YouSaid · the spoken record

Robert G. Mugabe

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS ROBERT G. MUGABE

lines on the record: 143
first: 1988-09-24
most recent: 2012-09-24
sittings or episodes: 7
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

“Yes, he imprisons even here in the United States, with his jails today carrying more blacks than his universities can ever enrol. He even suspends the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Take GuÃ¡ntanamo for example. At that concentration camp, international law does not apply. The national laws of the people there do not apply. Laws of the United States of America do not apply. Only Bush's law applies. Can the international community accept being lectured by this man on the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Definitely not. The President returned to the Chair. We are alarmed that under his leadership basic rights of his own people and those of the rest of the world have summarily been rolled back.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“It is Mugabe, and not the British Prime Minister, who is in the dock, facing trial from the same world that persecuted us for centuries. Let Mr. Bush read history correctly. Let him realize that, both personally and in his representative capacity as the current President of the United States, he stands for this "civilization" that occupied, colonized, incarcerated and killed. He has much to atone for and very little to lecture us about on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. His hands drip with the innocent blood of many nationalities, and, today, with the blood of the Iraqis. But he still kills. He kills in Iraq. He kills in Afghanistan. And he is supposed to be our teacher in human rights? He imprisons. He imprisons and tortures at Guantanamo. He imprisoned and tortured at Abu Ghraib. He has secret torture chambers in Europe.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“I lost a further 15 years fighting white injustice in my country. Ian Smith was responsible for the deaths of well over 50,000 of my people. I bear scars of his tyranny, which Britain and America condoned. I meet his victims every day. Yet, he walks freely today. He farms freely; he has a farm of over 500 hectares. He talks freely, associates freely under our black Government. We taught him democracy. We gave him back his humanity. He would have faced a different fate here and in Europe, if the 50,000 he killed had been Europeans. Africa has not called for a Nuremberg trial against the white world, which committed heinous crimes against humanity. It has not hunted perpetrators of this genocide, many of whom live to this day; nor has it received reparations from those who have offended against it. Instead, it is Africa that is in the dock.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Bush in this Hall calling my Government a demagogic regime â€” because I have rejected this supremacist view and frustrated the neo-colonialists in their endeavours to keep us as slaves in our own country. Clearly, the history of the struggle for our own national and people's rights is unknown to the President of the United States of America. He thinks the Declaration of Human Rights started with his terms in office. He thinks he can introduce to us, who bore the brunt of the struggle for the freedoms of our peoples, the virtues of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. What rank hypocrisy! I spent 11 precious years of my life in the jail of a white Englishman whose freedom and well being I assured and protected from the first day of Zimbabwe's independence, and that was Ian Smith.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The West still negates our sovereignties by controlling our resources, in the process making us mere chattels in our own lands, mere minders of the Westâ€™s transnational interests. In my own country and other sister States in southern Africa, the most visible form of this colonial control has been control over land despoiled from us at the onset of British colonialism. That control largely persists, although it stands firmly challenged in Zimbabwe, thereby triggering the current stand-off between us and Britain, which is supported by her cousin States, most notably the United States and Australia. Mr. Bush, Mr. Blair and now Mr. Brown's sense of human rights precludes our people's right to their God-given resources, which must, in our view, be controlled by our people. I am termed dictator - and yesterday the General Assembly heard Mr.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Zimbabwe won its independence on 18 April 1980 after a protracted war against British colonial imperialism that denied its people human rights and democracy. That colonial system which suppressed and oppressed us enjoyed the support of many countries of the West who were signatories to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Even after 1945, it would appear that the Berlin Conference of 1884, through which Africa was parcelled out to colonial European powers, has remained stronger than the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is, therefore, clear that for the West, vested economic interests and racial and ethnocentric considerations have proved stronger than Western adherence to principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“In its present configuration, the Council has shown that it is not in a position to protect the weaker States, who find themselves at loggerheads with a marauding super-Power. Most importantly, justice demands that any Security Council reform should redress the fact that Africa is the only continent without a permanent seat and veto power in the Security Council. Africa's demands are known and enunciated in the Ezulwini Consensus. We further call for the United Nations system to refrain from interfering in matters that are clearly the domain of Member States and are not a threat to international peace and security. Development at country level should continue to be country-led and not be subject to the whims and caprices of powerful donor States.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Such challenges to the authority of the United Nations and its Charter underpin our repeated call for the revitalization of the General Assembly, itself the most representative organ of the United Nations. The General Assembly should be more active in all areas, including those of peace and security. The encroachment of some United Nations organs upon the work of the General Assembly is of great concern to us. Thus, any process of revitalizing or strengthening the General Assembly should necessarily avoid eroding the principle of the accountability of all principal and subsidiary organs to the General Assembly. Once again, we reiterate our position that the Security Council as presently constituted is not democratic.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“In Zimbabwe, the effects of climate change have become more evident in the past decade as we have witnessed, alongside our neighbours, increased and recurrent droughts, as well as occasional floods, leading to enormous humanitarian challenges. We are for a United Nations that recognizes the equality of sovereign nations and peoples, whether big or small. We are averse to a body in which the economically and militarily powerful behave like bullies, trampling on the rights of weak and smaller States, as sadly happened in Iraq. In the light of those inauspicious developments, this Organization must surely examine the essence of its authority and the extent of its power when challenged in this manner.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Balancing global interests and steering the United Nations in a direction that gives hope to the multitudes of the poor, the sick, the hungry and the marginalized is indeed a mammoth task. We would like to assure him that Zimbabwe will continue to support an open, transparent and all-inclusive multilateral approach in dealing with those global challenges. Climate change is one of the most pressing global issues of our time. Its negative impact is greatest in developing countries, particularly those on the African continent. We believe that, if the international community is going to seriously address the challenges of climate change, then we need to get our priorities right.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Allow me to congratulate Mr. Kerim on his election to preside over this Assembly. We are confident that through his stewardship, issues on the agenda of the sixty-second session will be dealt with in a balanced manner and to the satisfaction of all. Allow me also to pay tribute to his predecessor, Ms. Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa, who steered the work of the sixty-first session in a very competent and impartial manner. Her ability to identify the crucial issues facing the world today will be remembered as the hallmark of her presidency. We extend our hearty welcome to the new Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, who has taken up this challenging job requiring dynamism in confronting the global challenges of the twenty-first century.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“We in Africa aspire, in these reforms, for a United Nations which upholds universal values and interests, attends to the urgent needs of the least- developed regions of the world, and remains at the service of humanity.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The peace process in the Middle East is in serious jeopardy as a result of Israel’s refusal to freeze the building of settlements in the occupied territories. There is a real risk of reversal of important gains that have been achieved so far in that part of the world. We call on the parties to the peace process to show good faith and give peace a chance. In conclusion, I wish to reiterate that we believe the United Nations reform process has reached a crucial stage. We have always believed that the United Nations, as a living organism, needs to respond to its changing environment. It is our sincere hope, therefore, that we can make progress expeditiously.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Indeed, basic necessities such as food and shelter, together with peace, security and stability, are the foremost human rights that the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo ask of the international community in this, their hour of greatest need. While inquiry into alleged massacres in the Congo may be important, the lofty principles of peace, democracy and good governance which we all cherish so dearly, will be realized in that country only if immediate support is provided by the international community. In respect of the dispute between the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and both the United States and Britain concerning the Lockerbie issue, the OAU summit expressed the hope that the Security Council would consider ways and means to ensure a rapid resolution of this dispute.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Africa and the entire international community welcomed the successful holding of elections in Liberia, and we congratulate the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the important role it played in helping to bring that conflict to an end. We salute the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo on the positive developments that have taken place 3 in their country and welcome the commitment of their Government to restore and uphold democracy and democratic principles. Obviously, after so many decades of dictatorship and plunder, the task of rehabilitation and reconstruction in that country is not going to be an easy one. The people of the Democratic Republic of Congo need our support in their endeavours to restore peace and stability in their country.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The OAU is working tirelessly through the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution in search of African solutions to these African problems. We call on the United Nations and the international community at large to support Africa’s initiatives to resolve these conflicts and to strengthen the OAU’s capacity for preventive diplomacy and conflict resolution. We are encouraged by the continued engagement of the United Nations in Angola and welcome the adoption by the Security Council last month of resolution 1127 (1997), calling on the União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola (UNITA) to abide by the Lusaka Protocol.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Africa cannot and will not give legitimacy to regimes that willy-nilly flout the rule of law and the popular aspirations of their people. We appeal to the international community not to give solace to these military juntas in the name of humanitarian aid, but to stand solidly with Africa in denying them recognition. Of equal concern to Africa are the crises in the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Somalia, the Sudan, Western Sahara, Burundi and the Comoros. In this respect we take note of, and reaffirm our support for, the United Nations initiative through the Secretary-General’s envoy, Mr. James Baker, which seeks to find a lasting solution to the problem of the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“These are, indeed, a result of the recognition that Africa risks being marginalized unless innovative ways are found to support its development efforts. Africa in terms of conflict situations still suffers from a number of setbacks. The situation in Sierra Leone, where a military junta overthrew the democratically elected Government of that country in May this year, is a matter of serious concern to us. The Organization of African Unity (OAU), meeting in Harare for its thirty- third summit, unequivocally condemned the coup and called for the immediate and unconditional restoration of the constitutional Government of Sierra Leone. Africa’s message is loud and clear. The days of military dictatorships are over.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“There can be no better time than now for the international community to augment our own efforts to bring the much-awaited peace dividend to our people. Foreign direct investment to Africa should continue to be augmented by official development assistance. The steady fall of this assistance from 0.34 per cent in 1992 to 0.25 per cent in 1996 is therefore a matter of serious concern to us. We commend those countries which have surpassed the target of allocating 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product to official development assistance and urge others to do likewise. We welcome new initiatives on Africa that have recently been announced in the area of trade, investment and infrastructure development.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“For these efforts to succeed, however, it is vital that Africa receive the prerequisite support and cooperation of its development partners and, indeed, that of the international community at large. We should never underestimate the enormous obstacles that the African economies are confronted with. Africa’s external debt problem and the heavy burden of debt repayments continue to drain many of our economies of the much-needed capital for development. More resources in the form of debt repayments than those coming in the form of aid are leaving the continent. There is a need, therefore, for international financial institutions to adopt a unified and coordinated approach to Africa’s debt problem that will help to redress the situation.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“At the subregional and continental levels, Africa has taken unprecedented steps to assume greater control of its future through economic integration. The historic convening in Harare in June this year of the inaugural session of the Assembly of Heads of Government of the African Economic Community was an important landmark in Africa’s efforts to build a stable and prosperous future for its people. The session resolved to strengthen the African Economic Community through the conclusion of protocols with subregional organizations, such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), among others, which are essential building blocks for a viable economic community at a continental level.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In the political sphere, democracy and good governance have taken root on our continent. In the past few years, we have witnessed the end of the dictatorships and military governments in many parts of Africa, and their replacement by governments committed to the political empowerment of their people. In the economic sphere, economic structural adjustment 2 programmes not only have stimulated high growth rates of between 5 and 10 per cent per annum, but have also created an environment that is increasingly receptive to foreign direct investment and greater participation of the private sector in our economies. Most countries have also entered into multilateral and bilateral investment treaties with both developed and developing countries.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The overwhelming support that the treaty received is eloquent testimony to the determination of the international community to rid itself of these deadly weapons, which have killed or maimed millions of innocent people the world over. Africa, which has one of the largest concentrations of anti-personnel mines and perhaps the highest number of victims of these weapons, is happy to join this international consensus. It is our hope that those who remain outside the Ottawa process will reconsider their position and decide to sign the treaty when it is opened for signature in December of this year. The past few years have witnessed the African continent undergoing a dual process of economic and political reforms. These reforms have in many countries resulted in greater democratization, as well as in higher economic growth rates.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The United Nations needs adequate financial resources if it is to continue to fulfil its mandate effectively, particularly in the light of the ever-expanding burden of responsibilities that it has to shoulder. It is therefore imperative for Member States to ensure that they pay their dues and pay them in a timely fashion. Unilateral actions to adjust the Organization’s scale of assessment or to withhold funds from certain United Nations programmes undermine the very foundation of the Organization and therefore should not be condoned. In the area of disarmament, we welcome the adoption at the recently concluded Oslo Conference of the draft treaty on the global ban on anti-personnel mines.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Another area of fundamental importance to Africa pertains to the reforms in the economic and social fields of the United Nations. Africa is of the view that for reforms in this sphere to be meaningful and credible they should seek to reinforce the pivotal role of the United Nations in development and, conversely, the centrality of development to the United Nations agenda. We firmly believe in the role of free enterprise as the motive force in economic development. But any attempts to re-fashion an exclusively political mandate for the United Nations will marginalize its role in development, while giving free play to blind market forces and finance capital. This is clearly contrary to the Charter of the United Nations and should be resisted.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The thirty-third ordinary summit of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), held in Harare in June this year, underscored the pressing need for democratizing the United Nations Security Council and stressed that the process should take full account of the position of Africa as the largest continental grouping at the United Nations as far as the allocation of permanent and non-permanent seats in the reformed Council is concerned. The summit concurred with the position of the Non-Aligned Movement that use of the power of the veto should be restricted if it is not abolished. However, for as long as it exists, the new permanent members of the Council should be granted the same prerogatives and powers as the current members.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Why, indeed, are there frequent and persistent attempts by few States to undermine and circumvent the most democratic and representative body of the United Nations — the General Assembly — on matters of crucial concern to the entire international community? What are we to make of this? Are we meant to conclude that democracy and good governance at the international level should only be at the pleasure and behest of the mighty and powerful? Surely this state of affairs cannot continue, as it makes a mockery of the lofty and hallowed democratic principles we profess to cherish dearly at the national level.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The fact that major geographical and political groupings representing the overwhelming majority of the peoples of the world remain under-represented and without permanent seats on the Security Council is the greatest anomaly of our times. Equally anomalous is a situation in which in this enlightened age the wishes of the overwhelming majority in the General Assembly will continue to be subjected to the whims and dictates of the privileged few by virtue of their wielding the power of the veto. Why should a small minority of States continue to wield so much power over the destiny of the majority without the latter’s consent?”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We have also taken note of the proposals that he is placing before Member States for their consideration. We stand ready to work closely with the Secretary- General and other delegations to ensure that the reform process is speeded up on the basis of consensus and democratic participation. What is crucial to us is that reforms go to the heart of the matter — namely, the removal of anachronistic and undemocratic arrangements introduced over 50 years ago. The reform and expansion of the United Nations Security Council is not only desirable but also imperative if the Council is to ensure the successful implementation of its global mandate to maintain international peace and security on behalf of all States.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Africa has consistently underlined the need for reform of the United Nations and other multilateral bodies, to promote the democratization and effectiveness of the international decision-making process. Indeed, we have maintained that such international bodies should truly serve the collective interests of the peoples of the world. It is in this context that we welcome the Secretary- General’s bold package of proposals, contained in the report entitled “Renewing the United Nations: a Programme for Reform” (A/51/950), which has been presented to the Assembly. These proposals merit our serious consideration. We have taken note of those proposals that the Secretary-General has implemented or intends to implement, as they fall within the purview of his powers as chief administrator of the Organization.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We commend Ambassador Razali, the President of the General Assembly at its fifty-first session, for having brought his experience and wisdom to bear upon the various special sessions and working groups of the General Assembly that he presided over during the past year, particularly in the area of United Nations reform. May I also pay tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his vision and for his exemplary leadership of the United Nations. I wish to commend him particularly for his tireless efforts to assist Member States in transforming the United Nations into a more dynamic, relevant and effective instrument for meeting the challenges that confront us as we approach the end of this millennium.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“On behalf of the States members of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), of which I am the current Chairman, and of my country, Zimbabwe, I extend our warmest congratulations to you, Mr. Udovenko, on your unanimous election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-second session. Your election to that high office is a fitting and eloquent tribute to your personal diplomatic qualities and to the valuable role that your country, Ukraine, is playing in international affairs. We are confident that, under your wise stewardship, the deliberations of this session will achieve significant results.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It is our fervent hope that just as the United Nations has considerably strengthened its role in the political and humanitarian fields, its role in the economic, social and related fields will likewise be strengthened in order adequately to meet the emerging new realities and their impact on the developing countries. Let me conclude by calling upon all Member States to remember that just as the new international situation dictates the need to strengthen, democratize and streamline the operations of the United Nations and its constituent bodies, so also is it incumbent upon us to make an exceptional contribution in pursuit of the noble goals of justice, peace and development. This we believe can be achieved only if all Members live up to their obligations under the Charter.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We have a duty to the future for them by the positive and practical measures we take today for their protection, education and development. Of great importance to us also are issues of population and the advancement of women. In this context we welcome and support the convening of the World Conference on Population and Development in 1994 in Cairo, Egypt, and of the World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, in 1995. In this regard let me underscore the conclusion of the World Economic Survey 1993 that the social concerns of developing countries, and the major issues of development in other areas of the world, cannot be resolved in the absence of world economic growth.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“It is appropriate that these constitute the basis of our deliberations when we convene in Copenhagen, Denmark, in March 1995 for the World Summit for Social Development. These themes are all equally vital. It is gratifying that the international community has pronounced itself on them on many occasions as indeed have States individually and severally. The theme of social integration, for example, was addressed in a special way when two years ago we held a summit meeting on children here in New York. We adopted principles and guidelines which should govern the treatment and development of children in all our countries. We should, in translating these principles into practice, work to remove the status and stigma of society’s marginal people from our children. The children are our future.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In particular, we commend the Commission on Sustainable Development for the constructive and positive manner in which it conducted its work during its first substantive session in June. We welcome the stress that the Commission has placed on some of the areas critical to the successful implementation of Agenda 21, including the urgent need to support national efforts to achieve sustainable consumption and production patterns and lifestyles and the need for a supportive international economic environment. Issues such as the alleviation and reduction of poverty, the creation of remunerative and productive employment and social integration are at the core of the endeavours of all countries, but more urgently of developing countries.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“It is our earnest hope that the international community as well as organs of the United Nations system and the multilateral financial institutions will continue to render their invaluable and generous assistance in order to ensure the success of our regional integration efforts. Zimbabwe is fully committed to achieving the sustainable utilization of our natural resources and the protection of our environment in order to attain sustainable development. In this context, we note with appreciation the progress made so far in establishing the institutional mechanism for the follow-up of the decisions taken during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June last year.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Through the various regional economic organizations such as the Eastern and Southern African Preferential Trade Area (PTA), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Arab Maghreb Union, African countries are trying to further their aim of achieving self- sustaining development. These efforts will eventually culminate in the formation of an African Economic Community, whose foundations have already been laid. Furthermore, it is our objective to evolve common political values, systems and institutions, and to promote and defend peace and security in the region.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Mindful of the need to promote sustainable and self-sustaining development on the basis of self-reliance and the interdependence of Member States, the countries of Southern Africa signed in August 1992 a regional treaty establishing the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). Foremost among our objectives are the achievement - through regional Forty-eighth session - 28 September l993 5 integration - of development and economic growth, the alleviation of poverty, the enhancement of the standard and quality of life and the support of the socially disadvantaged.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Africa believes that the commitment it made together with the international community, when the New Agenda was adopted in 1991, must be renewed and translated into concrete action. Fully cognizant of the fact that Africa’s development is primarily our responsibility, we have proceeded courageously to implement our side of the commitment, particularly in the promotion of regional and sub-regional economic cooperation and integration and the creation of an enabling environment for foreign and domestic investment. We therefore call upon the international community to buttress our efforts by addressing in a concerted manner the major constraints which I have highlighted. Africa does not seek charity.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Standing at close to $290 billion at the end of 1992, the continent’s debt is equivalent to 100.1 per cent of its gross national product, while it is an alarming 108 per cent for sub-Saharan Africa. With Africa continuing to be a net exporter of financial resources, is it any wonder that many of our human development needs and social services have gone unmet? We believe that there is a clear and compelling need to find a lasting solution to Africa’s indebtedness. While we welcome some of the positive steps taken by some creditor countries towards debt relief, as well as the important initiatives of the Bretton Woods institutions in this regard, we believe that an unacceptable gap still remains between rhetoric and action, and that more decisive measures can be taken to address this crisis.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We therefore call for an early conclusion of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). We also call again on the developed countries to achieve without further delay the target of 0.7 per cent of their gross national product for official development assistance that was set over 24 years ago by this very Assembly. Africa’s economic and social progress in general, and in the context of the implementation of the New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s in particular, will remain severely hampered as long as the continent’s debt burden continues to be as acute as it is today.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“They have made great sacrifices and encountered untold difficulties in implementing these reforms. In southern and eastern Africa in particular, the capacity to implement and keep these economic reforms on course was further undermined by the devastating drought which swept the region in 1991-1992. Yet these countries have continued to demonstrate their commitment to the reforms aimed at improving the standard of living of their people. Our sacrifices alone are not enough to ensure the success of our economic reform programmes. In this regard, we must once again reiterate the imperative need for an open and equitable international trading system and the provision of adequate financial resources.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Instead, these disparities have become more pronounced than ever before. The problems confronting the developing countries today are manifold. Terms of trade continue to deteriorate, as high prices of imported manufactured goods and rising protectionism in developed countries become the order of the day. The socio-economic crisis in the developing countries has been further exacerbated by the crippling burden of debt. The flows of official development assistance, upon which they are dependent, has declined in recent years, while direct investment has constituted only a marginal percentage of all inflows to these countries, particularly those in Africa. In Africa, the least developed and most marginalized of all the world’s regions, the majority of countries are undertaking economic reform measures.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“However, unless all Member States commit themselves to timely payments of their assessed contributions for these efforts, some countries will find continued participation difficult. We are fully aware that issues involving violent disputes or armed conflicts are not the only concerns of the international community. Other issues, such as trade and economic growth, as well as international cooperation for development, are matters of primary concern. We note with concern from the World Economic Survey, 1993 that for the third year in succession the rate of growth of world output in 1993 will be below that of world population. It is also evident from the Survey that the end of the East-West ideological divide has not brought with it a commensurate narrowing of the economic disparities between North and South.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The untiring efforts of the Secretary- General and the United Nations in seeking lasting solutions to these conflicts on our continent and elsewhere, particularly those emanating from the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia and Soviet Union, deserve our unqualified support. 4 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session As equal members of this family of nations, we believe that peace-keeping, peace-building and peacemaking must not be the preserve of a few economically or politically powerful countries. We stand ready to cooperate with the international community in seeking solutions to the many problems facing the world today, by participating in peace- keeping operations or mediation efforts, or by providing any facilities or expertise at our disposal.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The President of the African National Congress (ANC) has appealed to the United Nations for the ending of sanctions against South Africa, and we are glad that there has been response from a number of countries to that appeal. Zimbabwe fully supports the appeal, and we are glad that a stage has now been reached when we can judge the process to be more or less irreversible. In Somalia we commend the efforts of the United Nations in the difficult mission to restore normalcy to that tortured country. In Liberia and Rwanda, while peace has remained elusive, we are glad that current OAU and United Nations efforts to resolve the crises have begun to bear fruit. It is our hope that recent positive developments on the long- standing question of Western Sahara will result in a just and equitable settlement.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“On South Africa, we applaud and support the current negotiations to bring about democratic change in that country, particularly the recent agreement regarding the future, and indeed ongoing, establishment of the Transitional Executive Council. We are, however, dismayed to note the intensification of violence and the withdrawal of the Inkatha Freedom Party and the white conservatives from the negotiations. These actions threaten the smooth progress towards the goal of democratic elections currently set for April 1994. We therefore urge the two parties to return to the negotiating table, as this is the only way forward. The United Nations should also seriously consider a more active role in the prevention of violence.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In Angola we are gravely concerned at the continued escalation of fighting between UNITA and the legitimate MPLA Government. This has caused untold loss of life and property. We believe that the efforts of the United Nations and the OAU should be aimed at achieving a cease-fire between the two warring parties and creating favourable circumstances for the deployment of United Nations peace- keeping operations while negotiations for peace take place. UNITA should accept the results of the September 1992 democratic elections, which were declared free and fair by international observers, including the United Nations.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Its mandate will be guided by the principles of the OAU Charter, in particular the sovereign equality of States. Where conflicts have already occurred, the function of this mechanism will be peacemaking and peace building. Even with our meagre resources, we are proud to say that Africa has already established a Special Fund to support OAU activities in conflict prevention and settlement. In southern Africa we continue to be bedeviled by conflicts in Angola, Mozambique and South Africa. In Mozambique, however, we welcome the recent talks between President Chissano and RENAMO leader Afondo Dhlakama, which have cleared some of the major obstacles to the peace process. We therefore urge the United Nations to continue its efforts to put the peace process back on schedule to enable elections to be held in October 1994.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)