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Zlenko

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1992-09-24

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1993-09-24

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un-general-debate

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1. “From the collective wisdom manifested in the activities of the United Nations, we can tap the optimism so necessary for mankind today, and the faith in its positive strength and in its future. In conclusion, I should like to cite some words by Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the Secretary-General, which he pronounced during his recent visit to Ukraine: "Deep involvement in the great currents of history gives Ukraine a special insight into the world today. It Forty-eighth session - 30 September l993 11 qualifies Ukraine to play a full role in the new United Nations." I wish to assure you that Ukraine will spare no effort in continuing to prove the rightness of his words.”

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

2. “These are the considerations that impelled President Leonid Kravchuk of Ukraine to initiate the idea of convening, within the framework of the United Nations fiftieth anniversary celebrations in 1995, a global international peace summit conference. In advancing the idea of holding such an event under the auspices of the United Nations, we take it as given that this is the Organization that can convene global conferences of Ministers and Heads of States or Governments in order to weigh up complex issues and suggest comprehensive solutions. Therefore, all our thoughts today are directed towards tomorrow, to which we should come having discarded the heavy burden of the confrontational era and having drawn upon the best of the Organization’s past activities, which have enriched us with invaluable knowledge.”

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

3. “This jubilee is a special date in the calendar of international life, but, moreover, it will be celebrated at the turn of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It is well known that all historic dates look towards the future. Therefore, the best way to celebrate this anniversary is to concentrate on outstanding issues, analyse the emerging situation and determine what the prospects are for future development. That is why, perhaps, it is time for the world community to get together, as it did after the world wars, and creatively reappraise the realities of the post-confrontational period and, where necessary, amend existing structures of security and cooperation and division of labour in order to determine the world order for the twenty-first century.”

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

4. “Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the Secretary-General, aimed at extending the reforms in the Secretariat, and who is acting firmly in order to increase the role and authority of the Organization, in keeping with the requirements of the time. We are facing the task of reorienting the United Nations social and economic activities in order to implement specific projects in the interest of all States, including those now on the way to the free market. For the reforms to be successful, it is also important to ensure, in practice, real zero growth in the Organization’s budget, and the effective use of its financial assets by reorientating them towards priority fields of activity. The United Nations will soon mark its fiftieth anniversary.”

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

5. “The delegation of Ukraine supports the decisions of the forty- seventh session aimed at increasing the effectiveness of the General Assembly and at rationalizing the work of its Main Committees. We are ready for further dialogue on the issues concerning structural changes in the sessional and subsidiary bodies of the General Assembly. This means, in particular, further decreasing the number of resolutions that are repeated and duplicated from year to year and redistributing the functions of subsidiary bodies. In our view, the reform should also involve the activities of the main economic and social forum of the United Nations, the Economic and Social Council, and should also be reflected in the structure and working methods of the Organization’s Secretariat. Ukraine fully supports the actions of Mr.”

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

6. “In changing the structure of the United Nations Security Council, it is very important to take into account the existence, beyond its present membership, of participants in the international community that are potentially capable of playing an important role in the Organization’s activities at the present time and that have substantial financial obligations to the United Nations. It is also very important to preserve in the Security Council the basic principle of equitable geographic representation. The working methods of the most representative United Nations body - the General Assembly - also require modification. It is in our interest to direct its activities, to the maximum possible extent, towards further consolidating the principles of justice, democracy and development.”

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

7. “10 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session Ukraine shares the view that the present quantitative composition of the Security Council, its functioning and its working methods require appropriate adjustments, taking into consideration the new regional realities and the appearance of new participants in the international community. Implementing this proposal would increase the Council’s degree of legitimacy as the body that is entrusted by the United Nations Member States with the principal responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. At the same time, it is important to preserve the Council’s ability to respond effectively to emergencies that require prompt intervention.”

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

8. “The Chernobyl nuclear power station disaster, the environmental disorder in the Aral Sea area, the danger of an ecological catastrophe as a result of destruction of tropical forests and the depletion of the Earth’s ozone layer are but a very incomplete list of the ecological problems facing mankind. The need for change is also becoming especially urgent and even inevitable as a result of the significant events of the past few years that have radically redrawn the political map of the world; more than two dozen new independent States have emerged, thus considerably increasing the United Nations family. Let me extend to them my sincere congratulations.”

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

9. “The world has experienced great changes since the foundation of the United Nations. This is understandable, for, as Heraclitus said, "Nothing endures but change". That is why the issue of reforming the United Nations system is a quite natural one. Current realities raise new problems for the world community. Even though the danger of a global nuclear conflict has been practically eliminated, the "local" wars and regional conflicts breaking out all over the world are causing serious concern. Interethnic armed conflicts and economic instability create favourable grounds for terrorism, the arms trade and the production and trafficking of drugs, and directly affect the security of United Nations Member States.”

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

10. “The assessment imposed on Ukraine is not fully commensurate with its capacity to pay, and is a great burden on its economy. As a result of great efforts, this year we have managed to contribute $6.5 million to the United Nations regular budget, which otherwise could have been directed at solving the problems caused by Chernobyl. However, we cannot meet our financial obligations in full, for the reasons I have mentioned. In this context, the Government of Ukraine urges a reconsideration of the scale of assessments for the United Nations regular budget and an amendment of the existing system of financing United Nations peace-keeping operations. Our delegation is ready to offer grounds for this position during discussion of the relevant items by the Fifth Committee.”

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

11. “Today we need real efforts on the part of the international community to assist Ukraine in overcoming the negative impact of the sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on Ukraine’s economy as well as on the economies of a number of other countries. Our delegation is ready to propose a draft resolution which would deal with the implementation of the relevant recommendations of the Security Council and the General Assembly. Regretfully, the serious economic difficulties associated with the factors that I have mentioned were not taken into consideration when the international community last year adopted the decision, contrary to the provisions of the United Nations Charter, to increase Ukraine’s contribution to the United Nations regular budget by 58 per cent.”

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

12. “Eliasson as the United Nations Coordinator of International Cooperation for Chernobyl, activities in this area have acquired new impetus. I hope his efforts will find support in the General Assembly and will contribute to strengthening international cooperation for this purpose. In addition to the expenditures needed to mitigate the after-effects of the Chernobyl disaster, which account for a considerable part of the national income, the losses resulting from the imposition of economic sanctions by the Security Council against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia have become another great negative factor for our economy. Consequently, by the end of 1993, Ukraine will have suffered direct losses of more than $4 billion in the State sector alone.”

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

13. “In this context, we are heartened by the increasing attention being paid by the United Nations and its bodies and by the economically developed countries to the processes of transition to the market economy being undertaken in the Eastern and Central European States. Favourable conditions for broadening cooperation between the United Nations and States with economies in transition, including Ukraine, have opened up as a result of the formation of integrated missions by the United Nations and the United Nations Development Programme in this field. We hope that these missions will be given permanent status. We place great hope in assistance by the international community in mitigating the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. I must say that after the appointment of United Nations Under-Secretary-General Mr.”

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

14. “Our legislation sets out favourable conditions for foreign investment in the Ukrainian economy, and a number of measures have been adopted concerning participation by our State in the European and world communities and the development of bilateral trade and economic relations. Forty-eighth session - 30 September l993 9 It is important to find areas that could appeal to our partners and to proceed to develop and implement specific cooperation programmes and projects. An example of this kind of cooperation can be seen in the activities that we have initiated with Commission of the European Communities and in the framework of the Black Sea economic cooperation. We are also ready to participate actively in carrying out the economic programmes being implemented within the framework of the United Nations.”

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

15. “By adopting a law on ownership, the Verkhovna Rada has opened the road to privatization as the principal means for the transition to market-based economic relations. Important documents have been approved concerning the denationalization and privatization of enterprises, land and housing. Ukraine has declared its intention to become an associate member of the CIS economic union, and is engaged in active negotiations within the framework of the Commission of the European Communities. However, the situation in the State remains extremely complicated. In overcoming the crisis, the international community, including our compatriots abroad - the representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora - could play an important role.”

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

16. “Our scholars, specialists and statesmen have not yet succeeded in proposing a programme of economic reforms in keeping with Ukraine’s real potential, its historical traditions and the mind-set of its people. And now we have to make major adjustments to the procedure and sequence of the reform process. Our goal is a market, socially-oriented economic system, directed at meeting the needs of our people. It should take into account economic interrelations that were, objectively, formed in the CIS, opportunities for foreign investment in our economy, and a step-by-step integration of the Ukrainian economy into that of the European Community and the world. Important steps have been taken in this regard.”

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

17. “We see this grouping as potentially one of the best trade and economic partners for Ukraine, inasmuch as trade between the ASEAN States - and the region as a whole - and the countries of Eastern and Central Europe flows through Ukrainian ports. We shall facilitate by all possible means the development, and the maintenance on the proper level, of relations with the States of Europe, North and South America, the Middle East and Africa. I should like to dwell briefly on the present-day situation in Ukraine. Frankly, we are experiencing difficult times now. In addition to the establishment of our own State and the rebirth of our national culture and spirit, we are undergoing a transformation to a new system with new civic and economic parameters.”

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

18. “We hope that wisdom and a balanced approach by all the participants in the negotiating process in that country, and active work on the part of the Transitional Executive Council, will become a solid basis for the successful holding of elections and the formation of a democratic, non-racial and united South Africa. Our State is paying great attention to the experience of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. The extraordinarily fast pace of developments in some of the countries in this region is evidence of the effectiveness of pragmatic approaches to solving complex political, economic and social issues. The process of a practical development of relations with the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries has been initiated.”

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

19. “This would be a logical development of the provisions of resolution 47/72, adopted by the General Assembly at the initiative of Ukraine, with sponsorship by over 50 States, and of the relevant Security Council resolution, resolution 868 (1993) of 29 September 1993. Ukraine is interested in strengthening peace, security and stability in the nearby Middle East region and welcomes the decisions reached between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization on mutual recognition and the agreement on Palestinian self-rule in the Gaza strip and Jericho signed on 13 September in Washington. The first, important step has thus been taken on the road to a complete settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Ukraine welcomes the developments in South Africa, which make it possible to lift economic sanctions against that country.”

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

20. “Ukraine is ready to continue active participation in the peace-keeping activities carried out under the auspices of the United Nations or the CSCE. The prestige and authority that Ukraine has gained as a result of its participation in United Nations peace-keeping operations have not come easily. Lately, human losses among peace-keepers from the United Nations Blue Helmets have increased. The rise in the number of peace-keeping operations and their expansion may result in further losses. That is why it is our belief that it is urgently necessary to work out a document to define the status of United Nations peace-keeping personnel and to make provision for a mechanism to protect them.”

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

21. “In fact, reviving the peacemaking activities of the United Nations has become one of the more vivid examples of the transformation in United Nations political thinking, and is embodied in the conclusion that diplomatic language should replace the language of the gun in inter-State communication. Ukraine is taking an active part in this process. More than a year has elapsed since a Ukrainian battalion was sent to the former Yugoslavia to participate in the United Nations peace-keeping forces. From the point of view of Ukraine, as a new and independent State, the multilateral peace- keeping efforts of the United Nations remain the 8 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session Organization’s most effective instruments in its performance of its major function, the ensuring of international peace and security.”

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

22. “At the same time, I should like to draw attention to a truth that is as old as the hills but which is regrettably often forgotten: preventing disease is much cheaper and more effective than treating them. A similar idea was expressed yesterday by Mr. Kinkel, my colleague from Germany. An emphasis on active, preventive diplomacy that would forestall conflicts should become the dominant feature of contemporary international relations. The fact that the issue of Sevastopol was addressed at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, the activities of the CSCE missions in Kosovo, Sanjak and Vojvodina, and the deployment of United Nations military contingents in The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are, to our mind, good examples that illustrate this truth.”

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

23. “Signed agreements have been violated, the bloodshed persists and people continue to perish. As long ago as 21 September, Leonid Kravchuk, the President of Ukraine, appealed to the President of the Russian Federation, which is a guarantor of the tripartite truce agreement of 27 July 1993, and to the Secretary-General of the United Nations to take all possible measures to stop the escalation of the conflict and to activate the mechanism contained in the agreement. Regrettably, the attempts to stop the dangerous developments have been frustrated and the situation is running out of control, threatening the stability of the Caucasus region as a whole. The international community should immediately call on the potential of the United Nations Charter in order to bring the situation back onto a course of settlement through political dialogue.”

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

24. “We take it as given that all countries involved in the attempt to settle this conflict, and the relevant international structures, must approach the issue very carefully, especially when the use of force is implied. It must be borne in mind that the use of force might lead to extremely undesirable consequences, frustrate the negotiating process and result in an escalation in the conflict and its spread to other areas of the former Yugoslavia. Our position on the settlement of conflicts on the territory of the former Soviet Union is similar. In this connection, we should like to welcome the role played by the United Nations and the CSCE in Transdnestria and the joint efforts of the international community in searching for ways to stop the bloodshed in Nagorny-Karabakh. Tragic developments have taken place in Georgia.”

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

25. “We regard the Commonwealth as an international mechanism for multilateral consultations and talks that is contributing to the process of forming qualitatively new full-scale, bilateral relations between participating States and is promoting solutions to the problems that they face after the disintegration of the USSR. Our relations with the Baltic States are developing in a positive way. Ukraine unswervingly supports the efforts of the world community to find a formula for settling the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. We consider that a real solution to this problem is possible only through taking into account the interests of all States in the region, and those of ethnic communities, on the basis of the relevant decisions by the United Nations Security Council and of the cornerstone principles of international law.”

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

26. “We hope that an understanding of contemporary realities will facilitate the further normalization and development of Ukraine’s relations with other countries on terms of mutual respect, a balanced search for compromises and the renunciation of extreme rhetoric. Genuine conditions for such developments are already in existence, and it is a worthwhile task to use them to foster mutually beneficial economic relations and to ensure wide-ranging contacts between peoples. Ukraine, as one of the founders of the Commonwealth of Independent States, is actively developing cooperation with the CIS countries.”

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

27. “Forty-eighth session - 30 September l993 7 In our opinion, the objective basis for cooperation between Ukraine and other countries lies in the formation of a stable and secure system of international relations. In the present circumstances, the basis of this system is respect for the principal postulates of international law, according to which the inviolability of the frontiers and territorial integrity of sovereign States is recognized as one of the prerequisites for international peace and security. The former empires have vanished, and like them imperialistic thinking, such as unilateral interpretations by certain States of legal succession issues and their other actions that are incompatible with the norms and ethics of international relations should also disappear.”

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

28. “In this connection, I should like to state explicitly that the Republic of Crimea is an inseparable part of Ukraine. Crimea, as a part of Ukraine, could play an appropriate role in the region and make a decisive contribution to consolidating the Black Sea region as a zone of peace and stability. In this context, I should like to express profound gratitude to all the countries, especially to the members of the Security Council, that gave their unambiguous assessment of the illegal encroachments upon the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and manifested their support for our State. Again, we are convinced that the complicated issues of inter-State relations can be solved only through firm and energetic action on the part of the international community.”

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

29. “The Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian Parliament, is deeply involved in these questions and is looking for opportunities to adopt balanced decisions, in the shortest possible time, taking into consideration the interests both of Ukraine and of the international community as a whole. At the same time, I should like to stress that while considering this issue we should also take into account the external situation. For today, instability and internal struggles in neighbouring countries sometimes spill over their frontiers and threaten Ukraine’s national security and territorial integrity. This is most especially so in the case of the well-known decision by the, now former, Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation concerning the status of Sevastopol. There have also been attempts to question the status of Crimea as a whole.”

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

30. “Where do we get the money to dismantle and eliminate the strategic nuclear weapons located in Ukraine? According to our estimates, approximately $2.8 billion are needed for these purposes. How do we ensure reliable guarantees of national security for our State? There arises also the problem of returning to Ukraine - or obtaining compensation for - nuclear components, obtained from nuclear warheads, which, after reprocessing, can be used as fuel for nuclear power stations. This also applies to the nuclear materials extracted from the warheads of tactical missiles removed from Ukraine in 1992. And finally, what should the thousands of servicemen dismissed from the missile forces do? We have no complete answers to these and other questions; so far the promises of help exist only in statements and on paper.”

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

31. “As is well known, we inherited from the former USSR a huge nuclear arsenal, the third largest in the world in terms of its combat potential. The declaration on the State sovereignty of Ukraine proclaimed the intention of our State to become non-nuclear in the future. And this is not a mere declaration. Ukraine is doing as much as it can towards its implementation. The dismantling of the strategic missile complexes has started. An agreement has been signed with Russia on the utilization of the strategic missiles’ nuclear warheads. We do not exclude the possibility of conducting negotiations on this subject with a third party. However, the full-scale implementation of the nuclear disarmament programme is linked to the need to solve a number of problems.”

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

32. “Ukraine is capable of playing a constructive role in the formation of such a system. As a State which is situated in the centre of the European continent and possesses vast human resources and scientific potential and a strong industrial and agricultural complex, Ukraine is ready to contribute more to the formation of a new, prosperous Europe. In accordance with the principles of a new Europe, we aspire to build a democratic State of law that is economically strong, politically active, peaceful and, in the future, non-nuclear along with others, in which individual rights are respected and guaranteed regardless of nationality or other distinctions. In this context, I should like to dwell on the problem of nuclear weapons on the territory of Ukraine.”

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

33. “At the same time, this Central and East European space of stability and security would be a reliable link for developing a broad-based transatlantic system of security taking in the area from Vancouver to Vladivostok, that is, the whole region covered by the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). Implementation of this idea would be a worthy contribution to preventive diplomacy. The basic prerequisite for the creation of such a space might be the implementation of the principle of security for oneself through security for all, the main goal of which would be the development of a system of international relations in the region that would rule out threats to peace and stability such as those emanating from the present conflicts on the territories of the former Yugoslavia and USSR.”

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

34. “Ukraine finds itself in the epicentre of almost all European developments: every crisis emerging on the continent may affect us in one way or another. 6 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session These factors led to the initiative by Mr. Leonid Kravchuk, the President of Ukraine, concerning the creation in the Central and East European region of a space of stability and security which would include all countries in the Baltic and Black Sea zone and that would become, in the future, an integral part of the European system of security.”

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

35. “For Ukraine, it is of special significance that the United Nations renaissance coincides with the building of our independence, our regained statehood and the revival of Ukraine as a sovereign participant in European and world politics. For Ukraine, which today is trying to find its place in the world balance of power, its United Nations membership is one of the most important international guarantees of its national security and independence. After the disintegration of the USSR and the disappearance of the Warsaw Treaty Organization, our country is compelled to exist next to a zone of decreased stability and of alienation and even tension, irrespective of who is the initiator and what is the subject of discord.”

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

36. “We are proud of the fact that Ukraine took an active part in laying down the foundation of the Organization and that today, along with other members of the international community, it is making a worthy contribution to attaining the noble goals of the United Nations. To our mind, the major result of nearly 50 years of the Organization’s existence is the fact that world war has been averted. This is to the credit of the United Nations, a universal forum of States, a unique Organization without which it is impossible to imagine present-day international relations. Today, when the new dominant feature of international relations is the transition from bipolarity to a qualitatively different world order based on comprehensive security and a balance of interests, the world is witnessing the second birth of the United Nations.”

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

37. “Soon we shall commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Teheran Conference, whose decisions laid down the foundations of the United Nations. It was 50 years ago that the participants in that Conference, while discussing the issue of creating an international organization, expressed confidence that the accord among them would ensure lasting peace, and declared the lofty responsibility of all the United Nations in safeguarding peace for succeeding generations. As long ago as 1918, an outstanding Ukrainian politician and writer, Mikhail Hrushevskiy, stated that "Properly creating history is more important than depicting it positively".”

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

38. “In joining my colleagues in congratulating you, Sir, on your election to the high and responsible office of President of the General Assembly, I should like to point out that it is a great honour for a politician and diplomat to guide the work of this universal forum representing practically all the States of the world. I hope that your activities in this important position will promote substantive discussions at this session and the adoption of constructive decisions, and that the work of the forty-eighth session will become a memorable page in your biography. At the same time, I should like to thank Mr. Ganev, President of the previous session of the General Assembly, for his contribution to the Assembly’s work.”

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

39. “In my statement, I have touched upon some unresolved issues that are preventing us from moving ahead. However, none of these problems, we believe, can impede the renaissance of the United Nations stimulated by the end of the cold war and the resulting favourable changes in the world. I can assure everyone present in this hall that Ukraine is determined to participate in the work of the United Nations which will continue to remain a crucial element of our foreign policy, and we will do everything possible to ensure that the Organization enters the next millennium as an effective instrument in building a better world.”

    1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)

40. “Another humanitarian problem requires special attention because unless it is resolved, it will stand in the way of strengthening the principles of civilized relations in international life. I am referring to the question of prisoners of war. While supporting the steps taken by the new leadership of Afghanistan in establishing peace and reconciliation in that country, I should like to appeal to it to do its utmost to ensure an immediate search for and arrange the unconditional return of Ukrainian nationals who are still being kept prisoner or are missing in action. At the same time, we call upon all States in whose territory prisoners of war are being held to make the humane gesture of releasing the victims of military conflicts. This would also contribute to the success of the forthcoming World Conference on Human Rights.”

    1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)

41. “We hope that all States in whose territory Ukrainians reside will demonstrate genuine concern and consideration for their cultural, linguistic and religious needs. That hope was voiced with full force in the statements of the participants in the World Forum of Ukrainians, which recently brought to Kiev thousands of representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora, who had been forced to live far from their native land. At a time when human lives are at stake and people are dying of famine in some parts of the world, the problem of humanitarian aid should play a key role in the activities of the United Nations and of its social and economic organs. Our country, in the light of its own past, is devoting special attention to this question.”

    1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)

42. “We shall strive for a radical revision of the system used for formulating the scale of assessment, bringing it into conformity with the present-day realities, levels of development and ability to pay of Member States. The pressure of economic problems is naturally bound to influence the social situation in our country. However, our efforts to promote respect for international standards in the field of human rights and protection of the interests of national minorities were instrumental in avoiding ethnicity-based conflicts in Ukraine. At the same time, we understand the concerns expressed from this rostrum regarding "discriminatory practices", against Ukrainians and all other non-indigenous nationalities, which are growing stronger in some of the new States that have emerged in the territory of the former USSR.”

    1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)

43. “Our economic difficulties, the foreign debt inherited from the former Soviet Union and the Chernobyl factor make it impossible for Ukraine to meet fully its financial obligations to the United Nations. However, I wish to state that this problem is constantly being given attention by the Parliament and Government of Ukraine. At the same time, Ukraine cannot agree to a merely mechanical approach to the question how the contribution of the former Soviet Union is to be apportioned. We strongly object to the decisions taken at the last session of the Committee on Contributions that, contrary to the existing criteria, recommended increasing Ukraine's contribution for the next year by over 50 per cent.”

    1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)

44. “In carrying out the tasks before us, we must rely primarily on our own strength, on the talent and industriousness of our people. But at the same time, we greatly appreciate outside support for our efforts: foreign investment, and the furnishing of financial and advisory assistance and expertise by the most developed countries of the world and by international organizations. We call for concerted action to overcome the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, a tragedy unprecedented in the history of mankind, and for joint efforts by various countries in solving the complex and unparalleled problems it caused. We hope that the present session of the General Assembly will yield solutions appropriate to the scope of that tragedy.”

    1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)

45. “The imperial system completely exhausted Ukraine's economy and unbalanced our economic mechanisms. Ukraine inherited a predominantly obsolete technology, a backward infrastructure, the burden of foreign debt, a lack of skilled managerial staff, low living standards for the population and galloping inflation. However, we are convinced that independence, the development of democracy and juridical institutions and the implementation of far-reaching political and economic reforms will enable us to weather the transition to a market economy without critical social upheavals during the transition period and will create the necessary conditions for the integration of Ukraine into the system of world economic relations.”

    1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)

46. “We support the ideas of the Secretary-General in this regard and the pragmatic proposals set forth in his report "An Agenda for Peace" (A/47/277). The normalization of the situation in the Persian Gulf, with the direct participation of the United Nations, is facilitating the intensification of efforts aimed at settling the Arab-Israeli conflict. Ukraine believes that a constructive dialogue on this problem at the current session of the General Assembly can foster the process of forging specific agreements that started in Madrid. Ukraine welcomes efforts aimed at stopping the violence in South Africa, and calls upon the Government and the representatives of all political forces in South Africa to continue resolutely the process of peaceful settlement. A few words about Ukraine's economic situation.”

    1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)

47. “Against the background of definite changes for the better in the area of arms limitation and disarmament, issues of strengthening international and regional stability take on special importance. Ukraine greatly appreciates the contribution made by the United Nations to the settlement of conflicts in the "hot spots" of the planet and its endeavours to restore peace to the Balkans and to normalize the situations in Cambodia, Cyprus, Central America and southern Africa. The experience acquired in this sphere proves that the most efficient actions are preventive actions aimed at lessening tension before it is transformed into open conflict between the opposing parties. The use of the methods of preventive diplomacy must become a priority feature of United Nations activity today.”

    1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)

48. “The entry into force of the Treaty will make it possible to accelerate the process of European disarmament, to remove the remaining imbalances in armed forces and to eliminate unpredictability from the military and strategic situation on the Continent. The successful conclusion of negotiations on reducing the numbers of military personnel and on implementing the provisions of the Vienna Document on Confidence- and Security-building Measures opens new opportunities for strengthening stability in Europe. Together with other European countries, we welcome the conclusion of the "open skies" agreement as an important step towards mutual trust in military activities.”

    1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)

49. “Ukraine intends to accede in the very near future to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons; it will place all its nuclear power plants and all fissionable materials under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). We actively support the idea of creating a nuclear-free zone in the Black Sea basin. As is known, in the agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, signed on 3 August of this year at Yalta, the two major Black Sea States officially declared the desirability of pursuing a policy aimed at making the Black Sea a nuclear-free zone and a zone of peace and cooperation. We regard the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe as the most important element of a new security system in Europe.”

    1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)

50. “Simultaneously with its proclamation of independence, Ukraine opted to become a State possessing no nuclear weapons. Of course, Ukraine is not the only country in the world which has chosen non-nuclear status. But our uniqueness lies in the fact that we voluntarily took on the burden of eliminating hundreds of strategic and tactical nuclear warheads inherited from the USSR, a choice which has huge financial implications. Having set out on the path of reducing and eliminating nuclear weapons, we count on strict international guarantees of our national security against the possible threat or use of force by any nuclear State. I should point out that this is by no means a rhetorical question for our newly independent State, and we consider it in our own special context. Naturally, we count on understanding for our position.”

    1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)