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Saemala

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1993-09-24

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1994-09-24

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un-general-debate

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1. “Here, in this great world Assembly, let our hearts enkindle a new torch to shine on the new path to world peace, from the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations and beyond.”

   1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

2. “President Ernesto Samper Pizano of the Republic of Colombia, speaking from this podium, described Colombia as "a country searching for peace because it so loves life." (Official Records of the General Assembly, forty-ninth session, Plenary Meetings, 5th meeting, p. 8) We in Solomon Islands, too, love life very much, and our search is for a better quality of life, which should flow from the wise and sustainable development of our resources. Collectively, however, our search must be for world peace so that we can live up to our dreams, visions and God-given potential. I believe that the answer to the problem of bringing about world peace lies in our own hearts, not in the barrels of guns or military might.”

   1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

3. “The full participation of the Republic of China on Taiwan in the important work of the United Nations would be an affirmation of the Charter and of democracy and a manifestation of the human spirit’s pursuit of a better quality of life for humankind. In my Government’s view, a move as noble as the admission of the Republic of China on Taiwan would be not an obstacle to reunification, but a catalyst in the process. In our view, the Secretary-General should use his good offices to encourage the establishment of a committee specifically to facilitate and/or work progressively towards the re-entry of the Republic of China to membership of the United Nations.”

   1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

4. “In this regard, Solomon Islands supports the Alliance of Small Island States, which has submitted to next year’s Conference of the parties to the Convention on Climate Change an additional protocol aimed at securing a reduction of the emission of greenhouse gases to the 1990s level by 2005, a protocol to which the industrialized countries would be obliged to be parties. We in Solomon Islands firmly believe that the Republic of China on Taiwan has much to contribute to the work of the United Nations and its specialized agencies in terms of international cooperation and development. This Republic, with a population more than 58 times that of my own country and highly technologically advanced, deserves to be admitted as a Member of the United Nations.”

   1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

5. “In this regard, we request the Government of France and the 17 territorial authorities to increase their efforts to achieve real economic and social rebalancing. Solomon Islands welcomes the move to formulate an agenda and proposals to promote trade and investment between the United States and the Pacific Islands, which will be the subject of a meeting at the East-West Centre in Hawaii later this year. Apart from the other vulnerabilities that plague small island developing States, the potential impact of climate change and rising sea levels poses a great threat to Pacific islands. There is overwhelming scientific evidence pointing to the danger we now face.”

   1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

6. “It is hoped that a level of harmony between the NPT, the comprehensive test-ban treaty and the cut-off convention may be maintained to enhance the elimination of weapons of mass destruction in an integrated manner. Solomon Islands urges the post-Forum dialogue partners that have not yet done so to ratify the South Pacific nuclear-free zone Treaty. Nuclear testing in the Pacific is not part of our vocabulary. Consistent with our belief in a nuclear-free world, waste dumping in the Pacific Ocean is not to be encouraged. We strongly oppose those who may violate this natural rule. We also firmly oppose the transshipment and transboundary movement of plutonium in the South Pacific region. We need to see some further movement towards a speedy implementation of the Matignon Accords.”

   1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

7. “We need international cooperation to stop the movement of illegal drugs from one region to another. Solomon Islands supports the South Pacific Forum position that the non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) should be extended indefinitely. However, we would like to see firm commitments from the nuclear-weapon States to show the world a leadership role in reducing their stockpiles. We also wish to see a rigid review mechanism set up to be a safeguard instrument as an integral part of the indefinite extension agreement. It is encouraging to hear the United States, the Russian Federation and China speak in support of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the comprehensive test-ban treaty.”

   1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

8. “We welcome the outcome of the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development and look forward to the World Conference on Women, to be held in Beijing in 1995. The World Summit for Social Development also has profound implications for capacity-building, institutional strengthening and the transfer of technologies and their appropriate use. Human-centred activities, including tourism development and skills training, are important for the development of human resources. We endorse the 1994 Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for its emphasis on human-centred development, an approach that has positive ripple effects in solving other social problems. Drug trafficking and the criminal activities associated with it worry us in the Pacific, and we are not alone in this.”

   1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

9. “However, we strongly feel that further cooperation is still needed from the distant water fishing nations regarding sustainable harvesting of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, including non-targeted species. We therefore urge distant-water fishing nations to come to grips with the need to complete, as soon as practicable, negotiations on a legally binding agreement on proper conservation and management and sustainable utilization of high seas fisheries resources. Education is a priority sector in my country. It is a key to the effective management of my country’s natural resources as well as a means of achieving the advancement of women to take their rightful place in society. There is a direct link between the education of women and population control.”

   1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

10. “The Solomon Islands Government is gravely concerned about the unsustainable utilization and management of these resources and has taken steps to ensure sustainable harvesting and conservation measures and to form a national policy. We are party to Agreements reached in Brisbane at the meeting of the South Pacific Forum to cooperate on a wider basis in order to ensure sustainable development of fisheries and forestry resources in our region. Because of the fragility of our ecological system, our biodiversity resources, including forestry and fisheries and other marine living resources, are threatened. It is heartening to note that after 12 years of negotiations the world will witness the coming into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in November this year.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

11. “As a member of the South Pacific Forum and the Melanesian Spearhead Group, Solomon Islands endorses the Forum Communiqué issued following the meeting of the twenty-fifth South Pacific Forum held in Brisbane, Australia, this year. We are a party to the Joint Declaration on Economic and Trade Cooperation signed in Solomon Islands this year between Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. Solomon Islands calls upon the international community to support our regional arrangements and organizations from which our strength for collective action is derived and which are responsible for our flow of communication. Forestry and fisheries resources remain my country’s main income earners.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

12. “Some of those bodies have already gained observer status at the United Nations. This shows the useful role these arrangements and organizations can play in international affairs. Therefore, the strengthening of regional arrangements and organizations that are working closely with the United Nations is a critical issue. In this regard, Solomon Islands strongly supports the decision by the South Pacific Forum to seek United Nations observer status at the forty-ninth session of the 16 General Assembly. We acknowledge with gratitude the role of Australia, the current Chairman of the South Pacific Forum, in guiding this initiative through the United Nations system on the Forum’s behalf. We thank Member States that have expressed support for this call and invite others to do likewise.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

13. “Our collective support is needed to implement this. If we agree that development takes many forms and requires different responses, then our task will be made easier if we act together. Solomon Islands fully supports the Barbados Programme of Action and calls on the members of the international community to honour their commitments as spelled out in Agenda 21. The successful implementation of the Programme of Action will depend on these commitments. The Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, in his "Agenda for Peace" report to the Security Council, stressed that cooperation with regional arrangements and organizations could be of great benefit to Member States if their activities were consistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter and governed by the provisions of Chapter VIII.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

14. “These are efforts of Member States committed to the noble cause of securing a peaceful, safe and sustainable world to live in. To achieve these noble goals, an effective global partnership is of paramount importance. Technology has made the world’s smaller economies become more interdependent. Agenda 21, the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, made a special case for small island developing States because of their peculiar vulnerabilities. The response to this call was the convening of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States in Barbados in April this year. The passage from Rio to Barbados, at least for small island developing States, was a Programme of Action outlining national, regional and international actions.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

15. “"An Agenda for Peace" paved the way forward from the dark ages of the cold war; the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was a reawakening initiative to save planet Earth; the Second World Conference on Human Rights sought to establish universal rights for all peoples throughout the world irrespective of race, creed, political affiliation or sex; the International Conference on Population and Development saw the need to control the soaring world population, which now stands at 5.7 billion; and next year the World Summit for Social Development and the World Conference on Women will address poverty, unemployment, social integration and the empowerment of women to take their rightful place in society.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

16. “In his report (A/49/1) on the work of the Organization, the Secretary-General has identified peace, the economy, the environment, justice and democracy as the five interlocking pillars of development. These will provide the foundations for the kind of development that will ensure human progress.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

17. “There is no doubt in my mind that all of us want an effective United Nations - an Organization that meets the objectives it sets out to achieve, an Organization whose Charter is valid because its actions are reliable. Solomon Islands welcomes the current initiatives undertaken by the Secretary-General in reforming the Organization and supports proposals made by other Member States for further reforms. These reforms, in our view, must also reflect the needs of small island developing States such as my own, particularly the need to remove "the floor" to enable Member States to meet their financial obligations. Some want to pay their assessed annual contributions but do not have the capacity to do so; hence a relative and fair formula should be worked out.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

18. “The role of the Solomon Islands Government in this conflict has been conciliatory, facilitating peace negotiations amongst the parties concerned. Solomon Islands supports the Bougainville Peace Conference, expected to be convened on 10 October. This reflects our commitment to restoring peace and normalcy on Bougainville. Solomon Islands pledges its support and commitment to the ideals of the United Nations. We believe it to be the only world body capable of maintaining world peace and security. Solomon Islands shares the views of New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Right Honourable Don McKinnon, whose statement at the general debate provided six important management issues that should be addressed while conducting United Nations peace-keeping operations.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

19. “We witness with horror the human suffering in Rwanda, Somalia, Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Haiti. Solomon Islands calls on the parties concerned to lay down their arms and resort to non-violent means of negotiating peace. True and real peace has to spring from within the warring parties, replacing animosity. Close to home in the Solomon Islands is the five- year-old crisis on Bougainville, a province of Papua New Guinea. It spilled over into Solomon Islands and caused 15 a rift between the two countries. Nevertheless, through a process of mutual dialogue between the National Government of Papua New Guinea and the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, several important agreements have been signed. These include the Honiara commitments to peace, the cease-fire agreement and the historic peace-keeping agreement on Bougainville.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

20. “Replacing guns with meaningful handshakes often takes leaders beyond their physical nature and leads them to resort to their spiritual mindsets - a dimension that is often ignored but which is an essential ingredient in a recipe for conflict resolution. The cease-fire in Northern Ireland has changed people’s perception of the impossibility of the simple reality of living without guns and bullets. These are telling achievements for our times, and their roots are embedded in the human spirit of love and kindness. Despite United Nations interventions to restore intra-State and international peace and security, the world is still riddled with trouble spots and endangered by human-induced threats such as the potential impact of climate change and sea-level rise.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

21. “In his first address as the first President of the new democratic South Africa, President Mandela acknowledged the efforts of the international community in this way: "The universal struggle against apartheid and its final dismantlement was not an act of charity arising out of pity for the majority of South African people but an affirmation of our common humanity." Progress towards a lasting peace in the Middle East has renewed the hope of the international community for stability in that region. The parties involved in these negotiations deserve our sincere acclaim and praise and our continuing support.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

22. “Today, we would recall that peace and hatred come from within people - the mirror of a nation, the image of a region and the living treasure of the global community. In order to build a peaceful and safe world for future generations, our resolve to reduce nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction must lie within the hearts of our leaders and policy makers throughout the world. We must therefore seize this opportunity and work together to build a better world. In this regard, Solomon Islands welcomes the various peace initiatives that continue to bring hope to the world community. The noble efforts of President Mandela to chart a new direction for South Africa must be commended.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

23. “This new era demands that all Member States take a global view of how the Organization can best meet the objectives set out in the Charter. President Bill Clinton and President Boris Yeltsin demonstrated this new hope for peace at the opening of the general debate, when both addressed the General Assembly on the same day instead of on consecutive days, as was the old practice. In a spirit of cooperation, these two world leaders described their intent to reduce their nation’s stockpiles of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. But disarmament must start from the heart. And I hope that this is the case with the step these two Presidents have taken towards the betterment of all humankind.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

24. “I wish, first of all, to warmly congratulate Mr. Amara Essy on his election as President of the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session, a responsibility he will discharge effectively with the proven diplomatic skills with which he has served his country and his region so well. I take this opportunity also to applaud the good work and leadership of his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Samuel Insanally, who presided over the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session. It is appropriate that on the eve of the fiftieth anniversary of this Organization we enter a new era in international relations, an era untainted by the cold-war politics that held peace and positive change hostage for too long. Opportunities now abound for change and lasting peace.”

    1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)

25. “We warmly welcome the new Members of the United Nations family and congratulate their Governments and peoples on taking this courageous step. In 1945 the founders of the United Nations saw the need to set up this body. Today, we are challenged in no uncertain terms to ensure that the work that was begun 48 years ago continues, to keep the Organization alive, relevant, meaningful and cost effective. It is the only hope for world peace and security and for the promotion of democracy, development and global-resource management. Member States request the Organization to be accountable, and so we Member States too must return to it our individual due responsibilities. May the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations bring a new dawn to human relations between all peoples around the world.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

26. “We strongly deplore the actions of those who have committed atrocities against peace-keepers, Red Cross workers and associated personnel. Solomon Islands therefore strongly supports New Zealand’s initiative in requesting the inscription on the General Assembly’s agenda of the critical item on the safety of personnel in United Nations peace-keeping operations. The United Nations Charter has now been physically reduced to a pocket-sized booklet, but the demands the nations of the world place on this global Organization outstrip the limits of its capabilities and the resources at its disposal. Perhaps this is a positive sign - a justification of the need for its continuing existence. A few more flags have been added at the United Nations this year.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

27. “On human rights, the Solomon Islands Government fully supports the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action which were the outcome of the World Conference on Human Rights held from 14 to 25 June 1993. Fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual are listed in chapter II, sections 3 to 19 of our national Constitution. We condemn any violation of human rights anywhere in the world. We also join the rest of the world in the promotion of human rights and support those who have spoken in favour of the establishment of a post of high commissioner for human rights. Such a post would indeed be a worthwhile investment. Solomon Islands also salutes the work and courage of those countries that contribute troops and humanitarian assistance to trouble-spots all over the world. We pray for the souls of those who have died in the field.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

28. “The ministries responsible are currently discussing and putting together a programme of structural adjustment. The programme emphasizes the sustainable management of natural resources, public-sector reforms and the promotion of private-sector development. It devotes particular attention to the sizes and costs of institutions, and outlines proposals for the redeployment of resources to areas of production and need. The preparation of this programme is expected to be completed by November 1993. While this exercise is considered to be a long-term viable undertaking, it is necessary to seek external assistance. The Government of Solomon Islands is fully committed to this long-overdue reform, but appeals to international financial institutions and donors to provide financial assistance and advice.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

29. “The major income earner of Solomon Islands is fisheries. Solomon Islands supports the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Preparations for its ratification are being considered. The Solomon Islands Government strongly supports the work of the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and appeals to distant-water fishing nations to cooperate with the management and conservation measures stipulated by that Agency. 10 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session The new Government of Solomon Islands has just officially launched its blueprint document entitled, "Statement of Policies". The Government’s philosophy of where and how to steer the country over the next four years is laid out in this document. The Government is embarking on a major programme of economic and social reforms aimed at attaining sustainable development.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

30. “Solomon Islands welcomes the proposal in the Papua New Guinea initiative for the establishment of a panel of experts to study and recommend ways of increasing opportunity and participation for developing countries. Speaking about Papua New Guinea, I should like to convey Solomon Islands’ profound appreciation to the United Nations for the goodwill mission it sent last year to discuss the problems we had encountered at the border between Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. I am happy to report that the new Solomon Islands Government, through its six-point initiative, is working constructively with its neighbour, Papua New Guinea, to find a lasting peaceful solution to the problems at our border. Proper management and good fishing practices are essential for the sustainable use of marine living resources.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

31. “We warmly welcome the speedy action of the United Nations in establishing a Commission on Sustainable Development and, in particular, we welcome the acceptance of the South Pacific Forum secretariat as a special representative to the Commission and the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) as an observer in the Commission. Solomon Islands applauds the initiative taken by the Government of Papua New Guinea in putting forward, through the United Nations system, the agenda item on opportunity and participation. The adverse economic changes in recent years have created difficult circumstances for many small countries. There is a need to identify options in order to make possible participation by Governments and peoples of developing countries on an equal footing.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

32. “That strategy is now in the implementation phase, in which priority areas for action at the national level have been identified. Human-induced climate change and its subsequent effect of sea-level rise is perhaps the most intractable threat to human well-being and the survival of many species on Earth. The South Pacific is no exception. Solomon Islands is a signatory of the Framework Convention on Climate Change and will soon complete the necessary requirements for its ratification. The formalities for the ratification of the Montreal Protocol are under way.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

33. “Solomon Islands therefore attaches great importance to environmental issues and accords high priority to collective efforts in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development follow-up activities and the implementation of Agenda 21, including other, associated principles and conventions. Solomon Islands is a party to the Port Vila Declaration on Population and Sustainable Development. We therefore continue to support preparations for the forthcoming two major Conferences in 1994 - the Barbados Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and the Cairo World Conference on Population and Development. Solomon Islands is one of the few countries in the South Pacific that now has a national environment management strategy endorsed by the Government.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

34. “These include their small size and relative geographic remoteness, a narrow range of resources, severe population stress, sometimes minimal renewable fresh water resources, and high degrees of endemism. These pressures and limitations underscore the need for careful and sustainable management of resources to sustain future generations. This point was highlighted in our country’s statement last year. Solomon Islands, like its other South Pacific neighbours, continues to rely heavily, and in some cases totally, on the sea, the land, the rivers, the forests and the air around us for its livelihood and survival.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

35. “It sets forth strategies and integrated-programme measures to halt and reverse the effects of environmental degradation and to promote environmentally sound and sustainable development in all countries. Once again Solomon Islands reaffirms its strong commitment to sustainable development. We believe that sound environmental practices constitute an integral part of the development process. Thus, all development activities pursued must be both economically and ecologically sound. The collective voice of small island developing States is heard through the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) which share unique circumstances, vulnerabilities and limitations.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

36. “There is a clear message in statements issued by States members of the Group of 77. It points to the increasing connection between environmental concerns and developmental issues, to the delicate balance between the environment and development, between population and Forty-eighth session - 13 October l993 9 development, and between good government and development. Member countries of the South Pacific Forum were well represented at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992. A principal outcome of the Rio Conference is Agenda 21 - an action plan for the 1990s and the twenty-first century.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

37. “In this vein, owing to recent developments, we call upon China and the United Kingdom seriously to consider declaring similar moratoriums. Solomon Islands is gravely concerned about the dumping of radioactive and other waste at sea. We therefore urge the States parties to the London Dumping Convention of 1972, when they adopt amendments in November this year, to continue their active support for a total ban on such dumping. The shipment of plutonium, with the danger that it poses to the fragile marine ecosystem of the South Pacific, is a matter of major concern to the Governments of the region. The highest international safety and security standards must be adhered to. Any nation engaging in this business must satisfactorily address all possible contingencies.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

38. “We believe in the integration of arms-regulation efforts into the broader structure of international peace and security, the globalization of arms control and of the disarmament process and the revitalization of arms control. We strongly propose that the arms-control and disarmament agenda clearly reflect the realities of the post-cold-war era. This is the challenge for the forty-eighth session of the General Assembly. Turning to nuclear testing in our region, I must say that our continuing desire and concern is to ensure that the South Pacific region remains a nuclear-free zone and a zone free of all types of radioactive waste. Solomon Islands therefore maintains its support for further suspension of nuclear testing in our region. We warmly welcome the decisions of the United States, Russia and France to extend their testing moratoriums.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

39. “Solomon Islands therefore supports the call from other Member States for the establishment of an ad hoc committee to examine the question of the Republic of China rejoining the United Nations. The mere existence of weapons of mass destruction poses a big threat to global peace and security. However, even more worrying is the potential proliferation of nuclear, chemical, biological and ballistic missiles - the danger of their falling into the wrong hands. We applaud the countries that have taken positive steps towards the elimination of these weapons. We also welcome the Secretary-General’s report on new dimensions of arms regulation and disarmament in the post-cold-war era.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

40. “Solomon Islands fully recognizes and strongly supports the wish of the people of the Republic of China to rejoin the United Nations. As a small, friendly nation with a population of only about 300,000, Solomon Islands firmly believes that the desire of the 21 million people of the Republic of China in Taiwan for their own representation in this world body is reasonable and justified. We are sure that the international community would benefit from the positive contribution that the Republic of China is capable of making to this Organization. Our own country has benefited, in the past 10 years, from the economic development and technological progress that the people of the Republic of China have secured through achieving for their country such a high position in the league of the industrialized nations.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

41. “Thus, we believe that the United Nations mechanism that was used in the case of Germany and in the case of the two Koreas should be applied to the situation involving the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China. Solomon Islands recognizes the need for reunification of the two Chinas through good will and in good faith. We call on both to hold talks, on equal terms, on the basis of this important United Nations principle. But the process can be successful only if this world body considers the exceptional situation of the Republic of China on Taiwan in the international context, based on the principle of universality of membership and in accordance with the established model of parallel representation of divided countries at the United Nations.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

42. “We note the progress of the Matignon Accords, and, while sensitive to the varying and conflicting interpretations and expectations, we urge all parties to maintain their commitment to the Matignon process and to the promotion of economic, political and social development in New Caledonia. The United Nations is a strong supporter of peace. This noble world body has, to date, supported the reunification of the two Germanys and of the two Koreas. In this context, reunification means only one thing - the uniting of people. Unification means peace and coexistence. Conflicts in areas around the world should be resolved through dialogue.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

43. “The question of New Caledonia, in the South Pacific, has been on the agenda of the United Nations for some time - but not for much longer, I hope. Solomon Islands joins its colleagues in the South Pacific region in endorsing the recent report on New Caledonia of the Ministerial Committee of the South Pacific Forum. As a member of 8 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session that Committee, I hereby humbly express our appreciation and gratitude for the cooperation and support of the French and territorial authorities in facilitating the recent visit of Ministers to the Territory. My Government also reaffirms its strong support for the Committee’s recommendations and renews its firm support for the aspirations and goals of the people of New Caledonia, including the Kanak community.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

44. “In many cases, the problems are so complex and so deep-seated that we need superhuman help. A new prescription for true peace must include the development of the spiritual and pastoral well-being of all peoples around the world. To this important extent, my Government recognizes, as its first principle, "the sovereignty of God as the basis of righteousness, justice and dignity in the development of the Solomon Islands and its people." We realize that neither the individual nor society can achieve full potential without the help of Almighty God. If God is sovereign in the affairs of our world, would we not be wise to bring Him into the planning process as well as give Him a place in the resolution of conflicts, whether national, regional or global?”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

45. “In his address to the General Assembly on 28 September, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation referred to the Bosnian conflict and remarked: "... the key to the settlement of many conflicts has not yet been found." (Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-eight Session, Plenary Meetings, 6th Meeting, p. 15) He also said: "In any case, it is surely time to think of establishing closer contacts between the United Nations and the world’s leading religions." (ibid., p. 15) It appears that there is a missing dimension to the approaches employed in conflict resolution. As we consider the growing number of problems confronting our world, we cannot escape the feeling that the solutions will not simply be political, economic or social.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

46. “Willy Claes, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Belgium, patrolled the major trouble spots of the world in a memorandum attached to his statement. The Solomon Islands appreciates the efforts of the European Communities in resolving regional conflicts throughout the world and welcomes its commitment to world peace and security. The Balkan crisis has become a cryptic jigsaw puzzle. Human suffering continues. Peacemakers and peace-keepers have tried, and are still trying, to find a solution. The Solomon Islands deplores the atrocities committed and appeals to the nations with ways and means to bring peace to this region. As peace is being given a chance in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the South Pacific regions, so may it be given a chance in the Balkan region.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

47. “The debate so far has been interesting. A quick overview of what has been said so far from this rostrum reveals a global picture that is both bright and gloomy. One truth, articulated by almost every speaker in the area of world peace and security is that the threat of conflicts between States has not diminished, even after the super-Power rivalry has been eroded. Senator Gareth Evans, the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, captured the question of world peace and security in a more imperative way when he addressed this Assembly at its 5th meeting, on 27 September. He referred to the resurgence of ethno-nationalism, which often takes a violent form, giving ethnic groups a claim to minority human rights protection as well as a claim to self-determination. Speaking on behalf of the European Communities, Mr.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

48. “The issues before the forty-eighth session of the General Assembly fall into the following broad categories: first, making and keeping peace; second, arms controls and disarmament; third, economics and development; fourth, global resource management; fifth, human rights and other social issues; sixth, international legal issues; and seventh, financing and administration of the United Nations. Each of these broad headings receives a thorough survey and analysis at every session of the General Assembly from both the developed and the developing parts of the globe. Some speakers focus specifically on certain issues, such as making and keeping peace, or arms control and disarmament; others draw the General Assembly’s attention to such matters as economic development, global- resources management, human rights and other social issues.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

49. “Mandela and President De Klerk moving towards South Africa’s first non-racial elections is an immense and promising change. At last, both leaders have decided to travel in the same bus of democracy. We too join the rest Forty-eighth session - 13 October l993 7 of the world in welcoming this first historic step towards majority rule in South Africa. The parameters for the global agenda of the United Nations General Assembly have evolved slowly over the years. However, not only have agenda items changed from time to time, but they have increased in number as well.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)

50. “The handshake between Palestine Liberation Organization leader Mr. Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Mr. Rabin on Capitol Hill symbolized a major milestone in Middle East history. The Solomon Islands welcomes this great advancement in human relations between these two nations. It is hoped that the process of creating forgiveness and trust will pave the way for lasting peace in the Middle East. I applaud the countries that have pledged financial assistance or assistance in kind to Palestine. The forty-eighth session of the General Assembly opened at the dawn of a new era in South African history. African National Congress leader Mr. Nelson Mandela, renowned for his struggle against apartheid, made a moving statement at this very rostrum requesting the lifting of economic sanctions against South Africa. To see Mr.”

    1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)