YouSaid · the spoken record

de ST. JORRE

lines on the record: 68
first: 1989-09-24
most recent: 1994-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“On such vital questions there is no place for trite official statements. In coming decades, no one will be fooled by our unwillingness to engage, openly, fully and with determination, on the path of well-being, especially when it is the neediest of us who most require it. That is the price of true unity among nations. And we in Seychelles harbor this desire to stand alongside all countries in concluding the unprecedented alliance that will guide the great ship of mankind towards the shores of the third millenium. It is up to us to ensure that those shores will be welcoming ones.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Here, and in the same spirit, I should like to emphasize our interest in the proposal made by the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for swift humanitarian action - what we might call a "spontaneous reaction" - whenever called for. For here again we are talking about the legitimacy that endows the human entity with dignity and makes it worthy of respect. Before concluding I should like to appeal to all countries and peoples present here to unite our efforts to take one large step towards world brotherhood. Let us overturn the rigid barriers of all kinds of self-interest, let us be attentive to the needs of others and the future of our planet. Let us shape our relationships for active solidarity and willing adherence to the principle of shared responsibility.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Let us enrich it with our understanding. The woman’s identity is strong, but in many places there is still a lack of both recognition and expression, which are the foundations of her legitimacy. The ideal of legitimacy is a noble concept, in addition to being a good working notion. It is legitimate to look forward to the fulfilment of the promises made in solemn declarations; it is legitimate to expect that intentions so boldly and courageously stated will become promises, and it is also legitimate, when the urgency of the matter no longer leaves time for either declarations of intention or promises, to take action. Consensus can come later.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The important thing is to modify behaviour and practices in real terms, at the societal level, and to analyse and transpose those models and ideas which have from time to time led to good results. That is what we expect from the Beijing Conference. Where natural prerogative is concerned, we cannot of course speak of delegating authority but here too of equitable and responsible sharing. Indeed, do we in fact have a choice? Women must act within their communities as a proponent force that is open to change and capable of enriching the dynamic processes linked to changing values. It is impossible to give life without being concerned about survival, without being deeply aware of the changes that affect the individual or the society whenever they give rise to uncertainty and muddy the waters. Humanism obviously owes a great debt to women.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“There are surely some who would like to deal with questions of development from a dialectical viewpoint, but that is not true of us. If, for us, the essential thing is not to hesitate to be specific, we seek, in return, measures that will be real, meaningful and measurable. More generally, this could apply to the role women should play in the development process. This is an old debate. Fortunately, the time is now past when women were viewed as non-conventional vehicles of progress. Abolishing a principle, however, although paving the way for many improvements, can also generate a considerable potential for inertia, for the walls of hypocrisy, as we all know, are infinitely thick. It is not enough to quote some cases of women who are entrepreneurs or decision-makers, There have always been some effective women.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“32 Let us not forget the backdrop to all this, the fact that in an era where everything occurs on a worldwide level the individual and collective responsibility of States calls for a global approach and equitable sharing of the cost and moral investment the environment represents. Those responsibilities must be consciously assumed. All these are indicators that merit the attention - the unwavering attention - of decision-making bodies and international donors. In the past, many pronouncements have concluded on a hopeful note. Joined together in an orchestral score, such notes would barely fill out a refrain in praise of development, one that, like a clear conscience, can often sound hollow. And yet we do not doubt the wisdom of our negotiating partners.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Does this mean that the concept of lasting and sustainable development is going to be severely compromised because of a lack of solidarity and international support and failure to respect commitments? Let us get to the core of the problem. The harmonization of development policies and measures to protect the environment necessarily implies the definition of specific budgetary categories by priority, based on criteria of complementarity as between national effort and international efforts. This must be done free from any spirit of charity, as well as divorced from any evaluation based on per capita income.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“In any case, we hope it will lead to a change in attitude on the part of the industrialized countries with respect to the unique situation of small developing island States, for it is the industrialized countries that will not only have to take up and enlarge upon the concerns of the small island States but also have to set in motion the strategies and the plans of action, which are the only real vehicles of change or of development. Far be it from us to engage here in singling out the countries or international organizations concerned. However, two years after the Rio Summit we are very disappointed to see that the provisions of Agenda 21 have rarely given rise to actions.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Here, more than anywhere else, because of their vulnerability - whether it be due to the fragile ecosystems, the scant economic outlets or the lack of human resources - any dependence necessarily impacts upon the very future of the societies concerned. The Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, held in Barbados, was indeed extremely beneficial for us all. It focused attention on the particular situation of those small States whose relatively high per capita income does not accurately reflect the reality of a situation which donors tend to tie to any aid for development. There is no doubt that that Conference has been the source of great hope for the small island States. But some remain sceptical.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“In other words, what we are advocating is a definitely prescriptive approach, rather than the sort of analytical and descriptive exercises which has been the comfortable route of many international gatherings. If we are specific in defining the areas of our deliberations, then the ensuing action will necessarily be based on precise, useful and needed dynamics. This specificity, in the case of Seychelles as in the case of more than 30 territories throughout the world, is, from the point of view of development, the dual constraint of geographic and demographic smallness and being an island. Need we recall that the situation of small island States can, in many respects, provide indications as to the future of mankind.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“That illustrates to what extent our efforts must be both planned and creative. It also means that the immediate problem to be tackled is to define our priorities. Here, my thinking is consonant with much of what has been said from this rostrum. Certainly there is no lack of those who plead for a safer, healthier and more prosperous world. And so many conferences and seminars have echoed the same thought and have recalled this idea in their final documents. But we are aware that we have to go beyond this; hence, we are asking for action programmes which mobilize experience, energy and imagination. When continuity of effort is the key factor for success, we must expand the underpinnings of projects, assess results and renew assistance.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“But we also have to reinvest our capabilities, our funds, our means and our inborn willingness - in other words, unprecedented alliances have to be struck; for there is no longer time to philosophize about the world we shall bequeath to our great grandchildren. Because of the unprecedented speeding up of history demographic, economic and social projections are becoming alarming in the medium term and no longer in the long term to which we had grown accustomed through our cozy selfishness or our defiance in the face of the unforeseeable. The phenomenon of exponential growth, which is widening gaps and encouraging rivalry, causes immediate rather than delayed reactions. We have become our own heirs! Undoubtedly, there is more food for thought in this idea than in many statements.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Between the industrially developed countries and those who are still marking time on the path to development, considerable barriers are blocking the road to sharing and to solidarity. We now see cruel dissensions arising among peoples that were previously bound by brotherhood. On the international scene, where we are witnessing a relentless confrontation between divergent interests, what place do we now give to the human dimension in relationships? 31 The end of this century is constantly being redefined by shocks, upheavals and various types of aggression born of negativism. More than ever, the success of our societies will depend on their capacity to absorb these shocks and, when there is nothing or little left to reinvest courage, determination and perseverance, in spite of sometimes terrible lack of understanding.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Mr. President, may we congratulate Mr. Essy and wish him every possible success in exercising your mandate. Seychelles would like to take this opportunity also to pay tribute to the Secretary-General for the timely and judicious initiatives which he is constantly taking to promote peace, justice and development. We have gathered together to express the profound aspirations of the countries we represent. We all have our specific problems, our differences, our advantages and our handicaps. We all have many unresolved questions which stem from an international situation where the factors of political and economic instability are becoming increasingly frequent. The hesitations of a changing world tend to engender a feeling of pessimism, as we see contemporary history being made.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“While new conflicts arise, the old ones persist almost everywhere and the scope of the disasters is tremendous. Hence, we must react quickly, because many peoples have suffered far too much from the horrors of war. Above all, the major Powers, the guarantors of the security and regulation of the world economic situation, must give the United Nations the means to carry out its policies. Finally, we sincerely hope that the current session will generate the necessary impetus to resolve all our concerns, so that peace, at last restored, can create a climate conducive to development.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Today, all of the developing countries are in a precarious situation. They are confronted with many challenges: the poverty of millions of human beings, high rates of infant mortality, famine, the destruction of the environment and fratricidal wars. But these challenges are not insurmountable. What is required is courage and international solidarity. It is more than ever the duty of the United Nations once again to draw the attention of the developed countries to the effects which the continuation of such a situation might have on our economies and our cultures - in a word, on our future, but also on theirs. We would like concrete action, because we do not wish to have to deplore again the inertia of speeches or declarations of intent.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In any event, per capita income, always put forward as a criterion for level of development, cannot be relevant for small island States because it is distorted by the small size of their populations. Has any thought been given to the per capita cost of infrastructures or the per capita debt? We believe that such an analysis would result in the reconsideration of many decisions. Of course, it is up to us, first of all, to take every measure to ensure the sustainability of our development by preserving, in so far as possible, our environment, which lies at the basis of all our export products. Despite all these constraints, we have been able - thanks to the judiciousness of our choices and our economic decisions - to achieve tangible results. But the international community’s support, which we had been promised in Rio, did not materialize.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The convergence of those factors has only exacerbated the fragility of our economies, which, generally speaking, are based on one or two sectors such as tourism and fishing. That is the daily lot of the Seychelles and other small island States, which, with courage, perseverance and intelligence, are nevertheless attempting to find solutions that will enable them to promote the economic and social well- being of their peoples. Thus we believe that it is quite fitting to draw the international community’s attention once again to the need to establish specific programmes and mechanisms that would make it possible for our island countries to move towards sustainable development. We ask that the same facilities that are made available to the least developed, landlocked countries be made available to us.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“One might wonder how a small island country was able to engage in such a programme of reforms for 18 months in such circumstances. We are proud of having succeeded, but the economy must be restimulated immediately if we do not wish to lose all the social and political benefits that were achieved. Forty-eighth session - 30 September l993 43 I should like now to take up the problem of the small island States, of whose fragility everyone here is aware. We are countries whose reduced size is the source of innumerable constraints on economic and social development, such as chronic deficits in trade balances and balances of payment, the high cost of social infrastructures in relation to their utilization and, especially, the excessive indebtedness caused by a lack of funds to finance investment programmes.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Thus, with the advent of the Third Republic, our country is today in a new stage of its history. For more than 18 months, within the context of a constituent commission, reforms have been undertaken that will produce a new Constitution and lead to free and democratic elections. In other words, for a year and a half national activity has been slowed, and even brought to a halt in some cases, while the fundamental economic problems remain. The Seychelles has been the scene of another momentous event, the Fourth Indian Ocean Games, which took place last August in conditions that were judged exceptional. Reverting to what I was saying, I would note that the cost of the infrastructure for those Games made serious inroads into the national budget.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“While it is true that the transition to democracy is something which is very valuable in and of itself, the establishment of new structures and the implementation of new rules have nevertheless been a source of additional costs which have placed a heavy burden on national budgets that were already fairly shaky. And almost everywhere, the implementation of this democratization process required the support of the international community. Is this not an objective reason to think about setting up a United Nations special fund to provide financial and logistical support for these reforms? To be viable, this democratic undertaking must seek to meet all the challenges of a country. If it is to ensure the continuation of these new institutions, it must pave the way for sustainable development commensurate with the aspirations of peoples.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“A few years ago, financial backers made democratization one of the prerequisites for assistance to developing countries, and as a bonus to democracy, certain countries benefited from the generosity of the international community because they had pioneered that approach. Today, most of our countries have embarked on the process of democratization - with varied results, admittedly - but the desire to fit into the new order was the underlying reason for all. Nevertheless, this new process, and I would take the case of the Republic of Seychelles, which has met this challenge calmly and successfully, inevitably entailed extrabudgetary expenditures in all areas, both economic and social.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Of course, we do appreciate the importance of what is at stake, but international solidarity must be our guide. The International Olympic Committee would like to revive the ancient tradition of the Olympic truce and declare 1994 the International Year of Sports and of the Olympic Spirit, and we should support that proposal. Let us not underestimate the values of the Olympic spirit. They are rich in potential applications for managing international relations. But no peace can be lasting while the causes of conflicts remain. These causes are selfishness, intolerance, xenophobia, discrimination and dictatorship, but also - and especially - poverty, poor management and excessive indebtedness. These are ills that generally lead to the emergence of new conflicts. Should we not attack the root cause rather than the effect?”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Members will find it easy to understand, therefore, why we attach such great importance to the implementation of resolution 47/59 of the forty-seventh session of the General Assembly calling for the organization by the Ad Hoc Committee of a meeting that would propose new alternative approaches leading to the achievement of the goals contained in the initial Declaration, taking into account the changing international situation. It is in this spirit that I should like to make an appeal to the countries which have not yet done so to ratify the Convention on the Law of the Sea so that we can get the necessary 60 ratifications for its entry into force. How are we to understand that such an important Convention has been endorsed by only 56 countries since 1982?”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“42 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session For us island States, the seas are a source of life. Our future depends mainly on them. And for our development to be truly lasting, we must have peace on the seas. While it is indisputable that old rivalries have subsided in the seas and oceans of the world, it nevertheless remains true that the Indian Ocean has always been coveted by all. And that is why we reiterate our request that the Indian Ocean become truly a zone of peace and cooperation to the benefit of coastal States. The concept of the Colombo Conference is perhaps something from a bygone era, but its objectives remain relevant today.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The dramatic events and the human tragedy that are taking place in hotbeds of tension throughout the world are a credit to no one. However, we must take note of the fact that while reaction has been passive and hesitant in some cases, it has been quick and resolute in others. The quest for peace is nevertheless at the centre of our concerns. The considerable financial resources our Organization devotes to peace-keeping missions or missions to restore peace demonstrate this. This is undoubtedly proof of our own determination to bring to a halt these conflicts, which result in so many victims and destroy all the achievements of development. Indeed, any lasting development necessarily implies efforts to thwart the threat of certain situations turning into open conflict.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“I too would like to extend to Ambassador Insanally the congratulations of Seychelles on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly. We wish him every possible success in carrying out his duties. Allow me also to pay a well-deserved tribute to the Secretary-General for his tireless efforts in seeking solutions to the many problems facing the international community. Our session is opening on a note of hope, because it is taking place only a few days after a historic event of exceptional importance. I am referring, of course, to the signing of the peace agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. May that negotiation provide a lesson in those areas where misunderstanding, hatred and conflicts of interest are still bringing suffering to so many.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The right to make a mistake is not enshrined in any constitution, and yet are not famine, war and environmental disasters to name just three of the worst scourges monumental mistakes? Silence denotes guilt. We must not quibble or condemn here. We must agree on what we can do - together.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In seeking financial assistance, expertise and transfers of technology, we are trying first to encourage international solidarity, without excluding anyone and within as broad a context as possible. Was not that the great lesson of Rio, despite the flaws and imperfections of political dialogue, in that it reminded those who had been tempted to forget that everything is global nowadays for better or for worse, as in marriage where reason prevails over emotion? However, despite the urgent need for proper solutions, four months after the Rio Conference we are once again deploring the inertia of political dialogue, the complaisance of declarations of intent and the lack of perseverance in following up decisions.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Clearly, one figure speaks for all the others: that of the aid given by rich countries to the poorer ones. Logically, it shows the importance attached by the donors to the development projects they are supposed to support. But the figures are rarely commensurate with their lofty ambitions; that we must admit. Can it be expected by any chance of the smaller countries in particular that they should use other means to generate the resources necessary for their own development? This would be to ignore the economic fact of interaction and interdependence, which are difficult to manage and cannot really be the sole responsibility of these small countries.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“How sincere is the wealth of advice given in the options suggested, the guidelines prescribed? Are we not in a diktat situation when we hear the following: "Adopt reforms, democratize your institutions, go ahead and liberalize your economies. Then, and only then, will we help you." What developing country seeking an evolutive process has not been on the receiving end of this kind of message? How few, without adapting, have managed to adopt new, realistic and productive policies? There is no single model exportable to all. There is no absolute model that works for everyone. It is in the name of principles and experiments, all too often garbled within the framework of open-economy programmes and democratization, that crushing failures have occurred. Has the debt burden been eased? Have commodity export earnings in the third world increased?”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Can we welcome the changes that have occurred and I am referring to the democratization of institutions even though in many cases they are accompanied by chaos and suffering? Nevertheless, we must not underestimate the contribution that the international community is entitled to expect from each country, considered as it is to be an artisan of its own development. Each must, in particular, establish institutions and procedures compatible with the rights and obligations that all must now shoulder, regardless of level of development. But what are we to think, what are we to say about the increasing tensions between the industrialized North, certain that it is in the right, and the South, which gets poorer all the time, plagued by contradiction and seeking, sometimes clumsily, fresh sources of relief?”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“At a time when we are all committed to building this new world order, stronger solidarity is needed more than ever, because poverty is not inevitable, nor is it a genetic defect. The challenge is daunting. Short-term, stopgap solutions are not enough. We simply must radically change the attitude and behaviour of the industrialized world to the chronic plight of many countries in the South. In order to do this, there can be no double standards, tacit tolerance for some and vague promises for others. Have we the right today to denounce the corruption, abuse and lapses that are widespread in many developing countries, considering that these same practices were not so long ago tolerated and even encouraged by some?”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“On what kind of world will this system be modelled? More than 4 billion human beings live in poor countries. Whereas the rich nations, with about 15 per cent of the world's population, control more than 80 per cent of the world's income, about 60 per cent of humankind live in low-income countries, and more than 3 billion people possess only 5 per cent of the total income. With a population of more than 450 million, sub-Saharan Africa has less than 1 per cent of the world's income. Can we accept the exclusion of these millions of human beings? It is as if history had speeded up, had shaken up our ways of thinking, leaving our minds all confused. It is as if fragility had become the watchword of human adventure. No!”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We are seeing States imploding. Peoples are plagued by hunger, destitution and poverty. We are powerless witnesses to this grim spectacle, whereas we should be the artisans of change. Who can deny the seriousness of all this? Noble ideas, lofty sentiments and good intentions are not enough for the well-being of humankind. Perhaps I should add: "are no longer enough". This is an obvious fact and should provide a basic tenet for our work. We must all show our interest in it, so that our destiny might express our determination. The world is changing, and in order to control these changes, we are building the new order. This is a voluntary endeavour, based on the respect of nations, on partnership, on interdependence. But who would deny that the new world order has something of a colossus with feet of clay?”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We should first like to congratulate Mr. Ganev on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at this session. Barely a year ago, the representatives of the United Nations, meeting in this same Hall, ventured to believe that a new era of peace, cooperation and understanding was being established. We glimpsed on the horizon a new order in which each would be recognized, in which all nations, large and small, would have equal responsibilities and obligations in mutual respect. We believed that. We really believed that, because the mood was one of optimism. After all, the withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait had marked the triumph of legitimacy. Then, bloc confrontation being over, it was time for dialogue, since ideological antagonism had been overcome. Today, the world is again experiencing upheavals and disruption.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The Seychelles calls upon all those who would defend the environment to see to it that international cooperation in this new dimension of development is strengthened in a tangible way. Within this movement which has broken with the past but which in enhancing the value of what has been achieved is preparing for the future, let us pool our efforts. At the dawn of the establishment of a more equitable world where greater solidarity reigns, let us have the courage of our ambitions so that man and nature can really be at the heart of development. May our speeches no longer remain dead letters or be confined to the realm of parody, but at lest provide the needed impulse for action.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“On behalf of all countries, such as my own, with scant human resources and practically no natural resources, on behalf of all the countries whose economies are extremely vulnerable to external turmoil, we therefore seek a general mobilisation to preserve this resource, this invaluable capital which is the world ecological heritage. In this context, we hope that the Conference on Environment and Development, to be held next year, will have the necessary authority to decide on the appropriate means of managing this resource. We hope that at that time those countries I shall call the "museums of the world" will be given the necessary means to enable their populations to attain social and economic well-being without nature suffering as a consequence.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“True, with the advent of the new expanded North, new prospects for partnership have opened up in the field of cooperation. It is no doubt here that North-South cooperation can be launched and new solutions found to break the deadlock in which the third world countries find themselves. However, In this future of "logical partnership" where competition dominates, there are signs that new losers will emerge if we fail to define right now the sharing of responsibilities at all levels. Development in which everyone participates must be based on the conviction that economic development should no longer take place at the expense of the environment.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“That is just a matter of common sense; nevertheless we must note that in spite of the apparent progress in North-South cooperation efforts, concrete exchanges still remain disproportionate. That is why it is essential to formulate at once a lasting strategy for international development capable of universal application as a matter of urgency. New factors favourable to exchanges are discernible today, and it is up to us to take advantage of them. East-West tensions are now a thing of the past; and ideological antagonisms have been dismantled. There is only one constraining dimension left to take into account. This, of course, is the overall inequality between the North and the South, and for the latter the notion of dependence still overrides the concept which has been much proclaimed, namely, interdependence.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“A case-by-case analysis of the particular constraints inherent in each country and the search for solutions better adapted to the needs expressed would be a more fitting response towards implementation of the strategies that are required. The climate of confidence which now seems to prevail among States is itself a response to the interdependence and globalisation of the world economy. But, although the current trend is linked to the strengthening of international cooperation in a spirit of equitable partnership, we see that in fact the same relationships of force and inequality prevail. They will continue to prevail until the new criteria for development come to be respected and applied with the necessary care and judiciousness.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“If conditional aid can be justified by the need to undertake certain structural adjustments, it is not, however, honest for the stick-and-carrot method to be used to compel Governments to undertake immediate changes with motives that are not always clear vis-à-vis the well-being of their peoples. In this context, while it might be appropriate in some manner or other to exert influence on certain political tendencies that are not in keeping with the well-being of man or with the process of development overall, it would be preferable by far to help Governments invest more of themselves rather than to impose arbitrary and radical methods.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Everyone agrees, however, in recognising that the choices and their consequences can be very different from one country to another, that it is unrealistic to fail to take account of the implicit and inevitable factors leading to this or that option. In any case, people dislike seeing their Governments subject to external pressure of any kind. We therefore suggest that, in the establishment of the new system of relationships among States, account be taken of the need and the right of every State to evolve at its own pace and not according to another pace imposed from the outside. That leads me to turn to the tendentious practice of tying public assistance for development to political demands.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“By that, I mean that they must have a real choice of political and economic options and that, consequently, they must once and for all be freed from the traps of dependency in which they have all too often - often involuntarily - been caught. No one escapes history, fashions, trends or even Utopias, and since current thinking is in the direction of political pluralism, let us dwell on that. The gathering power of this idea is reflected by a vast reform movement in relationships among nations. But so far there is no predetermined mould in which we can harmonise all political tendencies. In the current historical context it is clear that very often countries have to pass through forms of government adapted to the needs of the moment.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“However, a new order on a global level entails structural changes, often of a basic nature. It also calls for a change in thinking, a new kind of human behaviour, solidarity free from ethnocentricity, without, of course, prejudicing national cultures and identities. It requires a great deal of effort, time and resources. Thus, my question is have we the necessary resources that our ambitions for renovation require? The political and socio-economic changes that must necessarily occur cannot be effected overnight. They demand that suitable democratic institutions be set up and made workable, and they therefore demand time. Above all, they demand that countries be totally sovereign.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“giving thought to producing a universally agreed-upon notion of the emerging new world order. Of course, all sides have come up with broad principles. They are all intended to be the faithful reflection of the aspirations of peoples, large and small, for a lasting system of international peace, security for mankind and stability for States, without which there can be neither peace nor development. He must also determine what part each will play in the new distribution of responsibilities. For many of us the establishment, of this new order means that we must abandon, at least for the time being, the strictly economic and political benchmarks advocated by the previous order in favour of more lasting criteria connected with quality of life and a healthy environment. We are in complete agreement on that point.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Similarly, all initiatives designed to promote and defend human rights, all actions designed to ease or systematically eliminate debt and to strengthen structures for cooperation and development of all kinds must be supported by us all, both in word and indeed. However, this determinedly optimistic overall vision of world management includes the notion of broad-based consultations in which all voices will have an equal importance. On the threshold of the emergence of a new order, a complete embodiment of the San Francisco Charter, we must define now the roles that each of us is called upon to play. For it is obvious that a certain disparity remains between the poles of decision, and in this transitional period from one order to another, we must join it.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“It is very comforting for a great many countries to know that their cause will henceforth be heard and defended with the same degree of impartiality and diligence. That is why the Seychelles joins all other countries in stating and attesting to its confidence in this Institution and in asking that it be given increased powers. I have in mind particularly the role the United Nations should play in Imposing strict control over arms sales of all kinds. I also believe that no effort should be spared in supporting the actions undertaken by the United Nations to solve and prevent conflicts wherever they may arise.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Notwithstanding some persistent hotbeds of tension, the new factors militate in favour of dialogue rather than tests of strength. We see the emergence of an approach based on the notion of consensus which relies on negotiation. We must now learn to talk to each other, to listen to each other in a word, to use a common language and to make more use than ever before of an effective and generally recognized tool of mediation. That tool exists today. Over the past months the United Nations has proved that it is not only useful but indispensable. Given the backing and the means for intervention by all nations, the United Nations has finally become the primary institution for management of world law and order. Does this now mean that our appeals repeated year after year in this very Hall have been heeded?”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The Seychelles wishes to extend its congratulations to the President on his unanimous election to preside over the General Assembly at this session. We should also like to extend a welcome to the seven new States Members of the Organisation. We take this opportunity too to pay a tribute to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who has played a decisive role in strengthening the Organisation throughout this decade, undoubtedly the most significant decade of the last part of the century. We congratulate him on the timely and judicious initiatives he has constantly taken to make the Organization so credible and so effective. Since our last meeting here the world has witnessed a number of events that today cause us to have a considerably altered view of international relations.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)