YouSaid · the spoken record

ALATAS

lines on the record: 200
first: 1989-09-24
most recent: 1995-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
sources: un-general-debate

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“10 Since then, the United Nations and all of us, the peoples who are its constituents, have gone through another crucible, that of the cold war and the massive global changes that attended its wake. And, again, we have emerged with a yearning and a hope that the peace envisaged in the United Nations Charter 50 years ago will be attained in our time. The difference is that this time we have 50 years of experience to illuminate our endeavours and to sharpen our perspective of the future. On this occasion, as we rededicate ourselves to the vision of the United Nations Charter, let us resolve to use our collective experience in our continuing efforts to revitalize and strengthen the Organization that is the vehicle of our hope.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“The observance of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations is particularly significant to us in Indonesia, for it takes place while we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the proclamation of our independence. To us, this is not a mere coincidence in time but a convergence of ideals and values. Neither is it a coincidence that the Charter of the United Nations and the Constitution of Indonesia embrace the same principles and objectives, such as independence, social justice, equality and abiding peace. For the United Nations and Indonesia emerged from the crucible of the Second World War and the struggle for independence yearning and hoping for the universal peace that can only be derived from a sharing of the fruits of freedom and justice by all humankind.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“An integral part of that process is the implementation of the Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women, recently concluded in Beijing. For only through the empowerment and advancement of women by such means as access to economic resources, to education and to the decision-making processes in all fields and at all levels can the social and economic welfare of humankind progress. It is essential, therefore, that we create an environment conducive to women’s full participation in the development process, as both its agents and its beneficiaries, if we are to move forward in our efforts to achieve sustained economic growth, sustainable development and social justice.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“In 1994 alone the continent’s indebtedness was double that of other developing countries. It is therefore incumbent upon the international community to give its priority attention to the critical situation in Africa. The World Summit for Social Development, convened earlier this year in Copenhagen, underscored the determination of the international community to raise global standards of living and to address the problems of poverty, unemployment and social integration. Its Declaration and Programme of Action offer a pragmatic and feasible course to alleviate mass human suffering and to elevate the human condition. Now we must translate rhetoric into action, and realize the true potential for global prosperity.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“If the new trading regime is to have a positive impact on the developing countries, these problems and imbalances should be squarely addressed, and the rights and interests of the developing countries, particularly the least developed among them, should be upheld. Amid such trends as increasing globalization, the integration of global financial markets and speculation during periods of national adjustment to privatization, the developing countries have become increasingly vulnerable. Among the developing countries, those in Africa are particularly disadvantaged because their external-debt problems have virtually excluded them from investment flows — they must rely on official development assistance (ODA), which continues to decline. At the same time, negative financial flows continue to hamper their development efforts.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“Both UNCTAD and UNIDO, therefore, should be strengthened rather than be allowed to be whittled down or eliminated. We believe that the problems now plaguing many developing countries could have been forestalled if they had adequate access to international markets, to financial resources and to appropriate technologies. And while we expect that the results of the Uruguay Round will alleviate the crisis by liberalizing the international trading system, we also know that the lion’s share of the benefits will accrue to the developed countries. This imbalance is due to the significant loss of differential treatment in trade for the developing countries, the limited progress achieved in lifting restrictions on agricultural exports and the imposition of trade conditionalities based on labour codes, eco-labelling and so on.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“As to the attendant suggestion to wind up the work of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), I believe, to the contrary, that these two bodies are vital to the achievement of accelerated, sustainable and equitably spread development, especially for the developing countries. Since its establishment 30 years ago, UNCTAD has consistently endeavoured to redress the inequities and imbalances in the world economy and to give a greater voice and role to the developing countries in its management. UNIDO, too, has proven to be of concrete benefit to the developing countries, in particular in their efforts to accelerate their industrial development.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“9 Just as important is the revitalization of the institutions which the United Nations Charter set in place 50 years ago to lay the social and economic foundations for peace. We must ensure, however, that in the process we will strengthen the role of the developing countries in decision- making and enhance the democratic character of the United Nations. It is in this context that I have opposed the idea of establishing an economic security council to take the place of the Economic and Social Council, because it is bound to frustrate our efforts to democratize the functioning of the United Nations.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“The solution of global economic problems requires a global partnership for development, and that partnership cannot be forged without sustained dialogue and cooperation on key economic issues between the developed and the developing countries. This is why, after the Jakarta summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, where economic development was restored to the top of its agenda, the Movement sought to relaunch a constructive dialogue between the North and the South based on mutual interest, common benefit and equitably shared responsibility. That kind of dialogue has been welcomed in this Assembly, and it is our hope that other key players in the globalization process, such as non-governmental organizations, transnational corporations and international financial institutions, will in time also join that dialogue.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“It even seems that the United Nations itself is being marginalized, as decision-making on international economic and financial issues continues to shift to the Bretton Woods institutions, where the participation of the developing countries is less equitable. It is no secret that some countries would like to inaugurate a global system in which finance and macroeconomic management become the exclusive domain of the IMF, development strategies that of the World Bank and international trade matters that of the WTO. I submit, however, that given the expanding role of the developing countries in the world economy and the growing interdependence between States, the participation of developing countries should be enhanced rather than curtailed.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“According to the World Economic and Social Survey of 1995, it has attained an average growth in output of 3 per cent per year. But the rising tide of production has not lifted all economies. Thus, notwithstanding the promise of global recovery, over 2 billion people remain poverty-stricken, often under circumstances of extreme deprivation. Up to 18 million die annually from hunger, malnutrition and poverty- related causes. The gap between the haves and the have- nots continues to widen, doubling in size over the past three decades between the richest 20 per cent and the poorest. Policy decisions affecting the developing countries are increasingly being made by international agencies or groups, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Group of Seven.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“Indonesia welcomes the agreement as an important watershed in the Middle East peace process. But the path to a lasting peace still faces major hurdles and challenges, including those posed by Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the unresolved question of Palestinian refugees 50 years after they were forced to flee their homeland and the status of Al-Quds Al-Sharif. At the same time, progress must also be achieved on the other tracks of the Arab-Israeli negotiations, which is a sine qua non for a comprehensive settlement of the Middle East question. The ultimate guarantee for a durable and just peace is Israel’s withdrawal from all occupied territories, including the Syrian Golan Heights and southern Lebanon. The global economy today is reportedly at its strongest in many years.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“Furthermore, the process should proceed in stages, from direct negotiations between the leaders themselves to an appropriately structured international conference, to be held when agreement has been reached on the basic elements of a settlement. In the Middle East the pursuit of peace has continued to gather momentum. The historic Declaration of Principles signed two years ago was bolstered by the agreement reached last week between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel, which calls for an extension of Palestinian self-rule in the occupied territories, phased withdrawal of Israeli forces and free elections for a Palestinian Council, thereby paving the way for a final settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli dimension of the Arab- Israeli conflict.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“In this regard, President Soeharto has offered Indonesia’s good offices to facilitate a peace process based on direct negotiations among the leaders of the States directly involved in the conflict. These negotiations should be conducted on the basis of certain basic principles, such as peaceful coexistence and non-interference in internal affairs. Any settlement should take into account existing United Nations resolutions and existing proposals for settlement and should entail mutual recognition by the States that were components of the former Yugoslavia, respect for internationally recognized boundaries and protection of minorities.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“Only now, after an excruciating wait, have the United Nations 8 and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) finally taken firm action. On the ground, the tide of battle seems to be turning, while at the same time a new peace process is unfolding which appears to have some viability. Indonesia welcomes the accords recently reached between the Foreign Ministers of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, comprised of a set of broad principles that are to govern a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Developments have thus entered a crucial stage, and it is of paramount importance for the international community to ensure that neither an unjust nor an unworkable peace be forced on Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“The brutal aggression perpetrated again this independent Member State of the United Nations and the slaughter and “ethnic cleansing” of its people have shocked the whole world. Denied its legitimate right to defend itself as a result of an unjust arms embargo, Bosnia and Herzegovina faces the prospect of the forcible dismantling of its multicultural, multi-ethnic and multireligious society and the erosion of its internationally recognized sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. The major Powers, which early on could have put an end to this tragedy, have failed the cause of justice and of a principled solution, offering instead rationalizations for what clearly amounts to a policy of appeasement.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“It is in this context that we have deplored the underground testing by France and China, not only because of health and environmental considerations but precisely because it contravenes the spirit of the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the NPT and undermines the ongoing efforts to conclude a comprehensive test-ban treaty. While urging the nuclear Powers to desist from conducting further tests, we believe it is imperative that concerted efforts should now be directed at achieving a treaty banning nuclear testing in all environments and for all time, without any loopholes or exceptions, by 1996. Perhaps the greatest tragedy of recent times is that which has befallen the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“Hence, our priority agenda in the disarmament field should continue to be one of seeking further deep reductions in those arsenals with a view to their ultimate, total elimination, curbing the horizontal and vertical proliferation of nuclear weapons, banning the production of fissile materials for weapons purposes, ensuring the peaceful applications of nuclear technology on a predictable and long-term basis, initiating negotiations towards an international convention on security assurances to non-nuclear States, and concluding the ongoing negotiations on a comprehensive test-ban treaty.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“The 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) adopted three decisions, namely, to extend the Treaty indefinitely, to strengthen its review process and to agree on certain principles and objectives for non-proliferation and disarmament. Yet the Conference failed to address the inequalities inherent in the Treaty. Issues long identified as crucial components of the non-proliferation regime were marginalized. The indefinite extension of the NPT removed the element of urgency from obligations under article VI of the Treaty, which may legitimize existing nuclear arsenals and perpetuate their further modernization.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“We are also of the view that additional permanent members should be chosen on the basis, not only of equitable geographical representation, but also of such objective criteria as the political, economic and demographic weight of a country, its capability and proven track record of contributing to the promotion of peace, security and development, both regionally and globally, and its commitment to assume the responsibilities inherent in permanent membership. It may also be timely and pertinent to review the manner in which the veto is exercised at present with a view to mitigating its arbitrary use and to ensuring a more democratic decision-making process. One central challenge not yet fully met by the United Nations in its fiftieth year is that of general disarmament, particularly in its nuclear dimension.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“Indonesia also believes that the membership of the Security Council, including its permanent members, should be increased so as to reflect the changed international situation since 1945 and to accommodate the interests and concerns of developing countries, which comprise the overwhelming majority of the Organization. It is a glaring anomaly that on the roster of permanent members of the Council Europe is overrepresented, Asia is underrepresented and Africa and Latin America are not represented at all.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“The achievements of the United Nations over the past five decades make a compelling case for the further strengthening of multilateral cooperation, and we believe that the United Nations can be an even better instrument of multilateral cooperation if we act with greater purpose and determination in rectifying its inadequacies and shortcomings through a comprehensive process of restructuring, revitalization and democratization. My delegation is therefore gratified that steps have been taken to revitalize the role of the General Assembly, including the reorganization of its Committee structures and the streamlining of its agenda for greater efficiency and efficacy.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“This places an unfair burden on those countries and penalizes especially the developing countries among 7 them. If the situation were to continue without urgent and effective measures being taken to resolve it, peace-keeping operations would grind to a halt and all our endeavours to maintain peace and security would be endangered. The fiftieth anniversary presents us with an opportunity to address this fundamental issue of the United Nations insolvency at the highest political level, including possible recourse to innovative global taxation schemes.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“The Organization, its specialized agencies and related institutions have been engaged in an immense array of activities that touch every aspect of people’s lives all over the world. It is therefore most regrettable to note that the severest financial crisis in the history of the United Nations casts a dark shadow over the fiftieth anniversary. In particular, the failure of one major Member State to meet its obligations by withholding legally obligated contributions is not only contrary to Article 17 of the Charter but has also driven the Organization to the very brink of insolvency. This aggravating situation has forced the Secretary-General to try to resolve the crisis through postponing reimbursements to the troop-contributing countries.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“With the implementation of “An Agenda for Peace” and its Supplement, further progress may be expected, not only in peace-keeping but also in preventive diplomacy, peacemaking, post-conflict peace-building and the complementary role of regional organizations in maintaining peace and security. We are heartened that the Agenda for Peace has been complemented with “An Agenda for Development”, which would not only enhance the capability of United Nations to do its work in the economic and social spheres but which will also facilitate the forging of a global partnership for development. However, the United Nations is much more than a forum for maintaining security, resolving conflicts and keeping the peace.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“Admittedly, not all United Nations peace- keeping efforts have been regarded as successful, but they have consistently promoted progress in negotiations between the parties in conflict. In the process the United Nations has expanded the meaning of peace-keeping beyond mere impartial interposition to include the protection of humanitarian aid, refugees and displaced persons as well as assistance to countries holding elections. Even the set-backs and difficulties encountered in peace-keeping operations have yielded useful insights that could help secure the success of similar undertakings in the future.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“It is no coincidence that these are the very same issues as those on the agenda of the United Nations, for it is precisely within the United Nations and through its processes and institutions that the Non-Aligned Movement has waged its struggles for, and pursued its advocacy of, the principles and ideas enshrined in the United Nations Charter and reiterated in the Dasa Sila of Bandung. There is no doubt that the United Nations has served as the principal instrument for the amelioration of the human condition through the pursuit of peace and development. In spite of the constraints to its system of collective security, the United Nations has nevertheless undertaken a large number of peace-keeping and peacemaking operations.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“Thus in 1955 the leaders of Asia and Africa laid down the “Dasa Sila of Bandung” — the “Ten Principles of Bandung” — which embodied fundamental principles of inter-State relations in accordance with the spirit of the United Nations Charter. The seeds that germinated in Bandung took firm root six years later in Belgrade with the formal institution of the Non-Aligned Movement. Since then, the Movement has served as a moral and political force that provided an alternative vision to the bloc politics of the cold war. Pursuing that vision, the Movement contributed to the triumph of such causes as the world-wide struggle against colonialism; the drive against institutionalized racism, particularly apartheid; the advocacy for nuclear disarmament, which is finally under way; and, lately, the launching of a global partnership for development.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“Power politics and the quest for hegemony and spheres of influence paralysed the collective security system. That may be why the United Nations has not been able to prevent the more than 150 armed conflicts which, since its founding, have erupted in various parts of the world, taking a horrible toll in human lives and material devastation. And that also partly explains the persistence of inequities and imbalances in international economic relations. The United Nations was but a decade old when the first generation of leaders of Asia and Africa, reacting to the debilitating effects of the cold war and the problems besetting the world at the time, met in Bandung to articulate a new ethos which would reaffirm the ideals and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and govern relationships between and among nations, great and small.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“Fittingly indeed, on this fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, hope is the dominant feeling in the world today just as it was hope, for a more peaceful and tolerant world, which inspired the founding of the United Nations in San Francisco half a century ago. 6 With the Second World War barely over, the international community of that time sought to establish a world organization which would “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war” by instituting a system of collective security based on the repudiation of the use of force “save in the common interest”, and on the basic principles of sovereign equality, freedom, justice and the rule of law. This splendid vision was not to be realized, for soon the cold war set in between two rival military and ideological blocs locked in a struggle for dominance.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“In this post-cold-war era, we have been confronted by global changes so profound and massive that we are just beginning to understand some of their ramifications. These changes have generated challenges and contradictory trends in international relations which have cast a dark shadow on our contemporary world and intensified our sense of uncertainty as we stand on the threshold of a new century. On the other hand, a deepening sense of interdependence has prompted nations to devise more equitable and mutually beneficial patterns of cooperation — and this has provided us with a new source of hope.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“On behalf of the Indonesian delegation I should like to offer our congratulations to Mr. Freitas do Amaral of Portugal on his election as President of the fiftieth session of the General Assembly. We are confident that under his able guidance we will make substantive progress in our work. To his distinguished predecessor, Mr. Amara Essy of Côte d’Ivoire, I should like to convey our deep appreciation for the exemplary manner in which he presided over the Assembly at the last session. I also wish to pay tribute to our esteemed Secretary- General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for his dedicated endeavours in pursuing the objectives of the United Nations Charter and for his untiring efforts for the cause of peace and development. We observe the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations at a most crucial time in the history of humankind.”
1995-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 50 (1995)
“As the principal international institution for multilateral cooperation and negotiation, the United Nations has a central role in the shaping and fulfilment of that promise. All nations, developed and developing alike, can and should have a part in realizing that promise through constructive dialogue and democratic cooperation. In the course of this 30 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session endeavour, the vision and aspirations of the developed and the developing countries can be forged into a broad and dynamic partnership that would effectively address the problems of today and successfully confront the challenges of tomorrow. We hope that this process has now made a modest but significant beginning.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“It is Indonesia’s considered view that such consideration should lay emphasis on the practical feasibility of establishing this post and on whether such action would in reality and practice enhance the promotion and protection of human rights as called for in the United Nations Charter. For it may be more beneficial to direct our attention to enhancing the authority and efficacy of the existing mechanisms and bodies, particularly the Centre for Human Rights in Geneva. The end of the cold war has opened a new chapter in the history of humankind, a chapter full of portents as well as bright promise. The essential text of this chapter is yet to be written, in this Assembly and in the various international forums where crucial issues are taken up.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We are heartened by the fact that the Vienna Conference recognized that in the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the significance of national and regional particularities and the various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds of States must be taken into account. Approved by consensus, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action represents a new paradigm from which to promote human rights in a non-selective, cooperative and balanced manner. That being the case, the use of human rights as political conditionalities for economic cooperation is entirely against the agreements reached in Vienna. This session of the General Assembly has been asked to consider the establishment of a post of high commissioner for human rights.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We anticipate the forthcoming report by the Secretary-General on an agenda for development will mark an important milestone in international cooperation for development. With this report we hope that development will finally be accorded as much emphasis as that given to the political agenda. A short time ago, the World Conference on Human Rights was convened in Vienna. Surpassing most expectations, the Conference adopted a Declaration and Programme of Action which affirmed, among other things, the principles of universality, indivisibility and non-selectivity in the promotion and protection of human rights.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Indonesia shares this view and fully commits itself to the active participation of the people in the decision-making processes involved in development, and to the protection and promotion of human rights in all their manifestations, including the right to development. We therefore look forward to participating actively in such forthcoming conferences as the World Summit for Social Development in 1995 and the World Conference on Women in the same year. The World Conference on Population and Development to be held in Cairo early next year should provide an occasion for the international community to cooperate on the basis of the essential linkages between development, population and environmental protection. The proposal to convene an international conference on financing for development should be given serious consideration.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The debt crisis must be considered as one of the factors that led to the social crisis of the 1990s, for the latter is clearly a function of poverty and underdevelopment which in turn have given rise to internal political instability in many countries. In the efforts of the United Nations system and various countries to address the social crisis, new and valuable insights have recently been gained. It is irrefutable that in developing countries structural changes have exacted an exorbitant human cost. The developed countries too have not been spared from this crisis, as the prolonged recession has greatly strained their social security systems. Clearly, therefore, the social crisis also calls for a global approach, and indeed a consensus is growing that development and international cooperation "should put people first".”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Thus around 50 severely indebted countries continue to experience great difficulties in servicing their debt, at a terrible cost to their economies striving for recovery and development. Urgent action is needed and debt relief for these countries should receive the highest priority, in particular for those among the 50 countries which are the least developed countries. To avoid any misunderstanding, Indonesia does not regard itself as being among those 50 countries. The Non-Aligned Movement has made this issue one of its priorities in South-South cooperation and a programme is at present being developed to extend concrete assistance to these countries to augment their efforts at debt management.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The crisis was triggered by deflationary policies introduced by the developed countries. Debt-servicing became an oppressive burden on the borrower countries when export earnings declined following the collapse of commodity prices and growing restrictions on market access to developed countries. Forty-eighth session - 1 October l993 29 It is true that for a few middle-income countries the debt crisis may be largely over. The same can be said for the international commercial banks which in the past provided these countries with huge amounts of loans. However, for many low-income countries as well as lowermiddle-income countries the debt crisis is far from over.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Regrettably, all too often there has been a one-sided view of the causes of the debt crisis which tends to fault the developing countries for excessive and imprudent borrowing and for the misuse of the resources thus obtained. This view tends to ignore the link between the debt crisis, the paucity of resource flows on appropriate terms, and the adverse turn taken by the world economy since the early 1980s. This in turn explains the insistence on domestic policy reforms on the part of the debtor countries as the principal remedial instrument. The truth is that the debt crisis of the developing countries is a manifestation of the shortcomings of the international system in providing access to adequate longterm resources on satisfactory terms. The gap was filled by private banks, lending on inappropriate terms.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Among the most urgent issues on the global economic agenda is the external debt crisis of the developing countries which, contrary to perception in some quarters, is still far from being resolved and indeed continues to be exacerbated by volatile exchange rate fluctuations in the major currencies. Here too there is an obvious need for a coordinated approach, in the spirit of partnership, involving debtor and creditor nations as well as the international financial institutions. Such an approach should aim at decisive reductions in the bilateral, multilateral and commercial debt burdens, especially of the least developed and other severely indebted developing countries, in a way that would at the same time allow sustained recovery and growth.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We believe that this would complement his forthcoming report on an agenda for development, which will contain an analysis and substantive recommendations on ways to enhance the role of the United Nations in the promotion of international cooperation for development. Such a spirit of partnership, lamentably, is conspicuous by its absence from some other forums, particularly the Uruguay Round negotiations, which are still mired in an obdurate impasse. In this regard we sincerely hope that the commitment made by the major developed countries at their recent summit in Tokyo will translate into effective action that will break the stalemate and bring about an equitable and balanced conclusion to the Round.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Obviously, both developed and developing countries have a shared interest in jointly promoting this process across a wide spectrum of key economic issues of common concern. It is important that we in the Assembly carry the process forward in concrete terms, and for this purpose the non-aligned and other developing countries intend to submit a draft resolution aimed at the reactivation of dialogue between the developed and the developing countries. In this context, the Secretary-General should be requested to prepare a report on the modalities and ways and means of reactivating such a dialogue.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In this encouraging first step the initiative by the Non-Aligned Movement to establish a more constructive approach on issues of mutual concern and interest was welcomed by the Group of Seven, a fact that was subsequently reflected in the Tokyo summit economic declaration. Indonesia strongly believes that these positive developments have bolstered the spirit of partnership already articulated and demonstrated at such meetings as the eighth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD VIII) and the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). This evolving spirit of partnership should now be further fostered and built upon during this session of the Assembly.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In this context, President Soeharto of Indonesia, as Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, in his meeting with then Prime Minister Miyazawa of Japan as Chairman of the Group of Seven on the eve of the G-7 Summit last July, seized the opportunity to convey the non-aligned message, entitled "An Invitation to Dialogue", to the developed countries. At that meeting, the Chairman of the Group of Seven and the Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement concurred on the need to pursue a comprehensive approach to the integrated issues of trade, investment and debt strategies, including the review of the latter through the Paris Club.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The non-aligned and other developing countries therefore call for the reactivation of a constructive dialogue between the North and South. But this time, such a dialogue should be based on genuine interdependence, mutuality of interests and of benefits and shared responsibility. The developing countries have expressed their readiness, both at the non-aligned summit in Jakarta last September and in the Standing Ministerial Committee for Economic Cooperation in Bali last May, to engage the developed countries actively in a dialogue on the key issues of the world economy.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In this era of increasing interdependence among nations and escalating globalization, issues and problems, especially those relating to growth and development, have become global in nature and therefore cannot be solved through short-term relief measures or through piecemeal reforms. Therefore, all nations, both in the North and in the South, should forge a new compact on development and, through a democratic partnership, fashion global solutions to these 28 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session problems. Only in that way can we hope to restructure the international economic system, redress its imbalances, and render international economic cooperation more equitable and thus more viable and more mutually beneficial.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“By all accounts, the world economy has failed to achieve substantial improvement over the past year. Belying almost all official forecasts, recession in the developed countries and stagnation in the developing countries have persisted. According to the 1993 World Economic Survey, world output will be outpaced by world population growth rates for the third year in a row. These negative macroeconomic developments have exacted an enormous toll on the developing countries. Consequently, poverty and underdevelopment remain the distinguishing features of the majority of the developing countries. In the most vulnerable economies, these have reached crisis proportions. Of especially grave concern is the prolonged critical situation in Africa, where tens of millions of people remain trapped in abject poverty and social deprivation.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Increasingly, the international community has come to recognize that, in a world dramatically transformed since the end of the cold-war era, lasting peace and security can never be assured in the absence of economic growth and development. Yet despite the profound and positive changes wrought in the political sphere, no corresponding improvements have been registered in the world economy or in international economic relations. It is therefore imperative that international economic cooperation and development are accorded top priority on the international agenda. The crucial development challenges for the 1990s continue to be the reinvigoration of world economic growth, the acceleration of the socio-economic development of the developing countries on a sustainable basis and, above all, the eradication of poverty from the face of the earth.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)