Heads of state or government - addresses at the opening of the thirty-ninth General Assembly of the United Nations

UN Chronicle, August, 1984

The Pretoria regime is engaged in a vigorous campaign of destabilizing the front-line States through mercenaries and armed insurgents as well as economic blackmail and sabotage. Zimbabwe calls on South Africa to stop its policy of aggression and urges the international community to aid the front-line and other States of the subregion in fostering their economic independence and sovereignty.

Zimbabwe rejects the linkage of Namibian independence to the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola. The immediate objective for Namibia must be the rapid implementation of Security Council resolution 435 (1978).

Africa's fragile economies have been experiencing negative growth rates. Per capita incomes have dropped to about 4 per cent below the 1970 levels, while population growth rate is 3 per cent per annum. In many parts of the continent, successive years of drought have resulted in complete crop failures and threatened the very viability of agriculture, on which millions depend for sustenance and gainful employment. Africa's problem is further compounded by other natural factors, including desertification, the siltation of riverbeds and, in some cases, flooding.

Tariff and non-tariff barriers in the industrialized countries have arrested Africa's export growth. Africa's economies continue to endure balance-of-payments problems, while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) takes a completely unrealistic aproach to the problems of the developing countries. Africa's estimated outstanding external debt reached $150 billion at the end of 1983, and efforts to alleviate debt-servicing costs provide only short-term relief. Official development aid is assuming a bilateral nature, accompanied by "increasing politicization and commercialization".

"Global negotiations must remain the framework of concerted efforts aimed at restructuring international economic relations to match our new needs." There can be no revitalization of the world economy without active participation by all countries.

Africa

The 44 speakers from Africa touched on a board range of global concerns, including the threat posed by the rapidly escalating arms race, particularly in the nuclear field, the adverse impact on developing countries of the world economic situation, and the stalemated situation in the Middle East.

Among regional issues that dominated discussions were the severe economic crisis on the continent and the situation in southern Africa.

speakers painted a grim picture of economic problems, drought and desertification in African countries. The need for immediate assistance--both monetary and food--was stressed.

Speakers also discussed the disastrous consequences for developing countries, especially in Africa, of the current global economic and financial crisis, characterized by high interest rates, growing indebtedness, plummeting commodity prices, low capital flow, increasing trade barriers, volatile exchange rates and high inflation.

In the discussion of the situation in southern Africa, there was widespread criticism of what many called the "sham" elections held in August which totally excluded South africa's black majority from the tricameral legislature set up under the country's "so-called new constitution". It was generally agreed that the apartheid system could not be reformed but must be totally eradicated instead.