1.
GV & SV INT United Nations General Assembly in session in New York. (2 SHOTS)
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2.
GV & SV Chinese Minister for Foreign Trade, Li Quang speaking in Chinese. (3 SHOTS)
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3.
SV Delegates listening.
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4.
SV Ghana Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Yakubu Saaka speaking in English.
1.23

5.
SV Salim Ahmed Salim President of General Assembly on podium.
1.30

6.
SV Permanent representative from Zaire, Kamanda Wa Kamanda speaking in French.
2.14


SAAKA: "My delegation shares the general view that one effective way of tackling the energy problem is to intensify the development and diversification of energy resources in oil importing developing countries. In this connection we welcome the decision by the UNDP to enhance its investment support in this field. We also appreciate the role by the World Bank to stimulate the exploration of energy resources in the developing countries."





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Background: China's Minister for Foreign Trade, li Quang, on Thursday (28 August) told a special session on the United nations General Assembly on global economic problems that oil-producing countries should continue to use their petroleum products as a weapon in what he called the oil struggle to help safeguard and strengthen the unity of developing countries. The developing countries group of 77 has already agreed that energy should be among the problems taken up in global negotiations on the development of poorer countries.

SYNOPSIS: The General Assembly discussed energy on the fourth day of its special economic debate. Most delegates agree that natural resources are in important aspect in the restructuring of the global economic relationships, the aim of the UN conference. But China introduced a radically new argument in the debate. Mr. Li told the assembly that by using oil as a weapon, the OPEC (Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries) countries opened up new vistas and made important contributions to the struggle for the establishment of the new international economic order.

Ghana's representative Yakubu Saaka supported a more moderate proposal to raise investment funds.

Another African speaker, the UN permanent representative for Zaire, Kamanda Wa Kamanda, said his country supports the attempts by the General Assembly to try to restructure the present economic order. Developing countries in the past have urged repeatedly for such a re-structuring programme claiming an unjust rift between industrial countries of the north and the poorer countries of the south. Zaire is potentially the richest African country in terms of mineral reserves. It only produces a fraction of the oil gained in OPEC countries, but its 2,000 barrels a day are enough to export the sought-after commodity. Zaire's most important trading partners are the countries of north America and the European Economic Community.