UNGA Statements

UNGA44 (1989)

UNGA 44 Statement by H.E. Fathulla Jameel (1989)

ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY MR. FATHULLA JAMEEL, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALDIVES TO THE UNITED  NATIONS, AT THE FOURTYFOURTH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Mr. President, Excellencies. Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is indeed a pleasure for me and the members of my delegation to extend to you, Mr. President, our sincere congratulations on your election as President of the forty-fourth session of the General Assembly. Your election to this high office is a well deserved tribute to your personal qualities and experience. I am fully confident that under your able and wise leadership this Assembly will further consolidate on the gains achieved during the past year. My delegation also associates itself with the previous speakers in expressing our appreciation for the dedicated efforts of your distinguished predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Dante Caputo, for the exemplary manner in which he has discharged his duties as the President of the forty-third session of the General Assembly. Mr. President, As in previous years, my delegation wishes to note our satisfaction with and gratitude to the assiduous and unrelenting efforts undertaken by the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations in the cause of peace, and international harmony. We pay tribute to his untiring efforts in promoting conditions conducive to the realization of the noble principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. We praise and congratulate him for the successes the Organization has achieved in recent years. More particularly, we praise him for the renewed faith and the regeneration of confidence in this Organisation and its ability to play an instrumental role in the peaceful settlement of disputes. Mr. President, Today we find ourselves at an important crossroads. Recent years have witnessed a welcome positive change in the international political climate. The confrontational tone of the superpower relations of not too long ago continue to show signs of thawing. At the same time, a number of regional and sub-regional conflicts have taken momentous strides towards resolution. Many more protracted conflicts show signs of hope and movement. Though one might argue that the present situation is invariably delicate, the progress made can hardly escape note and is indeed worthy of recognition. Developments in southern Africa, and more particularly Namibia, with regard to the implementation of the United Nations Independence Plan, are signals of hope that are welcome. Amidst the  hopes there are still dark reminders of the precariousness of global political reconciliation. A number of outstanding problems remain unsolved. Several of these, such as the conflicts in the Middle East continue to simmer. It is therefore in this sense that we are at an important crossroads. We feel that there is enough goodwill to set in motion the  process of evolution towards peace and stability. We see signs that the human intellect is resourceful enough to devise ideas that are conducive to our survival. Fresh concepts of peace and security have gained currency. At the same time, we continue to live under the dark shadow of nuclear devices. The proliferation of nuclear weapons, both horizontally and vertically, is a tragic reminder of the difficulties and obstacles which exist between mankind and lasting peace. On the economic front, hard choices need to be made. The I980s have witnessed one of the longest spells of growth for the industrialized countries. Moreover, the situation in the South, particularly in the Least Developed Countries, continues to deteriorate. Benefits of trade continue to be disproportionate. Commodity prices have not regained their value in real terms. Aid flows continue to be inadequate. The debt burden facing many Third World countries are stifling economic growth and efforts for development, causing political instability. The link between economic development and environment has been recently recognized. It is encouraging to note the high profile given to environmental issues at the Paris Summit of the Group of Seven in July this year. In this regard, it is of particular interest that there is an increasing awareness and acceptance that certain technologies have a deleterious effect on the environment. The question remains about how these technologies could be replaced through global programmes of cooperation. Mr. President, No single fact or no single object defines our moment in civilization more than does the existence of large nuclear arsenals. We have the horrible capacity to destroy our planet several times over, either by accident or by design. Nuclear weapons instill fear and beget mistrust and insecurity.  They have a remarkable tendency to set hostile relations in concrete. They aggravate the security dilemma of States and ossify a conflictual mode of behaviour. This, therefore, fuels the arms race and the shares of arms budgets soar while expenditures that are benevolent tend to plummet. Mr. President, The United Nations Conference on the Relationship between Disarmament and Development served a timely reminder of the opportunity Costs of armaments, both 3 nuclear and conventional. However, Mr. President, the opportunity cost of nuclear weaponry is not only development. The international political climate, the security perceptions of States as well as the environment are actual and potential sacrifices of nuclear weapons. Furthermore, the potential for horizontal proliferation of nuclear weapons issues the stark and grim warning that regional rivalries would be on an evermore shorter fuse and cataclysm, that much more closer. It is in view of these strong objections to nuclear weapons and their proliferation and deployment, that my delegation has consistently and strongly supported United Nations calls for disarmament. Mr. President, The confidence that can be derived from genuine arms reduction has a pervasive effect on the security environment. The transition that many of the world’s conflicts are making towards negotiations and understanding owes a great deal to the improved relations between the Superpowers which is itself, in part, inspired by the historic arms reduction agreement of December 1987. It is, therefore, for this reason that Maldives has always supported all efforts for general and complete disarmament, including the total elimination of chemical and bacteriological weapons and reduction in conventional armaments. Mr. President, We also believe that nuclear-weapon-free zones and zones of peace could inspire trust, goodwill and cooperation amongst States, transforming the regions into secure communities contributing towards global peace and security. We therefore support calls for the establishment of nuclear-weapons-free zones and zones of peace. Mr. President, I would like to express my delegation’s fullest support for the people of Namibia, with our sincere hopes that 1989 will go down in history as the year in which the people of Namibia achieved their independence. Mr. President, Apartheid is an affront to mankind and a crime against humanity. No amount of tinkering round the edges can placate the sense of outrage and indignation felt by the world community towards this immoral practice. No amount of cosmetic change can provide justice and dignity to the oppressed majority in South Africa. We in the Maldives express our solidarity with the oppressed majority in South Africa in their struggle against apartheid. We condemn unequivocally the system of apartheid and condemn the Pretoria regime for its continued defiance of the resolutions of this Organization and world public opinion. It is unfortunate that the international community has been less than unanimous on the implementation of sanctions against the racist regime in South Africa. Mr. President, 4 By far the greatest conflict in our time has been and continues to be the conflict in the Middle East. At the heart of this conflict is the question of Palestine. However, it is only in recent years that the Palestinian issue has exercised even a reasonable amount of concern in some key States. The search for peace continues to be frustrated by the hard-line and obstinate policies of Israel. Meanwhile, the situation in the Occupied Territories continues to deteriorate. The 22 month long Intifada reiterates the intensity of the situation posed by the Zionist occupation of Palestine and other Arab territories, including Jerusalem. The Government of Maldives strongly condemns the use of brutal force and the blatant abuse of human rights by Israel against the Palestinian people in the occupied territories. We also deplore the continued defiance by Israel of United Nations resolutions and its violation of international law and all norms of civilized behaviour. We reiterate our full support and solidarity with the people of Palestine in their just struggle for self-determination and independence. We therefore welcome the overwhelming international support to the uprising which is being viewed as the just and valiant struggle of the Palestinian people for the restoration of their inalienable rights. We extend our wholehearted support to the proposal for an early convening of an international conference on the Middle East with full and independent participation of Palestine. The situation in Lebanon continues to remain volatile. The civil war, now in its fifteenth year, continues to take an increasing toll in human life. We fervently hope that with the developments taking place in the region and elsewhere, the question of Lebanon could also be solved in a manner which would restore the independence and national integrity and alleviate the suffering of its peoples. We welcome the efforts undertaken by the members of the Arab League, both in the past as well as at present to resolve the situation in Lebanon and request the international community to give their support to the people of Lebanon in their efforts to solve their problems. Mr. President, On a more hopeful note, we are pleased that, contrary to some early pessimistic assessments, the cease-fire agreed between Iran and Iraq in the Gulf has held firm indicating the sincerity of the parties to the conflict. We welcome the commitments undertaken by them to resolve the conflict. In particular we applaud the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General in the resolution of this conflict and urge both parties to consolidate the momentum of peace created and envisaged by the ceasefire. Mr. President, While we welcome the positive developments taking place in Afghanistan by the withdrawal of foreign troops, we regret that the situation has not been completelysettled. We reiterate our call upon all parties concerned to strictly adhere to the provisions of the Geneva Agreements in order not to frustrate the prevailing opportunities for a just and lasting solution to the problem. We urge upon the international community to provide humanitarian and economic assistance to 5 enhance relief and rehabilitation of refugees as well as for the long-term reconstruction of the ravaged country. Mr. President, The Kampuchean problem has taken positive strides towards a solution. We welcome the withdrawal of Vietnamese troops from Kampuchea, and appreciate the diplomatic efforts to obtain a comprehensive and lasting solution to the dispute, including the Jakarta informal meeting as well as the recent International Conference in Paris. However, realizing the delicateness of the current situation we call upon all parties concerned to exercise restraint, demonstrate good faith and to work towards national reconciliation and a comprehensive political solution. Mr. President, The process of reunification of peoples should be through peaceful means and by the creation of conditions conducive for  reconciliation, peace and stability among those sharing the same aspirations. We remain optimistic about the prospects of peaceful national reconciliation in the Korean peninsula. Maldives, however, reiterates itself that this can only be achieved by direct dialogue and negotiations between the peoples concerned and the solutions reached should be entirely at their discretion without outside interference. The good offices of the United Nations can be utilized for these peaceful negotiations. Mr. President, Another issue that needs our attention is the situation in Cyprus. This prolonged inter-communal dispute should be solved urgently with due regard to the national integrity of the nation and the aspirations of its people. We welcome the recent high level contacts between the two communities and hope that the revived intercommunal dialogue would lead to inter-communal reconciliation on the basis of equality and integrity for both communities. We commend the tireless and sincere efforts of the Secretary-General in searching for a settlement to the conflict. Mr. President, As I have already noted, the world economic situation continues to be bleak for the developing countries. Their situation has been worsened by the constrained flow of aid since the early l980s, rampant domestic inflation, crippling debts and by the exorbitant burden of debt-servicing. The situation is aggravated by their falling share in international trade as well as by persistent negative trends in their terms of trade, owing to protectionism as well as by the upsurge in unilateralism and other practices that jeopardize the multilateral nature of trade. Despite recent measures whereby the resources of the international finance institutions have been increased by the plans of some of the most developed countries  to recycle part of their surplus into the developing countries, it is regrettable that on the whole, the internationally agreed target of 0.7 percent of GNP as official development assistance has not been met. Moreover, as regards the Least Developed Countries who continue to register persistent negative growth rates, the ODA target of 0.15 percent of GNP too has not 6 been met. Mr. President, Economic insecurity is not the only visible threat facing many of us in the world today. Indeed we consider the environment as one of the most important aspects of the quality of life that we have to address in the present day in our quest for economic and industrial development. We welcome the proposed United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and consider the event a valuable opportunity which should be fully utilized to promote a comprehensive approach for the environmental problems related to the development activities of mankind,. While serious efforts are being made at global, regional and national levels for environmental protection, my delegation is particularly concerned about the effects of environmental degradation especially the depletion of the ozone layer and subsequent global warming and rise in sea-level. Maldives is a low-lying archipelagic State, entirely dependent upon its surrounding seas. Any degradation of the marine ecosystem or any rise in the mean sea-level is a matter of grave concern to the Maldives. It will be recalled that two years ago we witnessed the fury of today - tidal eruptions which caused extensive damage. We have embarked upon a programme of protecting the populated islands from the possible natural calamities with the assistance of friendly countries. Tidal waves, hurricanes and typhoons are becoming an increasing phenomena and today there is a greater awareness that man’s tampering with the environment and certain technologies inimical to the environment do have a direct bearing on the behaviour of the global weather system. Maldives therefore strongly supports the call for environmental preservation and is already a party to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer. Our interest in that issue continues undiminished and we welcome the universal interest expressed in the preservation of the environment of all. I would also like to mention that the Maldives is hosting a conference of small States on sea-level rise in November this year. We are confident that this conference will contribute towards the global efforts in addressing this important issue. Mr. President, It is an old and true maxim that the best indicator of the strength and stability of an international security system or political order is the survival of its weakest members. It is in view of this, and the implications therein, that the ever increasing dangers of terrorism and mercenaries on the sovereignty of small and weak States is appalling. Mr. President, Terrorism is not a minor irritant to anybody, least of all to the small nations whose sovereignty is not only held hostage but can be easily usurped. The very existence of this possibility in the first place does not augur well for the security of the international community. The cherished principles that have for so long contributed to the survival of the present State system and are indispensable values of our global civilization are at  stake. Today, it may be us, the small States, whose 7 sovereignty can be robbed by a handful of mercenaries of a gang of bounty-hunters. Tomorrow, it could be the larger countries who, even at present, face some erosion of their sovereignty and security by acts of the same modes. The difference is that when a small State is subject to a terroristic onslaught or an invasion by mercenaries, the consequences could be irreversible, both in political and economic terms. We in the Maldives were close to becoming the victims of such a dastardly attempt in November last year. Mr. President, It is evident that acts of terrorism and mercenarism which endanger the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States need to be deterred. The security of small States are more weak than permissive of mere self-help. The implications of efforts, to strengthen their own security both on the prospects of economic development through the severe, if at all affordable, opportunity costs, as well as the impact on the social and political values and long-term implications for the sustenance of democracy in a militarized society are negative. By requesting the inclusion of an item related to the protection and security of small States in the agenda of this august Assembly, we sought to highlight the issue which I just mentioned. We brought this issue to this august forum not because we are unwilling to defend our values. Nor have we taken up the matter here because our peoples lack valour. Mr. President, Small States do have friendly States that can and have assisted in the strengthening of their security. While we are grateful for the sense of duty these friends have, it is with regret that we note that bilateral  security arrangements in the international system have not yet evolved to a level of maturity whereby the interest of the weaker partner can be reassured. Nor are the socio-political identity of the weaker State and the principle of sovereign equality strong enough to be impervious to the possible vicissitudes of unequal relationships. Moreover, our political systems continue to be afflicted by misperception which can distort actions taking place with the best of intentions. Consequently, the greater the power differential, the greater the propensity to misperception and the more hapless the predicament of the weaker parties. It is for this reason that we believe that multilateral frameworks are the most feasible modes of a sound security mechanism for the weakest Members of this Organization, even if the actual support or assistance in a given situation is rendered at a regional or bilateral level. Mr. President, As I noted earlier in my speech it is my humble opinion that we are at a pivotal point, an important crossroads, in our global political development. It is our belief that we are in a particularly auspicious moment in history to forge ahead in strengthening the norms of our global political and security systems. Thus it is our sincere hope that this Organization will take a similar momentous step which would constitute a leap in ushering in a new era of security for the small States. It is our trust that this critical step would be taken which would safeguard the principles espoused by this 8 Organization and on which the survival of a large number of this community depends. I thank you, Mr. President.

UNGA 45 Statement by H.E. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (1990)

ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY MR. MAUMOON ABDUL GAYOOM, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALDIVES, TO THE FORTY-FIFTH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates:

I have much pleasure in extending to you, Mr. President, my warm congratulations and those of the members of the Maldives delegation on your election as President of the 45th Session of the General Assembly. We are confident that under your able guidance the deliberations of this session will be concluded in a successful manner. I would also like to convey our sincere appreciation to your predecessor Major-General Joseph Garba for having done an excellent job in presiding over this august Assembly during the past year. Here I note with particular pleasure the significance of his visit to the Maldives earlier this year in spite of his very busy schedule.

I also wish to express my country's deep appreciation to the Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, for his dedicated efforts to uphold the noble objectives of the United Nations. We wish him well in all his endeavours.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome, on behalf of the Maldives, the admission of Namibiato the United Nations, which she truly deserves after the long and hard-fought battle for independence. We are confident that independent Namibia will make a most positive contribution to the work of this org anisation . I would also like to welcome our newest member, the Principality of Liechtenstein, and congratulate her for having gained the sovereign independent status which she enjoys today.

Mr. President:

This year, the Maldives is celebrating the 25th anniversary of attaining full political independence. I do not therefore consider it irrelevant to reflect a little on the achievements we have been able to make during the past twenty-five years. From the day we became an independent nation, we had embarked on a determined path to overcome the triple menace of poverty, illiteracy and disease. With genuine hard work in the face of tremendous odds, the Maldives has been able to register significant strides in social and economic development. In education, we have now achieved a literacy level of over 95%, and more than 80% of our young children have access to schools. The improved standard of health is illustrated by the drop in the infant mortality rate of 120 per thousand live births in 1977 to 43 in 1989 and the rise in the average life expectancy from 46.5 years in 1977 to 64 in 1988. Economically too, we have made good progress. With planned investment in the important sectors of fisheries, tourism, transportation and telecommunications, our per capita has become more than six times that of pre-independence levels, maintaining an economic growth rate of 10 percent per annum for the past ten years. I wish to express the deep gratitude of the people of the Maldives to all our development partners, the United Nations and its agencies for their generous support in realising such encouraging results.

The establishment of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in 1985 opened new vistas of regional cooperation reflecting the shared objectives of the South Asian nations. The Maldives is actively participating in the efforts to enhance peace, stability and security in our region. The Government and people of the Maldives are looking forward to the fifth meeting of the SMRC Heads of State or Government, to be held at Male' in November this year, to provide the opportunity to move ahead with our joint programmes aimed at enhancing the quality of life of the peoples of the seven nations.

Mr. President

The Maldives has always endeavoured to contribute its modest share to the untiring efforts of the United Nations in promoting the principles of peace and international cooperation. In a world characterised by tension and conflict, we firmly subscribe to the universally accepted principles of noninterference and non-intervention in the affairs of sovereign states by other states.

Thus, it is with deep concern that we view the current crisis in the Gulf. We reiterate our firm convicUon that there could be no justification for violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of any state by another. Peace and stability cannot be achieved anywhere in the world unless we respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states. The Maldives urges the Iraqi Government to respond positively to the call of the Security Council and the international community to withdraw its troops from Kuwait immediately, allowing the people of Kuwait to restore normalcy in their country under the leadership of the legitimate Government of Kuwait headed by the Amir, Sheikh Jaber AI-Ahmed AI-Sabah. We support all Security Council resolutions on the issue and call on Iraq to release all foreign nationals and to respect the immunity of the diplomatic missions in Kuwait.

While we urge that a peaceful solution be found to the Gulf crisis, we re-affirm our commitment to give our whole-hearted support to those who seek to eliminate the threat of war. We welcome the new, and indeed historic, trend seen in international relations today, a change which we hope will strengthen the principles of peace and peaceful co-existence. All those who advocate freedom and justice would salute with us the slow but unmistakable move by the super powers to reduce their nuclear weapons and the development of positive ties between the East and the West. The bringing down of the Berlin Wall and the imminent unification of Germany are clear examples of such positive developments. These provide the right setting for future efforts to strengthen peace and security in the world. We are, indeed, heartened by the recent successful achievements by the United Nations in this regard. The ending of the Iraq-Iran war, the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and the attainment of independence of Namibia have brought to us fresh hopes of universal peace.

At this juncture, let me reiterate our support to the unification of Korea through peaceful dialogue. Notwithstanding our support to that objective, however, let me also express our support to the Republic of Korea in her efforts to seek membership in the United Nations.

The Palestinians have been denied their legitimate right for self-determination for too long. The heroic "Intifada" a" carried out by the Palestinian people in the occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip is a courageous expression of the will and determination of the Palestinian people to regain their inalienable rights. The exodus of Soviet Jews have added to the already worsened situation Israel continues to establish illegal settlements in the occupied territories. My country firmly believes that if peace is to be achieved in the Middle East a comprehensive solution to the Palestine question has to be found based on the rights of the Palestinian people to self determination and independence. It is time that a more concerted universal effort is made. In this context, we support the convening of an international conference for the settlement of the Palestinian question.

The black people of South Africa are continuously being harassed by the white minority regime. While congratulating the United Nations for its commendable efforts in exerting pressure towards the release of Nelson Mandela, we express our conviction that the minority regime needs to be further pressurised if the international community really wants to see the end of the suffering of the black people. Apartheid should be dismantled in its entirety. It is the responsibility of the United Nations and other international and regional organisations and, indeed all governments, to work towards the elimination of racism which, we believe, is not just a crime against the black people of South Africa, but a crime against humanity.

Mr. President:

Although the world may be prepared to reduce some of its more destructive weapons and the international community may rejoice at the improving relations among the greater powers of the world, for many small but sovereign states, like the Maldives, there exists a serious predicament to which a long term solution needs to be found - that of the protection and security of our states, and the elimination of the risk to our sovereignty and independence. The growing danger of international mercenaries have increased the vulnerability of small states to external threats. The armed aggression against the Maldives in 1988 is just one example of the alarming proportions this international menace has now reached. Some may regard the event as insignificant from a global perspective, but we cannot ignore the fact that these international soldiers of fortune have in recent years threatened the peace and stability of many states. The fact is that today international mercenaries are better organised, better financed and better equipped with sophisticated weapons. Unless immediate and firm action is taken against them, they will remain a significant danger to the world in general.

Small states are not in a position to sacrifice their hard earned resources to defend themselves against such threats. Their economies are too fragile for them to divert funds to build up their military capability. Self-help cannot be the only answer. Efforts have to be undertaken by the international community as a whole under the aegis of the United Nations and other international and regional organisations. The UN Charter has envisaged some mechanisms for the protection of the territorial integrity and political independence of states from external threats, but those mechanisms are far from adequate. The United Nations resolution 44/51 on "Protection and Security of Small States", submitted by the Maldives and adopted at the 44th Session of the General Assembly, is indeed a vital step taken in the right direction to remedy the situation. "The Convention Against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries" provides an even greater opportunity to challenge the acts of terrorism and mercenarism.

Mr. President:

The economic issues that plague the third world countries today demand urgent attention. Developing countries are caught in a vicious circle of poverty, stagnation, an overpowering debt burden and other negative trends that perpetuate their underdevelopment. Structural handicaps such as poorly diversified economies weighted by a narrow resource base is not the only explanation for the dismal performance of these countries during the past decade. The reduction of the aid flow from the developed countries, that has marred their development efforts, has caused them much disappointment.

The Substantial New Programme of Action for the 1980s adopted by the first United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries in 1981 called upon the developed countries to contribute 0.15% of their GNP for official donor assistance to the LDCs. However, only eight of the rich nations reached this target and the average contribution for ODA amounted only to 0.9%. The least developed countries have been increasingly marginalised in the world economy, and their share in world exports have decreased to a mere 0.3% in 1988, as compared to 1.4% in 1960. The LDCs' foreign debt had also increased from US$ 35.8 billion in 1982 to US$69.3 billion in 1988. The bottom line is that the economic situation of the developing countries has further deteriorated and the gap between the rich and poor nations has further widened during the last decade.

It is now obvious that the economic repercussions of the Gulf crisis will seriously exacerbate the unfavourable trends in the world economy, which of course will be felt more severely by small nations. The Maldives is already experiencing grim economic hardships with the steep rise in oil prices affecting the key industries in our foreign exchange earnings, fisheries and tourism. If the crisis remains unsolved, our fragile balance of payments situation will be further strained. We strongly suggest that the international community strengthen the commitment to assist the developing countries in order to revitalise their economies, and improve the quality of such assistance by making it better adapted to the real needs of the recipient countries. The elimination or substantial reduction of tariffs to guarantee favourable terms of trade, increasing grant aid to help the diversification of their economies, creating a favourable climate for more foreign investment and allowing freer resource flow are measures that are urgently required to correct the situation.

The message, in fact, is that it would be impossible for the developing countries alone to reverse the lingering inertia in their economies no matter how well they determine their priorities. It is true that the Second United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries held in Paris earlier this month clearly defined five priorities. Among these, however, the development of human resources, the ending of environmental degradation and the strengthening of the diversified productive sector are but some areas in which no significant improvement is possible unless complementary commitments from their development partners can be mobilised.

Mr. President:

Let me draw your attention to another key concern to us, an issue to which I have been resolutely seeking help from the international community. I refer to the predicted global warming and sea-level rise which may endanger the very survival of my island-nation. We are trying to do what we can to combat this potential threat. At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur in October 1989, the Maldives proposed that the Commonwealth make every effort possible to expedite the drafting of the framework convention on environment on which WMO and UNEP have been collaborating for some time. The initial report of the Inter Governmental Panel on Climate Change will be considered at the Second World Climate Conference to be held in Geneva from 29th of October to 7th of November this year, and it is hoped that the final convention be adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992.

A Small States Conference on Sea-Level Rise was hosted by the Maldives last year, and the Male' Declaration on Global Warming and Sea-Level Rise, which was adopted at the Conference, underscored the urgency of the problem and identified many areas of possible international cooperation in this field. As called for in the Male' Declaration, an Action Group has been established to coordinate a joint approach on the issues of climate change, global warming and sea-level rise, and to pursue and follow up on global and regional response strategies. The Group comprising representatives from the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean regions, is scheduled to meet in Male' early next year.

There is however, a limit to what the small low-lying states can do. We need international help. In this multi-polar world where interdependency has become a key element, we believe that it is not just the responsibility of the nations threatened by sea-level rise to take preventive measures. We remain convinced that it is also the duty of those states, whose race for development over many years had contributed to global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain and tropical deforestation, to reverse the existing situation. We cannot accept that economic development has to be achieved at the expense of our environment.

The Maldives calls upon the industrialised nations to take urgent measures to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and to adopt environmentally compatible technology. We urge them to assist the developing countries to implement similar measures. It is our earnest hope that the world community heed our voice - that of low-lying states - and save us from the ignominy of becoming environmental refugees.

Mr. President

Our children are the most vulnerable sector of our societies to environmental hazards. They are the ones most likely to suffer from the deterioration of our ecosystems. Thousands of children die every year from environment-related diseases such as diarrhoea and upper respiratory disorders. Many more are subjected to air and water pollutants. The effects of environmental changes will affect not just the present generation of children, but also those still unborn. More than 82% of the world's children live in the developing countries. Rapid population growth in these regions will of course increase their number in future. They have to be fed, clothed, housed, educated and allowed to grow up in a healthy environment. It is our duty to protect our planet for them and for future generations. The World Summit for Children, the first ever meeting of its kind, that is to be convened in this very hall in three days' time, will, I hope, set the stage for this task.

Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates:

The Maldives is proud to complete twenty-five years of membership of the United Nations this year. We remain convinced that in spite of the difficulties it faces from time to time, the United Nations is the only force that is capable of effectively dealing with the innumerable challenges and conflicts that threaten the peaceful development of civilisation. We place our sincere trust in this organisation that its efforts will lead to the achievement of mankind's most cherished dream - peace among nations, races and individuals.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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