YouSaid · the spoken record

Ali Hassan MWINYI

lines on the record: 69
first: 1987-09-24
most recent: 1994-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
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

“In this post-cold-war era, the temptation to bypass, or dictate to, this world body might be quite high. We must not allow that to take place. We must instead work to strengthen the United Nations and its agencies and to entrench their democratic tradition. We must, at the same time, recognize that poverty, like the environment, knows no borders. It is in our collective interest that, as we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations system, we dedicate ourselves in practical terms to the eradication of poverty the world over. We must agree that poverty is as much a threat to peace and security and as much an affront to humanity as injustice, oppression and discrimination.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Such a strategy must bind all countries, both small and large, rich and poor, in a planned and implementable programme for human progress. Tanzania attaches great importance to the full and effective participation of developing countries in decision- making for the resolution of economic problems facing our common planet. In addition, the Agenda should incorporate the various agreements and strategies for international development already adopted over the years in different forums and conferences. We must also identify the reasons why so many of these commitments and agreements, especially those related to developing countries, are still on paper only. In conclusion, I wish to reiterate our faith in and commitment to the United Nations.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“6 Development is a shared concern of all nations and the acceptance of this fact by the entire international community will result in great success in dealing with this Agenda. While we recognize that States must assume responsibility for their own socio-economic development, we must also recognize that this will be increasingly difficult without the assistance of the international community. The solutions to the problems created by poverty, rural-urban migration, the degradation of the environment and the complexity of the refugee situation will require an integrated approach. It is our hope that the Agenda for Development will project a coherent strategy for achieving a new and inclusive vision of world development.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The African annex to the Convention contains our commitments to implement the programmes of action in an effort to contain the processes of desertification and drought, which are exacerbated by poverty and underdevelopment. Unless there is a serious commitment by developed countries and multilateral financial institutions to extend the financial resources required to implement the Convention, the social and economic consequences of desertification and drought will be irreparable. We welcome the timely initiative taken by the Secretary-General in preparing the Agenda for Development. The Agenda provides an appropriate framework for dealing comprehensively with the interrelated issues of economic and social development, the environment, peace, justice and democracy.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The world is still far from the concept of sustainable development. The Agenda 21 document remains an academic masterpiece while the issues involved remain unresolved. Among other things, the United Nations, through the Commission on Sustainable Development, should assume a major role in helping developing countries to build their indigenous capacities in science and technology and in promoting access to existing technology on favourable terms. We are none the less gratified that the desertification Convention has been concluded. This is a great relief for the 900 million people world wide affected by this phenomenon. We look forward to the signing of the Convention later this month. We commend our development partners that supported the negotiations on this important Convention for Africa.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to lose about $2.6 billion a year by the beginning of the next century. The cause of this loss is largely the entrenchment of unfavourable terms of trade, and the opening up of African markets to transnational corporations based in the rich countries, which will now have wider and unhindered access to markets in Africa and elsewhere. We will therefore continue to demand better terms of trade for our products in international trade, as well as preferential treatment where this is felt to be necessary. It is now two years since we assembled at Rio de Janeiro to bring to its conclusion the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The implementation of the agreements reached at that world summit has been extremely slow and in most areas non-existent.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The protracted Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) finally came to a conclusion in December 1993. We then met at Marrakesh, Morocco, on 15 April 1994, to sign the new agreement that establishes the World Trade Organization. We from the developing world, and especially those of us from Sub-Saharan Africa, signed that agreement not because we were happy with it or because we thought it took care of our interests. We signed it because the alternative was equally tragic. In truth, this new agreement will only mean the entrenchment of poverty in our countries unless compensatory measures are urgently taken in our favour. It is already being estimated that Africa is the only continent that will actually lose rather than gain from this new agreement.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“To achieve this, there should be a full cancellation of all bilateral and official debt, as well as a substantial reduction of the debt stock and the debt service burden owed to multilateral financial institutions and commercial creditors. Nowhere in the world today are the social conditions more desperate and calling for more urgent attention than in the least developed countries. Declining income aggravates poverty and threatens the social fabric of entire societies. It is our hope that the forthcoming World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen will be an important forum for the world community to focus on the social and developmental concerns of developing countries in an attempt to free them from the vicious circle of poverty.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“As an illustration, if we in Tanzania were to apportion our total national debt of $6.3 billion to each of our citizens, every poor man, woman and child would be indebted to our rich creditors by the equivalent of their total earnings for over two years. Put differently, even if the Tanzanian Government were to devote all its foreign exchange earnings to paying off this debt, it would still take us over 12 years to do so. With a debt burden of this magnitude dragging us down all the time, it will be difficult for our economy to take off. There is an urgent need for the international community to adopt a unified and coordinated approach towards a durable solution of the external debt position of countries like mine if we are serious about reducing poverty in the world.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Most of the least developed countries, including Tanzania, remain among the most debt-distressed countries. It is true that the magnitude of our debt is marginal by international standards. Indeed, the indebtedness of the least developed countries does not have a substantial effect on the international financial system. But in relation to the size of their economies, the debt burden is far too heavy and constitutes a major obstacle to sustained growth. In the light of an already grim financial flow situation, caused by declines in official development assistance, the crippling burden of 5 international debt has seriously hampered development prospects for most of our countries.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Despite overall economic growth in the world, and the creation of numerous developmental and social institutions, poverty has been on the increase in most parts of the developing world, particularly in Africa. A supportive international environment is crucial if we are to attain sustained economic growth in developing countries, especially in the least developed ones. The United Nations must be able to play a much greater role in this matter because, unlike the Bretton Woods institutions, the United Nations is universal; its programmes operate everywhere; and it does not ignore countries. But I must add that the United Nations has to be strengthened, as mandated by its Charter, to enable it to play a complementary role vis-à-vis the other international organizations involved in development.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“In Mozambique, thanks to the determined efforts of the Secretary-General and the United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ), most of the difficulties have since been overcome. We look forward with anticipation to the national elections later this month in the hope that they will not only be free and fair, but also that all parties will respect and abide by the election results. We hope that the lessons from the Angolan experience have now been learned well and that the people of Mozambique will be spared the menace that Mr. Savimbi continues to present in Angola. We commend, in particular, the outstanding goodwill and generosity of the Government of President Chissano, which was demonstrated throughout the negotiating process.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“I think the time has come for the international community to exert final pressure on UNITA to stop it from continuing to obstruct these peace efforts. We must not forget that the MPLA party won the elections sponsored by the United Nations in September 1992. Yet, regardless of its victory, the MPLA has been generous in inviting UNITA to join a government of national unity. We cannot see why certain foreign Governments should continue to pamper UNITA as it comes up with new excuses to delay the process of national reconciliation in that country. Our Organization should tell Mr. Savimbi that he cannot have his own way forever. We therefore call upon all those with influence on Mr. Savimbi to ask him either to cooperate or face the consequences of the full sanctions promised in resolution 932 (1994).”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“We are happy that the emerging peace and security in our region can now release scarce resources for the development of our people. On the economic front, we have quickly begun to reverse the years of disengagement from South Africa and to work together to integrate our economies through the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in which the new South Africa will play a very important role. This, unfortunately, does not mean that all our problems in southern Africa have been resolved. Events in Angola continue to cause us a good deal of anxiety. Through its endless intransigency, UNITA continues to create problems for the Angolan peace talks in Lusaka under United Nations mediation.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“It is therefore a matter of tremendous satisfaction to us that decolonization is now almost complete and that apartheid has finally landed where it belongs - in the dustbin of history. South Africa’s return to the membership of the United Nations is a victory for all the people of that country, whatever their colour, a victory for the United Nations and certainly a victory for the international community as a whole. The political and economic reintegration of South Africa into the rest of Africa is one of the biggest triumphs for Africa for many years. We in the southern African sub- region are happy that at last our people can sleep peacefully without fearing a surprise attack or a destabilization campaign from South Africa.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“4 African troops pledged at the OAU Summit in Cairo last June should quickly be given the necessary logistic support to enable the redeployment of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) at its full strength to start without undue delay. The enlarged UNAMIR should then create safe zones along the Zairian and Tanzanian borders, which should be fully stocked with relief supplies so as to encourage refugees to enter these safe zones as a first step towards returning to their own homes. Since my country became a member of this Organization, there has perhaps been no issue before this Assembly which has preoccupied us like the question of decolonization and the struggle against the apartheid system in South Africa.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The international community needs to continue to be seized of this matter and increase its support to those of us hosting this huge influx of refugees. It is only honourable for us as Members of the United Nations to accept that the role of our Organization in Rwanda has been far from honourable, and has been quite contrary to the principles of our Charter. While aid agencies and non-governmental organizations can do wonders on the ground, Governments wring their hands and wait for one another to lead the action. The crisis in Rwanda was made worse by political indecision within the international community. My delegation can only agree with the OAU Secretary-General that, by our failure to act promptly, we too stand to be blamed for the loss of innocent lives and the suffering of an entire people.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The people of Ngara district in Tanzania have themselves been forced to live like refugees in their own country. The local population has been outnumbered by the refugees by a ratio of one to two. They face overcrowding in social service centres and endure tremendous price hikes, sometimes reaching 300 per cent over a short period, for all their requirements. And to this must be added increased security risks and criminality. As for environmental damage, the influx of refugees into Ngara and Karagwe in Tanzania, between April and June 1994 alone, caused a loss of 18,000 tons of trees, with an estimated value of $12 million. The 400,000 refugees living in Ngara have since April consumed 200 tons of firewood daily, with far-reaching consequences for the environment.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“I also wish to use this opportunity to thank the United Nations, as well as Belgium, Burundi, France, Germany, Senegal, Uganda, the United States of America and Zaire, which acted as observers to the Arusha peace negotiations. I wish also to thank the United Nations agencies and all Governments and non-governmental organizations that joined hands with my Government in providing relief to the Rwandese refugees in my country. But the relief work is far from being over; new refugees are still coming in. The local communities which have hosted the refugees need to be compensated for the food and other services and supplies they have shared with them. The environmental damage caused by the huge and sudden influx of refugees also needs to be addressed as soon as possible.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“For, as an English political philosopher, Edmund Burke, said two centuries ago: "The use of force alone is but temporary. It may subdue for a moment; but it does not remove the necessity of subduing again; and a nation is not governed, which is perpetually to be conquered." In this connection, I wish to emphasize the need for the Rwandese Government to proceed on the basis of the framework of the Arusha Peace Accord, which in my view remains the best hope for a permanent solution to the problems facing that country. As Facilitator to the peace process in Rwanda, I wish to commend the Secretary- General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim, and the OAU Secretariat for the outstanding commitment they have shown to the resolution of this problem, despite the many disappointments along the way.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“This, we hope, will reduce the motivation for individual acts of revenge. The urgency of stemming the tide of refugees, and of effecting their subsequent repatriation, is of paramount importance. The refugee camps must not be allowed to acquire the character of permanency, as this would create an environment conducive to the political and even military mobilization of the refugees. In the meanwhile, we who are hosts to these refugees have a duty to disarm them and take whatever action is necessary to make it impossible for them to be mobilized, whether for political or military purposes. Neighbouring countries and the international community should also warn the deposed regime and its army not to entertain thoughts of a military return to power. We cannot allow another chapter of this tragedy to be written in the history of Rwanda.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“In this connection, the Government of Rwanda needs the encouragement and practical assistance of the international community to restore essential services and to re-establish the rule of justice and law and order. The traditional discipline within the ranks of the RPF needs to be maintained, and individual acts of vengeance must be contained. Innocent Hutu refugees must feel secure and confident that no reprisals will be meted out to them for previous atrocities associated with their tribe. On the other hand, all those guilty of the genocide in Rwanda must face justice. In this respect, we urge the United Nations, in collaboration with the Rwandese Government, quickly to make operational the international tribunal that will investigate and put to trial all those suspected of committing these atrocities.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“We recognize and appreciate the efforts and good intentions of this new Government to restore peace in Rwanda, to rebuild State institutions and to bring about genuine national reconciliation. In particular, we encourage and support all efforts of the Rwandese Government to create conditions within Rwanda that will give Rwandese refugees the confidence to return home as soon as possible. Rwanda needs to revert to a state of normalcy as soon as possible. A country from which its own citizens run away to save their lives cannot be normal. Even as I speak, some Rwandese refugees continue to enter Tanzania. This means that the Rwandese people, especially the Hutus, still feel insecure - whether for valid reasons or as a result of the 3 propaganda war waged by the ousted regime and its agents.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The death of President Habyarimana, therefore, denied us the only legal transitional authority in Rwanda at that time. Then began the worst carnage in African history - which, even as I speak, is still claiming the lives of innocent people, not to mention having been the cause of over 1.5 million refugees in neighbouring countries. Most of those who participated in the Arusha negotiations on behalf of the then Rwanda Government were massacred. Following its military victory, the Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF) established in July 1994 a fairly broad-based Government of National Unity. Tanzania was among the first countries to recognize this new Government.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“It is incumbent upon those of us neighbouring Burundi and upon the international community as a whole to support and encourage the Government of President Sylvestre Ntibantunganya during this transitional period. In the case of Rwanda, the event that gave us hope was the signing of the Arusha Peace Agreement on 4 August 1993. The Agreement provided a comprehensive framework for the permanent solution of the political and security problems in Rwanda. But the Agreement, which had been so painstakingly negotiated, was held hostage by those who were keen to protect their own interests rather than the interests of the ordinary citizens of Rwanda. For eight months, the timetable agreed upon for the implementation of the Arusha Agreement was not followed. The only transitional institution provided for in the Agreement was the presidency.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“But statistics alone are unimportant, as not a single life should have been lost in the first place; above all, behind these cold statistics are real people - husbands and wives, sons and daughters, all of whom perished leaving behind widows and widowers, as well as orphans. In addition to those who died, over 700,000 others fled their country in order to save their lives; about 500,000 of them fled to Tanzania alone. Another 200,000 or more were displaced internally. With those events of October 1993, our hopes for peace and reconciliation in Burundi were dashed to the ground; since then we have been waiting anxiously for new developments that could rekindle our hopes. We are encouraged by the efforts of moderate elements in Burundi to create a transitional government of unity, based on the concept of power sharing.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The transition of power from President Buyoya to the late President Ndadaye was equally impressive. That man, whom the people of Burundi had chosen to lead them, personified not only hope for peace, unity and reconciliation in Burundi, but also the dawn of a new era of peace, stability and cooperation in our subregion. But some people in the military establishment decided to put their private and parochial interests above the wishes of the ordinary people of Burundi. What the Burundi people got through the ballot was taken away by the bullet. The attempted coup that followed in October 1993 resulted not only in the death of President Ndadaye but also in the death of many innocent people of Burundi. No one knows exactly how many died; estimates range from 100,000 to 200,000.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“As a neighbour of both Rwanda and Burundi, Tanzania has found itself deeply involved in the search for peace and reconciliation in those two most troubled countries. Last year in Cairo, we, the African Heads of State, decided that the time had come for Africans to take charge of preventing, managing and resolving conflicts in their continent, for our countries may be poor, but our poverty does not extend to the realm of humanity, dignity and wisdom. In both Rwanda and Burundi, there was a time when our hopes rose high, when we thought that at last a permanent solution had been found to their endemic problems. In the case of Burundi, the high point was the election of July 1993, which was declared by international observers to have been free and fair.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“In this connection, we entirely support the proposal made by Canada last week in this Assembly for the establishment of a permanent United Nations peace-keeping force. This idea has been with us for a long time, and now is the time to act. 2 My delegation takes this opportunity to salute all United Nations personnel in the field for their devotion to duty and their perseverance under increasingly dangerous situations. Many, including Tanzanians, have died in action. We mourn them. Many more have been wounded. They deserve our heartfelt sympathy. The safety and security of United Nations personnel must continue to be a priority, and we support every initiative taken to establish an international treaty for their protection.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“While United Nations peace-keeping and peacemaking responsibilities have been on the increase, the means to implement those responsibilities have hardly kept pace with these new requirements. With more than 80,000 civilian and military personnel serving in 17 peace-keeping operations worldwide, the Organization requires new commitment towards meeting the costs involved. We should all strive to honour our financial obligations as assessed to meet United Nations peace-keeping expenses. We must not reach the point where training and deployment of personnel will be undertaken only by those Member States who can afford such expenses on their own. Such an eventuality will not only make peace-keeping the monopoly of a few rich countries but will also deal a fatal blow to our cherished principle of universality of participation.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“If such political will exists, I am sure we can make rapid progress on the expressed desire of many Member States to look again at the role, powers and membership of the Security Council. I am equally sure that if we all have the political will to reform the United Nations system for the better, we can quickly agree on enhancing the powers of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council. It is these two organs that are important agents in focusing our Organization on the real and urgent issues confronting the overwhelming majority of humanity. In his comprehensive report to the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session, the Secretary-General drew our attention to the peace-keeping role of the United Nations in the changing international context.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Today, as we approach the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, we all need to rededicate ourselves to the goals and ideals embodied in its Charter. This includes the need to make the United Nations and all its organs more representative of all its Members and more democratic. It is both hypocritical and a mockery of the ideal of democracy that some Members should preach democracy to the rest of the world and yet not accept the full democratization of the United Nations system. This matter is particularly urgent in this post- cold-war world era. The emerging new power relations in the world can be either an asset or a liability, depending on whether all Members have the political will to enhance the representative nature and the democratic traditions of this world body.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“It is a pity that global tensions have been replaced by regional and national conflicts, with devastating consequences for innocent men, women and children. Whether on development questions or security issues, the developing countries, which constitute the vast majority, have seen little respite following the end of the cold war. The collective security system envisaged under the United Nations Charter has not always worked to the satisfaction of many Members. This is because some Member States have, in the past, been reluctant to implement both the letter and the spirit of the Charter. Instead, loopholes and pretexts have often been used to justify action contrary to the spirit of the Charter.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“In this connection we are pleased to extend to all the new Members a warm welcome and sincere congratulations. Their admission has brought us much closer to our cherished goal of universal membership of the United Nations. We pledge to continue working closely with all nations to make our world a much better place for all humanity. During my time as President of Tanzania, fundamental changes have occurred in the world. Some of these changes have given us reasons for hope; others have not. Our hopes that the post-cold-war era would bring a new impetus in our Organization for peace and development in all corners of the world have not yet been realized. The so- called peace dividend is not reaching those who need it most, that is, the poorest sectors of humanity.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“It is my great wish that I should bequeath to the Tanzanian people a functioning democratic system that will allow them to choose their own leaders in a free and fair atmosphere. As I prepare to pass on the baton of the leadership of my country to someone else, I can only reaffirm the faith and confidence my country has always had in the United Nations system. All its imperfections notwithstanding, the United Nations remains the only hope for poor and weak countries like mine, for it is only through the United Nations that we can raise our concerns for human development, world peace, justice and equality without fear. The imperfections of the United Nations system have nothing to do with the principles set forth in the United Nations Charter; rather, they are a product of the action or inaction of the Member States.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“I used that occasion, as the new President of my country, to reaffirm our faith in the United Nations and our commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter. Today, I am addressing this Assembly for the last time as President of my country. As members may well know, Tanzania has embarked on extensive political and economic reforms, which are proceeding very well, in peace and in harmony. As part of the political reforms, the constitutional term of a president is limited to a maximum of two five- year terms. My second and last term, therefore, will come to an end towards the end of next year, a time when we will hold our first general elections under a multiparty democratic system.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Samuel Insanally of the Republic of Guyana, who very ably led the forty-eighth session of the General Assembly to its successful conclusion. I wish also to acknowledge the untiring efforts of another son of Africa, our Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who, together with his Secretariat, has continued to serve our Organization very well indeed. The Secretariat needs, and deserves, the support of all Member States in facing the challenges of their day-to-day work, often under very trying circumstances. This is my second appearance before a session of the General Assembly since being elected President of the United Republic of Tanzania in 1985. I had the honour to address the forty-second session of the Assembly on 8 October 1987.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“I wish to join my fellow Heads of State who have spoken before me in congratulating you most sincerely on your well-deserved election as President of the forty-ninth session of the General Assembly. As a distinguished son of Africa, you bring to this high office valuable experience, diplomatic skill and wisdom, all of which equip you superbly well to lead this Assembly - an assembly in which the faith and hopes of our people are reposed. Let me assure you, Mr. President, of Tanzania’s whole-hearted cooperation and support as you execute your noble and immense responsibilities to humanity. I should also express the great appreciation which my delegation feels for the dedication to duty and great leadership displayed by your predecessor, His Excellency Mr.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“We must work with one another constructively to make our Organization both the symbol and the platform for the evolution of a system of universal peace and security, a system which will fully take into account and help to promote the interests and aspirations of all countries and peoples. I renew Tanzania's pledge to co-operate in meeting the challenge of realizing this noble objective.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“I wish to conclude by reiterating Tanzania's faith in the United Nations. We believe that the United Nations has a great potential to maintain international peace and to promote the economic and social advancement of all peoples. It is true that the Organization has had some problems, some of which have sometimes threatened its very existence. But we must not let frustration, cynicism or despair overcome us. The idealism which gave birth to the United Nations is still relevant and powerful; the principles upon which the Organization was founded remain valid. We must therefore strive to build a strong and stable world order based on the principles of sovereign equality. We must rededicate ourselves to the cause of fostering coexistence, co-operation and interdependence.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Africa has demonstrated its will and determination to achieve economic recovery by adopting its Priority Program for Economic Recovery at the 21st summit of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), in 1985. This Program stresses the need for increased co-operation between African countries. We recognize, however, that the support of the international community is necessary for the implementation of the Program. At the thirteenth special session of this Assembly many donor countries expressed their willingness to assist. I should like to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to countries and international organizations, especially the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) , for the assistance they have so far given. We hope that others will make this assistance available as soon as possible.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“These negotiations should put particular emphasis on structural changes in the field of trade and development and on the removal of trade barriers, especially to the exports of the developing countries. The international financial and monetary system should also be restructured. Such a restructuring should take into account, among other things, the need to provide adequate and predictable development resources to the developing countries in order to accelerate their development. Efforts should be made in particular to achieve as quickly as possible the long agreed target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product for official development assistance to developing countries. For an ailing person the key to recovery is the will and determination to live. This also applies to economic recovery.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Our efforts, however, have often been frustrated by the lack of political will on the part of some developed countries which wish to cling to their privileged position at the expense of the suffering majority. We appeal to those countries to reconsider their position in the interest of justice and prosperity for all mankind. We also believe that the United Nations has a moral obligation to ensure that the struggle for the establishment of a more equitable world order succeeds, so that all mankind can be saved from hunger, starvation and abject poverty. We therefore appeal for the revival and early commencement of the global negotiations aimed at the establishment of the new international economic order.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“It is obvious, therefore, that the success of the development efforts being made by the developing countries, both individually and collectively, through South-South co-operation, will depend to a large extent on the restructuring of the existing world economic system. This is the basis of our pleas for the establishment of the new international economic order. We, the third-world countries, have always demonstrated our willingness to negotiate with our colleagues of the North on this important issue. We feel that there is an urgent need to take concerted measures which will promote the development of the developing countries and establish more equitable relations between the North and the South.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“So, in addition to their export earnings, the developing countries had to look for an additional amount of $US 28 billion solely to service their debts. There is an urgent need for the creditors and borrowers to discuss this serious problem with a view to arriving at a mutually acceptable solution. The increasing outflow of resources from the poor to the rich through debt servicing and unfavorable terms of trade aggravates the already critical economic situation in the third world. This is a direct result of the existing inequitable world economic system, which only works in favor of the rich industrialized countries. The present system has failed to respond effectively to the development efforts of the developing countries. It is for this reason that the gap between the rich North and the poor South has been widening year after year.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Prices for their export commodities remain depressed, while the prices of manufactured goods imported from the industrialized countries rise constantly. This has resulted in unfavorable terms of trade, severe balance-of-payments deficits and an ever growing debt burden for our countries. It is estimated, for example, that the third world owes the developed countries about $US 1,000 billion. In 1985 alone the developing countries paid $US 115 billion in debt servicing and received only $US 41 billion in new loans. In other words, there was a net outflow of $US 74 billion from the poor South to the rich North. The export earnings of non-oil-producing developing countries also dropped from $US 104 billion in 1980 to $US 87 billion in 1985. This was caused by declining prices of their export commodities.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The economic underdevelopment of the third world, therefore, is also a threat to world peace. While only one third of humanity thrives in prosperity, two thirds of mankind are submerged in abject poverty. Hunger, disease and ignorance afflict hundreds of millions of our people. Ironically, this is not because the world lacks the necessary resources to meet the needs of all mankind. We are told by the rich industrialized countries that a fair redistribution of the world's resources can take place only through the virtues of free trade. But we all know very well that the champions of so-called free trade are the very ones that institute strong protectionist measures against the exports of developing countries. As a result of such measures third-world countries are denied access to the markets of the industrialized countries.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Some of us had hoped that the Soviet moratorium on nuclear testing would start a process leading to a comprehensive ban on nuclear tests. Regrettably, the opportunity was lost. Nuclear tests continue to be conducted by all nuclear Powers. As a participant in the six-nation peace initiative, Tanzania renews its appeal to the nuclear Powers, especially the two major ones, to halt nuclear tests and ban the arms race in space. In the name of humanity we appeal for respect for our right to life, which is now threatened by nuclear weapons. We are encouraged by the agreement in principle reached between the United States and the Soviet Union to eliminate medium-range nuclear missiles in Europe. We consider that agreement to be an initial step towards the ultimate objective of general and complete disarmament. Peace and poverty cannot coexist.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“We appeal for the exercise of wisdom so that peaceful solutions can be found to all these conflicts. Global peace would be greatly enhanced if all nations would strictly respect the sovereignty and independence of other nations and refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of others. The threat or use of force should never be made a basis for settling disputes. We should all scrupulously observe the norms of international law governing relations between sovereign and independent nations. Another great threat to the survival of mankind is the arms race, particularly in nuclear weapons. Over $US 1 trillion is wasted each year in that senseless race. Resources which could be used for economic and social development are . squandered in a competition which threatens the very survival of mankind.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“A dialog between North and South Korea and the holding of tripartite talks between the two Koreas and the United States should be encouraged. Tanzania has diplomatic relations with both Iraq and Iran. Our people cherish the most friendly feelings towards the Governments and peoples of those two countries. We renew our appeal to them to find a political settlement to their dispute and to stop the war between them. We urge all great Powers to refrain from taking any measures that would escalate the war and create a more serious threat to regional and global peace. We particularly urge the permanent members of the Security Council to shoulder their collective responsibility and to act in unity in the search for a peaceful settlement of that conflict.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)