YouSaid · the spoken record

Fernando Delfim da Silva

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31

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1996-09-24

most recent

1997-09-24

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2

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un-general-debate

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1. “João Bernardo Vieira, President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, said during the celebration of the United Nations fiftieth anniversary: “I would call for greater ... coordination of our efforts in order to forge a world Organization capable of preserving future generations from the scourge of war and to give the poorest and most helpless true reasons for hope, thus safeguarding the common interests of mankind.””

   1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)

2. “The disappointing results of the review of the implementation of Agenda 21 at last June’s special session of the General Assembly is clear proof that the international community must be much more committed to defining agreed policies for environmental protection. The achievement of the ideals of the United Nations to which our peoples aspire, the need to reform and modernize our Organization, and international cooperative efforts are all the subjects of our collective thinking and the inspiration of our ongoing commitment. Indeed, given the challenges of the late twentieth century, our Organization continues to embody the greatest hopes of our peoples for a future of progress, well-being, social justice and understanding among all peoples. As Mr.”

   1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)

3. “Guinea-Bissau, which recognizes the importance of good governance, pluralistic democracy and a state of law, continues to work for the preservation of values intrinsic to the dignity of the individual and his full, harmonious development. In this regard, we wish to congratulate Mrs. Mary Robinson on her timely nomination to the post of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. We wish her every success in the performance of her duties and call on all Member States to lend her the support she needs. The rational use of our world’s natural resources and environmental protection are responsibilities which, to varying degrees, fall to all mankind. Guinea-Bissau has, together with its partners, defined a strategy for sustainable development that respects ecological balances.”

   1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)

4. “Africa continues to suffer the negative effects of the problems of external debt, deteriorating terms of trade, difficult access for its products to international markets and decreased investment. Moreover, the effects of the globalization of the economy and the drop in official development assistance have reduced the capacity of African countries to tackle socio-economic problems successfully. The initiatives of the Paris Club, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to provide debt relief — initiatives that have already benefited some African countries — meet our concerns and we hope that Guinea-Bissau will soon be able to profit by them. Respect for and the full exercise of fundamental human rights are factors for freedom, peace and guaranteed internal stability.”

   1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)

5. “Guinea-Bissau welcomes the adoption in Oslo of a draft convention for the complete elimination of anti- personnel landmines and urges all countries to accede to it so that it may enter into force as soon as possible. The intolerable persistence of poverty in the world, particularly in Africa, requires the ongoing mobilization of the international community and the elaboration within international bodies of coherent policies to confront the major problems of development. Given the fact that Africa has more least developed countries than any other continent in the world, the General Assembly’s recent adoption of the Agenda for Development is of the greatest interest to us.”

   1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)

6. “In our subregion, the Economic Community of West African States has, with unprecedented success, been managing the crisis in Liberia through the establishment and deployment of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group. The steps undertaken through the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) deserve special mention. Given the magnitude and complexity of the problems to be resolved, that organ needs increased support from the international community to complete its mission. In this context, we believe that any approach to strengthening the capacities of African countries to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts must be supported. Thus, we welcome with interest the joint initiative of the United States, France and Great Britain in this area under the aegis of OAU.”

   1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)

7. “The Republic of China on Taiwan, a democratic country of over 20 million people that has made enormous progress in the economic and social field and with regard to respect for basic human rights, is today a reality that cannot be ignored. The readmission of the Republic of 2 China to the United Nations and to all its specialized agencies would be an important factor for peace, stability and international cooperation. Mindful of the fact that the United Nations, and the Security Council in particular, play an essential role in the maintenance of international peace and security, we attach special importance to regional bodies with respect to conflict prevention and resolution.”

   1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)

8. “In East Timor, we continue to support the negotiations conducted under the auspices of the Secretary-General to find a just and definitive solution to this question. The embargo imposed on Cuba continues seriously to affect that country’s people and development process. We appeal to the parties to take the necessary steps towards a definitive and satisfactory solution to this problem. On behalf of our Government, we should also like to reiterate our conviction that the Republic of China on Taiwan deserves to regain its rightful place in the United Nations on the basis of respect for the principle of universality and the sovereign equality of States.”

   1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)

9. “Guinea- Bissau encourages the parties concerned to seek, through negotiations, a just solution to that question. The joint proposals of OAU and the League of Arab States merit the attention of the international community. Recent events in the Middle East have weakened the peace process. We urge the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to continue their dialogue to restore a climate of confidence, which is so essential to the establishment of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region. We are also concerned at the slow pace of the implementation of the peace agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we appeal to the various parties to show greater determination to resolve the conflict.”

   1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)

10. “In Sierra Leone, the United Nations — the Security Council in particular — must support the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States and OAU to restore the democratically elected Government. In Liberia, we welcome the holding of free and fair elections and the return to peace. We urge the international community to continue to provide aid for reconstruction and the consolidation of peace and democracy in that country. Turning to Western Sahara, Guinea-Bissau welcomes the recent agreement concluded between the various parties and hopes that this new understanding will lead to a definitive solution to this question through the holding of a referendum on self-determination. The sanctions imposed on Libya by the Security Council in 1992 seriously affect innocent people.”

    1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)

11. “In addition to conflicts in Angola, Burundi, Rwanda and Somalia, there are new tensions and crises in Sierra Leone, the Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic. In respect to Angola, a country with which Guinea- Bissau enjoys a relationship of deep friendship, we welcome the progress made there towards restoring peace and achieving national reconciliation, and we encourage UNITA to make the efforts necessary to bring to completion the tasks set forth in the Lusaka Protocol. In Burundi, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and Somalia dialogue must prevail in the search for solutions to the problems that affect those countries.”

    1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)

12. “However, the challenges we are facing at the threshold of the twenty-first century are unprecedented and call for greater efforts from the Organization and all its Members, particularly in seeking the solution to financial problems, a sine qua non for effective progress in the reform process. Despite the Organization’s commitment to international peace and security, conflicts and fratricidal wars continue in various parts of the world, causing loss of life, massive displacements of population and floods of refugees. Africa, unfortunately, continues to furnish tragic examples of such scourges. The seriousness of these crises on our continent prompted the Security Council to devote a ministerial meeting to such problems on 25 September of this year in an effort to analyse their causes and propose suitable solutions.”

    1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)

13. “Therefore, in keeping with the Harare Declaration of Heads of State and Government of the countries members of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), we believe that Africa should have two permanent seats in the Security Council, with the same privileges as the current members. Similarly, we believe that the candidacies of Japan, Germany and Brazil to be permanent members of the Security Council deserve the serious attention of Guinea- Bissau, without prejudice to other proposals before us for consideration. The United Nations has played a decisive role in international affairs since its founding.”

    1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)

14. “The historic Declaration adopted at that time should continue to form the basis of the Organization’s work, laying down as it does a framework for global action based on the principles and ideals of the Charter. Accordingly, we welcome the important initiatives for reform taken by the Secretary-General, which in my delegation’s view are deserving of the support of Member States. My delegation believes that the expansion and democratization of the Security Council are also priority matters. That important body must reflect, both in its composition and in its decisions, the concerns of all Members and should have a more transparent basis and a more equitable geographical representation.”

    1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)

15. “We encourage him to continue his work with the same dynamic spirit in order better to adapt our Organization to the current and future needs of a world in flux. The General Assembly is meeting at a time when the Organization is going through a period of complex transition that has brought several questions to the fore. Guinea-Bissau is nevertheless convinced of the ability of the Organization and of Member States to define new policies and to develop suitable structures to deal with the new challenges that are being posed by international problems. During the observance of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations the leaders of the entire world solemnly reaffirmed the irreplaceable nature of the Organization’s role as well as the need to reform and modernize the United Nations.”

    1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)

16. “Allow me to congratulate you, Sir, on behalf of my country, Guinea-Bissau, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly and to reiterate our confidence in your ability to conduct the work of this session successfully. You can rest assured of the willingness of the delegation of Guinea-Bissau to cooperate with you. I should also like to pay a well-deserved tribute to your predecessor, Ambassador Razali Ismail of Malaysia, for the innovative and constructive manner in which he carried out his task. Congratulations are also due the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, who, since his assumption of the Organization’s highest office, has shouldered his important responsibilities with great resolve, inter alia with regard to United Nations reform.”

    1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)

17. “Guinea-Bissau, a democratic country, is resolved to preserve intrinsic human values, for harmonious and integrated development. The United Nations is intended to be the appropriate forum for finding concerted comprehensive solutions to the major challenges facing the world today. That is why it is vital to increase its ability to prevent conflicts and preserve peace and to promote socio- economic development. Today Guinea-Bissau, more than ever before, is determined to contribute to the achievement of the ideals enshrined in the United Nations Charter.”

    1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

18. “Environmental protection and the rational utilization of our planet’s natural resources are the responsibility of all humanity. Aware of this reality, Guinea-Bissau has designed with its cooperation partners a strategy for sustainable development that respects environmental balance and which can be considered socially viable and just. In that context, our Government is making considerable efforts to implement the recommendations of the Copenhagen World Summit for Social Development, the Platform of Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women, held at Beijing, and the recommendations of the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, held at Istanbul. Respect for and the full exercise of basic human rights are elements of freedom, peace and international stability.”

    1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

19. “My Government continues to devote considerable efforts to the economic recovery of our country, strictly applying the structural adjustment programme agreed with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. However, efforts to restore our country’s macroeconomic balance and the well-being of our people should be supplemented by additional support from the international community, which we hope will continue to be forthcoming in support of our efforts in that direction. Guinea-Bissau, an African country and a member of the Portuguese-speaking community, welcomes Portugal’s initiative to propose to its European Union partners the convening of a European-African summit, whose objective would be to promote a political dialogue aimed at laying a new foundation for a new global partnership.”

    1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

20. “During recent years, as was clearly demonstrated by the mid-term review of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, our countries have become net exporters of capital because of the financial agreements they must honour. Indeed, the amounts allocated to debt- servicing greatly exceed external resource flows. Guinea- 12 Bissau is no exception. Overall, third world economies have seen little improvement. The gap between developed and developing countries continues to grow because of the slow rate of economic growth in the developing countries in general and the least- developed countries in particular.We welcome the action undertaken by the United Nations, especially the System- wide Special Initiative for Africa.”

    1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

21. “We welcome the convening at Rome next November of the World Food Summit, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Guinea-Bissau is convinced that international security and stability depend on the collective struggle against all the internal and external factors that force a large part of the world’s population to live in abject poverty. Indeed, the persistence of poverty throughout the world requires an ongoing sustained effort on the part of the community of nations and calls for a global approach to resolve the major socio-economic problems affecting the world. The debt burden and debt-servicing gravely jeopardize development in Africa.”

    1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

22. “We commend all parties that are contributing to the restoration of the Israel-Palestinian dialogue, especially the Government of the United States of America. The holding of elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a positive element in the resolution of this crisis in Europe. We hope that all the parties concerned will henceforth devote all their energies to the reconstruction of that devastated country, to ensure a future of peace, tolerance and development. The embargo against Cuba, whose repercussions gravely affect the people of that country, must be resolved through dialogue and negotiation by the parties concerned, with a view to achieving a complete and satisfactory solution. Poverty, malnutrition, hunger and major endemic diseases are a painful reality that affects a large part of the population of developing countries.”

    1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

23. “We consider that any lasting solution to the Middle East conflict must respect the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to the establishment of an independent State, and must respect the independence and territorial integrity of all States of the region, including the State of Israel, and their right to live in security within internationally recognized boundaries. The tragic events of recent days have weakened the peace process while seriously affecting world public opinion. We urge the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to persevere on the path of dialogue towards the restoration of a climate of trust, which is vital for the establishment of lasting peace. We welcome the meeting between President Arafat and Prime Minister Netanyahu, which is an important step on that path.”

    1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

24. “The fundamental rights of 21 million inhabitants of a territory under the jurisdiction of a legal Government whose President has been democratically elected provide the political and legal basis for the recognition of their right to international status as a sovereign State under the legal and judicial terms enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. The reunification of China is a question that must be resolved by the people of China itself. However, the Republic of China on Taiwan is legally entitled to enjoy international status before reunification — in other words, its recognition as a State and application of the principle of parallel representation of divided States. It is essential that the Middle East peace process be supported.”

    1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

25. “As for Western Sahara, we reiterate our support for the efforts of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to organize the referendum. Guinea-Bissau continues to focus special attention on the situation in East Timor which needs a negotiated, peaceful, political approach if a solution is to be found. In this context, we would like to welcome the talks between Portugal and Indonesia under the auspices of the United Nations to find a just solution to this conflict. On behalf of our Government, I reiterate our firm conviction that the Republic of China on Taiwan should be part of the United Nations on the basis of respect for the principle of universality and for the legal equality of States.”

    1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

26. “We are also gravely concerned to note the negative impact of the war in Liberia on the neighbouring countries. We urge all warring factions to respect the new implementation plan of the Abuja Agreement and of the Liberian National Transitional Government. We also invite them to cooperate fully with the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group, the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia and the rest of the international community in the search for a definitive solution to the problem in Liberia. The situation in the Great Lakes region, particularly the situation prevailing in Burundi, is also of great concern to us. We support the efforts of the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity to avoid a repetition of the Rwandan tragedy in these countries.”

    1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

27. “In that connection, we should like to stress the important role of the United Nations, the Troika and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Blondin Beye, in the establishment of the peace process in Angola. We are convinced that the road we have travelled and the successes achieved to date fully warrant the confidence of the international community and its continued support for the peace process in Angola. Guinea-Bissau hopes that the reasons for the delay of the full implementation of the Lusaka Protocol will be overcome. We deplore the tragedy that is dividing Liberia, a country of our subregion, just as we deplore the ongoing violations of the agreements concluded, which increase the loss of human life and provoke new outbreaks of violence.”

    1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

28. “Conflicts and fratricidal warfare, and the persistence of various kinds of serious tension among States, have made innocent victims of entire populations, causing loss of human life and provoking massive movements of peoples and refugees. Unfortunately, Africa is the continent most affected by this tragedy. Angola, Burundi, Liberia, Rwanda and Somalia are dramatic examples of Africa’s recent history. My recent visit to Angola — which coincided with my country’s presidency of the Security Council — as Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Guinea- Bissau, Mr. Joa¯o Bernardo Vieira, demonstrated our people’s long-standing solidarity with the people of Angola and illustrates our unequivocal will to promote confidence among the parties, which is essential to the success of the peace process.”

    1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

29. “In that connection, we commend the Open-Ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council for its contribution to overall efforts made on this important and timely question. Guinea- Bissau is of the view that all related proposals of the African Group, and other proposals such as that of Italy, should be given due consideration. In a world beset by numerous grave conflicts, the United Nations is incontrovertibly, the best forum for achieving the ideals which underpin its irreplaceable role in promoting international peace and security. However, despite the ongoing efforts of our Organization, peace and stability are still a dream in many parts of the world.”

    1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

30. “This historic event was an excellent opportunity for the United Nations to evaluate and assess the state of our Organization in a changing world and to cast a glance forward into the future. Today, as yesterday, a large part of the world’s population — which, to date, has experienced neither peace nor security, not to mention social well-being — place their trust in the United Nations, the only institution with a universal mission, capable of promoting international peace and security and developing socio-economic cooperation on a global scale. The numerous challenges and hopes which the United Nations must respond to today are unprecedented. It is therefore important that we make every effort to restructure and revitalize the Organization, because the United Nations is facing an increasingly complex international situation.”

    1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

31. “I wish to congratulate the President warmly on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly and to reiterate our trust in his qualities and skills, which will help in conducting the work of this session. I assure him that the delegation of Guinea- Bissau is ready and willing to help him. We would also like to congratulate his predecessor, Mr. Diogo Freitas do Amaral, for the devotion and constructive spirit with which he carried out his duties. We take this opportunity to underscore our appreciation to and reiterate our confidence in the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, whose initiative and personal involvement in the reform of the United Nations system have made satisfactory results possible. Last year, over 185 States met in New York City to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations.”

    1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)