YouSaid · the spoken record

CHIEPE

lines on the record

213

first

1984-09-24

most recent

1993-09-24

sittings or episodes

7

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

1. “An increase of seven new Members can only enhance the strength and vitality of our Organization and advance it further towards universality. Under the stable and purposeful leadership of our indefatigable Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, the United Nations has continued to respond forcefully and creatively to the fast-changing panorama of human history. The past year has been particularly challenging, and even daunting, for our Secretary-General and for the United Nations. The Gulf crisis which was in full bloom during our last session, early this year burgeoned into a full-scale war whose consequences are still reverberating. Thankfully, a renascent United Nations was not found wanting in its response to the crisis; aggression has been defeated; the Emirate of Kuwait has been liberated.”

   1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)

2. “Mr. President, many speakers who preceded me to this rostrum have been more than eloquent in describing the rare qualities of leadership you bring to the presidency of the forty-sixth session of the General Assembly. What more can we add other than to assure you, Sir, that we too repose our confidence unstintingly in your ability to steer the deliberations of this momentous session to a fruitful conclusion. And we congratulate you, most sincerely, on your election to this high office. The distinguished Foreign Minister of Malta lived up to our expectations during his tenure of office. We salute him for a job well done. We welcome to our midst the seven new Members that have just joined the United Nations. We wish them well.”

   1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)

3. “All those who have already spoken in this debate waxed poetic about the indestructible virtues of our Charter, to which, without exception, they reaffirmed their unswerving fidelity and commitment. They spoke eloquently about their determination to infuse the Organisation with a new dynamism, a new mission, a new sense of purpose. Botswana shares fully those expressions of renewed faith and confidence in an Organisation that, only a year ago, was reviled as an empty symbol, He, too, reaffirm our faith in it. It is our fervent hope that, in particular, the Security Council's new-found vitality, so amply demonstrated by the unusual facility and rapidity with which it has been reacting to the crisis in the Gulf, will be ardently sustained and replicated in respect of other crises.”

   1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

4. “Botswana has subscribed to the Convention on the Bights of the Child, which was adopted last year at the forty-fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly. Together, the Convention and the Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children constitute a formidable foundation on which the future of our world's children can, and must, be securely constructed. It is our cherished hope that the spirit of 30 September 1990 will stiffen the resolve of nations to join forces to combat poverty, illiteracy, disease and unbridled population growth and thus create a hotter and safer world for our children. The United Nations - this repository of the hopes and aspirations of mankind - has entered a new era.”

   1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

5. “The Botswana Government has always placed the plight of children at the top of the agenda of priorities in the formulation of its development policies. In Botswana, education - from primary school to university - is free. Current statistics indicate that 85 per cent of our children have access to formal education, at least at the primary level. Botswana has also taken important strides in the provision of adequate health facilities. These have resulted, during the period since 1980, in a rapid reduction in the child mortality rate. In 1988 the immunization rate reached 98 per cent, and in the case of malnutrition the figure has now been reduced to under 1 per cent. Our commitment to primary health care remains the top priority in our development strategies.”

   1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

6. “But we cannot afford to be daunted, for that would be tantamount to acquiescing in the needless destruction of generations of young people - mostly young people - who are being lost in ever-increasing numbers to an insidious drug culture. Those within whose borders drugs ore produced must spare no effort to eradicate production, while those within whose borders the drugs are consumed must spare no effort to eradicate demand. The adoption, on 30 September 1990, of the Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children represents a momentous milestone in the history of mankind. For the first time there is a universal commitment to the welfare of the child, to which Botswana is very proud to subscribe.”

   1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

7. “This conference, which was co-chaired by the President of the Republic of Botswana and Mr. Robert McNamara, former President of the World Bank, addressed the economic problems facing sub-Saharan Africa. It was agreed that the development of Africa is a long-term process and that it must be a human-centred process. The achievement of food security and assured universal access to health care and to education and employment opportunities must be the primary objective of this process. The war against the scourge of narcotic drugs and their consequences is far from won. Demand for these dangerous drugs is as insatiable as ever, while the supply continues, unabated and inexhaustible.”

   1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

8. “The lack of stability in the pricing of our commodities has made our products highly risky ones around which to plan our development. The crisis in the Gulf and the resultant sharp movements in oil prices will only compound the problem. Our efforts to prime our economies will be to no avail unless the international community takes bold steps to address these problems, which are seriously affecting our development efforts. We remain hopeful that the reduced defence spending in the industrialized world will release significant funds for foreign aid and that a fair portion of the so-called peace dividend will be channelled to the least-developed countries. In addition to the two conferences that I have just mentioned, a conference on development in Africa was held in Maastricht, Holland, in June this year.”

   1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

9. “There are major challenges regarding means to safeguard the global environment in such a way that it can continue to sustain development far into the future, and also how to bridge the ever-increasing gap between the rich North and the poor South. We should now be able to direct more attention and effort towards increasing the well-being of our people. In this context, we are encouraged to note that the dialogue towards realising these objectives is already under way. The United Nations special session on international economic co-operation and the second United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, which was held recently, focused on issues such as our ever-increasing indebtedness and falling commodity prices.”

   1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

10. “Fortunately, the way now seems to be clear for a solution that will end, once and for all, the painful colonial limbo in which the people of Western Sahara have been wallowing ever since the abdication of their former colonial Power. The Secretary-General's report of 18 June 1990, contained in document S,21360, is encouraging indeed, containing, as it does, the rudiments of a proposal for the resolution of the Western Sahara question. It is our fervent hope that the parties will co-operate fully with the United Nations Secretary-General and the Chairman of the Organization of African Unity to develop and implement the proposals without delay. As East-West tension gives way to global co-operation, the challenge now is how to take advantage of this climate for the benefit of all mankind.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

11. “In Mozambique, too, an utterly senseless and brutal civil war has been wreaking unspeakable havoc on that war-weary country. The Government has long shown its readiness to negotiate with the rebels, who, unfortunately, have thus far failed to demonstrate any serious intention to respond positively. We urge those who still give sustenance to NENAMOČ for whatever reason, to desist and thus save the people of Mozambique more senseless mayhem and bloodshed. So long as the question of Western Sahara remains unresolved it cannot in reality be said that with Namibia's accession to independence in March this year Africa has rid itself of all vestiges of colonialism.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

12. “We are, nevertheless, convinced that change in South Africa is inevitable. The first bold steps towards a new South Africa have been taken. The United Nations and the world at large have encouraged peaceful change in the country, and must continue to do so. In the final analysis, however, the destiny of South Africa can be shaped only by its people. The people of Angola have suffered long enough. The civil war there is: as senseless as ever. We are, however, encouraged by reports of progress in the ¡recent talks between the Angolan Government and UNITA. It is hoped that the parties will declare a ceasefire and commence negotiations for a peaceful resolution of their conflict. Angola's tragedy is Mozambique's tragedy.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

13. “Such a state of affairs can only retard, if not thwart, the process of change in South Africa. This applies also to those in the white community whose "invisible hand" might be busy stoking the fires of a racial conflagration in a pernicious attempt to preserve the status quo. The onus is on the South African Government to seek out this invisible hand and cut it off to save the gains that have thus far been made in the guest for a new South Africa. We are very worried that some elements in the South African police, encouraged and abetted by the right wing, may have thrown in their lot with those who seek to preserve the status quo at all costs, and are thus bent on ensuring that President de Klerk and Mandela are impeded in their efforts to prepare South Africa for change.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

14. “Wisely, the AMC has made it clear that it does not consider itself the anointed and sole representative and spokesman of black South Africans. Mr. Mandela has called for the formation of a broad front of the black leadership to face the leaders of the white community ate the conference table. We fully support that call; because in unity there is always strength, and black South Africa needs unity and strength. The violence now ravaging the lives of hundreds of innocent people, black people, in the townships, must be dealt with by a black leadership that is united in purpose and determined in its commitment to the realisation of the new South Africa we all seek. The new South Africa cannot be brought about in pools of innocent blood spilt by the crude weapons of tribalism, political factionalism and thuggery.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

15. “"The prospect of a non-racial democracy in South Africa in the not-too-distant future is no longer unrealistic." (A,4S,1. p. As observes the Secretary-General in his incisive report on the work of our Organization. Indeed, all the leaders of South Africa, black and white alike, stand poised face to face with their most fateful moment of truth. A golden opportunity to collaborate in the shaping of a new South Africa has been landed on their lap. The opportunity must not be wasted. Thus far, the ongoing exploratory talks have been limited to two parties, the AMC and the National Party. The other parties have been derisive, hostile or dismissive about the talks, describing them as a sell-out, a charade or capitulation by the AMC.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

16. “They have not created the requisite atmosphere for full-fledged negotiations, and yet in a very real sense, the South African tragedy is ripe for solution, as never before, even in spite of the recent wave of violence. Pretoria has gone some way in the implementation of the Declaration on Apartheid. The report of the Secretary-General, contained in document A,44,960 of 1 July 1990, gives credence to this assessment. Mandela and several other prisoners have been freed. The state of emergency has been lifted, except in Natal. Some apartheid laws, among them the Separate Amenities Act, have been repealed. Hospitals have been desegregated. And, finally, promises and assurances for more affirmative action on the remaining repressive 1шг have been made, particularly through the medium of AKC-Government talks.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

17. “Adopted by consensus, an historic achievement by itself, the Declaration states in paragraph 1: "A conjuncture of circumstances exists, which, if there is a demonstrable readiness on the part of the South African regime to engage in negotiations genuinely and seriously, given the repeated expression of the majority of the people of South Africa of their long-standing preference to arrive at a political settlement, could create the possibility to end apartheid through negotiations." The Cape Town and Pretoria Minutes, two of the most promising manifestations of the possibility of a negotiated and peaceful end to apartheid and its repressive structures, have changed the face of South Africa. The Minutes have not ended that tragic country's reputation for brutality and violence.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

18. “de Klerk on 2 February 1990 had been preceded by the adoption of the historic Declaration on Apartheid and its Destructive Consequences in Southern Africa by the General Assembly at its forty-fourth session.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

19. “South Africa was still set in its violent and cruel ways, unrelieved even by the appearance on the political scene of α new loader of the National Party, whose statements seemed to convey a message of hope to a hopeless and desperate nation. A year later, South Africa looks different. Mr. Mandela and his life-sentence colleagues have been released. Scores of other political prisoners have also regained their freedom. Two crucial talks between the African National Congress of South Africa (ANC) and the Government have been held - in Cape Town in May and in Pretoria in August - and have been pronounced a success. The dramatic opening of a chink in the citadel of apartheid by President F. W.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

20. “The longer it is ignored, the more it will haunt and bedevil the peace and stability of the South Atlantic. The brutal civil war goes on in El Salvador, War and suffering have become a way of life in that troubled country, and will remain so as long as the parties to that tragic conflict cannot stop the bloodshed and come to terms with the wrongs and injustices of their common past, and seek amicable solutions to them. The people of El Salvador deserve the peace envisaged for them and other Central American nations in Esquipulas II. Let me now come closer to home. When we met here last year at the forty-fourth session, Mr. Nelson Mandela was still in prison. Prospects for change in South Africa were very dim.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

21. “Nothing will deter the Palestinian people from continuing to yearn and struggle for a homeland of their ova, and as long as this is the case, there will be no peace, no security and no stability in the Middle East, either for Israel or for its neighbours. Botswana continues to hope that Israel will find the wisdom and courage to negotiate a lasting solution with the genuine leaders of the people of Palestine. Israel must, for the sake of its own survival, come to terms with the aspirations of the Palestinian people. In Latin America, the Falklands issue remains unresolved, even though relations between the contending parties have improved considerably. It is our hope that the United Kingdom and Argentina will use these improved relations to negotiate an end to their dispute over the Falklands. The dispute cannot be wished away or ignored.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

22. “The fortunes and misfortunes of the Gulf are, of course, intertwined with those of the Middle East as a whole. The area remains one of endemic conflict and intractable problems. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait exacerbates this unhappy state of affairs. The bloody revolution of frustration that has been raging in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip has now assumed the characteristics of a quiet, forgotten revolution. The Gulf crisis has become the dominant news item, and occupies the front burner of international concern and preoccupation. And yet, the Palestinian question remains very much alive and cries to the heavens for a solution.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

23. “Even worse is the possible fate of those foreign nationals who remain in Iraq as hostages or human shields; or, worse still, of those who might be held hostage to hunger and starvation. Iraq must heed the voice of reason, vacate Kuwait and restore its independence and sovereignty as demanded by resolutions of the Security Council, which Botswana fully supports. Aggression must not be allowed to pay. It is our fervent hope that the crisis can still be resolved peacefully, for we shudder to contemplate the consequences of a violent solution. We hope that the leaders of Iraq will, sooner rather than later, find the wisdom and courage to extricate their country from the strait-jacket of defiance and bellicosity in which they have placed it.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

24. “We had all hoped that the end of the eight-year-long war between Iran and Iraq would usher in a new era of peace and stability in the Gulf. Our hopes have been shattered. The Gulf has once again become a cockpit of violent conflict. The brutal invasion and annexation of the small, peaceful Kingdom of Kuwait by Iraq has shocked us all. The invasion has had very serious reverberations all over the world, in keeping with the very sensitive nature of the Gulf area, a war psychosis has been stirred up over the crisis, with unpredictable consequences. The ghastly reality of tens of thousands of foreign nationals who had been working and living peacefully in both Kuwait and Iraq and who suddenly find themselves stranded in the desert without food or shelter is an outrage to our humanity, to say the least.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

25. “Botswana welcomes the steps, however tentative, that have recently been taken by the two parts of Korea towards reconciliation and mutual accommodation. The recent meeting between the Prime Ministers of North and South Korea, it is to be hoped, signals the beginning of the end to the division of Korea, and the ushering in of a new era of reconciliation and peace for that troubled peninsula. We urge the two sides to deploy every effort to reunite their country. There has still been no movement of note on the Cyprus question. We urge the parties to intensify their efforts, taking advantage of the increasingly effective good offices of the Secretary-General, to find a lasting solution to this vexing question.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

26. “The answer is that some parties to that tragic conflict have not shown any faith in the efficacy of the Geneva Agreements, having chosen a military solution to settle the conflict. This Assembly roust insist on the implementation of the Agreements. In South-East Asia, the intractable problem of Cambodia is now ripe for solution, if the very laudable efforts of the five permanent members of the Security Council can be nurtured to fruition. A national supreme council comprising the leaders of the warring factions has been established to administer the country during the implementation of a United Nations plan. This positive development represents a precious opportunity, not to be wasted in political posturing and wrangling. Cambodia and its people have suffered long enough.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

27. “Bloody civil wars have continued to unleash their all-consuming fury on innocent populations in many lands. Regional conflicts have yet to become a thing o£ the past, despite the end of the cold war from which they have often in the past derived their fuel, their raisons d'être. There is enough reason to hope, however, that the relaxation of tension between the East and the Vest will have a catalytic effect on the search for solutions to these conflicts. The guns of these wasteful conflicts, which have for so far been sowing death and destruction in Africa, Asia and Latin America, must be silenced. The situation in Afghanistan pains us a great deal. Why should Afghanistan continue to bleed so much, after the removal of foreign troops, which this Assembly demanded for almost a decade?”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

28. “In the words of the Secretary-General, "As we survey the political scene, we see the dawn of a new era in Europe, streaks of light in some regions and the darkness of old animosities and new hatreds enveloping others." (A,4Ş,1. p. 3) In Eastern Europe, we continue to be touched by the infectious spirit of renewal which has manifested itself in the inexorable resurgence of democratic pluralism. There has been pain and suffering in some of these dramatic developments, but, increasingly, the message they all convey is one of reconciliation and hope. We salute the architects of these positive developments and wish them well as they settle down to design new ways of life for their societies and fashion a new age for their beloved Europe. The rest of our troubled world is opt happy yet.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

29. “The orderly evolution of a logic of peace in international relations has continued to gather momentum despite intermittent spasms of crisis and conflict that occasionally threaten to restore the old order. The cold war can now safely be pronounced dead and buried. The Second World War has at long last lost its residual vestiges with the termination of the four allied Powers' troubled superintendency over Germany. Germany has been reunited. We share the joy of its people. Polarised ideological lines between and among nations have become blurred, if not anachronistic, λ new epoch in the march of our common history has begun in earnest.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

30. “Under the steady, wise, careful and purposeful leadership of our Secretary-General, the United Nations has continued to make impressive strides in the quest for peace in our troubled world. A few months ago, we welcomed into the family of our world Organisation the new, independent State of Namibia, free and sovereign at last, thanks to Mr. Javier Peres de Cuellar's tenacity of purpose. We salute the Secretary-General. I join those who spoke before me in extending to the Principality of Liechtenstein a warm welcome into the family of the United Nations. The addition of a Member to our Organization adds another step in its progress towards universality.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

31. “Allow me, Sir, at the outset to extend to you most sincerely the congratulations of my delegation on your election to the presidency of the forty-fifth session of the United Nations General Assembly. We are confident that under your wise and experienced leadership this session will be a successful one. It is with a great sense of pride that I salute your predecessor for his very creative and productive stewardship of the forty-fourth session. The adoption by consensus of the historic Declaration on Apartheid, the Convention on the Sights of the Child, and others carries the imprint of his inspired leadership of that session. We owe him a heavy debt of gratitude.”

    1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)

32. “We urge that there should be a common resolve to find more meaningful solutions to environmental problems. In conclusion, I wish to make the observation that some measure of progress has been achieved in the political sphere, but that much remains to be done in the economic sphere. I believe that we can make meaningful progress in both areas if we all co-operate. Finally, I wish to reiterate my delegation's best wishes to Mr. Garba in his presidency of this forty-fourth session.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

33. “Similarly, joint efforts are desirable in our fight against the killer disease AIDS. We, the entire family of Man, need to rise above the level of our national boundaries and address with vigour these physical and social ills which threaten humanity. Economic development cannot be separated from environmental issues. Our development plans must take full account of the possible consequences of our activities and be environmentally sound. We are concerned that the ozone layer is being depleted and that desertification continues unabated. Also, we deprecate the dumping of toxic and nuclear waste, particularly in the territory of developing countries. In that light, Botswana sees great value in mobilizing all our resources to combat this menace.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

34. “It is desirable, therefore, for the international donor agencies and financial institutions to redouble their efforts to help out in this pitiful situation. Failure to do so would mean a perpetuation of misery, hopelessness, at times death. Botswana shares the hope that developing countries may be able to maximize their economic development by way of economic integration. For our part, we are working tirelessly within the ambit of the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference to realize this lofty goal. We therefore call upon the international community to give us the necessary support in this endeavour. On the social side, there is a need for all of us to pool our resources to combat the menace of drugs and drug trafficking. Our youth is being turned into a generation of addicts and social misfits.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

35. “While structural adjustment programmes may be necessary at times, as we in Botswana have noted, they should not be regarded as a panacea for all our economic problems, as this attitude sometimes results in the "cure" being worse than the disease. In our view, there is a need to consult the countries concerned and take into account their socio-political condition, without imposing anything on them. The critical economic situation prevailing in Africa should be viewed against this backdrop of an adverse international economic climate. The programmes envisaged under the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development (UNPAAERD) have so far not been implemented. African countries still face some degree of anguish.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

36. “Our economic dependence on the developed world has thus increased. The debt crisis is of particular concern to developing countries. We have to service the immense external debt from the meagre resources which accrue from the sale of our primary products. Most of our economies have, ultimately, registered negative growth rates, while some have stagnated. Traumatized as we are, we have not been spared a moment to think of a way out of our predicament which would be consistent with our individual socio-political circumstances. Instead, prescriptive advice under the umbrella of structural adjustment programmes has been given us by some of the so-called experts within the circles of international financial institutions and donor countries.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

37. “It is in the same spirit that we encourage Argentina and Britain to resolve their differences on the question of the Falklands/Malvinas through negotiations. We do not in any way prescribe what they should negotiate. The world economic system shows little signs of improvement. The recently released report of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) indicates that international trade has registered some 8 per cent growth, owing in part to technological innovations. But the irony of it all is that the registered increase does not affect third world countries. They still suffer hardships owing to the continued decline in commodity prices and to protectionist practices of the industrialized countries. Efforts by developing countries to acquire capital, science and technology from the developed countries have been frustrated.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

38. “Universal human rights and adult suffrage are the hallmarks of true democracy. Until free and fair elections are conducted for all the people of that country, there should be no let-up in the guest for peace and democracy in south Africa. Apartheid must be abolished completely, not reformed. We must establish a democratic non-racial society in south Africa. Vestiges of colonial domination still dot our globe, with painfully slew movement, if any, towards decolonization. We call for freedom and Justice for all colonial peoples. In that connection we call for the speedy implementation of United Nations resolutions relating to the question of Western Sahara, to the Comorian island of Mayotte and to New Caledonia. In each case we believe that dialogue rather than force should be used to settle any differences between the parties concerned.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

39. “Charity begins at home. In thanking the white electorate for having voted his party into power give full political rights to all South Africans. Those are noble words that must be matched by concrete action. The oppressed majority has already declared its serious Intention to negotiate. We urge him to take this challenge very seriously indeed. In this regard. Mr. de Klerk should create a climate conducive to negotiations by releasing all political prisoners and detainees, by ending the ban on political parties and other anti-apartheid organizations, by lifting the state of emergency and by removing the army from the townships. The protection of the so-called group rights, for which Mr. de Klerk is calling, cannot he helpful to that process, as it is apartheid by another name.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

40. “It really demonstrates that the oppressed majority remain committed to the peaceful eradication of apartheid. In his campaign statements Mr. F.W. de Klerk spoke about his desire to end apartheid. He requested to be given five years to address the South African situation, although he did not give any indication of what exactly his plans entail. His statements have attracted considerable attention and raised hopes in some quarters. His eagerness and his ability to meet foreign leaders have also attracted attention. In certain quarters he is seen as a reformer who must be given a chance. We hope he means what he says and that he will soon put South Africa on the road to civilization. Botswana would wish to encourage him to start the process of dialogue from within South Africa itself. He has to talk to the leaders of the oppressed majority.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

41. “Their demonstrations seem to be well organized, peaceful and dignified. They go out of their way to avoid provoking the trigger-happy State security forces, but the police always find some excuse to attack them. That two demonstrations recently received the presidential nod seems to signal a hesitant softening. The South African Government must be bold. The oppressed majority of black people have on those occasions demonstrated that they can be self-disciplined. On 21 August 1989 at Harare, Zimbabwe, the Organization of African Unity adopted a 24-point Declaration on measures to end apartheid. The Declaration had been formulated by the front-line States with the assistance and involvement of the people of South Africa through their liberation movements. That Declaration enjoys the popular support of the people of South Africa.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

42. “Peaceful demonstrations are met with brutal force. On the day of the white elections 23 innocent people were reported killed by the security forces and over 100 hurt. The situation remains very tense, particularly in and around Cape Town. Unfortunately, the full extent of the tension cannot be known because of official Press censorship. Church buildings and church leaders are not being revered in a country that professes to be God-fearing. Despite the violent repression unleashed against them by the security forces, the people of South Africa are still seeking ways and means of finding a peaceful alternative to apartheid. Through the mass democratic movement they are organizing peaceful defiance campaigns to end apartheid. They are taking the Government at its word that apartheid is dead.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

43. “Mozambique is very important to us in the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference (SADCC). Since Botswana is a member of that regional organization, whose objective is to forge regional economic integration and reduce dependence, especially on South Africa, I know how much the war is costing all of us. Despite international assistance and support to the Maputo harbour and railway system, that corridor remains virtually closed to traffic because of REM WO activities. The whole region is being denied the use of a deep-sea port, and Mozambique the revenue the reform. The situation in South Africa itself remains unchanged. The abhorrent and violent system of apartheid continues. The authentic leaders of the black majority remain incarcerated or in forced exile. The state of emergency remains in force.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

44. “We call upon those in a position to do ,o to persuade UNITA to re-enter the negotiations with a sense of purpose. The people of Angola have suffered long enough as a result of the war. They want peace and development in their country. The Mozambican Government also has agreed to negotiate the ending of the war with the RENAMO bandits. President Arap Moi of Kenya and President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe have agreed to act as mediators. Church leaders in Mozambique are trying to act as special envoys between the two sides. Their work is not being made easy by RMAMO, which continues to murder and maim innocent civilians even after the declaration of a cease-fire. The untold suffering imposed on the people of Mozambique by RENAMO should not be allowed to continue.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

45. “We must, therefore, as individuals, as pressure groups and as Governments, do all in our power to ensure that free and fair elections are held in Namibia so that that country can proceed to independence. In Angola there are promising signs that the civil war that has ravaged that country ever since its independence some 14 years ago my come to an end. The reconciliation talks under the mediation of President Mobuto Seko Seko of Zaire offer prospects for an end to the war. violations of the cease-fire are a source of concern. We appeal to the parties concerned to rekindle the spirit of Gbadolite and undertake to rebuild mutual trust. We also believe that recriminations and acrimony will not help. Everything must be done to make the work of the mediator effective, and nothing should be done to tarnish the mediator's integrity.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

46. “The system proposed is complex and therefore subject to abuse. A more simple, universally used and time-tested procedure that can be understood by the people of Namibia should be adopted. There certainly should be a common voters' roll prepared region by region. Ballots should be counted at the centre where voting has taken place. That will ensure speedy announcement of results and reduce the risk of fraud and loss of or tampering with ballot boxes during transportation to Windhoek. Namibians have waited for their independence for a long time, and they should be assisted to achieve it. The international community has worked hard to bring the process this far. Our efforts should not be in vain.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

47. “As indicated earlier, some progress is being registered on the independence process in Namibia, but we remain concerned about a number of obstacles to the holding of free and fair elections. Instead of demobilizing all Koevoet members, the South African Administrator-General confined to base only 1,200 members. He has pledged to reactivate them if he feels there is a need for them. Koevoet is notorious for its brutality during the independence war. It continues to be a symbol of harassment and intimidation and should not at this time be used for the maintenance of law and order, it is with the foregoing in mind that we condemn the recent cold-blooded murder of Anton Labowski as a dastardly act. Another source of serious concern is the electoral proclamation, which has been described by many as "seriously flawed".”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

48. “Apartheid, which is the root cause of the problems in our subregion, remains intact. The front-line States and other neighbouring countries continue to endure South Africa's acts of aggression and destabilization. Our citizens live in fear for their lives and the destruction of their property. Bomb scares and actual bomb blasts continue to occur in Botswana. Refugees under our care remain targets for South African security forces or commando murder squads and ordinary civilians are victimized in the process. We do not expect much improvement in this situation until apartheid has been totally eradicated and replaced by a democratic system. That is our only hope for peace and stability in southern Africa.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

49. “The Lebanese people should be allowed to resolve their differences without external interference. Cyprus still remains a divided and unhappy island of people who desire peace and national unity. We call upon the two parties concerned to breathe life into the process of resolving differences through peaceful means, in this regard we encourage the holding of more purposeful consultations through inter-communal talks. Let no effort be spared to foster the noble goal of achieving peace and unity. In this vein Botswana stands by its conviction that all foreign troops must be removed from Cyprus. Southern Africa continues to be in a state of war. while we can register same Progress on the implementation of Security Council resolution 435 (1978), on the independence of Namibia, much remains at stake on all other fronts.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)

50. “What now stands in the way of peace is Israel's acts of aggression in the region, its human rights violations against the Palestinian people and its refusal to negotiate with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Botswana still pins its hopes on the peaceful resolution of disputes. That is why we support the idea of convening an international conference on the question of the Middle East at which the PLO would be allowed to participate on an equal footing. In Lebanon we continue to witness untold killings and counter-killings and the wanton destruction of property. Botswana holds the view that the people of Lebanon must be assisted to stop this fratricidal war and the destruction of their country. We call for the removal of all foreign troops and other occupation elements.”

    1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)