YouSaid · the spoken record

Rajkeswur Purryag

lines on the record: 56
first: 1997-09-24
most recent: 1999-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

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“We therefore call upon France to resume constructive discussions with us on the question of Tromelin. This is the last session of the General Assembly for this century. When we meet next year it will be a new millennium. The question that comes to our minds is whether we want to come back next year and discuss the same issues and the same problems. Should we not, rather, make a pledge here and now that by the time we meet next year we will have taken the necessary measures that will put an end to regional and ethnic problems and to the abuse of human rights, and will instead create the necessary environment to enable the human race to enjoy basic freedom and basic rights in peace and prosperity? Mauritius is ready to make such a pledge. 12”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Unfortunately, there has not been significant progress. The United Kingdom has been maintaining that the Chagos Archipelago will be returned to Mauritius only when it is no longer required for defence purposes by the West. While we continue the dialogue for an early resolution of the issue on a bilateral basis, we urge the United Kingdom in the meantime to allow the displaced inhabitants to return to the Chagos Archipelago. At the dawn of the new millennium, when we so strongly uphold universal recognition of and respect for fundamental human rights, the inhabitants of Chagos should not continue to be denied the right to return to the Chagos Archipelago. The restoration of the territorial integrity of the State of Mauritius will not be complete without the return of Tromelin.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This was done in total disregard of the United Nations declaration embodied in resolution 1514 (XV), of 14 December 1960, and resolution 2066 (XX), of 16 December 1965, which prohibit the dismemberment of colonial Territories prior to independence. Mauritius has repeatedly asked for the return of the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, on which a United States military base has been built, and thereby the restoration of its territorial integrity. The over 2,000 displaced Ilois people have been facing tremendous difficulties in adapting in mainland Mauritius, in spite of all the efforts that Mauritius has made to assist them in this process. So far the issue has been discussed within the framework of our friendly relations with the United Kingdom, with a view to arriving at an acceptable solution.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We therefore welcome the follow-up conferences on social development and on women, which will be organized next year. For the majority of small States, the United Nations continues to be the main bulwark against infringements on their sovereignty and territorial integrity. We have consistently drawn the attention of the Assembly to the issue of the Chagos Archipelago, which was detached from Mauritius by the former colonial Power prior to our independence in 1968, and also to the plight of over 2000 people who were forced to leave the land of their birth, where they had lived for generations, for resettlement in Mauritius.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“And that is why we are emphasizing the multifunctionality of agriculture. Planting sugar cane, which is the only crop suitable to our difficult terrains, and which is resistant to adverse climatic conditions like cyclones and droughts, also contributes to environmental protection by providing a renewable source of energy. Sugar exports earnings assure food security. Many small island developing countries are in the same situation as Mauritius. We would therefore urge that this important dimension be fully taken into account in the WTO negotiations on agriculture. Economic growth by itself does not bring about sustainable socio-economic development. Social development should continue to be given due consideration by our Organization.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We must also see to it that the Seattle Round of multilateral trade negotiations is a “development round” that puts the issue of development firmly on the international agenda. The WTO negotiations in Seattle should be broad- based and should provide a balanced outcome from which all countries will benefit. In this connection, it should be emphasized that agricultural trade is of vital importance to a number of developing countries, in particular to small economies including small and vulnerable island developing States. In the agricultural trade negotiations we should give just as much importance to non-trade issues such as food security, environmental protection and the viability of rural populations. These are vital issues for Mauritius, and for many other SIDS and small economics and small economies.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The special session gave us an opportunity to review the implementation of the Barbados Declaration and Programme of Action for the sustainable development of small island developing States (SIDS): we must take the process further to embrace other issues, such as concessional loans and trade preferences for SIDS. I reiterate my appeal to the international community to give special attention to the plight of SIDS, in terms both of providing financial resources, and of encouraging foreign direct investment, and also in the context of the negotiations for the third WTO Ministerial Conference, in Seattle. We must ensure that the Conference, which is to be held later this year, addresses the marginalization of small economies and the problems of developing countries that are net importers of food by adopting specific and practical measures.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We welcome and support the recent OAU decision to accelerate implementation of the 1991 Abuja Treaty for the establishment of an African Economic Community. This process could be facilitated by effective implementation of the United States of America-Africa Blueprint adopted in March 1999 and more importantly, of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. We urge the United States to ensure early passage of this long-standing Bill with its original provisions on textiles and clothing. Two days ago, I had the opportunity in my address to the recent Assembly special session to highlight both the inherent constraints on small island developing countries and their development needs.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“There is indeed a growing recognition that implementation of these commitments is simply beyond their capacity, or rather that there is a limit to trade liberalization and deregulation. It is, therefore, important to allow developing countries flexibility within the world trading system to implement policies in harmony with their sustainable development needs. The provisions on special and differential treatment in all areas covered by WTO agreements should be fully and effectively implemented. In this regard, it is also crucial that the multilateral trading system should facilitate the process of regional integration, because for many countries regional integration is an important step towards their integration into the global economy.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Capacity-building in all sectors of the economy is important if developing countries are to benefit from the opportunities arising from globalization and trade liberalization. But in view of the lack of a level playing field and the inherent obstacles facing African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, it is imperative for them to continue to benefit from trade preferences in the European Union under the successor to the fourth ACP-CEE Convention of Lomé for a sufficiently long transitional period before they implement any alternative trade arrangement. The euphoria created following the signing of the Marrakesh agreement in 1994 after the conclusion of the Uruguay Round has been short-lived; many developing countries today recognize that they are overburdened with World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments and obligations.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Although we recognize that the Cologne Summit initiative represents an improvement over the original Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative, we believe that the unsustainable debt of Africa — which contains 33 of the 41 HIPC countries — should be written off, for only then can those countries embark on the path of sustainable growth and development. In that connection, we welcome the recently announced plan to cancel $27 billion of debt owed by the poorest countries to allow them to use those resources to finance education and health, which are important in dealing with the problem of poverty. We also commend the World Bank for establishing the $400 million Infrastructure Investment Fund, whose advisory board will be headed by Mr. Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The developed world and the major financial and trading organizations must be not only cognizant of the situation but also responsive to the constraints on and needs of the developing world in general and the least-developed countries and vulnerable small island developing States in particular. The heavy debt burden, the declining level of official development assistance — which currently stands at 0.22 per cent of gross domestic product compared to the target of 0.7 per cent — and insignificant private investment flows into Africa do not allow many African countries to implement successfully the necessary adjustment programmes to compete effectively in the world market. Only decisive action to resolve the debt problem can provide the necessary impetus.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The United Nations system, in our view, has an important role to play in this respect as there is a crying need for coherence in the formulation and implementation of policies in the trade, finance and social sectors. 10 It is true that globalization brings both challenges and opportunities, but to many developing countries the challenges are proving overwhelming. But there does not seem to be any alternative, in a world characterized by the “pensée unique”, to making the necessary adjustments to join a fast globalizing world economy. Higher levels of investment; technology transfer; and institutional, human resource and infrastructure capacity-building, will be required especially for African countries, if they are to make the necessary transition.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“As we stand at the threshold of the twenty-first century we have a historic opportunity to create a long-term visionary strategy for the sustainable development of all countries of the world, in particular African States, and thus promote international peace and security. This is extremely important if we really want to avoid the marginalization in the wake of the irreversible process of globalization and unbridled liberalization. It is increasingly being realized that market forces alone cannot resolve the problems of poverty, deprivation and marginalization, particularly in Africa, which comprises the largest number of least-developed countries.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The Convention on Chemical Weapons — a very significant achievement — must be adhered to by all nations, particularly countries that have chemical weapons in their possession. The lives of many people around the world, in Africa in particular, continue to be affected by landmines. We believe it is the responsibility of all nations to address this problem collectively. We appeal to those countries that have not yet acceded to the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel mines to do so and also to contribute financially to the efforts to remove all landmines. Peace, security and development are indivisible and mutually reinforcing.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty we have taken important steps on the issue of nuclear disarmament, but these alone cannot eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons. Mauritius continues to be firmly of the belief that the best way for the international community to address the nuclear disarmament issue effectively is to establish a clear timetable for nuclear- weapon Powers to commit themselves to dismantle all nuclear weapons and for all nations to commit themselves to not develop such weapons in the future. So far we have adopted half-way measures only; it is time for a bold step to be taken that would eliminate nuclear weapons once and for all. Chemical weapons, as weapons of mass destruction, can inflict untold miseries on their victims.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“These small arms, besides exacerbating conflicts, give rise to social disruption, insecurity, instability, violence and crime. In view of the magnitude of the problem, the OAU summit in Algiers last July decided to convene a regional conference to address the issue fully. We urge the international community to take measures to control the flow of small arms. Disarmament is essential for international peace. It is regrettable that the threat of nuclear holocaust will accompany humanity into the new millennium because of the international community's failure to work out a regime for the total elimination of nuclear weapons.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We have witnessed gross violations of human rights, particularly under military regimes. In this regard, the decision at the recent OAU summit in Algiers to exclude from that organization those leaders who assume power in the continent through military coups is an important step that will help the cause of democracy and human rights. Mauritius has welcomed the International Criminal Court and was amongst the first to ratify the Statute establishing it. We look forward to an early conclusion of the work of our experts who are currently engaged in finalizing the rules to enable the International Criminal Court to commence its work. The easy availability of light and small-calibre weapons has given rise to numerous conflicts, particularly in Africa.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“(spoke in English) Respect for human rights is of primordial importance for the prevention of conflicts and for the maintenance of durable peace. We believe that all countries should make strict adherence to the human rights instruments of the United Nations a matter of national priority. We in Mauritius always place human rights high on our national and international agenda. Mauritius was honoured to host the First OAU ministerial conference on human rights, held earlier this year in the context of the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The conference reviewed the human rights situation in Africa and adopted a declaration and plan of action which aim at strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The humanitarian crises in Africa seem of little interest to the cameras of international television networks. There are more than 12 million people who need urgent humanitarian assistance in Africa. The humanitarian agencies have received only $352 million although their needs for Africa in 1999 are in the order of $796 million. Peacemaking efforts must be supported by effective humanitarian aid, especially for refugees. The host 9 countries, already faced with their own difficulties, cannot take on this heavy burden. To give lasting peace a real chance, it is also necessary to support the return of refugees so as to make the stabilization of society possible. A special financing effort on the part of the international community is necessary to that end.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This moment of great optimism must be seized in order to work out a comprehensive and just settlement that will bring lasting peace and stability to the region. In 1996 our delegation, led by the Prime Minister of Mauritius, The Honourable Navinchandra Ramgoolam, drew special attention to the situation in Fiji. We are pleased that the new constitutional process under which general elections were recently held has removed the iniquities which were written into that nation's Constitution before. We welcome this change and congratulate the people of Fiji on their courage and determination to bring the change in a democratic and peaceful manner. (spoke in French) Conflicts and wars, even after they have ended, invariably leave serious humanitarian situations behind them.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Mauritius is deeply distressed by the violence in East Timor, the loss of so many innocent lives and the terrible sufferings inflicted on the Timorese people in the aftermath of the recent referendum. We welcome the action undertaken by the United Nations to send a peacekeeping force to restore peace and security on the island. The verdict of the referendum must be respected by the Indonesian Government and all parties concerned. In the Middle East, the determination shown by the new Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Ehud Barak, to move the peace process forward, together with President Arafat, is most encouraging not only to the parties concerned in the region but also to the international community as a whole.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We therefore call for the establishment of democratic rule in the Comoros so that the agreement reached at the Antananarivo conference can be fully implemented. The Kosovo conflict has distressed us all. We have witnessed the horrors of ethnic cleansing, massive disruption of the life of a people and terrible destruction inflicted on a country. We must all remember many messages from the events in Kosovo. Humanity will not sit idly by when people are flagrantly subjected to genocide for reason of ethnic bigotry or political expediency. Quick-fix military action to resolve deep-rooted problems is not necessarily the best option. The United Nations remains the most appropriate mechanism for addressing issues that relate to maintenance of international peace and security.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We hope that the spirit in which the two countries have agreed to end their differences will continue and that lasting peace will return to the region. We are also heartened by the fact that an agreement has been signed between the parties concerned to end the internal strife in Sierra Leone. We are confident that peace and stability will now return to Sierra Leone. In the Comoros, forces of destabilization have continued to thwart the return to normalcy. Through tireless efforts by the OAU and countries of the region, a conference of all the Comoros parties concerned was held earlier this year in Madagascar with a view to reaching an agreement under which peace and stability would return to the Comoros and territorial integrity and sovereignty would be maintained. Unfortunately, the military coup derailed the whole process.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The rebellion in Angola continues because of arms supplies from outside to the forces of destabilization. The Security Council is fully apprised of this and confident that those guilty of breaking the embargo on arms supply to UNITA will be identified and held responsible. The people of Angola have indeed suffered too long. We therefore appeal to all nations to take necessary steps to ensure that unscrupulous elements do not channel weapons to the forces of rebellion in Angola out of their greed of monetary windfalls. The international community needs to intensify its efforts to end the rebellion in Angola. The armed conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea ended with the signing recently of an agreement with the help of the OAU and several African leaders and friendly countries.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Through tireless and extensive efforts of African leaders, the OAU and the United Nations, and all the parties concerned in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, have signed the Lusaka Agreement in order to 8 restore peace and stability in the country. One of the fundamental aspects of the Agreement is the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping force, with the task of ensuring that all parties respect the terms of the Lusaka Agreement. We deplore the fact that the United Nations peacekeeping force has still not assumed its crucial responsibility in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We call upon the Security Council to give due priority to this matter so that a peacekeeping force is dispatched expeditiously, as delay to do so may imperil the implementation of the Agreement.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We appeal to all Members of the United Nations to work together constructively and advance the much needed reform process expeditiously. While the international community has largely been successful in averting global wars, armed conflicts have continued to endanger national, regional and international peace. In particular, the African continent has continued to be afflicted with conflicts, the worst being the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the continued civil war in Angola. However, the international community should take comfort in the fact that the leaders on the African continent have spared no efforts to find solutions and restore peace in the countries and areas in question.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It is now almost six years since the General Assembly established the Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and Other Matters Related to the Security Council. Progress has been slow and has taken place on a limited set of issues only. What is lacking for the process to move forward is political will on the part of some members. The fact is that the Security Council in its present form is neither adequately representative nor sufficiently transparent in its work for its decisions to be universally accepted. Mauritius supports the proposals of the Non-Aligned Movement and of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) on the reform of the Security Council.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“During this century man has paradoxically also created weapons of mass destruction that threaten his very existence. Disarmament, including nuclear disarmament, remains a major preoccupation for all of us as we step into the new millennium. The United Nations, representing the collective conscience of nations, has endeavoured to serve humanity and the cause of peace and development. The United Nations is the sole mechanism through which universal peace can be secured. We unanimously agree also that reforms to the Charter of the United Nations are necessary — indeed, overdue — as in its present form it does not reflect the tremendous changes the world has undergone since the Organization was founded half a century ago.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The curtain will soon fall on our eventful twentieth century, a century of tremendous achievements by mankind. The wide world has been reduced to a global village through progress in the field of science and technology during this century. The political map of the world has undergone tremendous transformation. It is hardly recognizable from what it used to be at this century's outset. Today, our world is made of independent nations, with peoples themselves in charge of their destinies. On the other hand, we did experience the horrors of wars in the first half of the century but decided never to let it happen again. We created the United Nations in the aftermath of the Second World War as a forum for all nations to carry forward together a common pledge for lasting world peace and promote development and progress for all humanity.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It is a distinct pleasure to address the Assembly with a distinguished son of Africa and a veteran freedom fighter in the presidency. His election to preside over this last session of the closing millennium is a fitting tribute to his outstanding qualities. I congratulate him warmly and assure him of the total support and cooperation of my delegation. We also thank His Excellency Mr. Opertti for the excellent manner in which he presided over the work of the fifty-third session. The Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, whose strong commitment to the cause of the United Nations needs hardly be emphasized, has continued to lead the Organization with vision, vigour and great dedication. Mauritius welcomes very warmly the admission of the Kingdom of Tonga, the Republic of Kiribati and the Republic of Nauru to the United Nations.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“As we pursue our efforts to recover these territories, we call upon the former colonial Powers to expedite this process through dialogue in the spirit of the friendship that characterizes our relationships. My Government looks forward to an early resolution of these disputes.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The upcoming summit in Hanoi will mark a very important stage in the future of this French-speaking community, providing it with the effective political means to make its voice heard on major international issues. This Assembly is by now well aware of the just and legitimate claim of Mauritius to the restoration of its territorial integrity through the return of the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, to its national heritage. This Assembly should also note that this issue also has a tragic human dimension. Before Mauritius acceded to its independence, all of the inhabitants of the Chagos were forced to leave the land of their birth, where they had lived for several generations. The plight of those inhabitants must now be comprehensively addressed. Likewise, we are still awaiting the return of the island of Tromelin to Mauritius.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“This sense of belonging culminated with the holding in 1993 of the sixth summit of the French- speaking countries, whose central theme was “Unity in diversity”, and which celebrated not only the universal values of the French-speaking countries but also made it possible for us to enshrine those same values in our society. Our people, who come from Africa, Asia and Europe, have deep roots in all the great cultures that form the French-speaking community. My compatriots can, in the course of one day, travel through all these cultures, one after another. It is for that reason that my country attaches such great importance to the Francophone plan of promoting diversity in a world that is increasingly unipolar and uniform.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It is in this spirit that Mauritius was among the first countries to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention and the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty. We also reaffirm our support for the Ottawa initiative for a universal ban on anti-personnel landmines. It is regrettable that some major countries have decided to stay out of this process. We make a strong appeal to all Governments to become part of this unique and historic endeavour to eliminate landmines. Allow me to take this opportunity to reaffirm the fact that my country, Mauritius, a former French island, belongs to the great community of French-speaking countries.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We pledge our full support to this Institute. Human rights for all, including women and children, and democratic values are matters of universal concern. As a multi-ethnic democracy, Mauritius has always raised its voice strongly against discrimination based on race, religion, culture and otherwise. In this regard, we note with satisfaction the recent developments in Fiji, which has finally decided to amend its Constitution in order to promote social harmony. We hope that the Government of Fiji will tackle the remaining issues standing in the way of the full enjoyment of fundamental rights and basic economic security by all segments of the population of Fiji. Mauritius reaffirms its full commitment to total disarmament and urges the world community to make every effort to rid itself of all weapons of mass destruction.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Later this year, we will kick off the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of one of the most important seminal documents adopted by this body — the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. During the year leading to this landmark event, Mauritius will work together with all Member States in promoting and strengthening the human rights situation everywhere, especially in the communities to which we are more closely associated through shared history and culture, namely the Commonwealth and the community of French-speaking countries. The promotion of human rights has been an article of faith for my Government. It is also an integral part of our foreign policy. In this respect we welcome the setting up of the Indian Ocean Institute of Human Rights and Democracy in Mauritius for the promotion of human rights and democracy.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We appeal to all the parties to the conflict to show restraint and to strive together towards a peaceful resolution of the crisis. We reaffirm our support to the United Nations stand on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Comoros. We also welcome the constructive role played by the OAU and the League of Arab States in mediating between the various parties. We look forward to an early convening of the proposed international conference in Addis Ababa for the restoration of peace in the Islamic Federal Republic of Comoros. The situation in Burundi continues to preoccupy the international community. We support the Arusha peace initiative and reiterate our confidence in Mwalimu Nyerere’s role as facilitator in the process aimed at finding a lasting solution to the Burundi crisis.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We hope that the 12 Kyoto Conference on Climate Change will seriously address this issue and adopt meaningful measures to cut down the production of greenhouse gases. This year the General Assembly twice had to convene an emergency session to consider the extremely serious situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. Unilateral actions have negated the Oslo peace process. This impasse must now be broken. The recent diplomatic effort by the United States Secretary of State, Mrs. Madeleine Albright, seems to have averted a total deadlock. It is essential that the protagonists start talking to each other again. We view with serious concern the recent events in the Islamic Federal Republic of Comoros, which have resulted in the loss of human lives on the Island of Anjouan.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It is a matter of regret that the special session of the General Assembly held last June to review the progress made in the implementation of Agenda 21 was unable to agree on a frank assessment of the commitments entered into at Rio. Unfortunately, very little has been done on the ground. In some areas, particularly with regard to the level of official development assistance, the overall situation has actually worsened. It is disappointing that the lack of new and additional resources has not allowed the special concerns of the small island developing countries, as expressed in the Barbados Programme of Action, to be adequately addressed. We also regret that on the question of climatic change, no consensus on limits relating to the emission of greenhouse gases could be reached.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“My Government is equally committed to the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR- ARC), which regroups several countries of the Indian Ocean Rim in a tripartite network of Government, private sector and academia. The IOR-ARC was formally launched at a ministerial meeting in Mauritius in March this year with 14 founding members. It has generated tremendous interest among the countries of the region and internationally. We remain confident that the international community will lend its support to these regional associations. We welcome the timely initiative announced last week by the United States Secretary of State to enhance dialogue with SADC and encourage investments and trade exchanges.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In this regard, the countries in our region have intensified their efforts to accomplish that goal. For the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a new promising chapter was opened with the recent admission of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Seychelles. With the inclusion of these two new members, the regional grouping has become an even more important economic area in the African continent. It has the potential of becoming the driving force in promoting growth and development. There is a strong determination among the SADC members to achieve regional integration through industrial transformation and trade growth. My Government is fully committed to this goal, and I am pleased to inform this Assembly that Mauritius will have the honour and privilege of hosting the SADC summit meeting next year.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The Declaration “Africa: Partnership for development” focuses attention exclusively on the African continent, with particular emphasis on the least-developed and landlocked countries. However, in the pledge to integrate the poorest countries into this world economy through trade liberalization and investment policies, no specific targets were defined on trade expansion or tariff reduction. If these countries are to be completely weaned from official development assistance, not only should their capacity to produce be strengthened, but they must also be given full access to foreign markets for their products, especially those coming from their nascent and developing industries. We are fully conscious of the fact that North-South cooperation needs to be complemented by effective South- South cooperation.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We also welcome the various initiatives recently taken by the United States to promote investment and to develop a new trade regime for sub-Saharan Africa. We equally appreciate the partnership between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, which has, through the successive Lomé Conventions, contributed immensely to the socio-economic development of the ACP countries. We are confident that the successor arrangement to the Fourth Lomé Convention will further consolidate this long-standing economic and trade partnership, and in this context we look forward to the continued support of the international community. We welcome the communiqué of the Denver Summit, which represents a significant advance over the New Global Partnership for Development adopted at the Lyon Summit.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Robin Cook, referred to the Commonwealth Finance Ministers meeting held in Mauritius earlier this month, at which the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, made specific proposals with respect to debt. These proposals, known as the Mauritius Mandate, are meant to set some of the poorest nations on a path towards sustainable development by the year 2000. We welcome this laudable initiative by the British Government to write off debts totalling 132 million pounds of heavily indebted poor countries of the Commonwealth. We hope that this important measure will encourage major financial institutions and creditor nations to come forward and participate fully in transforming the destiny of debt-ridden poor countries.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“But unless we are freed from our debt burden, future generations may never have the opportunity to have access to clean drinking water, health care or proper schooling while scarce resources have to be utilized for debt payments. For some countries, like Mozambique, which are just emerging from years of civil conflict, the Bretton Woods initiative may have to be implemented in order to reduce debt faster. Indeed, not only do these countries have to 11 reduce their crushing debt load, they also have to free resources to rehabilitate their economic infrastructure and fund social expenditure. Last week the British Foreign Secretary, Mr.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It is vital that these countries be provided with greater assistance and investment and be given special attention by the international community. Otherwise, they will be further marginalized, with the risk of disappearing from the world economic map. We therefore wish this Assembly to give more attention to the development needs of the African continent. In this context, we welcome the recent special ministerial meeting of the Security Council, which has helped focus the attention of the international community on Africa. After several years of complacency and stagnation, there is now cause for some optimism. We agree that it is incumbent upon us Africans to put our house in order.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It is unfortunate to note that foreign direct investment, which plays a central role in the ongoing integration of the world economy, is still highly concentrated in a few countries. The recent findings of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) indicate that Africa received merely $5 billion out of $349 billion of foreign direct investment last year. Excluding South Africa, the share of Africa in the total investment for the developing countries figured at only 4 per cent. This is the lowest share since the early 1980s, and is a further indication that the African region is not benefiting from the global foreign direct investment boom. The 33 sub-Saharan countries that are classified among the least developed countries are in fact receiving less that 1 per cent of the total foreign direct investment for Africa.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“During the Uruguay Round negotiations developing countries made significant concessions in the hope of obtaining improved access to international markets. Many of them have still not seen the benefits of the new global trading system. Instead, they are haunted by the spectre of imminent erosion of preferences in their major export markets. Several African countries have made strenuous efforts to adhere faithfully to structural adjustment programmes and have adopted trade liberalization policies. Unfortunately, they have registered but an insignificant, if not declining, percentage of world trade. Africa’s trade should become the top priority of the international community; otherwise, the multilateral trading system will run the risk of becoming fraught with tensions and discrimination.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In this regard, we reaffirm our support for the position of the Non-Aligned Movement calling for the expansion of the Security Council on the basis of fair and adequate representation. Africa has also stated its position on this matter at the recent Organization of African Unity (OAU) summit. The current representation of Africa in the Council does not reflect its status as the most sizeable group of the Organization’s membership. Reform of this body must, therefore, restore Africa’s position to the fullest extent possible. In the same vein, my delegation would like to reiterate its support for India’s claim to a permanent seat in the Security Council. The globalization of the world economy is adding increasing pressures on the developing countries to embrace trade liberalization as a means to achieve economic growth.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)