YouSaid · the spoken record

Ndolo Ayah

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS NDOLO AYAH

lines on the record: 82
first: 1990-09-24
most recent: 1992-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

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“It would also be very opportune if, in this Decade of International Law, the world were to witness not only the coming into force of the Convention on the Law of the Sea, but also its universal acceptance as the comprehensive legal order for the world seas. We therefore applaud the Secretary-General in these efforts aimed at making this a reality and we wish him well and success. We must, however, be very careful that universal acceptance of the Convention will not mean unravelling its core principle, which is that the high seas and the resources therein are and shall be exploited for the common heritage of all mankind.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“My delegation fully supports this decision, which would offer a unique opportunity to evaluate and strengthen the progress of Habitat, taking into account the fact that urbanization is one of the fundamental environmental problems that we cannot afford to overlook. Before concluding, let me comment briefly on the Decade of International Law. At its forty-fifth session, the General Assembly declared the 1990s to be the United Nations Decade of International Law. Respect and adherence by all States to the principles and norms of international law would lead us to a more orderly world in which disputes that may arise can be resolved by peaceful means. All of us must, therefore, exert every effort to ensure that the aims of the Decade are promoted and that meaningful programmes are adopted so that the Decade may become a reality.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The Commission should operate as a functional commission of the Economic and Social Council within recognized rules of procedure and should be elaborated in the context of the ongoing revitalization and rationalization of the Council. The policy responsibilities of the Commission must be well defined to avoid conflicts with other bodies. It should be both future- and development-oriented, providing a forum for the review, further development and updating of Agenda 21 in the light of future economic, financial, technological, legal and other developments. At its forty-sixth session, the General Assembly adopted resolution 46/164, accepting the idea of convening a United Nations conference on human settlements, possibly in 1997, and requested the Secretary-General to submit a report on the item.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We also wish to underscore that the implementation of sustainable development will be futile if developed countries and financial institutions use financial considerations as an excuse for interfering in the internal affairs of developing countries or as an opportunity to introduce conditionalities. The establishment of the Commission for Sustainable Development is important since it will provide a focal point of intergovernmental decision-making to effect the integration of the environmental and developmental strategies contained in Agenda 21. Kenya believes that the only way for the new Commission to be most effective in implementing Agenda 21 would be for the General Assembly to resist any organizational modalities and mandates that would create unnecessarily costly and large bureaucratic machinery.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“While Kenya is ready to pursue the objectives of sustainable development, we have to emphasize that a positive move on the part of developed countries is needed in the implementation of provisions regarding new and additional resources and technical assistance, as well the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, to enable developing countries to play their role. Indeed, at Rio, the developed countries reaffirmed their commitment to reach the accepted target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product for official development aid to augment their aid programmes. While this commitment is commendable, Kenya's view is that specific commitments should be spelt out, since the success and implementation of Agenda 21 will depend very heavily on the availability of finance.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“This process has given rise to untold levels of poverty and it is time we had an international legal instrument that would focus on this scourge. It is therefore pleasing to note that the Rio Conference called attention to the need to start work on an international convention on desertification, with special reference to Africa. In spite of what was accomplished at Rio, we cannot afford to be complacent. Much more needs to be done. The road from Rio will be longer and perhaps more challenging than the road to Rio. Programmes need to be implemented and treaties put into force and strengthened.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It Emphasized the fact that the continuing deterioration of the environment is a serious threat to the survival of the human race and the planet Earth. The agreements reached in Rio represent a remarkable achievement by any standard despite the fact that they did not meet all our hopes and expectations in all areas. None the less, what is gratifying is that the results of the Rio Earth Summit, contained in the Rio Declaration and in Agenda 21, provide the basis for a new global partnership, embracing the rich and the poor. North and South, East and West. Noteworthy is the fact that, for the first time, the world community gave its united attention to the process of desertification, one of the problems facing the African continent and indeed Kenya.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs launched a Special Appeal for Kenya, alongside the Special Emergency Programme for the Horn of Africa. I wish to convey the thanks and gratitude of my country to the Secretary-General for this timely action and particularly for releasing to the United Nations Children's Fund $2 million from the Central Emergency Revolving Fund for the provision of water, emergency drugs, vaccines and shelter in the north and north-eastern areas of Kenya. We should like to make a further appeal for continued assistance in view of the overwhelming flood of refugees and the effect of the drought in Kenya. The holding of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio this year was a clear indication of the concern of humanity for the state of the global environment.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The persistent critical economic and social problems in Africa, coupled with the debt-burden, declining prices of commodities, vagaries of climate and weather conditions, environmental degradation, population increase, and social as well as political effects of structural adjustment, have all added to the deterioration of living standards and have frustrated efforts for economic recovery. Almost 40 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are currently faced with the threat of starvation. The Government of Kenya is most appreciative of the response of the international community and of the bilateral assistance from friendly countries, in the face of the severe drought and crop failure that gripped our country.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“That must be the goal in the revitalization of growth and in sustainable development in developing countries. We equally support and endorse the recommendation of the Economic and Social Council at its 1992 substantive session that the General Assembly should convene a world summit for social development in 1995. Such a conference would contribute to the important objective of putting people at the centre of development and international cooperation. Eradication of poverty is a national objective in Kenya and every effort is being made towards that end. Kenya, like many other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, has had its share of drought and of the shortage of food, which have been compounded by the refugee problem.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“While our countries accept the objectives of these structural adjustments, the rates and sometimes the methods of implementation advocated by the donor community, particularly the IMF and the World Bank, are out of step with our political, economic or social capacity to absorb them. Kenya is convinced that the sustainability of these programmes cannot be guaranteed unless they are compatible with political and social situations in the recipient countries. Kenya believes that peace, security and stability cannot be assured in the face of the abject poverty in which millions of people in developing countries live. We fully endorse the position of developing countries members of the Group of 77 that the eradication of poverty constitutes a major challenge at the present time.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“There is urgent need for an early and successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) multilateral trade negotiations. The liberalization programmes supported by the donor community, especially the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, should balance between promoting a market for the industrialized countries and making the exports of developing countries more competitive in the world market. These programmes should also support processing in the developing countries to give their products a higher added value in order to fetch more in international markets. Some developing countries, including Kenya, with the support of the IMF and the World Bank, are implementing structural adjustment programmes.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Protectionism, along with subsidies, has adversely affected the ability of the developing countries, particularly those in Africa, to earn badly needed foreign exchange and has resulted in developing countries losing some $500 billion a year. That is 10 times more than the amount of foreign assistance granted to these countries. The situation is worsened by the steeply declining prices of commodities on which many developing countries are highly dependent. Since the collapse of the International Coffee Agreement in 1989, for example, coffee-producing countries have lost more than $10 billion. In order to reverse this unfavourable trend, the developed countries should dismantle protectionism in world trade and ensure that inward-looking regionalism and economic blocs do not undermine the multilateral trading system.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Kenya feels that any meaningful solution to the debt crisis must address the real causes of the problem with a view to obtaining a durable solution. We welcome the efforts taken by some members of the donor community to reduce or cancel the debts owed by the developing countries. An effective and lasting solution to the debt problem of developing countries can be achieved only through measures directed towards the revitalization of the economic growth and development of the developing countries. Trade protectionism and the failure by the developed countries totally to observe international trade practices have also contributed to reduced market opportunities for the exports of the developing countries.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“There is, therefore, urgent need for donors to re-examine their policies in international cooperation in order to avoid actions that hurt the already debt-ridden economies of the recipient countries. The external debt crisis of the developing countries is being exacerbated by volatile exchange rates and currency fluctuations, the collapse of commodity prices, a general deterioration in the terms of trade of the debtor countries and the domestic financial and economic policies of the creditor countries. In an effort to lower inflation the creditor countries have adopted measures which have reduced opportunities for the exports of the developing countries and led to higher interest rates, further jeopardizing the ability of the debtor countries to meet their debt obligations.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In order to reverse this negative trend, the developed countries and the international financial institutions need to intensify their efforts to increase substantially the rate of financial flows to the developing countries on a continuous and assured basis. Donor countries which have not done so should make every effort to reach the target of 0.7 per cent of their gross national product in official development assistance to the developing countries as set out in the United Nations International Development Strategy. Aid conditionalities and cross-conditionalities imposed on the developing countries by a number of donors should be lifted. They are unrealistically stringent and counter-productive.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“This session of the General Assembly is taking place at a time of increased globalization of the world economy with promising opportunities for all countries, rich and poor. Unfortunately the benefits accruing from this globalization are not being uniformly distributed. The economies of the developing countries are characterized by a mounting debt burden, negative balance-of-payments positions, declining investments, reduced external creditworthiness, and a general backsliding in economic development. The flow of international development finance to developing countries, both official and commercial, has continued to decline at a time when more is needed. This has resulted in the net outflow of resources from the developing to the developed countries.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We also look forward to a peaceful solution, at long last, to the problems of Cambodia and divided Korea, and support the initiatives in Central America to solve their problems through the regional approach, as provided for in the Charter. The situation in the Middle East is still far from settled. However we express cautious optimism at the current rounds of talks initiated by Secretary of State James Baker, involving the most important protagonists in the Middle East conflict, the Palestinians. The developments in South Africa are also of great encouragement to us. We look forward to the resumption of the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) talks in order to accelerate movement towards genuine democracy in that country.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“My President, His Excellency Daniel Arap Moi, has constantly reminded the Somali leaders that they must put the interests of the Somali people before their own narrow and personal interests. Kenya will do whatever it can, along with its neighbours, to assist all Somali factions, without exclusion, to come together and discuss a durable solution to this tragedy. Elsewhere in Africa there have been encouraging trends of reconciliation and amicable solutions to ethnic or ideological conflicts, which have retarded progress for decades. We salute the people of Mozambique and Angola for opting for dialogue to solve their differences.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We thank the Secretary-General and his team for their tireless efforts in putting together a comprehensive and multifaceted programme of action covering humanitarian relief, the consolidation of a cease-fire, the reduction of organized violence and national reconciliation. The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ambassador Jan Eliasson, has also done commendably well in coordinating United Nations assistance to Somalia. Kenya still remains ready to offer the necessary facilities to United Nations agencies, and inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations to assist Somalia. While humanitarian assistance is of the utmost priority in the present circumstances, we in Kenya have not lost sight of the paramount importance of the need for a round table. There is absolutely no alternative to dialogue.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In the words of our Secretary-General, as contained in his report of 11 September 1992 on the work of this Organization: "Somalia poses a particularly difficult challenge to the United Nations. A means must be found of responding to the urgent and overwhelming needs of a population increasingly desperate in the face of widespread hunger, the absence of national administration, almost complete destruction of basic infrastructure and acute insecurity." (A/47/1, para. 145) As a neighbour to Somalia, Kenya has had to bear more than its fair share of Somali refugees, now standing at well over half a million people. Close to 6 million out of Somali's population of 7 million people are in serious distress, with some 2 million condemned to certain death before this human tragedy is eventually brought to a conclusion.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In this regard, the accession by China and France to the non-proliferation Treaty is a welcome step in the right direction. Kenya welcomed without reservation the collapse of the bipolar structure of the cold war. However, the consequences of the change have been devastating to some and catastrophic to others. One thing is clear. The changes, although desired and necessary, have come in too rapidly for most. Consequently, instead of being a triumph for democracy, the changes now present a serious challenge, not only for democracy and the survival of the democratic institutions they were meant to strengthen, but also a severe test of the will and the capacity of the United Nations and its institutions to respond effectively to the resultant crises. Somalia is a particularly distressing example.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Positive steps have been taken in Geneva in the Conference on Disarmament through the successful conclusion of the negotiations on the chemical weapons Convention. Kenya is happy to be among the many States which have sponsored a draft resolution, to be placed before this Assembly at the current session, on chemical and bacteriological weapons under the Convention on the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons. As important as all these developments are, Kenya still holds to the view that a comprehensive test ban is the only viable way of stopping the momentum of the nuclear arms race. It is the most appropriate tool for practical arms control policies geared towards preventing further arms escalation.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Boutros Boutros-Ghali. We commend him for his timely report, "An Agenda for Peace", in which he analyses and offers pragmatic recommendations on ways of strengthening and making more efficient the capacity of the United Nations for preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peace-keeping. Security based on the old theory of deterrence has failed to guarantee mankind a world without the threat of war and nuclear holocaust. Kenya believes that peace is not merely the absence of war but the absence of the threat of war or of the use of force in international relations and in all spheres of life as well. The end of super-Power rivalry and the demise of the cold-war era offer the world a rare opportunity not only to reorganize international relations but also to create a peaceful atmosphere devoid of nuclear threat.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“With their admission, the United Nations has moved once again closer to the realization of the principle of universality of membership. We are encouraged by their commitment to the principles and objectives of the Charter and we look forward to working closely with them in the days ahead in creating a better world for mankind through this Organization. Their admission comes at a very significant moment in the history of the United Nations, a time when our Organization is undergoing revitalization and reorganization and is poised to meet the new challenges in the rapidly changing international scene.* The successes of the United Nations and the important contribution that it is expected to make towards the maintenance of international peace and security will in no small measure depend on the efforts of our new Secretary-General, Mr.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“First of all, let me join the other representatives who have spoken before me in congratulating you warmly. Sir, on your unanimous election to the presidency of the forty-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly. Your election to this high office is not only proof of the confidence which the Assembly has in you, but a great honour as well to your country, Bulgaria. We are confident that, under your able leadership, our deliberations will be steered to a successful conclusion. I also wish to pay a tribute to your predecessor. Ambassador Samir Shihabi of Saudi Arabia, for the great diplomatic skills with which he successfully led the forty-sixth session. We are happy to welcome the several Members that joined our Organization in the past year.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Although a lot remains to be done, it is the view of my delegation that this Organization ought to take cognisance of the positive changes in the Republic of South Africa and lend its moral support for continued peaceful change. Let clear and unmistakable signals go to the racist die-hards of the AWB clique, however, that, in this era of fundamental changes, the international community will not tolerate any attempts to put the clock back, that there will be no place to run to for solace and comfort should they insist on pursuing the short-sighted and outdated policy of racial supremacy. Nothing could constitute a more gross abuse of human rights than giving comfort to a few die-hard racists who believe that they are destined by God to be a superior race.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“My delegation supports this proposal, which would offer a unique opportunity to evaluate and strengthen the progress of HABITAT, bearing in mind the fact that urbanization is becoming a major environmental problem in many developing countries. Allow me, before concluding my remarks, to refer to recent developments and changes in South Africa. The leadership in that Republic has demonstrated commitment to the dismantling of the obnoxious policies of apartheid. My delegation believes that the international community - the United Nations in particular - should continue to play the same constructive role that it has played in the past in bringing about the dismantling of apartheid.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The poor, non-industrialised nations must reconcile their development with their environment, just as the rich, developed countries, in the disposal of their industrial wastes, must pay great attention to the problems of preserving a sound environment. Because a good environment is incompatible with poverty, action on environmental control and protection must be addressed simultaneously with the development needs of the poor and developing nations. The Commission on Human Settlements, at its thirteenth session, is recommending to the General Assembly the adoption, at this session, of a draft resolution for the convening of a world conference on human settlements, and is requesting the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT), to take the necessary steps.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The preparatory process for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, scheduled to take place in Brazil in 1992, concluded its third phase in Geneva last month with the warning that a lot of ground remains to be covered before Rio de Janeiro. Kenya hopes that at the fourth and final session, scheduled to take place in New York in March 1992, the remaining issues will be ironed out, and the gap bridged, so that the success of our Conference may be ensured. The very survival of the human race in the years to come will depend increasingly on the ability of man to co-exist in harmony within his environment. All nations -- rich and poor, big and not so big - have a stake in this.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“In this regard, I wish to record the support of my delegation for the proposal made by various delegations - particularly those of the United Kingdom and of Norway, to mention only a few - that a mechanism be put in place to deal more promptly and effectively with such crises. Kenya has cooperated with various United Nations relief agencies and with governmental and non-governmental organizations involved in relief work and in the provision of assistance to neighbouring States. We hope to continue this cooperation in the years to come, in the service of humanity. The importance and urgency of taking appropriate measures to protect the environment from further damage and to preserve it for future generations is a subject of global concern.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Daniel Arap Moi - has already made a passionate plea to the international community for urgent assistance, not only for the refugees in our country but also for those displaced in the Sudan and Somalia, who are facing massive starvation and death. Allow me, on behalf of the Government and people of Kenya, to convey our sincere thanks to those Governments and international agencies, as well as non-governmental agencies, that have come to the aid of the refugees in Kenya, and appeal for their continued assistance and valuable support for this worthy humanitarian cause.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“This time, however, the dimension and complexity of the problem of refugees in Kenya are far beyond the resources at our disposal. This is especially so because of the number of refugees involved - now more than 200,000 - and the fact that our economy, which is currently under a strenuous structural-adjustment process, is struggling to recover from the effects of the Gulf war, which had a serious effect on our tourist industry. The situation calls for urgent assistance from the international community. I refer in particular to food, medicine, shelter, transport, clothing and other necessities. My President - Mr.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Serious human trauma and tragedy still face the Horn of Africa - an area that, for decades, has witnessed numerous political and social upheavals, resulting in massive suffering of the worst kind ever witnessed in the region. The larger part of the region is on the brink of unprecedented famine. My delegation wishes to bring this matter to the attention of the world community as a matter of urgency. I refer in particular to the plight of the many thousands of women and children who are dying from the lack of basic life-supporting necessities. In the past my country has exerted maximum efforts to deal with the situation arising from the traffic of refugees seeking temporary relief, with assistance from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other donor agencies.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“We note with great concern and regret, however, that the preparatory commission has begun to wind up its work without the broad acceptance that would allow for consistent and uniform application of the Convention. The Convention represents many years of negotiations, which successfully established a delicate balance on issues of global concern, and whose future is now left doubtful. It is my delegation's hope that the Secretary-General will find wide support for his current efforts to bridge the gap between divergent views. Otherwise we shell run the risk of returning to the very uncertainties and instabilities that the Convention on the Law of the Sea was created to address.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“This is one sure way of transforming the consensus expressed at the forty-fifth session of the General Assembly into specific activities in order to translate the ambitious programmes of the decade into reality. Similarly, the end of 1970s and the beginning of 1960s witnessed a monumental step forward in the development and codification of one aspect of international law. I refer to the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This most important Convention, which has been aptly described as a constitution for the oceans, was primarily to facilitate international cooperation and to promote the peaceful use of the seas and oceans, as well as the equitable and efficient utilization of ocean resources.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“One of the major causes of conflicts between nations throughout history has been failure to observe the basic principles of international law, one of whose cardinal provisions is the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other States and their right to control their destinies. It is therefore most fitting that we should be witnessing an increasing awareness of the need for respect for international law at the beginning of this decade, which the General Assembly has declared as the United Nations Decade of International Law. It is my delegation's hope that the declaration will invoke greater respect for international law and create a favourable atmosphere for implementation of the principle that all international disputes should be settled peacefully and through negotiation.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“To achieve this goal, urgent action is needed to accelerate economic growth to an average real growth rate of at least 6 per cent per annum of gross national product throughout the period of the new agenda, with the aim of increasing income and eradicating poverty. If we fail to observe these guidelines, the new international order will have absolutely no meaning or relevance to the vast majority of the so-called third-world countries, some of whose citizens subsist on less than one dollar a day and whose countries are denied free access to the markets of the developed world through a series of restrictive and protectionist policies. The beginning of this decade saw the reaffirmation of the supremacy of international law in the conduct of inter-State relations.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“This has occurred despite the many far-reaching measures and reforms undertaken by African countries under extremely adverse external conditions of deteriorating commodity prices, heavy external debt and rising net outflows of financial resources. This session of the Assembly therefore has the responsibility to come out with a clearly defined, action-oriented agreement on international support for the continued efforts of African countries during the 1990s. The international community and the African countries should renew their commitment to a new agenda of cooperation for Africa's sustained social and economic development in the 1990s.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The Assembly unanimously adopted the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development, representing a unique agreement between African States and the international community, in which both sides committed themselves to serious and far-reaching efforts to accelerate Africa's development process. The Programme, which created major expectations for better prospects for Africa, came to an end in July this year. This session of the General Assembly will carry out the final review and appraisal of the implementation of the Programme and make recommendations. Nevertheless, over the five years of the period of the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development, the economic and social conditions in the continent have actually worsened.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Natural disasters and calamities, massive transfers or movements of conventional weapons or instances of flagrant abuses of human rights can no longer go without detection. The new international order, for which we all yearn, cannot be the responsibility of any one particular country. Rather, it is the collective responsibility of all of us. The role of the United Nations, as the Gulf crisis recently demonstrated, is a crucial one, and can be successfully played only through the concerted action of all its Members. The General Assembly met in a special session five years ago to consider ways of supporting African efforts to alleviate the severe crisis that has gripped the continent and to lay the foundation for the continent's sustained economic and social development.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“We are encouraged by statements made by the representatives of the developed North which took cognisance of the need to strengthen democracies in the developing South, not by preaching moral virtues that may be totally alien to the cultural values and aspirations of the developing countries, but by taking concrete measures aimed at raising the living standards in those countries. The world has shrunk into a small global village. We live in an age of electronic media and satellite communication systems. Events in one corner of the world, however remote, are instantly beamed into our homes, as we witnessed during the Gulf crisis. Under the circumstances, it is neither impossible nor difficult, in an age of instant global television, to detect and promptly react to problems as they arise.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Rather, the argument is about differing interpretations of what constitutes good governance, as well as the authoritarian assertion that if we differ then we must be wrong. In other words, we are being told that we are wrong because our critics are right, and that they are right because they say so. The changes that started in Eastern Europe a few years ago are not necessarily out of the reach of many developing countries. Indeed, most of them were not necessary in the developing countries. Very few minor adjustments here and there are required, because the problems are not the same in the first place. What the developing nations need, more than anything else, is for existing social and economic institutions to be strengthened as a means to create stability for political structures.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Several speakers who have preceded me have eloquently articulated the problems and the prospects, pointing also to inherent dangers, particularly the assumption that there are those who possess a monopoly on truth and on knowledge of what is good for the rest of humanity and what constitutes good governance. There is no country on Earth, indeed no government, in these times and age that can survive unless it protects and strictly upholds the fundamental rights of its citizens. Consequently, the argument is not against the imperative need to observe human rights, good governance, accountability, elimination of corruption and the fight against ethnic antagonism, wherever these social evils exist in our societies.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The need for an international conference on the Middle East, attended by the five permanent members of the Security Council and all parties to the conflict, including the Palestine Liberation Organisation, has become more urgent. It is one sure way of arriving at lasting solutions, which should be guaranteed by the United Nations in accordance with its mandate. Some of the most far-reaching changes in recent times have taken place in a relatively short span of time. These are changes which, as the Secretary-General has observed, are characterized by both the aspects of hope and the countenance of dangerous un-restraint. Their central theme is the democratisation of human societies everywhere.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Several serious attempts have been made, including the current efforts and initiatives of the United States Secretary of State, James Baker, to reduce tension in the Middle East and create an atmosphere conducive to negotiations. We support these efforts as we have in the past, and it is our hope and prayer that they will meet with success. Kenya believes, as do the majority of Member States, that at the root of the Middle East problem is the question of an equitable and just settlement of the Palestinian issue. Any solution that excludes representation of the Palestinians by those of their own choice is no solution, and will only prolong the misery and agony that have characterised the situation in the region.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“We want to express the sincere hope that sanity and better judgement will prevail over short-sighted, parochial and chauvinistic interests, and thus save humanity from the kind of costly misadventure that nearly plunged this generation into yet another world war. Within the same region, the situation in the Middle East remains tense and fragile. Several resolutions that the United Nations has adopted in the past, aimed at reducing tension and laying the foundation for lasting peace in the Middle East, remain largely un-implemented. The right of Palestinians to a home of their own, as well as the right of the State of Israel to exist, cannot be compromised, nor indeed can the right of all States in that troubled region to live in secure and internationally recognized boundaries.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Since such weapons were never intended for attacks on the suppliers, we had no illusions at all regarding their end use. The time has come for these merchants of weapons of mass destruction and death, be they Governments or private companies in Member States, to put aside greed, profit and naked exploitation, and join the United Nations in calling for a world-wide ban on all chemical weapons and the limitation of trade in arms or greater transparency in their transfers by keeping a register of arms sales. We still hear the sounds of drums of war six months after the end of the operations in the Gulf and what we thought was the beginning of full compliance with all Security Council resolutions.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Kenya fully supported all the Security Council resolutions on the Iraq-Kuwait crisis, basing its support on the principle of the inadmissibility of acquisition of territories by use of force and the principle that wanton aggression must not go unpunished. Several important lessons have emerged from the Iraq invasion of Kuwait, one of which is that those who ought to know better were complacent and, indeed, appear to have conspired to place deadly weapons, capable of mass destruction, into the hands of a nation in one of the most volatile regions of the world. For several years Kenya joined other delegations from developing countries in censuring certain developed nations which are also major arms manufacturers and exporters for their silence on questionable arms deals.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“With the simultaneous entry into the United Nations of the two Koreas, a new chapter has opened which, we hope, will characterize their peace talks aimed at national unity. The current session of the General Assembly offers yet another opportunity to reflect on the dramatic developments that have taken place In the world in recent years. As in the past, the international community is looking to the United Nations for leadership in the search for the maintenance of international peace and stability. Six months have passed since the coalition forces mounted a successful operation which restored sovereignty to the people of the State of Kuwait. Never before has our Organization shown such unity of purpose and resolute determination to put an end to naked aggression by a powerful neighbour against a tiny and helpless Member State.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)