years from now the United Nations will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. Our efforts in the interim will surely determine its course for future generations. There is no doubt that the United Nations is but a reflection of the wishes of its component parts. It is in a real sense the collective instrument for promoting the interests of all States, weak or strong, rich or poor, large or small. At the heart of its success or failure is the contribution to its purposes and principles that each individual country must make. It is the sum total of these individual efforts that is the real foundation of the success of the United Nations in maintaining peace, securing justice and human rights, and promoting the key Charter prerogative of "social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom".”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The General Assembly stands poised at a vital watershed. It is a time of opportunity and challenge, of promise and uncertainty, of hopes and unfulfilled expectations. In many ways we are entering new and uncharted territory. We must beat out our own track with caution, deliberation and conviction. We must, above all, invoke and nurture that spirit of commonality, commitment, innovation and imagination that is so uniquely manifest today, as we confront together the unprecedented transition in world affairs. We are all conscious of the significance of this moment in history. We are in the last decade of a tumultuous century and millennium. We are straddling the threshold of a new century a new era carrying with us the aspirations of our people for a better, more prosperous, peaceful and fulfilling life.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The pre-eminent challenge remains to upgrade the quality of life of all peoples everywhere as the most potent means of demonstrating our common humanity. There is no doubt that the United Nations remains the only forum where we can meet the challenges of the future by drawing upon our combined solidarity and willingness to confront them together.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“He are face to face with opportunities rare in history. Technological advances in all fields have strengthened the concept of an interdependent world. There is a new mass consciousness of rights that have led to dramatic breakthroughs in democracy, human rights and recognition of the contribution and participation of the people in decision-making. A climate of cooperation, mutual understanding and universal fraternity has been emerging despite many adverse legacies inherited from the past. The United Nations has reasserted its importance and has tangibly demonstrated its potential for collective action. We must now go with this tide and carry forward the momentum peacefully to resolve regional disputes, promote disarmament, contain adverse global forces and strengthen the rule of law.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Since the only real protection of small States is the rule of law, we have closely followed and actively contributed to the progressive development and codification of international law in such diverse fields as scarce resources, law of the environmental protection, refugees and migrants. Through national legislation, its regional extension and international participation, we have also helped to seek solutions to the global problems of drugs, terrorism and environmental protection. Clearly, our role in and contribution to strengthening multilateralism and the central role of the United Nations in the cooperative management of the world's problems remain an abiding commitment of my country. In conclusion, let me say that we have reached a critical point in the world's struggle for stability and well-being.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“We have purposefully contributed to the Organisation's peace-keeping efforts through the dispatch of military and civilian contingents to police cease-fire lines in the Gulf, help reconstruction efforts in Kuwait and monitor elections in Namibia. We stand ready to assist the United Nations peace process in Western Sahara and Cambodia. Moreover, we fully support strengthening the financial and institutional base of peace-keeping and its growth in imaginative directions, including the concept of preventive diplomacy, particularly in containing the impact not only of man-made, but also of natural, disasters. We have striven through concrete initiatives to participate constructively and with moderation and pragmatism in all socio-economic forums, especially for the purpose of projecting the concerns of the least developed countries.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“He have thus actively sought to maintain the momentum and credibility of the South-Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and, by promoting its socio-economic mandate, to create a broad-based climate of confidence-building, to reduce tension in the region and to resolve outstanding differences through dialogue and negotiation. Secondly, in the world arena we support all measures designed to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations to prevent war and resolve conflicts and to extend this capacity in new ways so as to preserve the security of small States and institute a system of global watch to anticipate, contain and prevent tension points.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“If this world Organization is to succeed and flourish, it will depend as much on the resilience of its Member States and their ability to prosper individually as on their ability to contribute constructively to its great goals and purposes. Positive efforts made by each country cumulatively strengthen the overall mandate of the United Nations. Bangladesh in its own small way has sought to make our contribution a priority commitment of our foreign policy. Among the major directions we are pursuing, I would like briefly to underline the following. First, the quest for a new world order must begin with putting our own house in order.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Key elements will be practical means and costs of redressing specific environmental concerns; an energy dialogue for more efficient energy use; workable monitoring systems; definition of clear norms and sanctions governing environmental behaviour; and the adoption of conventions on climate and the preservation of biological diversity. Another crucial element needs to be stressed. The development objective must be put in sharper focus than the theme of adjustment, which has long overshadowed it. Structural adjustment measures, though necessary, must be seen in the perspective of their inherent limitations. Not least of these are heavy costs, uncertainties, the long lead time involved and their social and humanitarian impact. The hardships necessarily involved often lead the poorest sectors of society to bear a disproportionate burden.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The question whether they have already crossed the threshold where depletion of the natural endowment has diminished their capacity to meet future needs is an issue of burning importance. It has underscored the need for a long-term perspective to determine the costs of such depletion. It has also dramatically underlined the fact that improved economic conditions are a sine qua non for improving the environment. The 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development looms large as a major event for finding cooperative solutions.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“There has been a growing convergence of strategies to redress the critical issues of decreased investment, reduction and restructuring of debt, trade promotion and technology transfer. Preferential treatment for the least developed countries must remain a continuing commitment in this regard. The debate as to who is to blame for damage to the ecosystem and for environmental degradation has acquired some intensity. One fact, however, is indisputable: all countries - developed or developing - have a shared interest in finding remedial solutions. The question of burden-sharing must take into account the limited resources available to developing countries. For many of them, the impact of natural disasters linked to environmental degradation is fast becoming a question of survival.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)