YouSaid · the spoken record

Matthews

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS MATTHEWS

lines on the record: 96
first: 1980-09-24
most recent: 1993-09-24
sittings or episodes: 4
sources: un-general-debate

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“In recent years, the United Nations has taken bold decisions in peacemaking, peace-keeping and peace-building, humanitarian intervention and the protection of human rights. These assertive approaches have made the United Nations appear more relevant to the peoples of the world. It is hoped that, in its honourable pursuits, the United Nations will continue to be led by men of vision who can ensure the realization of the noble ideals enshrined in its Charter - fostering world peace and promoting development and cooperation amongst all the peoples of our one world.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In view of what I have said, there is an urgent need, as a part of the continuing effort to forge a new and fairer international economic order, for the peace dividends derived from the easing of bipolar tension to be deployed to meet the development needs of the world’s most economically disadvantaged regions. They should not be reserved for the exclusive use of the already wealthy nations, and they should not be directed only towards the political and economic liberalization of a particular region of the world. All must take into account the fact that economic opportunity and social justice are essential preconditions for peace and security in our global village. The post-cold-war era has offered the United Nations new opportunities and challenges, particularly in the fulfilment of its unique responsibility as the conscience of mankind.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“With respect to the world economic situation, it remains our firm belief that, in order to achieve progress in global economic recovery, issues of long-term significance, such as the excruciating debt burden of developing countries, low commodity prices, protectionism and dwindling resource flow into developing countries, should all form the real agenda for the setting of priorities to include a permanent increase in global economic growth. The current gloomy situation of the international economy, worse now than in the previous decade, is further accentuated by new risks to the world economy caused by conflicts, the problem of refugees and the plight of the world’s children. These problems pose a real threat to growth and development in many regions of the world.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In a world characterized by issues of common concern and ever-increasing interdependence of States, a collective approach is indispensable in meeting the challenges posed by environmental problems and the international economic situation. The environmental crisis is now posing a serious threat to the life-support system of our planet. This is why my delegation believes it is most important that Member States maintain the momentum gained at the historic 1992 Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro, by effective follow-up at the national and international levels. We welcome the establishment of the Commission on Sustainable Development whose responsibility it is to review and monitor implementation of Agenda 21.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Last month the world welcomed the historic and dramatic developments affecting peace in the Middle East, when the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) recognized each other. The signing of an agreement on Palestinian autonomy means that the first real step has indeed been taken towards Palestinian self-rule. It is our sincerest hope that this agreement will soon be complemented by peace accords between Israel and all of its Arab neighbours. Perhaps no problem, apart from the spectre of a nuclear holocaust, has elicited more global concern than that of the environment, given its intrinsic linkage to man’s survival and his economic well-being.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Regarding South Africa, we welcome the current multi-party negotiations in that country as the most inclusive forum so far convened to end the apartheid system and create a non-racial, democratic society. We are pleased that, as a result of these negotiations, a democratic Government is scheduled to be elected in April 1994. With regard to Angola, the Government of Liberia wishes to call on UNITA to abandon its military agenda and seek to resolve the crisis through peaceful means in conformity with the Bicesse Accords. In this light, we also make a special appeal to UNITA to conform to the wishes of the people of Angola by accepting the results of the September 1992 elections. We call on it to sign the protocol of agreement negotiated in Abidjan in a spirit of national unity and reconciliation of all Angolans.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“On the question of Somalia, the Government of Liberia welcomes the bold and courageous efforts by the United Nations to resolve the tragic situation there and bring peace to that country. We deplore the killing of United Nations peace-keepers in Mogadishu, and we support the 8 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session efforts by this world body to bring to justice those responsible for such acts. The implementation of the Addis Ababa Accords, signed on 27 March 1993, at the national reconciliation conference, offers the best hope for a peaceful transition to a pacified and democratic State of Somalia. We therefore urge the Somali factions to respect and implement that agreement.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The States closest to the conflict are likely to have a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, the interplay of forces within the milieu. It is against this background that the Government of Liberia gave its fullest support for, and endorsement of, the establishment of a mechanism for conflict prevention, management and resolution within the Organization of African Unity. We welcome the establishment of the Department of Peace-keeping Operations in the Secretariat for the planning and coordination of all United Nations peace-keeping activities, confident that it will countenance greater regional involvement in conflict management, buttressed by support from the United Nations.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The Liberian peace process has shown that, even in the face of scarce resources, member States of the Economic Community of West African States have contained a security threat in their subregion by marshalling the requisite political will to do so. The dispatch and maintenance of a peace- keeping force in Liberia by the leaders of ECOWAS represent the finest hour for Africa in its efforts to maintain peace and security on the continent. The Liberian experience has also demonstrated that peace initiatives that are conceived and implemented within a subregional context, while supported and assisted by regional and international organizations, are a practical approach which stands the best chance of success in conflict resolution.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We, as men of conscience, condemn and stand in total opposition against those who, in the midst of the war, trained their weapons on helpless civilians. We therefore thank the Secretary-General for responding with dispatch to the Interim Government’s request for the establishment of a commission of inquiry to investigate the atrocities committed since the commencement of the civil war. We believe that the Wako Commission Report has contributed to amassing the evidence required in order for justice to be done to the perpetrators of the Harbel area massacre and other massacres. Liberia’s tragic circumstances, coupled with the efforts to resolve the conflict, provide useful lessons that could be most instructive for the international community.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“It is important, also, that the Transitional Government has the task of helping to prepare the country for free and fair elections, to be held under international supervision and monitoring within six to seven months. This is hardly ideal timing, but it proved to be the best that a negotiated settlement could produce. Clearly, the international community has a moral obligation to help the people of Liberia succeed in this endeavour, since the very thought of failure attending these exercises is, in itself, a nightmare. The Interim Government has striven, even in the throes of a civil war, to maintain law and order and operate with a Constitution which affirms civil liberties and respect for fundamental human rights.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We appeal to the international community to stand ready to assist the people of Liberia for a reasonable period, as it will take time before the advantages of peace are translated into real improvements in the lives of the people. A successful disarmament exercise will be the long-awaited signal for our people in refugee camps to return home. Indeed, the Transitional Government will need the cooperation and assistance of men of good will everywhere in order to succeed in the awesome tasks of repatriation, resettlement and rehabilitation. The gruesome civil war devastated the economy of the country, paralysed vital social services and destroyed basic infrastructure. It is significant that the political division of the country has prevented a coordinated needs survey to fully assess the reconstruction demand.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Through the specialized agencies of the United Nations system, as well as many private volunteer and non-governmental organizations, they have enabled many Liberians to find life worth living because of the genuine concern that has been demonstrated. Our thanks go to all those who continue to make a difference in the lives of our people. The Transitional Government, when installed with authority spanning the entire country, will stand in need of extensive relief assistance to respond effectively to the monumental human suffering existing in some parts of Liberia. Our delegation envisages an upsurge in the demand for humanitarian assistance, with food and medical supplies being the obvious priorities.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We renew our request to other friendly Governments to respond to the Secretary-General’s appeal for contributions to the Trust Fund as a means of advancing the peace process in Liberia. Forty-eighth session - 13 October l993 7 We are convinced that the enabling conditions for disarmament will be expeditiously created and that the Transitional Government will be installed shortly. The fact that the cease-fire continues to hold and that the parties are largely cooperating with each other is a basis for continuing confidence in the commitment of the parties. Our hearts are touched by the great outpouring of empathy and good will from countries that have contributed to the well-being of the people of Liberia since the beginning of our conflict.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“However, the unwillingness of any of the armed factions to avail itself of the proposal need not necessarily be viewed as reflective of a lack of will or suggestive of bad faith. Scrupulous adherence to the actual terms of the Agreement may ultimately enhance the prospects for genuine peace, however slow and exacting the process may prove to be. Meanwhile, efforts continue to get the full complement of additional ECOMOG forces and United Nations observers. The Government of Liberia wishes to thank the United States Government for its contribution to the Trust Fund of the Economic Community of West African States to facilitate the expansion of ECOMOG and assist the forces currently in place.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In this regard, it is encouraging to note that NPFL expressed to the planning mission its readiness to accept troops from among the present ECOMOG contingent to be deployed in NPFL areas. With the expected full deployment of the advanced team of United Nations military observers in the coming days, the disarmament process could possibly begin immediately thereafter." (S/26422, para. 40) Last week in Monrovia, Dr. Amos Sawyer, the President of the Interim Government of National Unity, publicly assured the Liberian people that if the armed factions accept the Secretary-General’s proposal and allow the disarmament process to commence, he would immediately transfer power to the transitional authorities.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“7) A month later, in September 1993, the Secretary-General, recognizing that these preparations for disarmament would not keep pace with the political arrangements, advanced a most constructive proposal in his report of 9 September 1993 as follows: "... The Agreement forecasts that the transitional government would be established approximately one month after the signing of the agreement, concomitant with the commencement of the disarmament process. While this process is already somewhat behind schedule, the establishment of the transitional government is crucial to reinforcing national reconciliation. I therefore urge ECOMOG to move quickly in commencing the disarmament process, with monitoring provided by the advance team of UNOMIL, even before full deployment of the expanded ECOMOG and UNOMIL.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The Secretary-General states: "Given the level of mistrust existing between ECOMOG and the NPFL, special measures were devised to make ECOMOG acceptable to all parties in overseeing encampment, disarmament and demobilization. It was agreed that ECOMOG would be expanded to include new troops from countries not already participating in ECOMOG. These troops would be drawn from other ECOWAS countries, as well as from OAU countries outside of the West African subregion. In addition, it was proposed that United Nations military observers would monitor and verify the cease-fire as well as the implementation of the encampment, disarmament and demobilization provisions of the Agreement." (S/26200, para.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The Interim Government has complied with all the concessions required for disarmament so that Liberians may live free from fear and have a chance of being at peace with each other. A five-member Council of State has been formed to constitute the executive authority of the Transitional Government. The legislature, the judiciary, and the Elections Commission are being reorganized or otherwise made to reflect the inclusive intent of the transitional period. The Liberian National Transitional Government is waiting to be installed once the disarmament process begins. Pacta sunt servanda. What, then, is the requirement for the disarmament process to begin? The following paragraph from the report of the Secretary-General on Liberia, of 4 August 1993, correctly reflects the specific provisions of the agreement and the factor motivating them.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“To strengthen the Agreement, or otherwise reinforce the confidence of the parties, it was agreed that the installing of the Transitional Government, and the beginning of the disarmament process, each being a precondition for the other, would ensue simultaneously. However, this demand for concurrent processes harbours the prospective danger that an achievement lag in either component, military or political, may tend to undermine confidence in the entire peace process and thereby threaten the understanding. What, then, does each phase require, and how much and in what area has progress been made? The implementation of the political phase of the Accords has largely been completed, and on schedule.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“This concession, hardly an unreasonably high price to pay for disarmament and peace, was made. The Cotonou Agreement, then, divided into a military and a political component, encompasses provisions attending a trade-off. The political demands are far-reaching, in that they require more than a simple reconfiguration of the Interim Government within the context of power-sharing. The 6 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session Liberian National Transitional Government, being a new creation, requires the divestiture of power from the current interim authorities. On the other hand, the warring factions, divested of their arms and demobilized, will equally cease to exist as fighting forces.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The people of Liberia will for ever remain grateful to the gallant men and women of the ECOWAS Cease-fire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). Enduring thanks go to the West African States which have made troop contributions to the peace-keeping effort: Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Mali and Senegal. During the process of negotiating the Cotonou Agreement, the Interim Government, largely a coalition of various political parties and interest groups representing the vast majority of our citizenry who do not bear arms, demanded the disarmament of all combatants as a sine qua non for the restoration of peace. The armed factions conceded to this demand on condition that a new, transitional authority, to include the Interim Government, be organized within a framework acceptable to them.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“On that occasion, we went on to state, and we here repeat, that the United Nations must also share in this victory. In this vein we wish to register our appreciation to Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali for his consuming interest in the crisis in Liberia. We thank him immensely for his thorough and incisive reports on Liberia, which enhanced the decisiveness of the Security Council with respect to resolutions 788 (1992), 813 (1993) and 866 (1993). We also commend the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Liberia, Mr. Trevor Gordon-Somers; the OAU Eminent Person for Liberia, former Zimbabwean President the Rev. Dr. Canaan Banana; and the former Executive Secretary of ECOWAS, Dr. Abbas Bundu; whose relentless collaborative efforts helped to make the Cotonou Agreement a reality.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“By agreeing on a process beginning with a cease-fire and leading to disarmament, demobilization and then free and fair elections, we Liberians have all finally decided on how power will be acquired in our country. The Agreement is therefore a great victory for the people of Liberia in their efforts to secure a democratic future. As my delegation stated on 10 August 1993 during the Security Council’s consideration of the report (S/26200) of the Secretary-General on Liberia, the Cotonou Agreement is also a victory for the leaders and peoples of the member States of the Economic Community of West African States, who took a bold and courageous initiative to resolve a security question in their subregion, with the active support and cooperation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU).”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In pursuit of these objectives, the Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU) has participated in 25 peace talks and a great number of other consultations with the Liberian factions, the leaders of subregional, regional and international organizations, and foreign Governments to enhance the prospects for peace in Liberia. It is now my pleasing duty to inform the Assembly that the Interim Government of National Unity, the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) and the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO) signed a peace accord in Cotonou, the Republic of Benin, on 25 July 1993. The Cotonou Agreement is a significant breakthrough in the quest for durable peace in Liberia.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Over the past three years Liberia’s external relations, in response to domestic imperatives, have focused on the achievement of four primary objectives: first, to ensure that international opinion is sensitized to the serious effects of the civil war in Liberia and the need for international support to end the conflict; secondly, to effect the mobilization of humanitarian and emergency relief assistance for the war-ravaged population; thirdly, to help sustain the consensus on the situation in Liberia within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and to secure broader international acceptance of the ECOWAS peace plan as the best possible formula for resolving the Liberian civil strife; and, fourthly, to enhance the peace process itself by neutralizing attempts to resolve the Liberian conflict through the military victory of a faction, while encouraging a negotiated political settlement of this seemingly intractable conflict.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Boutros Boutros-Ghali, also deserves special commendation for his persistent and tireless Forty-eighth session - 13 October l993 5 efforts in trying to secure a world that is both peaceful and just and sustained by an equitable economic order. Indeed, his devotion and singular commitment to the principles and purposes of the Organization have brought renewed confidence on the prospects of achieving mankind’s dream of a stable international environment. We seize this opportunity to welcome the newly-admitted Members of the United Nations. It is our fervent hope that they will make a meaningful contribution to our common search for global peace and security.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“I wish to congratulate you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the forty-eighth session of the General Assembly. We are sure that your vast experience, personal qualifications, and intimate knowledge of the manifold problems confronting the international community will serve you well in the performance of your duties. Please be assured of the fullest cooperation and support of the Liberian delegation. We extend a deserving tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Stoyan Ganev of Bulgaria, for the efficient and able manner in which he handled the affairs of the Assembly during the past year. His decisiveness and fairness paid off greatly in producing the many results which are a positive outgrowth of the debate of the previous session. Our Secretary-General, Mr.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Like those whose vision led to the birth of the Organization at a time of great upheavals and challenges, we too must call forth the best in us to ensure that we bequeath to posterity a world safe from pockets of wars and the attendant dreadful consequences. In pursuit of that attainable goal we must banish from our minds all forms of mistrust, suspicion, fears and prejudices which, more often than not, define our behaviour in national and international affairs. If we muster the courage and the will to face squarely the new realities of the post-cold-war era, then the chances will be enhanced of a stable international environment in which the United Nations can promote social progress and development while keeping the peace.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“As the Secretary-General observes in his report, Agenda 21 constitutes the centrepiece of international cooperation and coordination activities within the United Nations system for years to come, it is therefore Liberia's sincere hope that at this session the General Assembly will take appropriate measures to ensure the full implementation of the historic decision that has been reached. The rapid pace of change and the shrinking of our planet by faster means of travel and communication have combined to make more relevant the interdependence of nations. As such, Liberia reaffirms its abiding faith in and commitment to the principles of the United Nations that have stood mankind in good stead.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Liberia calls upon the international community to support the Agenda wholeheartedly in order to grant relief to African countries. Another important task of this session of the General Assembly is to follow up the decisions taken by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which was held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. The decision by most countries to sign the Conventions on climate change and on biodiversity, as well as to adopt a comprehensive programme for sustainable development. Agenda 21, reaffirmed awareness of the fundamental relationship between development and the environment.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“One of the perennial issues before the Assembly has been the need to ameliorate the poverty and underdevelopment that plague the developing countries. The mounting debt burden, the decline in commodity prices and increasing protectionism are some of the factors contributing to the economic stagnation in many developing countries. My Government is therefore concerned about the delay in concluding the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations. We entertain the hope that the negotiations will be completed before the end of 1992, as envisaged. It was in appreciation of the disturbing economic trends that I have mentioned that the forty-sixth session of the General Assembly adopted a New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It heightens profound fears that if the situation is not urgently arrested the world could find itself involved in a major effort to prevent the extinction of a national group due to the horrendous policy of "ethnic cleansing." Liberia deplores that inhumane practice and calls for enforcement action in keeping with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council. With regard to the situation in the Middle East, Liberia welcomes the renewed efforts by the parties to the crisis and others to move the peace process forward. It is our continuing belief that only a negotiated settlement within the parameters of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) can bring a just and lasting peace to that troubled region.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We therefore urge the South African authorities to take speedy action to arrest black township violence and exclude from the security apparatus those responsible for the recent atrocities. My delegation is encouraged by the reports that the leader of the African National Congress, Mr. Nelson Mandela, and President de Klerk have resumed talks on the country's political future. We appeal, however, to Chief Gatsha Buthelezi of the Inkatha freedom movement to rejoin his compatriots in the negotiations for the establishment of a non-racial, democratic society. The tragic story of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of continuing suffering, destruction and death.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“That is why we are most pleased with the recent initiative taken by the Secretary-General in arousing the conscience of the international community to the plight of Somalia. We also applaud the active role he is playing to resolve the conflict. With respect to developments in South Africa, the Government of Liberia views with serious concern the gruesome sectarian violence in that country. In view of the positive steps that the South African Government, yielding to international pressure, was taking to end apartheid, it is most distressing to receive indications of that Government's apparent collusion with the appointed leaders of homelands to unleash unprovoked violence and death on defenceless civilians engaged in a legitimate exercise of protest. Such action can only put at risk the gains that have been made by all South Africans.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We thank all of them for the many sacrifices they are making to restore peace to Liberia. While we are preoccupied with domestic considerations, we have firm views which we would like to advance with respect to some of the issues on the international agenda. The painful and tragic situation in Somalia is a grim reminder to the people of Liberia of the ethnic strife, the wanton destruction of life and property, the grave refugee problem and the disintegration of the country that we ourselves experienced. The appalling human condition of the Somali people makes them deserving of treatment equal to, if not greater than, that given any other country experiencing a civil conflict.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The timely initiative of the Economic Community of West African States to mediate in the Liberian conflict was a laudable response by a subregion to a subregional problem, consistent with Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter. This initiative is most deserving of the encouragement and support of the international community. We therefore call on the United Nations to play an active role in mobilizing financial and other support for ECOWAS as it responds to the Liberian crisis, which continues to pose a threat to regional peace and security. On behalf of the Government and the people of Liberia, we wish once again to extend our heartfelt appreciation to all the member States of ECOWAS, particularly the Governments and peoples of Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, the Gambia and Mali, which are participating in ECOMOG.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We wish to thank all the countries, especially the United States, Japan, the European Community, the Nordic countries and others, which have made significant contributions in response to the appeals of the Secretary-General both for the United Nations emergency programme in Liberia and for assistance to the neighbouring countries which host Liberian refugees. We also express our gratitude to the United Nations system, and to all the non-governmental and private volunteer organizations which have continued to provide assistance to our people. We trust we can rely on the international community for its continued empathy and support as Liberia goes through the most difficult period of its history.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Concurrent with the effort to bring peace to Liberia and secure appropriate conditions for holding free and fair elections, Liberia and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have invited the United Nations to assist with the electoral process. The Secretary-General has already sent consultants to Liberia to evaluate the availability of population data and the situation of constituency maps, and to provide support to the Elections Commission. We wish to register our appreciation to the States Members of the United Nations for the several resolutions adopted by the General Assembly in response to the critical humanitarian and other needs of Liberia since the civil strife began.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We wish to observe that, despite the emergency situation, we have been able to operate under the rule of law with a constitutional Government which respects human rights. We take pride in the fact that the people of Liberia have demonstrated both a spirit of cooperation and the tenacity and the will to reorder their lives, in spite of tremendous hardship. Monrovia, which had a pre-war population of less than 500,000, has grown to about 1.2 million as hundreds of thousands of our citizens continue to seek refuge in the relative safety and normalcy of the capital. This mass migration is placing a serious strain on the Government's meagre resources, taking into account that the principal sources of revenue are under NPFL control. As such, there is still a need for continued humanitarian assistance to the country.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We, the Interim Government, will continue our efforts to have a cease-fire arranged between these contending forces. There is an urgent need to avoid escalation through the likely involvement of the other forces, which have been encamped for more than a year, awaiting the encampment of the NPFL for the commencement of general disarmament. Under cover of the security blanket provided by ECOMOG, the Interim Government of National Unity has succeeded in re-establishing an acceptable level of civil administration. We are pleased to note that since last year schools have been open, with banking, mercantile and other commercial activities resumed. Residents are being provided with basic social services within the limits of our resources.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In the same vein, corporate entities that were lured into errors of judgement will be expected to participate in time in open-minded discussions with the intent that they should become actual partners in progress with the people of Liberia. The intransigence and negative attitude of the NPFL has led to the emergence on the scene of a fourth force, the United Liberation Movement for Democracy in Liberia (ULIMO), which has declared itself to be a group of Liberian refugees trying to find their way home. They also claim that their primary objective is to compel the NPFL to adhere to the Yamoussoukro accord. The ULIMO has engaged NPFL forces and recently, in a rapid advance, captured several areas that had been under NPFL control.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We recognize that we live in an interdependent world and accept the fact that economic ends or objectives will be pursued in our country. However, we are dismayed by the senselessness of the manner and the means. Results which can be achieved in an organized, civilized and equitable way need not be pursued in a manner replete with disorder, carnage and confusion. As we Liberians want to reconstruct our lives the future being all we have left we affirm here and now that all the signs of good neighbourliness we are already demonstrating are sincere and genuine and that they will continue to be a sustained national policy.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“There are others which, acting on the presumption of an imminent NPFL victory, provided similar assistance to secure concessions in natural rubber, iron ore and timber resources. We are aware that some of these foreign corporations believe they have become too involved to disengage now, and they have sought the support or acquiescence of their countries in what is transpiring in Liberia. We Liberians are concerned about the causes underpinning our present dilemma. We do not wish to see our country go the way many small countries have gone by being embroiled in a protracted civil conflict over the spoils of war. Liberia need not be destroyed in a quest for economic advantages. There is no reason for the pitting of Liberians against each other in a zero-sum game and the transformation of the country into a mass grave.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We must remember, too, that the insurgents crossed an internationally recognized boundary and appear still to be receiving the cooperation and support of some of our would-be brotherly peoples. We remain aware that as the NPFL advanced there was a systematic plundering of the country, with the extraction from Liberia of movable capital assets, from earth-moving equipment to power plants, from computers to automobiles, primarily by the route by which the insurgents came. We are also cognizant of the fact that a few multinational corporations, some with investments in the country, provided material and financial assistance to the NPFL, with the intention of hastening its advance.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“While we concede the existence of some deep-seated problems clouded by suspicion and demanding circumspection, our difficulties are being compounded by the influence that external factors and forces wield over the NPFL. This is not to suggest that Liberians are not ultimately responsible for the havoc we have wrought on our country, but it is important for the international community to understand and appreciate the variables which tend to make peace elusive in Liberia. The Liberian crisis was planned abroad. Many of the insurgents were trained outside the country. Those who initially provided the training, arms, and finances have tried to explain to us their motives, couched in spurious arguments of revolutionary duty to their oppressed African brothers.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Amos Sawyer, President of the Interim Government of National Unity, will not be a candidate in these elections and that therefore the advantages of incumbency are not a factor here. Moreover, Dr. Sawyer has announced that, in order to ensure a unified country, if Mr. Taylor would concede his forces' being encamped and disarmed, and if he would renounce his claims to a bogus presidency in the area he controls. Dr. Sawyer would resign in favour of another Liberian acceptable to both sides, who would hold the country together through the remaining months leading to elections. We, the people of Liberia, know what we want. We want an end to the war. we want a unified country. We want free and fair elections.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We have successfully contributed to sensitizing those countries that can prove helpful in assisting with funding for demobilizing and rehabilitating combatants. An amnesty has been offered to enhance the prospects for reconciliation. We have secured food for the NPFL to help alleviate the strains incidental to the encampment of its troops, which, to use its leader's words, are currently "living off the land". To give confidence to the NPFL with respect to the pending elections, we offered it the position of Chairman of, as well as majority seating on, the Elections Commission. This we did even though the political party that it is now forming is only one grouping to enter an election with at least six other parties. It should be recalled that Dr.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“there are parties still frustrating the efforts to create the required climate for the holding of free and fair elections in Liberia, stringent economic sanctions as proposed by the ECOWAS Summit ... [shall) be imposed on such parties and the areas they control." It also "appealed to the international community to support said sanctions, if and when invoked, as well as provide necessary assistance to Liberia and the Economic Community of West African States Ceasefire Monitoring Observer Group (ECOMOG)." We expect that the Security Council of the United Nations will be equally supportive. Consistent with the spirit of its responsibilities, the Interim Government of National Unity has taken several measures aimed at enhancing the NPFL's capacity to cooperate in the implementation of the undertakings into which it willingly entered.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Furthermore, the West African leaders decided: "That unless Charles Taylor and the NPFL comply with the implementation of the said programme, the Authority shall impose comprehensive sanctions against Charles Taylor and the NPFL-controlled areas of Liberia and any other party that fails to comply with the implementation of the programme; that all the Member States of ECOWAS shall take all necessary measures to give full effect to this decision; that the Committee of Five, in consultation with the Standing Mediation Committee, shall seek the assistance of the Security Council of the United Nations to make whatever sanctions are imposed effective and binding on all members of the international community in accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Charter." In support of the decision taken by the ECOWAS Heads of State, the Tenth Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, meeting in Jakarta in September 1992, said, inter alia, in its Final Documents: "if ...”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)