Mr. President,

May I on behalf of the delegation His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Indlovukazi, Government and the People of the Kingdom of Swaziland extend hearty congratulations to Your Excellency Mr. HARRI HOLKERI of the Republic of Finland, -on your election as President of the 55th Session of the General Assembly.

We also pay our country's rich tributes to H.E. Mr. THEO BEN GURIRAB of the Republic of Namibia for the great effort he directed toward the success of the last session of the General Assembly.

The Kingdom of Swaziland continues to develop quietly and peacefully, according to the wishes of our people.

Against a backdrop of difficult economic circumstances., we have declared the year 2000 as our "Year of Delivery" in a number of key economic, social and political areas.

In the coming weeks, the Commission that is reviewing the national constitution is completing its work and we look forward to receiving their report. The recommendations are the result of an extensive and all-inclusive process of consultations, and will reflect precisely the wishes of the people themselves.

We believe this national exercise will further enhance the unity of the Swazi people, and provide the best possible foundation for our continuing peace and stability.

On the economic front, we continue to make every effort to achieve sustainable growth and reduce the level of poverty amongst our people.

In addition to encouraging both local and foreign investment, the Government this year launched an ambitious programme of initiatives called the "'Millennium Project", targeting the tourism and manufacturing industry sub-sectors.

The project is designed to maximise the potential of the Kingdom in these sub-sectors, and to reduce the current unacceptably high level of unemployment that is threatening to undermine all our best efforts at development.

Among the many challenges we face as a developing nation., there is no question that the HIV/AIDS crisis presents the most serious threat to our hopes of improving the lives of our people.

In the last years of the twentieth Century, much Of the progress we had achieved since independence in social welfare was being reversed by the rapid spread of this most terrible disease.

Up to 22% of our population is already infected with the virus, and life expectancy which had been steadily climbing to reach acceptable levels has now unfortunately fallen dramatically.

HIV/AIDS represents the single most important issue facing our nation today., and we desperately need the support of the international community in our efforts to contain the threat to our very existence as a nation. We look to the United Nations to take a much stronger leadership role in this global crisis, and to help us to mobilise resources to reverse the catastrophic spread of the pandemic

During the Millennium Summit, the Kingdom of Swaziland joined most other developing countries in expressing concern at the negative effects on our economies and globallsation, especially in the context of the widening gap between rich and the poor nations.

We were reassured by the agreement of the Summit to take measures to ensure that global trends such as globalisation should have at their heart the principle of equitable benefit for all nations, regardless of size, level of development, or economic strength.

Thus, in recent years, we have waited with great expectation to benefit from initiatives particularly in the area of preferential trade access that have been broadcast by our international friends and partners, as measures that are designed to help the developing world to overcome the negative effects of globalisation.

We were also encouraged by the re-affirmation of the underlying principle of respect of the rights of sovereign, independent nations, and non- interference in the internal affairs of one state by another.

We therefore take this opportunity, in the full light of the-General Assembly of the United Nations, to appeal to our development partners to be consistent and positive in honouring these promises; and to accord due respect in their dealing with the developing world.

The Kingdom of Swaziland believes this start of a new Millennium represents an ideal opportunity to define relations between rich and poor, North and South, in a way that recognises that cultural diversity, and sovereign rights, add to the richness of humanity and must be respected and preserved at all costs.

The common aspiration of the entire international community for peace, security and prosperity has its long-standing history. The great Founding Fathers of the United Nations personally initiated the establishment of this organization in San Francisco in 1945. The history of enduring efforts for the United Nations is permeated with lofty intentions and exploits of those great leaders. As the grand opening of the first ever historic Millennium Summit showed., their great cause must succeed and should continue to make great advances towards making this world a better place,

My delegation is optimistic that the recently concluded Millennium Summit will indeed serve as an historic occasion of strengthening international peace and security as well as the prosperity of our people for a fair international order. Beginning with this session., what remains for all of us now is to see to it that the wishes of the Founding Fathers of the United Nations are fulfilled. Those wishes, ambitious as they may be, are not insurmountable and can be achieved. This session therefore has a task to set the pace for the negotiations that lie ahead. Both the Millennium Summit and this session of the General Assembly will have a direct impact on the success of the United Nations in achieving the goals set by those visionary great leaders.

Mr. President,

The theme for the Millennium Summit reflects the common demand and interests of the international community at this juncture. The Cold War is over and yet international relations have not made a full turn from confrontation to cooperation. In itself, the post-Cold War period has brought about growing disputes and conflicts,, devastating diseases never seen before such as HIV/AIDS, all with a heavy price, for peace, development., security and stability. At the same time, the big powers do not manifest enthusiasm for disarmament and remain opposed to small countries equipping themselves with self-defence power.

On the whole, the principle of sovereign equality which constitutes the basis of the United Nations is threatened to its very foundations. This is the true feature of the present international political scene and the same can be said- about the international economic scene. As it has become clear today, globalisation presents many serious problems for developing nations.

As a result, poverty is accelerated in general and developing countries who sought to benefit from globalisation are further marginalized much against their wish. Along with the change of the century, bi-polarization of the world through the digital divide is giving its way from east-west to north-south. The phenomenon of the rich getting ever richer.and the poor ever poorer is the summation of the 20th Century's disparity on the international economic scene. We therefore must strive for a more stable and predictable global political and economic world order. It goes without saying that peace, security and development are inextricably linked and cannot be dealt, with in isolation. The United Nations must be endowed and empowered to play an effective role in these areas., and it is with this consideration that we express our satisfaction with the Secretary-General's trenchant report on the 54th Session of the General Assembly entitled,, WE THE PEOPLES: THE ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY In particular, we concur with his analysis that we must also think imaginatively how to strengthen the United Nations so that it can better serve states and people alike in the new era. The United Nations in the coming years will be measured, among other things, by the degree with which it responds to the needs of the international community. The United Nations by virtue of its global reach, its universal membeiship, and its impartiality has a vital role to play to ensure there is equity of response to the challenges facing us all.

Mr. President,

Since the last General Assembly, the Organization has held several global conferences with considerable success for a much needed global network of security. Member States are politically and morally committed to the actions that form the global agenda for implementation. However, implementation of commitments in some cases is regrettably at a snail's space. One of the priorities for the United Nations should be an effective, integrated and coordinated implementation and follow-up of al, these conferences. This is more cost-effective and efficient way to turn the commitments into reality. The implementation should be further enhanced in the existing machinery of the United Nations through improving its functions.

Mr. President,

Peace building is a prevention task of growing importance. With the disaster that befell the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), the United Nations is facing one of the most comprehensive tasks in its history which perhaps has made the need to review peacekeeping operations more imperative. We remain concerned about the serious negative impact on development capacity that the proliferation of conflicts in the world particularly in Africa has had in making progress towards economic, social and political transformation. The situation in those areas affected by conflicts is appalling and deserves the Organisation's urgent attention. In Africa, for instance, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Sierra Leone and Angola amongst others, have been the scene of terrible turmoil, mass murders, destruction of property and much suffering on the part of refugees, for many years. The Organization of African Unity and the Economic Community of West African States and the Southern African Development Community have done much to contain and resolve some of these conflicts and the United Nations has also rendered its support. Whilst some progress has been made in resolving some of these conflicts, much still needs to be done especially by the parties involved. They have a responsibility to observe agreements concluded and must work closely together with the United Nations and the regional organizations involved so that the peace process can be brought to a successful conclusion.

With regard to the Middle East, we are encouraged by the continued efforts by President Clinton and other leaders to bring both Israel and Palestine to a round table. We are hopeful that a lasting solution, which has eluded the region for so long will be found soon.

Mr. President,

These conflicts are a pressing reason to finally carry out the long overdue substantial reform of the Security Council. The Council must fully recognize the new realities- of the global political situation. It must have a more representative composition, and above all, it must be equipped to react to the crises and conflicts of today. Reform must involve enlargement to include both more permanent and non-permanent members, as well as strengthening its decision-making powers.

The Kingdom of Swaziland unreservedly supports both the NonAligned Movement and the African Group position in as far as the review of the composition and working methods of the Security Council are concerned. We do trust that-the ongoing debate in the working group set up for this purpose will continue and that it will yield the much expected results. The stage which the negotiations have now reached is such that it requires the commitment of all Member States if indeed the Security (Council is to be equipped with all the tools it needs to be equitably representative. Participation of the United Nations membership at large in the decision- making process, transparency in its work and imposition of charter restraints on the veto, with the aim of its eventual abolition are indispensable imperatives. The enhancement of the relevance of the United Nations requires first and foremost, strengthening the role and increasing the efficiency of the General Assembly, through focusing its deliberations on contemporary challenges and problems facing the world, engaging it in timely and effective decision-making to address global economic and political issues and enabling it to seriously examine and effectively react to the work of the other organs of the United Nations., particularly the Security Council. In this context, we believe that the General Assembly, as the sole democratic universal and transparent organ, is the proper forum to carry out an in-depth analysis of the implications of the emerging debates on collective action.

Mr. President,

The Kingdom of Swaziland joins others in welcoming the Republic of Tuvalu as a new member of the Organisation. The addition of Tuvalu brings closer to fruition the hope of the Founding Fathers to see the United Nations comprising ail the countries of the world. The United Nations is the only body that deals with all fields of human activity, It has been a catalyst of many initiatives that have improved the lives of peoples across the world.

In the same spirit of universality in which we welcome Tuvalu, the Kingdom of Swaziland wishes to reiterate its appeal to the United Nations regarding the question of the Republic of China on Taiwan. The Kingdom of Swaziland has in the past been in the forefront arguing in favour of the re-admission of the Republic of China on Taiwan; and our position remains unchanged.

The case for including the Republic of China on Taiwan in the activities of the United Nations and its associated agencies,, takes on even greater relevance in the light of the. peaceful transition of Government following the successful expression of the wishes of the people of Taiwan in the elections earlier this year.

Those 23 million people rightly consider it unacceptable that they are not represented in the one Organization that should be truly global; and that they deserve a review of the special circumstances surrounding their bid. The Republic of China on Taiwan has shown time and again their willingness to participate in efforts to bring about true global peace, development and stability, and we believe that the rest of the world is poorer for being denied their involvement.

The Kingdom of Swaziland believes that this New Millennium provides the perfect opportunity to raise this issue, and to restore the right of the people of the Republic of China on Taiwan to participate fully in the activities of our Organization.

Mr. President,

There is no alternative to the United Nations objectives and values which have gained so much world recognition. We must spare no effort in seeing to it that the United Nations continues to meet the current and evolving needs of its entire membership. It must become the core of effective global governance if it is to be completely transformed to be what its Founding Fathers had envisaged.

THANK YOU.