STATEMENT
BY
HIS
EXCELLENCY MOVIE R. CAPTAN
MINISTER
OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
REPUBLIC
OF LIBERIA
THE UNITED
NATIONS
NEW YORK
SEPTEMBER
20, 2000
Mr.
President:
Mr.
Secretary General,
Distinguished
Delegates:
I am honored to participate in this
historic session on behalf of His Excellency Dr. Charles Ghankay Taylor,
President of the Republic of Liberia.
Mr.
President:
I am pleased to congratulate you on
your election as President of the 55th General Assembly of the United Nations.
My delegation acknowledges the
astute diplomatic skills and esteemed wisdom which you bring to this important
assignment. We are therefore assured of a successful convocation and wish to
assure your Excellency of the full cooperation of the Liberian delegation.
May I also take this opportunity to
pay tribute to the outgoing President, Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab of Namibia, my
brother and colleague, for the very able manner in which he conducted the 54th
session of the General Assembly.
In the same vein, I would like to
commend our distinguished Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his vision,
far-sightedness and the efficient manner in which he continues to carry out his
mandate.
OVERVIEW
Mr.
President:
This session has the challenge to
determine how the international community will address the primary issues of
peace and development.
It has the task to assist in
preventing infra-state, inter-state and regional conflicts, as well as to
ensure that we pursue balanced and non-selective approaches to their solution.
In addition, it must consider how to bring equity to the present international
financial structure. Despite the much-heralded dividends that globalization
oîfefs, developing countries are still beset with mounting debt burdens, unfair
trade practices, declining official development assistance, poor health
delivery systems and inadequate resource flows.
The need for an improved environment
for global interaction, sensitive to the needs of developing countries, is a
dire necessity that must not be ignored during our deliberations.
REFORM
OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Mr.
President:
The purposes and principles of the
Charter of the United Nations have proven to be of durable value over the
years. Today, as in the past, Liberia wishes to reaffirm its commitment to this
instrument. The machinery, which has evolved continues to be an indispensable
framework for better international relations.
But Member States cannot continue to
support the United Nations in words only, and must avoid resorting to the
expediency of exploiting it in the pursuit of narrow national aims that
consistently discredit others.
At the dawn of this Millennium, the
United Nations performance principally will be measured by its capability to
sustain and protect the universal values of liberty, equity and solidarity,
tolerance, non-violence, respect for nature and shared responsibility as
endorsed by the Millennium Summit a few weeks ago. Liberia intends to be a part
of the process.
Mr.
President:
There are areas of the United
Nations that need constant attention and improvement. Liberia and other Member
States have spoken of the need to correct come of the structural and
institutional malaise that continue to undermine the Organization's effectiveness.
As was emphasized in my Address to the World Millennium Summit, we must: 1)
review the inequitable representation of the world's people as reflected by the
present structure of the Security Council; 2) review the undemocratic processes
of decision-making in the Security Council; and 3) review the continuous
violations with apparent impunity of the UN charter by the big, the rich and
the powerful.
Indeed when the Organization was
framed, five nations were entrusted with the responsibility to oversee the
entire world. The prevailing circumstances at the time justified this
dispensation and Liberia, a signatory to the Charter reasoned that arrangement
to be acceptable. Time has unfolded new realities, which makes the arrangement
of old - unrealistic, unjustifiable and certainly unacceptable.
There is a need to take into account
existing political, economic and security realities. I need hardly say that one
area of concern to Liberia is the use of the Veto in the Security Council,
which, on some occasions, has proven to be in conflict with the noble
objectives of the Charter.
Liberia is interested in peace,
justice, development and economic progress for its people and will not restrain
its voice on issues which are vital to all nations on which it should speak
with equally authoritative voice.
Mr. President:
Mindful that peace can translate
into a sustained climate for development, Liberia has continued to work within
the regional framework of the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) to ensure the attainment of peace in our sub-region is a reality.
In this regard, Liberia was
privileged to assume the mandate given to President Charles Ghankay Taylor by
his colleagues, Heads of State of ECOWAS, in Abuja in May 2000, and in keeping
with consultations held among the Chairman of ECOWAS, the Chairman of the OAU,
the President of Nigeria, the Gambia and hosted by the President of Liberia, in
Monrovia on 26 July 2000; a new Leader and interlocutor of the RUF has been
named by the "RUF High Command" through a letter to the Chairman of
ECOWAS, thus removing Cpl. Foday Sankoh from the peace process in Sierra Leone.
Additionally,
the new RUF leadership has indicated, in writing, its willingness to accept a
ceasefire, return to positions at the signing of the Lome Agreement on 7 July
1999, the deployment of an ECOWAS contingent of UNAMSIL into RUF positions, and
its willingness to proceed with the DDR programs.
Liberia, along with other ECOWAS
member states, have also called upon the RUF new leadership to show good faith
by returning all seized arms, ammunition, and equipment to UNAMSIL. It has been
reported that some Armored Personnel Garners (APCs) have been returned to
UNAMSIL, but we must continue to insist on full restitution.
Liberia wishes to take this
opportunity to again condemn the taking of U.N. Peacekeepers by the RUF, an act
that challenged and undermined our concerted efforts to ensure collective
security. Likewise, the recent attacks on U.N. Personnel in East Timor and
Macenta, Guinea are unacceptable and warrant the collective actions of member-states
of the United Nations to prevent any future attacks against U.N. Personnel.
We must send a clear and unambiguous
message to all groups, that the people of the world intends to adequately
protect those individuals commissioned to carry-out specific assignments for
and on behalf of the United Nations, whether they be in the areas of
peacekeeping or the discharge of other humanitarian services.
The Government of Liberia has
expressed its support for U.N. Security Council Resolution 1306, which calls
far an end to the smuggling of diamonds from Sierra Leone. As evidence of this,
my Government has committed itself to undertaking several initiatives,
including the enactment of a statute criminalizing the export of undocumented
or uncertificated diamonds; the enforcement of legislation requiring the
Central Bank of Liberia to issue certificates of origin, in line with existing
laws, and the development of a transparent process with the assistance of
experts from the IMF and World Bank.
GUINEA-LIBERIA
RELATIONS:
After the Liberian Civil War, our
government took several measures to consolidate peace and security in our sub-region,
especially considering the fact that many disgruntled former combatants sought
refuge in neighboring countries.
The government of Liberia
voluntarily destroyed, with the assistance of ECOWAS and the United Nations,
over 21,000 small arms and more than 3 million rounds of ammunition. The
Government of Liberia also signed the ECOWAS Protocol on the Moratorium on Small
Arms.
Despite these measures, and the
current imposition of an unjust arms embargo against Liberia, armed insurgents
from the neighboring country of Guinea have attacked Liberia for the third
time.
The repeated violations of Liberia's
territorial integrity by armed insurgents from the area of the Guinea-Sierra
Leone borders have been reported to this assembly and the Security Council, the
OAU, and ECOWAS. Though generally unacknowledged and uncondemned, In April 1999
there was an incursion from Guinea, followed by another in August of the same
year.
A third and most recent attack emanating from the Republic
of Guinea is ongoing, resulting into the unnecessary loss of lives, property
and the displacement of a large number of our people
We are alarmed by the large
quantities of new arms and ammunition being used by the insurgents coming from
Guinea, and the implication for the on-going armed conflicts and potential
hotbeds in our sub-region.
The repatriation of some 32,000
refugees to Liberia by the UNHCR has been suspended as a result of the armed
incursion. Indeed, Liberia is a stakeholder in the peace and security of the
sub-region, and especially in bringing the illegal arms trade in West Africa to
an end.
The inviolability of the borders
between Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone remains a crucial issue. We call,
once more, for a monitoring presence of the United Nations at these borders to
monitor all crossing points capable of vehicular traffic. We recognize the
enormous cost of policing the entire length of the borders and suggest the
utilization of an air-borne mufti-spectral service in detection of any unusual
movements of any type along the entire border. Intelligence gathered therefrom
could prove useful to the three countries and the international community at
large. The cost of this service is reasonable and could be underwritten by the
international community.
The Government of Liberia wishes to
bring to the attention of this assembly the maltreatment of Liberian and Sierra
Leonean refugees in Guinea, which was incited by a speech given by the
President of Guinea, General Lansana Conte on September 9, 2000, and confirmed
by Human Rights Watch. The refugees have been arrested, beaten, and some even
raped.
These actions are in violation of
international conventions and we appeal to the international community to call
upon the Guinean authorities to respect and protect ail refugees living within
their territory. The attack on Guinea, while condemnable, is no excuse for such
inhumane treatment meted out against innocent refugees.
Liberia remains committed to the
pursuit of peace and stability both at home and in the sub-region, and in so
doing, will assiduously struggle for the socio-economic upliftment of its
people, and those of the sub-region under the ECOWAS Treaty.
Mr. President:
In my intervention last year, I
renewed my Government's request for the Security Council to lift the arms
embargo imposed on Liberia eight years ago in 1992. I advanced reasons in
support of this request, principal among which, was the constitutional duty to
defend the territorial boundaries of Liberia and protect all individuals
therein, and especially in light of the repeated armed incursions into Liberia
by dissidents from Guinea. Again, in early July, 2000 there was another
incursion into Liberia from the same country by dissidents with the declared
objective of overthrowing the duly elected Government of President Charles
Ghankay Taylor. As I speak, there is an on-going war between Government forces
and the dissidents.
Although our repeated requests for
the lifting of the arms embargo have not received a favorable response from the
Security Council, we again put the matter before that body for urgent
consideration.
The present security situation
within Liberia and the West African sub-region, compels us to seek removal of
these restrictions, so that the Government of Liberia can acquire the means to
protect its citizens and others within the territorial confines of the country,
as well as to maintain a stable environment. On the other hand, the continued
existence of an arms embargo against Liberia in the midst of repeated armed
aggression is a violation of our inherent right to self-defense under Article
51 of the UN Charter. If the UN fails to grant Liberia the right to defend
herself, then the UN is obligated to provide for the security and defense of
Liberia.
The persistent attacks on Liberia,
we believe, are precipitated and encouraged by the knowledge that dissident
forces have of the existence of the United Nations arms embargo on Liberia,
which leaves Liberia vulnerable to such callous
and unwarranted attacks on its nation and people by dissidents outside
of the country.
The Security Council arms embargo has not only undermined and compromised Liberia's capacity for self-defense, but it has further deprived our universities from obtaining needed laboratory chemicals, deprived our industries from acquiring essential explosive for mining and rock quarries. Hence, the arms embargo continues to have a disruptive impact on our educational system and our economy as well.
Mr. President:
In this post-conflict environment,
there is the urgent need to build confidence and enhance the capacity of
government institutions such as health, education, agriculture related agencies
and security apparatus which are vital to meeting the basic needs of Liberians,
including ex-combatants.
Pledges were made toward the
achievement of this objective in Paris in December 1997. On the contrary,
little aid has trickled in to further the reconstruction programs of our
Government.
Despite the assurances from the
international community that the road to international assistance was a
successful disarmament process followed by the holdings of free and fair
elections; the international donor community has continued to pursue a policy
of "punitive disengagement."
Pursuant to this policy, essentially,
all known avenues for obtaining assistance are laden with impractical
conditionalities, which are difficult to meet even by countries that have not
experienced civil war.
We wish to note that this
exclusionary attitude approximates the imposition of economic sanctions on
Liberia and its people.
However, whatever justification we may rationalize, there is a population of Liberia which has suffered the scourge of seven years of civil war; vulnerable children, women and the elderly who deserve humane assistance irrespective of any political imperatives; people who care less of the politics of the machination of power brokers who arrogate on to themselves the right to determine what is acceptable behavior in the international political system. I might add that Liberians are not automatons.
As a sovereign people, we claim the
incontestable right to exercise the leading role in determining our destiny,
especially the right of ownership of our development programs. We are an integral
part of the human family, pulsating
with needs and aspirations
that are good and honorable. We too desire to reap the benefits of the "people-centered
development" underlined in the Millennium Declaration.
At this precarious period of our national
life, Liberians have shown uncommon resilience and are relentlessly striving
to rebuild their lives.
What we seek from the international
community is its empathy and human understanding in providing the requisite
assistance that will enable Liberians to enjoy the basic human rights of food,
security and peace. Importantly, we wish similar benefits for our neighbors and
others beyond the West African Sub-Region.
Mr. President:
Following the successful celebration of the Millennium Summit which reenforced our collective determination for the improvement of the United Nations management in the 21st Century, it would seem morally incongruent that the 23 million people of Taiwan are being denied the right to participate in the United Nations.
General Assembly Resolution 2758
(XXVI) denies the Taiwanese people the right to participate in UN activities
and contravenes the United Nations Charter's principle of Universality. How can
such injustice suffice in this era of increased global interaction, economic
interdependence, political transformation, democratization and rapprochement?
With the undeniable record of the
ROC - its experience in democracy as proven by the recent election of President
Chen Shui-bian, its respect for human rights, its economic power resulting from
its acceptance of the market economy; the energy, imagination and courage of
its people, technological achievements and humanitarian attributes all over the
world, who would query its overarching relevance?
Liberia fervently reiterates its
call for the inclusion of the ROC in this world organization. We believe that
the ROC can make important contributions that would
serve the best interest of the UN community.'
The world has witnessed a
significant achievement in Science and Technology leading to rapid
industrialization and the improvement of the standard of living of humankind.
Although the gains in Science and
Technology have led to the development of new medicines and other scientific
knowledge, it has equally posed a threat to the environment and human survival.
Rapid industrialization and scientific discoveries are dangerously impacting
upon the environment. Unless we modify our activities, the sweet stories of
scientific achievement will sadly lead to tragedy and doom.
In this new millennium, we cannot
ignore the potency of threats posed by environmental degradation to our
survival. Saving the planet is a precursor to the continued existence of its 5
billion inhabitants.
This is why
my delegation supports the efforts of the Commission on Sustainable
Development, and endorses the Commission's recommendation to convene a General
Assembly summit-level review, preferably in a developing country in 2002 to
reassess the decision reached on Agenda 21 at the Rio Conference in 1992.
Mr.
President:
Among the many impediments to social
and economic development in Africa are poverty, poor health delivery systems,
infra-regional wars and civil conflicts.
It is a known fact that there is a
correlation between war, civil conflict and the spread of HIV/AIDS. The
HIV/AIDS pandemic targets and destroys our human resource, which is the basis
for our socio-economic development. UN records show that the prevalence of
HIV/AIDS increases in countries affected by war and civil conflicts due to
population movements. Therefore, we should not ignore the fact that post-conflict
countries need special attention to fight the disease.
Throughout Africa, HIV/AIDS accounts
for the increase in death rate among young people and adults between ages 10
and 24, and 25 and 45 respectively. We appeal to the relevant UN agencies and
other partners in the HTV/.AIDS programs to help Liberia obtain the 6.5 million
US dollars needed to prevent and control the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Meanwhile, in reference to the Inter-Agency
Standing Committee Working Group established by the Security Council in January
this year to examine the relationship between war and civil strife and the
spread of HIV/AIDS, I would like to state my delegation's endorsement of the
targets set for reductions in new infections, and applaud the measures taken
thus far to provide care, support and access to information and medication for
HIV/AIDS victims. Hence, my delegation commends the United Nations for its
assistance to countries significantly affected by this dreadful epidemic.
Apart from HIV/AIDS, Malaria,
Tuberculosis and Polio contribute immensely to the obliteration of socio-economic
gains in countries where they are widespread. Cognizant of the impediments that
these infectious diseases pose to our socio-economic development, Nigeria has
offered to host an African Summit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and other
infectious diseases in the year 2001. Meanwhile, we commend President Olusegun
Obasanjo for hosting the African Summit on "Roll Back Malaria" in April this year.
We in Liberia have not relented in
our efforts to reduce, if not eliminate these health scourges that continue to
threaten our social and economic development. Hence, the Liberian Government in
cooperation with the World Health Organization has successfully contained
Polio, which killed, and immobilized thousands of our citizens in the past
years as a result of a vigorous campaign. The Polio Vaccination Campaign targeted
900,000 people, and the number of people vaccinated was 911,423.
I am pleased to report that, if I am
allowed to borrow and paraphrase the main slogan from this successful campaign:
we are determined to "Kick
Polio Out of Liberia ".
THE DEBT BURDEN
Liberia continues to be saddled by
the debt burden. This debt overhang, which remains a major contributor to the
gap between the rich and poor nations, was acquired out of loans given in the
pursuit of influence in the Cold War, which, as I stated in my address to the
Millennium Summit, was not in the interest of the borrower. As a result of the
debt burden, our children are deprived of food, education, health care, and
jobs for their parents.
While we commend countries that have
taken steps to relieve poorer countries of their debt burden, I emphasize that
unless all rich creditor nations adopt measures to erase this burden, it will
continue to be oppressive, and an impediment to sustainable development for
poor countries.
Liberia rejects the proclaimed
efficacy of the HIPC initiative, and calls upon the G7/G8 countries to consider
a comprehensive debt waiver program for all highly indebted poor countries.
In January this year, the Poverty
Reduction Conference held in Libreville, Gabon highlighted the situation in
post-Conflict countries that the Copenhagen Conference failed to address.
In this regard, Liberia has proposed
the holding of a regional summit of Post-Conflict African States to develop a
realistic approach to debt eradication, and calls on the international
community to support this important venture.
CONCLUSION
Mr.
President:
As I conclude, I cannot help but
wonder what this new Millennium has in store for the people of this world.
Nationalism remains an unchallenged reality today, despite the wave of
globalization engulfing our world. Also, the politics of power and "might
makes right" still pervade in inter-state relations, especially among the
powerful. Will the powerful break down the zeal of nationalism under the cover
of their demand for good governance, democracy, transparency and human rights?
We have indeed seen with what double
standards and ulterior motives these demands have been made. Or, will the lofty
tenets of the UN Charter be upheld in equally recognizing and respecting the
right of self-determination of the small and the big, the poor and the
affluent, in a world rich in cultural diversity deserving of coexistence in
peace and universal harmony? Will this Millennium see the end of cultural
hegemony and arrogance, primitive sentiments undeserving of this new age of
enlightenment and technology?
Only the test of consistency between
our moral value system and our actions will stand witness to posterity.
I THANK
YOU.