hasunitedthemostdiverse countries intheworldandconsolidated thepower I).'• theSecurity Council asanorgandesigned toimposeinternational law. gr9athistorical significance. InSouthAfrica, thediscussions between NelsonMandela, whowasrecently released, andtheGovernment areopening awindowofhopethat th~~~!4ciple ofthe e~uality ofaen,regardless ofrace,shallprevail. InChile,millions ofcitizens saidnotothedictatorship, andchose representative democracy instead. InHicara~a, theSandinista ~e9ime honour~d itselectoral promises. T4roughout LatinAmerica, theprinciple ofdamocracy isbeingapplied withnew str~n9thadvigour. InCol@mb!a, thepeoplehavefaithinthefuture, andhave ~urnedoptimism Intoonemorereasontocontinue struggling forpeace. WearetheLatinAmerican cuuntry withthemo~tmarkedgrowthinthispastdecade, andwearecontinuing to grow.Ourdemocratic principles, tolerance, freedom andrespect fortheideasof otherscontinue tostrengthen inspiteofattacks fromviolent sectors. Wearespeaking aboutm&jcrachievements thatseemedunlikely afewyears ago.Ths3eareezcitlnq times,whenDewleadership basedonoldprinciples is cominqintobloomeverywhere. Withinthisgreat settlng~ &DdundertheaegisofthisAssembly, ~e5tsthe responsibility ofk~epln9thisfloweralive,ofcaringforitsfragile rootsand protecting itwhatever thecost. '--~ ~-ILJI ------- Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld LibraryRC/5A/45/PV.ll 13-15 (President Gavir1a) Asatributeofmypeople, IbringtheAssembly itsaffirmation ofan= ambitious andcomforting rule:courage doospayoff. Colombians arewilling to defendtheirrighttolivefreeoffear.Colombians willneversurrender their basicprinciples. Colombians willcontinue todefendtheirmostaacred ~aluesin thefaceofviolence, whether ornottheystandaloneintheworld. AsIlearned fromthewordsofapeasant ofmycountry, liThemOllltbeautiful flowers oftheqardenmaybedestroyed, butnothing C&Dstopthoarrivalofspring." ThePBBSIDJrnT¥ OnbehalfoftheGeneral ASl!:smbly, Iwlllhtothlmkthe President oftheRepublic ofColombia forthestatemant hahasjustmade. Mr.CelarGayir!a, President oftheRepublic ofColo"~ia, vasescorted from th'General Ass~ly Hall. Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld LibraryFMB/7 A/45/PV.11 16 ADDRESS BYMR.SANNUJOMA, PRESIDENT OFTHEREPUBLIC OFNAMIBIA thePRESIDENT: TheAssembly willnowhearanaddress bythePresident of ~eRepublic ofNamibia. Mr.SamHqjoma. President oftheRepublic ofNamibia, wasescorted intothe General Assembly Rall. thePRESIDENt: OnbehalfoftheGeneral Assembly, Ihavethehonourto welcome totheUnitedNations thePresIdent oftheRepublic ofNamibia, His Excellency Mr.SamNujoma, andtoinvitehimtoaddress theGeneral Assembly. Presidept NYJOMA: Itgivesmegreatpleasure toaddress theforty-fifth sessionoftheGeneral Assembly. Attheoutset,letmeextend myheartfelt congratulations toyou,Mr.President, onyourunanimous election andwishyouwell intheheavyresponsibilities entrusted toyou.Yourvastezperience and diplomatic skillassureusthattheworkoftheAssembly isingoodhands. Ishouldliketoexpress mypersonal happiness andsenseofpridetoyour predecessor, General JosephGarba,fortheefficiency andwisdomwithwhichhe steered theforty-fourth session toasuccessful conclusion. Hetrulydeserves praisebyAfricaandtheworldatlargeforajobwelldone. TheUnitedNations familywasrecently reinforced byanewMember, the Principality ofLiechtenstein, whosemembership myGovernment warmlywelcomes. If Imaysayso,Ihadbeenlooking forward toaddressing theAssembly asPresident of thenewestMemberStateoftheUnitedNations. However, thePrincipality of Liechtenstei~ overtook usbeforethefinishline.Therefore, asthesecond youngest Member, vetakespecial prideinwelcoming Liechtenstein andexpressing confidence thatitwillenrichusall. Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld LibraryrMBn". ..:). Al45/PV.ll 17-20 7la(President NuiomA) Theyear1990hiuJspecial meaninq totheNamibian people.Itistheyearof theindependence oftheRepublic ofNamibia and,indeed, amomentous yearforour country andourpeopleasvellasfortheUnitedNations. TheNamibian question hasbeenaburninq issueontheagendaoftheGeneral Assambly fordecades aswell asthesubject-matter ofmanyAssembly andSecurity Council resolutions an4 numerous international conferences. Itwastheoverwhelminq desireforfreedom burninqinthesoulsofthe Namibian peopletofreethemselves fromtheyokeofAPArtheid colonialism thatled