YouSaid · the spoken record

Seyoum MESFIN

lines on the record: 255
first: 1994-09-24
most recent: 2010-09-24
sittings or episodes: 14
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

“The fact that there is no international cooperation at present in the spirit of the United Nations Charter is nowhere more evident than in the circumstances surrounding the debt burden, which continues to remain the most critical factor hindering development and the alleviation of poverty. There have so far been no effective steps taken internationally to alleviate this scourge, and there is no visible remedy on the horizon. This is a telling testimony to how much the promise contained in the Charter about international cooperation has remained an empty slogan. If our vision for the United Nations for the century we are entering does not incorporate a remedy to this danger, then for the bulk of humanity the Organization is bound to be more irrelevant than it is today.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“But still the African condition can hardly be explained only in terms of omission or commission by the people of the continent. It would suffice to refer to the cold war and to the super-Power rivalry spawned by that episode and to the havoc wrought by it in Africa to be reminded that Africa’s pains are not always of its own making. Whatever the causes for Africa’s predicament, however, the spirit of common destiny, interdependence and the ideals of the Charter of the United Nations should have obliged the international community to be more forthcoming in rendering effective cooperation to regions 24 such as Africa so that they can overcome the obstacles to development faced by their peoples.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It would be unfair to the Organization and to many of its dedicated staff for us to fail to acknowledge this. In this regard, a balanced evaluation of the performance of the United Nations cannot fail to take note of the good work being done by the Organization in the economic, social and humanitarian areas. This is apart from the indispensable role that the United Nations and its various agencies, most particularly its specialized agencies, play in harmonizing the activities of nations in various critical spheres. It is also true that Africa and, in particular, some of its individual countries, appear to have a unique way of ensuring that available opportunities are missed for making progress for peace and development.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Whether it is in the area of economic cooperation or with respect to peace and security, our continent continues to be a region of the world which is the least favoured for effective and meaningful cooperation. The “We the peoples of the United Nations” mentioned in the Preamble to the Charter and the lofty aspirations contained therein continue to be distant dreams for Africa. This might be regarded by some as an exaggerated claim and an attempt to shift the blame for a predicament which is of Africa’s own making and therefore a harsh judgment on the performance of the United Nations. We in Ethiopia would be the first to acknowledge the critical value for us of the very many types of cooperation we have with the United Nations and its various agencies, some of which have indeed been very effective.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“For Ethiopia this is all the more justified and timely inasmuch as we have been the victim of aggression — not for the first time in our history — for over a year now. The United Nations has been important to us, and the promise contained in its Charter to be our collective instrument for international peace and security and a vehicle for international cooperation in all areas of human endeavour has been a source of hope. But we in Ethiopia are not so sure that the hope we have is always justified, both as Africans and as Ethiopians. From the vantage point of Africa, it is indeed difficult to assert with confidence that the Organization is also ours. This must also apply to the rest of the developing world. But the African case is unique.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It goes without saying that developing countries in general, and the least developed countries in particular, as a group, face the most serious problems in all areas of international life. Problems of poverty, underdevelopment and the debt burden are among the multifarious problems the developing countries are grappling with today. As a least developed country, Ethiopia has its own share of these problems, the magnitude of which is all too obvious, even as we are making a determined effort to overcome them. In this statement I will not try to go into all the problems facing developing countries today. Instead, I should like to focus on one issue: collective security, especially in relation to its impact on developing countries, those in Africa in particular, and how the United Nations has failed them in this critical area.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This annual occasion, here at this forum, affords us a unique opportunity to express our views as Member States on issues that are of concern to us as members of the human family, as part of specific regions of the world and in our capacity as nations. The 170 items on the Assembly’s agenda at this session are clear testimony to the range of issues confronting the international community as we approach the coming millennium. It is not, however, always easy to separate these various levels of concern. They are obviously interconnected, and all the more so for countries such as Ethiopia, whose fates are affected, positively or negatively, by what takes place internationally and by what the United Nations does and does not do.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I wish to assure you of the fullest cooperation of my delegation in the discharge of the heavy responsibilities entrusted to you. I wish also to seize this opportunity to convey to your predecessor, Mr. Didier Opertti, our appreciation for a job well done, and we salute him for all the efforts he has made. 23 I should also like to welcome the new Members of our Organization: the Republic of Nauru, the Kingdom of Tonga and the Republic of Kiribati. To our Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for whom my country has great esteem, I wish to renew our friendship and to reiterate how much we have always appreciated his wisdom and his vision. His being at the helm of the world body is indeed one of the few consolations for Africa, a continent which otherwise has little voice within the Organization.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“On behalf of my delegation and on my own behalf, it is with great satisfaction that I wish to extend to you, Sir, our congratulations on your well-deserved election to preside over the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session, which is coinciding with the end of a momentous century. It is indeed a source of immense pleasure and pride to my delegation and myself to see you presiding over this forum where you, as the representative here of the South West Africa People’s Organization for many years, waged an unrelenting struggle for the independence of your country, Namibia, which was crowned with success in 1990. Your assumption of this high office is a fitting tribute to the struggle of the many sons and daughters of Africa over the years for the total emancipation of Africa from colonial rule.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“A satisfactory, fruitful and expeditious outcome of this process is indeed vital for the effectiveness, credibility and, I might add, the enhanced legitimacy of the world body. For Ethiopia, and for all those who have trust in the efficacy of multilateralism, there is no alternative to the United Nations. The Organization should therefore be protected, and what it stands for — whether in the areas of economic cooperation, disarmament or human rights — should be promoted and fostered with all dedication and commitment. In this endeavour, Ethiopia will continue to be second to none in discharging its responsibilities to the United Nations in this and other activities of the Organization. I therefore wish to conclude by renewing Ethiopia’s commitment to the United Nations and to what it stands for.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“On the situation in the Middle East, we hope every effort will be exerted towards the full implementation of the Oslo accords, with a view to establishing durable peace in the area. With regard to the question of Western Sahara, it is our earnest hope that the proposed referendum on the future of the territory will be held as soon as possible to bring about a final and successful settlement of the issue. As a founding member of this Organization, Ethiopia has always been prepared to contribute to the best of its ability to all efforts designed to make the United Nations and its various organs more effective and more representative. Accordingly, my country attaches great importance to the ongoing exercises aimed, among other things, at reforming and restructuring the Security Council.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“It is Ethiopia’s hope that this shameful episode will not be repeated by the international community today, although the nature and scale of the challenge Ethiopia is facing today is radically different, and is not comparable to what it faced during those difficult days on the eve of the Second World War. The United Nations is still grappling with various issues affecting international peace and security around the world. Among these, the situation in Angola is a cause for serious concern to us. The behaviour of UNITA clearly constitutes a dangerous trend which might lead to the derailment of the peace process — namely, the full implementation of the Lusaka Protocol. We urge the United Nations to exert the maximum effort to save the fragile situation in Angola and ensure the establishment of lasting peace and stability in that country.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The measure proposed at the time against Italy was the imposition of an oil embargo, which certainly would have been effective in crippling Italian aggression against Ethiopia. Nevertheless, since appeasing Fascist Italy was the preferred option for the great Powers of the time, the proposal was rejected. Instead, in a clear demonstration of injustice unprecedented in the history of inter-State conflicts, an arms embargo was imposed by the League on both the aggressor, Italy, and the victim of aggression, Ethiopia. As a result we all know, as history has recorded, this dismal failure of the League of Nations to prevent aggression was one of the causes which brought about the demise of the organization and later contributed to the outbreak of the Second World War.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“That is why the Ethiopian Government and people firmly believe that this flagrant violation of international law by a small nation that is totally blinded by arrogance and led astray by a leadership that has concluded that brinkmanship will always pay should not be left unchallenged. On our part, whether the international community stands with us or not on the fundamental principle of preserving international law and resisting aggression, regardless of the consequences, we are prepared to stand alone, if need be on principle as well as for our national dignity. This, as we all remember, would not be the first time for Ethiopia to be in such a situation. In this connection, one is reminded of Emperor Haile Selassie and the League of Nations following Italian aggression against Ethiopia in 1936.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The answer is that, since we believed that the transition from leading a liberation movement to running an independent State would take time, we somehow entertained the hope 11 that the Eritrean leadership would mature over time, as is the case in almost all other similar circumstances. But our hopes were finally dashed on 12 May 1998. In light of this, we have absolutely no doubt that, if we fail to tell the Eritrean authorities in no uncertain terms that their unruly behaviour cannot be tolerated any longer, the result will be even greater instability and interminable conflict in the subregion, and it will have enormous implications for peace and stability in our continent.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Although because of its recent history this part of the world admittedly needs peace most, it cannot be expected to pay any price to avoid war, in particular by accommodating aggressors. Clearly it stands to reason, and history has amply demonstrated, that war in the long run cannot be averted by appeasing aggressors. It is a total illusion to believe that Eritrea will be tamed, and we are saying this from experience. One just has to look at Eritrea’s track record of the past few years in our area. Eritrea’s propensity to aggression manifested itself first in its belligerent attitude towards its neighbours over the past seven years and has culminated in its most extreme form of aggression against Ethiopia. In the face of such a destructive attitude one may ask why such belligerence by Eritrea was tolerated for so long.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Two things must not be overlooked by the international community with regard to the enormous implications of Eritrea’s aggression against Ethiopia for international law and for the future of peace and stability in our subregion. First, it must be recognized that this is precisely a trap laid by the Eritrean authorities in the form of a deliberately designed game of chicken, calculated, these authorities hope, to end with rewarding aggression. Needless to say, Ethiopia refuses to play according to the Eritrean script, and we call upon the international community to take the same resolute stand. Secondly, it should never be assumed that through appeasement war would be averted and that durable peace can be ensured in our part of the world.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“No one who has been close to the efforts made so far to resolve the crisis peacefully would fail to have noted not only the absolute disregard for peace on the part of the Eritrean authorities, but also their attempt to conceal the truth, their lack of transparency and their sheer failure to demonstrate the minimum decency towards all those who have tried to help. Nevertheless, it is indeed regrettable that some, jettisoning their principles, seem to have drawn the conclusion that, in the face of the known irrationality bordering on the insane in Eritrea, what needs to be done is to lean on Ethiopia, the victim of the aggression, to compromise on principles and to agree to the appeasement of the aggressor and to reward aggression.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“As a result, these factors also constitute the single most important cause for the current crisis between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The fact that aggression was committed against Ethiopia by Eritrea has been indisputable for some time now. This has been the position and conclusion of all those who have so far tried, under the difficult circumstances posed by Eritrea’s obduracy and lack of civility, to make their good offices available as facilitators and as brokers of peace in this conflict. No one who has been intimately involved with these various efforts for peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea would fail to see that Eritrea has never, ever been prepared to give peace a chance.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The origin of the crisis between Ethiopia and Eritrea is not in any bilateral dispute between the two countries; rather it is the result of aggression — an unprovoked aggression which constitutes a flagrant violation of international law. To many this Eritrean aggression against Ethiopia has been incomprehensible. But to those who, like us, are familiar with the internal Eritrean situation, the behaviour of the Eritrean Government stems directly from the total absence in Eritrea of the normal characteristics of a State. The absolute failure of institutions, the absence of the rule of law and the lack of accountability can explain the aggressive behaviour of the Eritrean leadership towards its neighbours ever since the establishment of Eritrea as an independent State.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Conscious of its responsibility not only for its own people but also for peace and the image of our subregion, Ethiopia has exerted and continues to exert the maximum possible effort to ensure the peaceful resolution of this crisis, which was created solely by the Eritrean aggression against Ethiopia and the subsequent occupation of Ethiopian territory. Our full cooperation with the various efforts made in this regard — ranging from the United States-Rwandan facilitation to the ongoing effort by the Organization of African Unity — attests to the maximum amount of self- restraint that Ethiopia has demonstrated under difficult circumstances and in the complete absence of a rational and reasonable partner for peace on the part of Eritrea since the early days of the aggression.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“10 First, it is aggression that was not only unprovoked but was also carried out against a State that, until the day of the aggression, was a true friend of Eritrea — probably the only true friend Eritrea had until that day of infamy when it decided to stab Ethiopia in the back. Secondly, this is an aggression that, paradoxical as it may seem, was designed to impose Eritrea’s will and policy on a country that is in no shape or form suited to play second fiddle to Eritrea. It is quite possible that Ethiopia’s preoccupation with development and with the fight against poverty over the past several years might have created the wrong impression in the minds of Eritrea’s leaders, with their fixation on muscle-flexing and military might.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Despite the efforts by various parties, this aggression continues to portend the outbreak of a full-scale war between the two countries because, on the one hand, of Eritrea’s intransigence in insisting that the peaceful resolution of the crisis must be linked to Ethiopia’s acceptance of the loss of its sovereignty over a part of its territory and to the consequent appeasement of Eritrea, and, on the other, of the dangerous impression the international community is conveying: that aggression entails not costs to the aggressor, but rewards. The aggression committed by the Eritrean regime against Ethiopia is unprecedented in more ways than one.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“When the international community, for whatever reason, fails to respond to aggression and to violations of international law with the required indignation and resolve, then aggressors are sent, wittingly or unwittingly, the message that the principles of international law are not there to underpin the peace and that laws are there to be violated with impunity. This has been the lesson that we have drawn from one of the major recent disappointments that we have had in the area of peace and security in Africa. I am, of course, referring here to the naked aggression by the State of Eritrea against Ethiopia on 12 May 1998.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Nevertheless, we remain hopeful that a way out of this looming danger in the Great Lakes region will be found based on full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries of the region, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and on the full recognition of the security concerns of all countries of the region. It is Ethiopia’s firm conviction that there is no alternative as a guarantee for peace and amity among States to the scrupulous observance of all of the principles of international law governing inter-State relations. However, the greatest danger for peace in this connection is not so much the violation of international law per se, but the response by the international community in the face of such violation.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In both cases, while success has not been easily won, the efforts we are making have nonetheless continued because of the conviction, including on the part of our partners in the international community, that there is no effective alternative to these efforts carried out at the subregional level through the mechanism of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). But it is very clear that the gains, however small, made over the past few years in the area of peace and security in Africa have been tested very severely in the past few months. Developments in the Great Lakes region, most particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, represent some of the serious sources of concern we have in this regard.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In this regard, the establishment by the OAU of a Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution in Africa has been a major step we have taken, and our achievement on this score over the past few years should not be underestimated. In our own subregion, we have continued to exert the necessary efforts for peace in the Sudan and to assist the people of Somalia in achieving national reconciliation and establish a broad-based Government and a central authority.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Although the reasons that provide part of the explanation for this may not be wanting, it is nonetheless very obvious that the well-known limitations we face in international economic cooperation, in particular in the area of trade and in connection with the debt burden, constitute the major impediments to Africa’s economic regeneration. Consequently, the Secretary-General has reiterated in his report that there is indeed an urgent need for political will to ensure sustainable growth and development in Africa, not only on our part as Africans but also on the part of the international community as a whole. In the past few years we in Africa have also made every effort, in particular through subregional organizations, to work for peace and to prevent and contain conflicts.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The past few years have demonstrated quite vividly how most African countries, including my own, Ethiopia, have shown the necessary determination to create a domestic climate conducive to economic growth and development. There is today hardly any country in Africa which has not acknowledged that the economic future of countries lies in market-based and private-sector-driven economic transformation and which has not taken the appropriate steps to that end. It is indeed gratifying to note that the results, certainly in my own country, have been encouraging. However, it is hardly disputable that our performance in the economic area has not by any means measured up to our expectations and that it has been far below what is needed to prevent hopelessness and despair on our continent, especially among the younger generation.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“This report, on which the Secretary-General has deservedly already been congratulated by many, raises all those issues which are vital for the future of Africa and treats them with such frankness and transparency that I can only hope that we will all have the necessary resolve and commitment to follow up its recommendations and ensure their implementation. We in Africa have made, over the past few years, tremendous efforts to change Africa’s image and reality. Despite the apparent slips of the past few months, what 9 has been achieved on our continent since the early 1990s should not be underestimated. This applies both to activities in the economic area as well as to the work for peace and stability on our continent.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We appreciate very deeply in particular what the Secretary-General has been doing to ensure that the voices of all those whose viewpoints needed to be heard are heard, and that there is a more effective cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity (OAU). I wish in this regard to commend him with great satisfaction for what can only be called the historic report he has submitted on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“I should like first of all to extend to Mr. Didier Opertti the Ethiopian delegation’s congratulations on his well-deserved unanimous election to preside over the fifty-third session of the General Assembly. We are fully confident that under his guidance the work of this session of the General Assembly will meet with resounding success. I should like also to express our appreciation to the outgoing President for the most effective guidance he provided to the fifty-second session of the General Assembly and for the most valuable contribution he has made in this regard. We are indeed deeply indebted to our Secretary- General, Mr. Kofi Annan, who has tried to inject new vitality into the United Nations and who has, under difficult circumstances, continued to make a difference at the helm of the Organization.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“I wish to conclude by expressing the hope that the United Nations and the international community will not miss the opportunities that have been created since the beginning of this decade for fostering effective international cooperation, eradicating poverty and realizing sustainable development in those regions of the world that have not yet achieved it.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We appeal to those who remain outside the Ottawa process to sign the draft convention in December this year, so that it can be an effective instrument for getting rid of these deadly weapons. As a founding Member of the United Nations, Ethiopia has always been unreserved in fulfilling its commitment to the Organization and in upholding the principles of its Charter. My country has also been a beneficiary of various programmes of the United Nations system. Accordingly, the increasing effectiveness of the Organization in all areas and the realization of universal peace and security are goals we cherish deeply.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Our subregion, the Horn of Africa, has been one of the regions of the world most affected by the consequences of war. The damage inflicted has been immense. Our region needs a respite and a peaceful period to make up for the lost time. Because it is a region in which deadly and prolonged wars were conducted, weapons are easily available and landmines strewn all over the place. In Ethiopia alone, it is estimated that there are over 1.5 million anti-personnel landmines, which continue to kill and maim innocent people, including women and children. In this connection, we attach great importance to the adoption by the recent Oslo Conference of the draft treaty on the ban on anti-personnel landmines.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It is our hope that the steps that will be taken on the basis of the recommendations of the Secretary-General’s Envoy will ensure greater support of the international community for the IGAD peace initiative and bring about a more effective coordination between the external actors. We strongly believe that the Secretary-General’s proposed trust fund for Somalia will go a long way towards providing support to the peace process. In this connection, I wish also to mention the OAU/IGAD joint mission to Somalia scheduled to take place this month. The explicit aim of this joint mission is to make the Bossaso Reconciliation Conference comprehensive and all-inclusive by encouraging all parties to participate and to convey a clear and unequivocal message that no group has the veto power over peace in Somalia.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The consequence of the absence of central authority in Somalia has been the growth of forces, including from outside the region, bent on ensuring that chaos is continued and even expanded in the country and in the region — all the more reason, therefore, for the United Nations and the international community to do more to help the countries of the region and IGAD succeed in the effort they are making for peace and national reconciliation in Somalia. In this regard, I wish to pay tribute to Secretary- General Kofi Annan for the steps he has taken to revitalize the United Nations role in Somalia and for the initiative he has taken to find ways of maximizing the support of the international community and of the United Nations for the ongoing peace process in Somalia.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“There is today a much improved situation which, however, needs to be maintained and consolidated, for which close coordination between the United Nations, OAU and the IGAD countries is an absolute necessity. Since the countries of the region have been made by proximity to see no luxury in the continuing lack of central authority in that country, they have chosen to work on the basis of the maxim that a less than good Government is better than none at all in Somalia.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The support of the Organization of African Unity and of our partners has been indispensable in this exercise, particularly in connection with the effort to ensure that those like Mr. Hussein Aideed are brought on board the peace process. It is our firm view that no one should be allowed to preempt and scuttle this process, and the unequivocal support of the United Nations for the ongoing peace process spearheaded by IGAD is indeed critical at this stage. 15 We all recall how the proliferation of initiatives for peace in Somalia created complications in the past and how, as a result, it was difficult for the international community to speak with one voice for peace in that country.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The framework for such a breakthrough has been made possible by the creation of the National Salvation Council, which is now preparing to hold a national reconciliation conference soon. We all recall how many resources were spent by the United Nations for peace in Somalia. Now, with a small fraction of the resources and the efforts deployed earlier by the United Nations, the international community can position itself to assist the realization of national reconciliation and peace in that war-torn country. The process of peacemaking in Somalia is at a very critical juncture. The international community and the United Nations should not keep their distance from the effort for peace in Somalia. The IGAD countries are determined to see to it that this process succeeds.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It is our ardent hope that the confidence which had emerged earlier will be rekindled and that the troubled region will find durable peace on the basis of justice for those to whom it has been denied and security for all. Apart from the conflict in southern Sudan, regarding which the member States of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have continued to provide their assistance for the peaceful resolution of the problem and the reversals of the gains in Sierra Leone and the Comoros, the major conflict in Africa which has remained intractable is the one the people of Somalia are facing. Here too, important progress has been made and the opportunities for making a real breakthrough have been created which the Somalis can ill afford to squander.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“James Baker in Western Sahara is showing some important progress, and we are hopeful that the day may not be too far off when it will be possible to hold a free and fair referendum in Western Sahara. I wish to associate myself with the Secretary- General in congratulating the parties to the conflict on the positive results they have achieved so far towards finding a durable solution to the conflict. In the same spirit, I would like to call on them to continue direct dialogue and to speed up the implementation of their agreements. With respect to the situation in the Middle East, we are profoundly disappointed with the increasing complications that the peace process has encountered.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The nightmare in Liberia is over, thanks to the immense sacrifices made by the members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). New hope is also generated by the demise of the Mobutu regime and by the entry onto the scene of the Democratic Republic of Congo, whose Government and people need the support and the solidarity of the international community and of the United Nations. Despite some setbacks in Burundi, the countries of the region and the facilitator, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, continue to persevere in their efforts to help bring about a resolution of the conflict in that country. We are pleased and encouraged that the effort being made by Mr.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It may not always be appropriate to see an immediate causal link between poverty and lack of economic development, on the one hand, and conflict and lack of security, including terrorism, on the other. But there is little doubt that the despair, hopelessness and malaise engendered by poverty and economic and social difficulties provide the fuel for ensuring the degeneration into all-out fratricidal war of political frictions, whatever their sources, with consequent social breakdown and the implosion of societies. We have seen too many times that once societies have imploded and State institutions have disintegrated, picking up the pieces becomes extremely difficult and a nearly impossible task. Look at Somalia. But even so, Africa has made some progress.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We are indeed hopeful that some of the latest initiatives that countries are in the process of taking bilaterally and the emerging trends encouraging renewed focus on Africa, such as the ministerial-level meeting of the Security Council convened last week, will help to increase the international community’s sensitivity to the development challenges of Africa. Genuine partnership is required to make sustainable development a reality in Africa. We hope that the Secretary-General next his report to the Security Council and the General Assembly next February, will forward concrete recommendations that would spare us a repetition of past disappointments.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“However, the conditionalities that accompany debt- relief measures have been undermining ownership, thereby causing the loss of possibilities of adopting policies based on a realistic and appropriate assessment of local and specific conditions. Thus, those condemned to a huge debt overhang which has become unbearable are faced with a Hobson’s choice: debt relief with renunciation of ownership, or ownership with no relief. 14 What we need in this day and age are genuine partnership and international cooperation based at least on commitments to a level playing field and to conditions that do not require those in the developing world to face impossible choices.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We recognize and appreciate the efforts made by the Group of 7, the latest being the steps taken and the promises made at the Lyon Summit and since most particularly the promise made in connection with debt- relief measures for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt. But even then, we cannot ignore the irony and the paradox we encounter with respect to debt relief. More often than not, to qualify for some of these debt-relief measures countries are expected to fulfil and meet conditions that are not absorbable even by economies that are far more advanced. There is little doubt that one of the key prerequisites for sustainable economic development is ownership of one’s economic programme.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The challenges we face involve market opportunities for our commodities, and they are also related to protectionism, unfavourable terms of trade and the difficulty associated with attracting a sufficient level of foreign direct investment. But most of all the challenges we face involve issues related to the debt overhang and to debt-servicing obligations. If there is one major impediment to the development of countries such as Ethiopia, that impediment must be identified as the debt overhang, which continues to necessitate the diversion of so many resources from productive activities that could otherwise have accelerated growth and development. We cannot, of course, be oblivious to the many proposals for debt relief and to the number of positive, albeit inadequate, steps that have been taken in this regard.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In the area of governance and democratization, there is little doubt that, despite some setbacks, we in Africa seem to have made substantial progress over the past seven or so years. These gains need to be consolidated and enriched at a pace that can realistically be sustained, in conformity with the principles of indigenous ownership. On the other hand, it would be stating the obvious to say that our economies have been slated to go on operating in an international economic environment that is hardly friendly to growth and sustainable development. The obstacles are diverse, and they are the same ones as we have been reiterating in gatherings such as this and whenever other opportunities have presented themselves.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“A growing number of countries on our continent, including my own country, Ethiopia, have taken decisive measures to liberalize their economies, to cut Government spending, to institute sound macroeconomic policies and to enhance the role of the private sector and civil society. Because of these serious efforts at belt-tightening and monetary and fiscal discipline, there have been some encouraging developments over the past four years with regard to economic growth in a number of African countries, including Ethiopia. In my own country, for the first time in more than two decades, the economy has begun to grow, with a growth rate of over 10 per cent in gross domestic product having been achieved in 1996. The average rate of growth over the past five years has been over 7 per cent.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)