YouSaid · the spoken record

Oyono

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS OYONO

lines on the record: 68
first: 1993-09-24
most recent: 1995-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
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

“This anniversary must also be taken as an opportunity for renewal, for highlighting and praising the wealth of universality in the diversity in our Organization. This is an opportunity to renew our pledge and commitment to the purposes and ideals of the Charter. This pledge and this commitment must be translated into a strengthening of our determination and our ability to act collectively so that, as was the wish of the founding fathers, we can save future generations from anguish, fear, poverty, suffering and all sorts of uncertainty, and so that we may finally move forward along the path of transforming the tools of war into the tools of peace. Cameroon, for its part, is prepared to contribute.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“In all of these cases, Cameroon has the feeling that a lasting solution will have to come through a meeting of the political wills of the chief protagonists and the collective will of the international community. In spite of the difficulties that have impeded action in the areas both of peace-keeping and of economic and social development, the balance sheet of the Organization — though certainly uneven — is not as negative as some would have us believe. The celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations gives the international community an ideal opportunity to consider the ways and means available to our Organization to carry out the collective work of ensuring peace, security and prosperity for all.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“For its part, Cameroon feels that the current thinking on the restructuring of the Security Council augurs well for the revitalization of the Organization. The same is true of the successful outcome of peace-keeping efforts made possible by United Nations action and the concerted action of the international community in Cambodia, Central America, Angola, Haiti, Mozambique and Eritrea. On the same lines, the new diplomatic deals that are evolving in the former Yugoslavia and the Middle East are undeniably very encouraging developments. In the final analysis, then, there is no reason not to believe that in the near future the peoples of regions where conflicts are continuing will, like so many others, have their rendezvous with peace.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“However, it is clear that, 50 years after its creation, the Organization needs to turn over a new leaf. That being so, might it not be highly desirable for it to re-think its role, its tasks, its functions, with a view not just to adapting to this new context, but to responding better to the ever- increasing and ever-more-insistent aspirations of the peoples to peace and well-being? In any case, this is the desire of Cameroon. These are the responsibilities we would like the Organization to shoulder in order to ensure a better world and a better future for the generation of the next millennium. In this connection, the manner in which the United Nations discharges its responsibilities, or rather the success of United Nations missions, will depend on the real collective political will of its Member States.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“In a word, there are signs of life in economic activity. Strengthened by the credibility confirmed — had that really been needed — by the recent signing of the agreement with the International Monetary Fund, my country is widening its action for the acceleration of its economic recovery. Our Organization is confronted with a sudden and unexpected acceleration of history. Never has there been such an acute sense of upheaval. The same questions keep cropping up everywhere: Will the world in the future be meaningless? What will the world order be like in the future? Will the Organization have a hand in this new 21 General Assembly 21st plenary meeting order? And, finally, will it have the ability to be the melting pot for this? But, when all is said and done, the end of the cold war has brought fair weather.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“As regards Cameroon, I would like in this connection, to emphasize our irreversible pursuit of the process of democratization begun by Presidency Paul Biya at the very moment he assumed power in 1982. Between now and the end of this year, there will be significant progress in this process with the adoption of a new Constitution allowing for greater democratic participation by the citizens of Cameroon in the management of their own affairs, and a better balance among the various powers of Government. I would like to mention the impact our measures of recovery and economic liberalization have had on various sectors of activity. Cameroon is enjoying self-sufficiency in food, and is beginning to enjoy growth again. Inflation has been halted and macroeconomic balance in major areas has been re-established.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“In this connection, the Holy Father, speaking of Africa, on the occasion of his recent second visit to Cameroon, appealed in his post-synod apostolic exhortation for avoidance of any blanket condemnations of an entire population, an entire nation or, still worse, an entire continent. In spite of the serious difficulties that it must overcome, Africa is determined to shoulder responsibility for its future. The sweeping changes which it is experiencing today are nothing but the forerunners of a nascent order whose purpose will be to integrate our continent into the world of the third millennium. This process of transformation is already yielding fruit in most of our countries.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“Development is primarily the responsibility of States and the peoples concerned. Cameroon nevertheless believes that the United Nations should, because of its universality and in the best interest of the international community as a whole, help to ensure global solidarity and interdependence with a view to promoting development for all. This means that we must stop inveighing against Africa in uniformly pessimistic, not to say doomsday, tones. This style is all too familiar and suggests that our continent is, in the history of the world, nothing but a passive onlooker. But who, in all seriousness, can place at the sidelines of world events an entire continent, with 700 million inhabitants today — 800 million in the year 2,000 — and with immense natural, human, cultural and spiritual wealth?”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“Until recently, it has been practically powerless in the face of the tragedies of the former Yugoslavia, Somalia and Rwanda. In the economic arena, the Organization, notwithstanding the declaration of four United Nations decades, has not succeeded in adopting declarations, programmes of actions and other strategies to bring about progress and economic and social development in developing countries. The proof is that conditions in these countries are still unfavourable, and, in order to experience growth once again, they must engage in policies of structural adjustment, the social burden of which has been a source of major concern to their Governments. This is true also of the high price they must pay to join the mainstream of world trade in order to avoid further marginalization.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“These concerns have been manifested through the World Summit for Children, the Rio Conference on Environment and Development, the World Conference on Human Rights at Vienna, the International Conference on Population and Development at Cairo, the World Summit for Social Development at Copenhagen, the Cairo Conference on the Prevention of Crime, and Fourth World Conference on Women at Beijing. On the question of women, it is highly desirable that all States immediately follow up on the decisions and recommendations of the Beijing Conference. But these successes of our Organization that I have just mentioned may not have met the expectations of all peoples. First, in the area of international peace and security, the Organization has not been able to prevent the spread of sources of tension and conflicts throughout the world.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“The United Nations International Drug Control Programme is a result of concerted efforts by the United Nations and Member States in the fight against the production, sale, demand for and traffic in, and the unlawful distribution of, drugs and psychotropic substances. Cameroon pledges and invites other States to pledge unreservedly their support for the United Nations 20 General Assembly 21st plenary meeting Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances in order to stop the scourge of drugs. We would like to emphasize the considerable efforts exerted by the United Nations to focus the attention of the international community, in the context of world conferences, on other questions of interest that require collective action, which should be taken by the entire community of nations.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“At this stage, I would like to mention and welcome action taken in the field by the United Nations through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). On another matter, we would like to welcome progress by the United Nations in the fight against the scourge of drugs.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“The creation of the Centre for Human Rights, the convening at Vienna of the World Conference on Human Rights and the appointment of a High Commissioner for Human Rights all enable the United Nations to follow progress in the area of human rights throughout the world and to assert certain principles by which States must abide. Cameroon welcomes this, and attaches great importance to recognition of and respect for all human rights, including the right to development. As regards humanitarian assistance, our Organization has been active on all fronts where it has been needed, providing aid to victims of catastrophes and natural disasters and war.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“It is our hope that the few Territories remaining under foreign administration will freely exercise their inalienable right to self-determination, so that the United Nations objective of the complete eradication of colonialism by the year 2000 may be realized. Also to the credit of the Organization are the promotion of human rights, the ongoing development and codification of international law, and achievements in all the areas covered by the specialized agencies. The promotion and protection of human rights in general and those of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in particular are at the centre of our concerns and those of the United Nations.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“Thanks to that action and to their own peoples’ emancipation struggles, many colonial Territories have gained independence and sovereignty; today they make up more than half of the membership of the Organization. More than any other continent, Africa is proud to have unswervingly promoted the process of its own total liberation, which was recently completed with the end of apartheid in South Africa. Here we recall with gratitude that it was under United Nations auspices that Cameroon attained sovereignty after having been first a German colony, then a Territory under League of Nations Mandate, then a United Nations Trust Territory.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“This applies also on the subregional level: to the role in the area of peace-keeping of the Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa, which deserves support, as the Committee, which was created with the assistance of the Secretary-General, brings together 11 Central African countries which have decided to set up within their national armed forces units specializing in peace-keeping operations to be carried out under the auspices of the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity. Cameroon trusts that the United Nations will show greater interest in this available force of more than 10,000 soldiers, which could serve as reserve forces for peace missions. Another area where United Nations action has been particularly significant is decolonization.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“Cameroon supports the recommendations of the Working Group to strengthen these operations by defining in advance precise objectives, the timeframe for the intervention, and the resources needed for implementation. Similarly, and as we have always said, the United Nations must strengthen its cooperation with regional and subregional organizations by making available the means necessary to enable them to discharge their peace-keeping mandate. That is why we welcome cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity in the area of prevention, management and settlement of conflicts on a continent riddled with crises and conflicts of many forms and many dimensions.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“By awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to United Nations peace-keeping forces on 29 September 1988, the Nobel prize committee paid tribute to the devotion and courage of the more than half a million men and women 19 General Assembly 21st plenary meeting who since 1948 have served the cause of peace all over the world. Even if in recent years peace-keeping operations have had mixed results and have been accused of consuming the lion’s share of United Nations resources to the detriment of development, it must be recognized that while the path has not always been smooth, these operations have on the whole yielded positive results. The “Agenda for Peace”, then, remains relevant, and must continue to be the foundation of United Nations peace-keeping operations.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“Aware of the danger to the world posed by the arms race, the United Nations encouraged the conclusion of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and its indefinite extension; it has promoted the creation of denuclearized zones, inter alia in Africa, and the conclusion of the Convention on the prohibition of chemical weapons; and it has given decisive impetus to multilateral negotiations on disarmament. We are glad that, in its ongoing quest for peace, the Organization has been able when necessary to adapt the Charter to the realities, including by devising the notion of peace-keeping operations, which have defused many conflicts and created favourable conditions for dialogue and negotiation.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“When they created the United Nations after the Second World War, the founders affirmed their determination to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. Fortunately, for more than half a century the North — once the epicentre of most of history’s major conflicts — has been a place of peace and cooperation; and, despite the build-up of weapons of mass destruction, the rivalry between the two great ideological and military alliances did not drag international society into a third world war, which would have sealed the fate of mankind.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“It is of enormous significance that the present session of the General Assembly should coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the Organization. The United Nations, which sums up and expresses the deep-felt aspiration of the peoples and nations of the world to peace, freedom and progress, has become an indispensable conclave of nations. The Organization’s universality makes it the ideal forum for governing the world order. The celebration of the fiftieth anniversary should therefore be a source of satisfaction to the entire international community. It provides an opportunity to gauge how far we have come since the beginning and to consider our views on the future of the Organization.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“Moreover, the President represents a friendly country, Portugal, whose involvement in Africa is of long standing and which shares with Cameroon a part of our history: When he alit on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea in 1472, the Portuguese Fernando Po was much impressed with the abundance of shrimp in the waters off what is now the city of Douala and named the place “Rio dos Camarões” — Shrimp River — from which Cameroon takes its name. We also convey our appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Amara Essy, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Côte d’Ivoire, for the way in which he carried out his responsibilities as President of the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session. Finally, we pledge to the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, our constant support in his tireless efforts to enable the Organization to attain its noble purposes.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“The delegation of Cameroon congratulates Mr. Diogo Freitas do Amaral on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fiftieth session. We wish him well as he guides the work of this historic session, which coincides with the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Organization. Knowing as I do Mr. Freitas do Amaral’s distinction as an educator and a statesman, I welcome his election.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“As we near the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, our wish is that the Organization will meet the challenge of reform and renewal. Whether it be the revitalization of the General Assembly and its subsidiary organs, the enlargement and strengthening of the Security Council, the rationalization of activities and procedures or the consolidation of the Organization’s financial basis, Member States should strive to mould an institution worthy of the vision and the inspiration of its founding fathers.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The same concerns are reflected in the importance we attach to the Fourth World Conference on Women, to be held at Beijing in 1995. It is in the interest of us all to pursue collective, unified action to struggle against the harmful effects of drugs, the spread of the AIDS pandemic, and natural catastrophes, if necessary combining emergency humanitarian assistance with measures for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the stricken countries. In another area, the entry into force next November of the Montego Bay convention — the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea — next November is a particularly encouraging development setting the seal on the universality of that important legal instrument. We hope that it will promote exploitation of the seas and oceans for the benefit of all.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Whether in terms of the rights of women, children, youth, the disabled, the aged or other vulnerable groups, the human being must remain the central focus of the international community’s concerns. We should welcome the Plan of Action adopted at the recent International Conference on Population and Development, held at Cairo, for it takes account of that requirement. The Plan of Action does not focus on mankind as an abstract entity, but on human beings rooted in their economic, social, cultural and religious diversities, all of which need to be kept in mind. That is why the forthcoming Copenhagen World Summit on Social Development ought to result in specific commitments to reduce poverty, to create productive jobs and to strengthen social integration, particularly among the most vulnerable strata of society.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“We welcome the fact that negotiations were successfully concluded last June in Paris to draw up an international convention on drought and desertification, a matter of undoubted importance for the world ecosystem and, more specifically, for the implementation of Agenda 21 in Africa. If the conclusion of multilateral economic negotiations in the context of the Uruguay Round provides further prospects for a dynamic revitalization of international trade, it is important that steps be taken in parallel to reverse the pronounced trend towards the marginalization and the impoverishment of Africa, which could be promoted by the new machinery established at Marrakesh. Human rights are universal and indivisible, and we must therefore attach equal importance to economic, political, cultural and social rights.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“We would like to reiterate the appeal we made last year from this same rostrum for the creation of a fund for diversification of commodities for Africa. In a different context — and this cannot be repeated too often — debt is a major obstacle to development. The debt of developing countries has steadily increased, rising from $1.662 billion in 1992 to $1.770 billion in 1993. We welcome the efforts made so far to relieve or reschedule debt for developing countries. However, a great deal still remains to be done, as is emphasized in the 1994 edition of the Human Development Report. Drought and desertification are another subject of major concern.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“It is therefore our hope, that on the basis of the priorities identified during these meetings, the measures required to deal with these issues will be considered by the General Assembly on the basis of a new report by the Secretary-General. The urgent need to set in motion a new United Nations programme for the development of Africa in the 1990s should be stressed. The timeliness and relevance of such a step was reaffirmed by the international conference on the development of Africa held in Tokyo. The African economy, as we know, is essentially based on primary commodities. Any strategy for the sustainable development of the continent must consequently take into account the need for diversification.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“It reaffirms, furthermore, that economic, social and cultural development is a fundamental right of the human being. Furthermore, global talks on development, which were held in New York in June 1994 on the initiative and under the presidency of Ambassador Insanally, the high- level debate and the recent session of the Economic and Social Council on the “Agenda for Development”, the Ministerial Declaration that followed the commemorative ceremonies for the thirtieth anniversary of the Group of 77 and the substantive session of Economic and Social 14 Council indicate that development is a complex phenomenon, requiring constant effort on the part of States and of the international community as a whole.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Finally, whether we speak of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction, conventional weapons, toxic waste, mine clearance or anti-personnel mines, Cameroon also wishes to see the international community working towards general and complete disarmament. In his report entitled “Agenda for Development” (A/48/935), the Secretary-General noted very aptly that peace was the foundation of development; that the economy was the engine of progress; that the environment was the basis of sustainability; that justice was the pillar of society, and that democracy represented good governance. These preliminary reflections deserve great attention, since the “Agenda for Development” is a follow-up to the “Agenda for Peace” (A/47/277).”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Thus, we welcome the respect being shown for the moratorium on nuclear testing, as well as the progress achieved in negotiations between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea over the North Korean nuclear programme. We encourage both countries to find a peaceful solution to that dispute. Regarding the current negotiations at the Conference on Disarmament to conclude a comprehensive nuclear- test-ban treaty, Cameroon joins the Movement of Non- Aligned Countries in expressing the hope that this convention will be signed before the Amendment Conference in 1995.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Although at the outset this machinery has already achieved some excellent results, nevertheless, like the Standing Consultative Committee on Questions of Security in Central Africa that was created by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in the context of preventive diplomacy, it needs the support of the international community. In the final analysis, these regional initiatives to promote confidence-building measures and progressive disarmament should, on the global level, be encouraged in order to achieve the objectives of the international community with respect to disarmament, peace and security.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“In relations between States, the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of States must be respected, while at the same time this should not be an obstacle to mutual cooperation in the event of natural disasters and calamities that require humanitarian intervention. The creation by the African Heads of State of the OAU machinery to which I have referred, and the initialling by the States of central Africa of a non-aggression pact in September 1994, are among the efforts we have been making to promote good-neighbourly relations based on confidence and free from any threat of the use of force.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“This is an opportunity to renew an urgent appeal to our brothers in Liberia, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola and Mozambique, as well as in other countries beset by tension, conflict and warfare, to rise above their various differences so that they may be able to make the necessary efforts to meet the challenge of peace. The persistence of these conflicts and hotbeds of tension, so harmful in their consequences, compels us to initiate and resolutely and vigorously pursue any action conducive to peace, security and the building of confidence, which are so necessary in the struggle against poverty and destitution. Within States we should, for instance, promote tolerance, respect for the rights of others, participation by all in the affairs of the country, and fair distribution of the fruits of growth.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“For this reason, preventive diplomacy should be encouraged and supported by the international community. 13 For its part, my country would like to thank all those who have supported it in regard to the Bakassi affair. The means of action and the machinery of diplomacy at the disposal of the OAU and the United Nations should be further strengthened. The positive developments in South Africa and the Middle East coincide, unfortunately, with the persistence or the eruption of hotbeds of tension throughout the world. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Cyprus, in Afghanistan, as well as in Cambodia, peace is still threatened. It is threatened even further on our continent, a fact to which the tragedy of Rwanda bears witness.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“By bringing the question of the border and territorial dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon over Bakassi to the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and its machinery for the prevention, management and settlement of conflicts, to the Security Council, which is responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security, and to the International Court of Justice, which is charged with the peaceful and judicial settlement of conflicts, it was the intention of Cameroon to subscribe fully to the virtues of preventive diplomacy. It is an established fact that, like non-aggression pacts and mutual assistance pacts, preventive diplomacy is an interesting innovation and one that may well prevent new conflicts and suffering, and even reverse the tendency towards confrontation and war which is so characteristic of our continent.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The advent of Palestinian autonomy in the Gaza Strip and Jericho, pursuant to the agreements concluded, and the significant progress in the negotiations between the Jewish State and Jordan are significant advances towards a just and lasting settlement of the question of the Middle East, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly. We must encourage this promising, but still fragile, development and give it all the necessary attention and determination. The judicial settlement of the conflict between Chad and Libya over the Aouzu Strip, which has finally come into being following lengthy negotiations, deserves to be welcomed with satisfaction, particularly since it constitutes a model for others to follow.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Cameroon, which was at the forefront of the struggle against the scourge of apartheid, once again solemnly welcomes South Africa’s return into the concert of nations. The credit for this happy return goes to the United Nations, the Organization of African Unity and the forces of progress in the world for their combined efforts, but mainly to the South African people and leaders themselves, in particular Nelson Mandela and Frederik de Klerk, who have always distinguished themselves by the breadth of their vision, their courage and their determination. Echoing the new era beginning in Pretoria, an important stage has just been reached in the long process leading to the normalization of relations between Israel and the Palestinians on the one hand, and between Israel and its other Arab neighbours on the other hand.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Boutros Boutros-Ghali, has placed all his courage, energy and determination at the service of our Organization to promote peace, justice and progress in an increasingly difficult climate. Cameroon would once again like to assure him of its firm and constant support. Despite the uncertainties, upheavals and crises we are experiencing in the evolving international environment, several major events since the last session give grounds for satisfaction and hope. The emergence of a united, democratic and non-racial South Africa, under the leadership of President Nelson Mandela, has sounded the death knell of the apartheid era, now a thing of the past, while marking the advent of a new era on our continent. South Africa can now get down to its economic and social development with increased vigour.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Over and above the usual civilities, Sir, the very sincere and warm congratulations of the Cameroon delegation on your election to preside over the current session of the General Assembly are addressed to you both as an able diplomat and as a worthy representative of Côte d’Ivoire, a country that is a friend of ours and with which we are honoured to have longstanding relations of fraternal cooperation. On behalf of the delegation of Cameroon, I wish you every success in the exercise of your important functions. Ambassador Insanally of Guyana, your predecessor, successfully reflected and expressed our concerns when presiding over the forty-eighth session. We should like to express our deep appreciation to him. Since his election our Secretary-General, Mr.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“In the final analysis, history condemns us to be hopeful - in the midst of violence, does man not persevere in his utopian dream of peace?”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The sudden acceleration of history at the turn of this century gives this utopian hope an impetus that enhances our shared perception of the need to establish a new and more united world order. This "promise of history" being shaped will be an expression of the convergence of our will to free mankind of the consequences of a past that we hope is forever behind us. The universal conscience cannot put up with the horrors of war and of flagrant violations of human rights, nor should it at the dawning of the third millennium tolerate the persistence of poverty and hardship that trample underfoot the intrinsic values of our shared humanity. Thus the United Nations must meet the challenge of renewal in order fully to play its central role in the building of a world consistent with the ideals of its founding fathers.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The General Assembly should, along the same lines, remain a global forum where the positions of States are expressed and harmonized. We are therefore in favour of a strong Secretariat endowed with adequate structures and with a highly qualified staff that reflects the diversity and the excellence of the peoples of the United Nations. This means that throughout the system and within our Organization, the ongoing process of restructuring should be consistent with the spirit of the Charter. Mankind has always cherished the utopian dream of a world in which man would no longer be a danger to his fellow man, and in which peace, justice and equity would prevail.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We are pleased at the prevailing spirit of consensus in the search for solutions to this problem - a problem made complex and delicate because of the need to reconcile the need for effectiveness and the imperative of democratization which alone can safeguard the plurality of approaches that underlies the universality of our Organization. In this context, the reform of the Security Council should not be confined to a mere broadening of its composition. It should above all make it possible to revive the spirit behind the decision to confer upon the members of the Council broad powers regarding the maintenance of international peace and security. These powers should therefore be exercised in the interest of all, and not on the basis of other considerations.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“These gatherings will make it possible for us to refine our understanding of these problems in order better to integrate them in our development policies. Guaranteeing international peace and security and promoting the economic and social development of its Members are the tasks that the United Nations has been called upon to perform since its establishment. The changes generated by the end of East-West rivalry have created conditions more conducive to the attainment of these objectives. Our Organization should therefore rethink its structures and its working methods in order to increase their 10 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session effectiveness, the better to respond to the ever-growing expectations of the international community. The restructuring process under way is of course part of this trend.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In the social sphere, activities conducted throughout the United Nations system with a view to fighting against the AIDS pandemic and to repressing the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances deserve high priority in the agenda of our Organization. Similar importance should be attached to the integration of women in the process of development and to the protection of vulnerable groups of society. The International Conference on Population and Development planned for Cairo in 1994, the World Summit for Social Development, to be held in 1995 in Copenhagen, and the Fourth World Conference on Women, to be held also in 1995, in Beijing, will offer opportunities to review all of these issues at the highest level.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We must set our sights on establishing a fund for financing African development. The imperatives of international solidarity are not consistent with compartmentalization on the basis of racial or geographical considerations. Hence, we cannot leave the African countries at the mercy of market forces, which are devoid of all legitimacy owing to speculation. The international community must therefore undertake to construct a more legitimate new world order that is in keeping with full respect for law and justice. The world partnership for sustainable development enshrined in Rio de Janeiro responds to this aspiration. While we are pleased at the establishment of the Commission for Sustainable Development, the release of resources required for the financing of Agenda 21 has not yet been accomplished.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The very recent International Conference, on African Development, held in Tokyo, will give us an opportunity to draw the attention of the international community to the distress of the African continent. The failure of the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development 1986- 1990 and the disappointing progress of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s underscore, if need be, the urgent need to establish for that continent a consistent set of measures to stimulate recovery including, in particular, debt alleviation and the enhancement of human resources, the transfer of technology, support for the diversification of production and the improvement of conditions for access of our products to international markets.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Need we recall that despite the seriousness of the economic crisis they are facing the African States, like the countries of the East, have undertaken courageous reforms towards liberalizing their economies and democratizing their political systems? While we are pleased at the mobilization of resources aimed at accompanying reform in the countries of the East, we must deplore the fact that no similar effort has been made for the benefit of the African countries that are also in a state of transition. Structural adjustment plans are the only alternative solution proposed to them. Because they are becoming increasingly exorbitant and difficult to bear, their social costs need to be given more attention by our partners so that the already fragile foundations of our young States will not crumble.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)