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1994-09-24

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1995-09-24

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un-general-debate

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1. “The European Union gives its unconditional support to the Organization’s ideals and actions. We are sure that these first 50 years are but the first stage in an unprecedented task that presents no other alternative, given that its chief goal — that of assuring that we all live together in peace, as well as the comprehensive development of human beings — can be attained only through disinterested cooperation among peoples.”

   1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

2. “Through its common action, the Union aims to continue to encourage the activities of the United Nations in its fight against the devastating effects of anti- personnel mines in many territories around the world. Also in the field of conventional disarmament, we will pay special attention to the results of the Review Conference of the 1980 Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or To Have Indiscriminate Effects, in order to render it more effective and to widen its scope. We believe in the United Nations. We believe in the universality, binding character and supremacy of international law, which is the result of the development of relations among nations and consensus among peoples.”

   1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

3. “Another European Union priority in the field of nuclear disarmament is the finalization of a treaty banning the production of fissile material for the manufacture of nuclear weapons and explosives. The European Union regrets that the Conference on Disarmament has not yet been able to set up an ad hoc committee to begin negotiations on this issue. Once again, we appeal to all States that signed the Convention of the Banning of the Development, Production, Storage and Use of Chemical Weapons and their Destruction to proceed to ratify it so that it may come into force as soon as possible. Furthermore, the control and limitation of the use of certain conventional weapons is also cause for concern for the European Union.”

   1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

4. “The European Union welcomes the great step forward recently taken within our Organization by the decision to extend the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) indefinitely. This is fundamental progress in the entire disarmament process and the pursuit of nuclear non-proliferation. The decision adopted and the strengthening of the inspection procedure and the principles and objectives of disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation constitute an enormous step in the right direction. We also welcome the steady pace of the negotiations for a comprehensive test-ban treaty, which the European Union hopes and is confident will be concluded in 1996 at the latest. We must now focus our efforts on the universalization of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The European Union invites all States that have not yet done so to become signatories of the NPT.”

   1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

5. “Acting on an initiative of the European Union, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) decided at the Budapest Summit last year to reinforce cooperation with the United Nations and with the trans-Atlantic organizations. 5 Furthermore, the European Union is studying with interest the proposal for stand-by arrangements. To that end, the Union supports the proposals for headquarters of a permanent nature, as well as for the United Nations stand- by forces system, and we are studying with interest other proposals which aim at improving the rapid reaction capability of the United Nations with a view to shortening the period for establishing a peace operation and facilitating its subsequent deployment.”

   1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

6. “Cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations in peace-keeping endeavours should continue to be explored to optimize the use of material and human resources and to put the mandates entrusted to those missions into practice in the quickest, most efficient and successful way.As an example of the activity of the regional organizations in this field, let me mention that on our continent the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has already developed a mechanism, still at an embryonic stage, for preventive diplomacy, the establishment of confidence- building measures and the resolution of conflicts.”

   1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

7. “We welcome the updating of the Agenda for Peace submitted by the Secretary-General at the beginning of this year. I would remind the Assembly of the European Union’s commitment to United Nations peace-keeping operations, illustrated by the fact that the Union as a whole is not only the main financial contributor to these operations, providing 37 per cent of the total budget, but also the main provider of personnel. The European Union stands firmly behind this substantial commitment to the Organization’s peace-keeping endeavours. We have all suffered heavy casualties in these operations, and it is of the utmost importance that every possible step be taken to ensure the safety of United Nations personnel in peace- keeping missions.”

   1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

8. “The Security Council must continue to be the decision- making centre for issues that affect world security and must constantly adapt to currently existing situations in order to strengthen the mechanisms set forth in the Charter itself. The Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council continued its work during previous sessions of the Assembly. The members of the European Union participated actively in that work, and will continue to do so in the future. The European Union holds the view that peace- keeping operations and missions of preventive diplomacy are and should continue to be the focal point of the Security Council’s action in favour of world peace and security.”

   1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

9. “Special mention should be made of the positive outcome of the Conferences of the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the framework Convention on Climate Change, the opening for signature of the Convention to Combat Desertification, and the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests under the aegis of the Commission for Sustainable Development. We welcome those developments and reiterate our determination to continue working, within the Organization, towards greater cooperation in the field of the environment. The United Nations Charter confers upon the Organization the principal task of maintaining international peace and security and entrusts that major responsibility to the Security Council.”

   1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

10. “We deem it essential to implement the decision taken this year by the Economic and Social Council on the need to review and reinforce the capacity of the United Nations system in the area of humanitarian assistance. There is a need to enhance cooperation between all organizations and people, in such a way that their respective contributions may be mutually complemented and strengthened, duplication of work avoided, and a humanitarian continuum ensured. We have witnessed important events this year in the field of the environment and in the implementation of the Rio agreements of 1992.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

11. “The experience of these ad hoc tribunals will undoubtedly help the work of a future international criminal court, for which a draft statute was drawn up by the International Law Commission and submitted to the Assembly’s Sixth Committee at its last session. Mankind is facing a growing number of humanitarian emergencies that require an effective response from the international community in order to alleviate the tragedy being suffered daily by tens of thousands of human beings. The establishment of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs has been an outstanding contribution to the international efforts for humanitarian assistance, a field in which the often hazardous work of non-governmental organizations is also of paramount importance.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

12. “Furthermore, the European Union attaches great importance to the role and activities of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and wishes once again to draw the Assembly’s attention to the pressing need to provide that Office with the human and financial resources required for the proper accomplishment of its tasks. We likewise support the Organization’s efforts to enhance the role and functions of the Centre for Human Rights in Geneva, under the supervision of the High Commissioner. 4 The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia and the International Tribunal for Rwanda are essential factors in the struggle against the impunity of those who violate human rights.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

13. “At the same time, we are conscious of the harmful effects of ethnic and religious discrimination on the emergence and development of such conflicts, and we reaffirm our conviction with regard to the need to move further in the adoption of measures to fight racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia. The level of resources assigned by the Organization to the promotion and protection of human rights — today a mere 1.7 per cent of its regular budget — continues to be totally inadequate. A significant increase in those resources would have a positive impact on related areas, especially on activities designed to assist development. It is increasingly clear that development, human rights and democracy are interlinked, as was stated in the 1986 Declaration on the Right to Development.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

14. “It is increasingly evident that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms plays a critical role in avoiding potential conflicts. We must therefore acknowledge the value of human rights in preventive diplomacy. Some of the serious conflicts which have recently darkened the international scene are inflicting great suffering on the civilian population, as illustrated by the alarming number of displaced persons and refugees. In this regard, the European Union wishes to reiterate its support for the immense task being performed by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in this field.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

15. “The Platform for Action adopted in Beijing as a result of such concern includes important progress in human rights, notably the right of women to control and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality, including sexual and reproductive health, without coercion, discrimination or violence. Only three years before the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the international community cannot yet be entirely satisfied with the progress achieved. This session will provide us once again with an opportunity to take stock of the situation regarding human rights and fundamental freedoms in the world, two years after the important headway made at the Vienna World Conference.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

16. “We must not allow the platforms of action adopted at United Nations conferences to remain unimplemented. The Fourth World Conference on Women ended in Beijing only a few days ago. The Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the Conference are a step forward, backed by the results of previous United Nations conferences, on the road towards the achievement of equality, development and peace. These objectives were set out in the strategies for the advancement of women adopted in Nairobi 10 years ago. The European Union has worked actively to achieve consolidation of the results of the Vienna Conference on Human Rights, in the field of human rights and fundamental liberties of women, and of the Cairo Conference on Population and Development.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

17. “Throughout this session of the Assembly we shall pay special attention to the results of the important cycle of major conferences held over recent years under the aegis of the United Nations for discussion of various subjects linked to development and human progress. We need the Economic and Social Council to play a more vigorous and more central role within the system; we must ensure that the work of the Assembly and of the Council are complementary, avoiding all duplication. During this session the results of the World Summit for Social Development, held in Copenhagen, will be submitted to the Assembly. The European Union firmly intends actively to consider these results, with a view to identifying appropriate measures to ensure the follow-up and implementation of the commitments undertaken at Copenhagen.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

18. “The European Union attaches the greatest importance to the completion, before the end of the session that is now beginning, of a substantial and innovative agenda for 3 development, in which it is made clear that peace cannot be built without at the same time promoting the social and economic progress of the poorest people. Through the decisions taken by the European Council held in Cannes, to which I have already referred, the European Union has made clear its determination to contribute yet greater financial resources for development aid, within the framework of both the Lomé Convention — in the case of the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries — and through financial cooperation with our Mediterranean partners and friends.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

19. “These measures should contemplate, inter alia, a possible review of the scale of assessments so that it would reflect as accurately as possible the principle of the capacity to pay, as well as the establishment of incentives and disincentives to encourage all Member States to comply with their financial obligations. The Agenda for Development (A/48/935), submitted last year by the Secretary-General, identified the five dimensions of development: peace as the foundation, the economy as the engine of progress, the environment as a basis for sustainability, justice as a pillar of society and democracy as good governance.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

20. “Therefore, resolving the Organization’s financial crisis is a priority objective for the European Union, which overall is the main contributor, both to the regular budget and to the peace-keeping operations budgets. This constructive attitude is what led to the participation of the European Union in the work of the High-level Open-ended Working Group on the Financial Situation of the United Nations. Our objective is to reach a consensus as soon as possible — preferably during this session — on the adoption of specific measures to bring about an improvement in the Organization’s financial situation. The European Union wishes to underline the increasingly urgent need to adopt a global package of measures to solve the United Nations grave financial situation.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

21. “Conscious of the universality of the challenges that lie ahead for the Organization, the European Union attaches fundamental importance to the adoption of measures allowing for the success and proper functioning of the United Nations in implementing the mandates entrusted to it by the Member States. In this respect, the Organization’s serious financial crisis, unprecedented in its history, seriously endangers the United Nations capacity for action and is a source of great concern for the European Union. Our Organization will become powerless if it does not receive the necessary political support from its Member States and the resources provided by them, particularly through the full, punctual and unconditional payment of their financial contributions, in accordance with the obligations established by the Charter.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

22. “In Guatemala, the United Nations role as moderator and the work of the United Nations Mission for the Verification of Human Rights and of Compliance with the Commitments of the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights in Guatemala (MINUGUA) have brought about substantive agreements on such important issues as human rights, displaced persons and indigenous populations, which we are confident will lead to a speedy solution to the conflict. The participation of international observers in the coming elections in November, supported by the European Union, seems to us an effective formula. All these achievements have been realized with the invaluable help of the various Groups of Friends and the support of the international community.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

23. “The mediation between the parties and the work of the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL) led to the historic achievement of ending the long and terrible civil conflict in El Salvador, which culminated in the Chapultepec Agreements of January 1992. Today the presence of the Mission, which has the support of the European Union, contributes effectively to overcoming the obstacles that still persist. In Haiti, the multinational force and the United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) played a fundamental role in the restoration of democracy and in the reconstruction of the country.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

24. “That is why one of our objectives in the session now beginning is to ensure that the various resolutions adopted by the Assembly on the situation in the Middle East contribute directly to the peace process, following the guidelines established in previous years. I do not wish to conclude this first part of my statement without a reference to the work of the United Nations in Latin America. Its presence in Nicaragua through the United Nations Observer Group in Central America (ONUCA), the United Nations Observer Mission for the Verification of Electoral Process in Nicaragua (ONUVEN) and the International Commission for Support and Verification allowed for national reconciliation and the holding of elections.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

25. “We warmly welcome the Interim Agreement reached recently by Israel and the Palestinian National Authority, which represents a new and important milestone in this process, and we look forward to the signing of the Agreement this coming Thursday. Likewise, we are confident that in the coming months we will see significant progress in the Syrian and Lebanese negotiating tracks, and that the whole region, which has already suffered enormously, will finally enter 2 into the dynamics of a comprehensive, just, stable and long- lasting peace. The European Union attaches paramount importance to the work carried out by our Organization in general, and in particular by the Assembly, in favour of peace in the Middle East.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

26. “We also favour a more active role for the Organization of African Unity in the prevention and solution of conflicts in Africa, and we are considering ways of supporting the establishment of effective mechanisms for preventive diplomacy and peace-keeping. The European Union is also following the spread of and respect for human rights throughout the continent, and we are very much aware of the dire need of some African countries. Since the revision of the Fourth Lomé Convention, the European Union has attached particular relevance to humanitarian and food assistance, and we have made an effort to update our various development cooperation programmes. The European Union has always strongly supported the peace process in the Middle East, initiated at the 1991 Conference held in Madrid.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

27. “Proof of our concern is that we are working to find peaceful solutions to the conflict in Rwanda and to the conflict in Burundi, beginning with the priority problem of the return of refugees. We support the urgent convening of a conference, under United Nations auspices, aimed at peace and stability in the Great Lakes region. Likewise, we support the initiatives for social and political reconstruction in countries such as Angola and Mozambique, and we welcome the work accomplished by our Organization in Angola, which, following the Lusaka peace agreement, has allowed for the establishment of the third United Nations Angola Verification Mission UNAVEM III.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

28. “After more than three years of bloody conflict, the latest developments in the peace process allow us to look ahead with more hope. In this process, which we hope is near at hand, the European Union intends to play a role commensurate to its commitments in all aspects of the implementation of the peace process, and in particular with regard to reconstruction efforts. Violence has destroyed property, but above all it has taken human lives and destroyed peaceful coexistence. Our main task will thus be to restore hope and offer decent living conditions to those who are still suffering the consequences of this catastrophe. The European Union is aware of the great challenges facing Africa.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

29. “We believe that the United Nations forces in the territories of the former Yugoslavia have played, and continue to play, a fundamental role. Member States of the European Union are among the main troop contributors to these forces. I wish here to pay tribute to the United Nations forces and pay homage to the soldiers who have fallen in the cause of peace, many of them citizens of the European Union. The European Union has contributed substantially to alleviating the tremendous suffering that the war in the former Yugoslavia, and particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has inflicted upon the population. I wish to express our firm commitment to continue providing humanitarian assistance, both bilaterally and through the relevant United Nations organs and agencies.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

30. “They affect us all, and we must all make a commitment to solve them. Although, as usual, a number of issues of concern to the European Union are dealt with in detail in the memorandum distributed as an integral part of this statement, I should like to highlight some questions that are especially important to us: the situation in the former Yugoslavia, developments in Africa and the peace process in the Middle East. The European Union continues to attach priority importance to reaching a negotiated, just and lasting peace in the conflict that is ravaging the territory of the former Yugoslavia. In this regard, we express our full support for the diplomatic process currently under way and our satisfaction at its initial results at the meeting held in Geneva on 8 September last.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

31. “Let me recall, with regard to this moment in the existence of the United Nations, a thought expressed by Jean Monnet in respect of the European Community, when the latter was taking its first steps: “This is only a stage towards the forms of organization of the world of tomorrow.” Indeed, the disappearance of old rivalries has not meant the end of conflicts. Today we are witnessing ethnic and nationalistic conflicts and humanitarian crises of frightening proportions; a worsening of economic inequalities; contempt for human rights; the systematic violation of the rules of international humanitarian law; genocide; the risk of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and the alarming deterioration of the environment. These are some of the most serious problems we face today.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

32. “Against this background, the European Council, at its meeting in Cannes on 26 and 27 June, paid tribute, in a solemn declaration, to the work of our Organization and to the half-century’s activities of the United Nations. In a few weeks the Heads of State and Government of the entire world will solemnly commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of our Organization. Although this occasion will give us an opportunity to assess the work accomplished by the Organization over the course of its already long history, we must above all reflect on the best way of preparing the United Nations to meet effectively the challenges facing us at the end of this century.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

33. “Boutros Boutros-Ghali, together with my congratulations on the work he has accomplished throughout his mandate. In order to speed up the work of the Assembly, I intend to shorten my statement, the complete text of which will be published in a separate document. I am addressing this Assembly on behalf of the European Union, whose membership has increased to 15 States since the beginning of this year, thereby reinforcing its capacity to fulfil its commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The European Union, fully aware of the complex challenges faced by the international community, wishes to reiterate its full support for our Organization as a universal forum for realizing humankind’s aspirations to peace and security and economic and social progress.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

34. “I should like at the outset to convey to you, Sir, my most cordial and sincere congratulations on your election as President of the Assembly. Both Spain, Portugal’s sister country, and the European Union, on behalf of which I have the honour to address the Assembly today, are confident that your work will meet with the greatest success. I am firmly convinced that your experience as an eminent professor of international law and your thorough knowledge of international relations will contribute decisively to the Assembly’s achieving its ambitious goals. I should like also to thank Minister Amara Essy of Côte d’Ivoire for the excellent manner in which he conducted our deliberations during the previous session of the Assembly. Likewise, I wish to express my appreciation to the Secretary-General, Mr.”

    1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)

35. “The path to a better world, in which the United Nations continues to play a fundamental role, must be taken together by all the peoples of the world, as we are reminded by the motto of the fiftieth-anniversary commemoration. That is also the firm conviction of the Government and the people of Spain.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

36. “Such personnel and additional means should also be made available to the Centre for Human Rights. In 1995 we shall commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations. This will be an opportunity to reflect both on the Organization’s accomplishments - which are not negligible - and on the challenges it will face. We live in an increasingly complex and dynamic international society, in which it is no longer possible totally to separate national issues from international ones, nor to divide the tasks of the Organization into watertight compartments. Mankind’s full development will be achieved only when its multiple aspects, which are complementary and interdependent, are taken into account.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

37. “Intolerance, inequalities of all kinds and violations of fundamental rights still endanger the lives, the freedom and the safety of millions of human beings. In order to eradicate these evils, we must honour the commitments undertaken during the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights and redouble our efforts to put into 16 practice principles that, although universally acknowledged, are not universally observed. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the office which was created by this Assembly last year, and whose first incumbent is Ambassador Ayala Lasso, must be able to perform his duties properly. To this end, it is essential to ensure that he has the adequate budgetary means and sufficient personnel, as well as the support and cooperation of all Member States.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

38. “The Programme of Action adopted in Cairo by the International Conference on Population and Development will pave the way for a new demographic policy, and places women at the axis of every population policy. The key role played by women in development will also be highlighted during the Fourth World Conference on Women, to be held in Beijing in September 1995. The World Summit for Social Development, which will be convened in Copenhagen in March 1995, must, likewise, direct us to a new way of facing social problems in the world, based on the principle that human beings should be the core and ultimate goal of development. Nobody can doubt the importance of the protection, promotion and defence of human rights as fundamental tasks of both Member States and the United Nations.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

39. “Furthermore, the financial resources devoted to this end should be used in a more rational and efficient way. To achieve this, we must continue to restructure the economic and social sectors of the Organization and of the United Nations system, particularly by strengthening even further the coordinating role of the Economic and Social Council. In activities to promote development the protection of the environment should always be taken into account. Starting next year, Spain will participate in the work of the Commission on Sustainable Development, which at its last session dealt for the first time with the implementation of "Agenda 21" and of other agreements reached at the Rio Summit. The global conferences convened by the United Nations play an outstanding role in the search for universal consensus on development.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

40. “We welcome the idea of defining the five principal dimensions of development that are set forth in the agenda - that is, peace as the basic foundation, the economy as the engine of progress, the environment as a basis for sustainability, justice as a pillar of society, and democracy as a guarantor of good governance. We must now determine what actions are required in order to implement the agenda and formulate specific recommendations on the assumption that development cannot be reduced to a simple economic dimension, but must, rather, be considered from its political, cultural, environmental, social and humanitarian angles. Only by means of this comprehensive approach will we be able to tackle the deep inequalities and serious problems affecting developing countries.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

41. “Moreover, Spain hopes that a final decision on the enlargement of the membership of the Conference on Disarmament will be adopted shortly, thereby allowing for the full participation of countries which, like Spain, have demonstrated for many years their full commitment to the work of the Conference. The close relationship between peace and development is especially well reflected in the report on agenda for development submitted last May by the Secretary-General. I wish to state my satisfaction at the publication of this report. We share the approach presented by the Secretary-General, which is based on the principle that development is a fundamental right and the strongest foundation for peace.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

42. “The Government of Spain expresses its profound hope that these negotiations will put an end to this colonial anachronism. Disarmament and arms control are fundamental factors in the maintenance of international peace and security. Accordingly, during this year Spain has adopted a unilateral moratorium on the export of anti-personnel land-mines, has ratified the 1980 Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects and was among the first States to ratify the chemical weapons Convention. We also support the unconditional and indefinite extension of the non- proliferation Treaty and the early conclusion of a nuclear test-ban treaty.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

43. “We hope that in Mozambique the coming elections will consolidate national reconciliation. Spain will contribute to the 15 peaceful and democratic holding of these elections by sending observers. The decolonization of Gibraltar is a priority goal of the Spanish Government. The General Assembly has clearly established the doctrine that the decolonization of Gibraltar is a case not of self-determination but of the restoration of Spain’s territorial integrity. I wish here to reiterate the Spanish Government’s firm resolve to continue the process of negotiation with the Government of the United Kingdom, in a constructive spirit and on the bases of the Declaration of Brussels of 27 November 1984, taking duly into account the legitimate interests of the population.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

44. “These events are extremely serious and we must make an urgent legal response to them through the establishment of an ad hoc jurisdiction for Rwanda, following the model already provided by the Tribunal established to deal with the former Yugoslavia. South Africa has been the other side of the coin. We are gratified at its return to the General Assembly as a full-fledged Member of the United Nations, now that the apartheid system has been abolished and a democratic and non-racial Government has been installed. In southern Africa, likewise, we are following with the greatest interest, because of their importance, the processes aimed at peace in Angola and Mozambique. We hope that the Angolan Government and UNITA will shortly conclude a lasting peace agreement that will put an end to decades of suffering.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

45. “Despite the efforts of the international community, in which my country is actively participating, no solution is yet in sight to this crisis or to the problem posed by the millions of displaced people and refugees - a problem which, moreover, is having serious repercussions on the stability of the neighbouring countries. Those responsible for the atrocities, including genocide, committed in Rwanda must be brought to justice individually. Hence, Spain supports the work of the Commission of Experts established under Security Council resolution 935 (1994), which we actively promoted and co-sponsored, as well as the work of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur for Rwanda.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

46. “Spain has always supported the need for a lasting and comprehensive peace, in conformity with Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). Spain urges the parties and all the States in the region, on the basis of their clear and unanimous rejection of violence and the use of force, to coordinate all efforts necessary to attain the desired goals of peace and development. This year, we have witnessed events of remarkable importance in sub-Saharan Africa. Some have struck a markedly hopeful note, whereas others - such as the tragedy of Rwanda and the difficulties in the peace process in Somalia - have demonstrated the fragility of the continent’s structures. Rwanda has appalled us. We have witnessed the horrors of civil war with a feeling of bitterness and even of impotence.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

47. “My Government again expresses its support for the Secretary-General and his Special Representative in their efforts to ensure progress in implementing the settlement plan accepted by the parties and, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions, creating the necessary conditions for the forthcoming holding of the referendum to which I have referred. The Spanish Government has expressed on many occasions, its profound satisfaction at the progress achieved in the Middle East peace process, which started at the Madrid Conference. Thanks to the determination and courage of the interested parties, 1994 has been a year of significant achievements on the path to peace and understanding.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

48. “Spain attaches particular importance to the establishment of a new process of dialogue and cooperation in the Mediterranean that will make it possible to tackle the economic, demographic and cultural differences existing in the region, and to bring peace and prosperity to the Mediterranean area. My country has special ties of friendship and cooperation with the Maghreb countries and is striving to make a practical contribution to overcoming the problems existing in this area, to which Spain attaches great priority. The Spanish Government considers that the solution to the problem of the Western Sahara lies in the holding of a referendum on self-determination with all appropriate international guarantees.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

49. “The Government of Spain, which remains opposed to the embargo that has been imposed, notes with satisfaction the talks taking place between Washington and Havana, where these issues can be addressed. The Government of Spain is attentively following the situation in Haiti, with a view to the full implementation of Security Council resolutions 917 (1994) and 940 (1994), which will involve the return of the President legitimately elected by the Haitian people. The international community will have to concentrate its efforts on the reconstruction of the country, so that democracy may rest on solid foundations guaranteeing constitutional rule of law and respect for human rights.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

50. “Both the Government of Guatemala and the Unidad revolucionaria nacional Guatemalteca (URNG) are fully engaged in this process, with the ultimate goal of achieving national reconciliation and full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The delicate situation in Cuba calls for an additional effort to promote dialogue and cooperation to make possible the final incorporation of both the Government and the people of Cuba into the democratic current that is 14 flowing through the continent at the present time. Dialogue is essential. Inventive solutions among Cubans, without excluding anyone, should be encouraged, with a view to opening up new democratic possibilities leading to a peaceful transition, with due respect for human rights, national sovereignty and fundamental freedoms.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)