Angola, 2011

I would like

to take this opportunity to congratulate the President of

the General Assembly on his election to preside over

the work of the Assembly at its sixty-sixth session and

to assure him of Angola’s support and cooperation in

ensuring success in the work of this session. I also

want to express our gratitude to his predecessor,

Mr. Joseph Deiss, for the competent and impartial

manner in which he conducted the proceedings of the

Assembly at its sixty-fifth session.

Allow me to also congratulate the Secretary-

General on his reappointment and to assure him of my

Government’s support for the success of his very

complex and demanding mission in the service of

peace and cooperation among nations, a cornerstone of

the mandate embodied in the Charter of the

Organization.

We congratulate the Republic of South Sudan on

its admission as a Member of the United Nations. We

wish South Sudan a future of peace and prosperity and

would like to say that the Government of Angola

stands ready to cooperate with this new State’s efforts

to consolidate its independence and its socio-economic

development.

We also welcome the establishment of

UN-Women. We are certain that it will give further

impetus to the promotion and empowerment of women

and the achievement of their legitimate rights.

This session of the General Assembly takes place

at a particularly complex juncture in the international

situation, which is characterized by so many crises that

11 11-51398

I believe it is not an exaggeration to say that they

challenge the very foundations of our international

Organization. If we were to list them, although not

exhaustively, we could mention the current economic

and financial crisis, which triggered the most serious

social crisis witnessed to date by our generation; a

dangerous environmental crisis of unpredictable

consequences for the future of humankind, which will

be irreversible unless the international community as a

whole applies immediate and courageous measures;

and a general escalation of violence and outbreak of

conflict, which, combined with the environmental

crisis, has caused the most serious humanitarian crisis

that humankind has witnessed since the end of the

Second World War. In brief, we are living in dangerous

times, where a combination of factors is endangering

stability, peace and security in the world.

The analysis of the current international situation

made by the majority of the speakers who preceded

me, and which we agree with, constitutes an appeal to

our collective responsibility.

A particularly disturbing factor is the current

economic and financial crisis, which has affected

virtually every country in the world, in particular

developing countries, with serious consequences for

political stability and social cohesion.

It is therefore urgent that we find solutions to

these problems. That will require strengthening

international cooperation on the basis of greater justice

and equality. Moreover, it is urgent that we take

measures aimed at deepening economic reforms within

States that promote economic growth and social

development.

Angola is extensively affected by the

international economic and financial crisis. We have

therefore adopted a set of measures to mitigate its most

adverse effects. Without prejudice to the maintenance

of macroeconomic balance, we have focused

considerable resources on social development and

combating poverty.

The theme of this session of the General

Assembly — “The role of mediation in the settlement

of disputes through peaceful means” — reflects the

deep concern of the international community with

regard to the need for an integrated approach to

resolving conflicts that affect it. That is what makes it

necessary to implement mediation efforts after

conflicts have started. Conflict prevention should be

the key element in the management of any area of

tension.

Respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, the

rule of law and good governance are key elements in

ensuring that any human society can live in peace and

harmony. They are also the main guarantors of

effective conflict prevention.

There are other elements I would like to mention

that are also important causes of the spread of conflict.

I am referring here to external interference, which, in

gross violation of international law, frequently

obstructs efforts at mediation and peaceful resolution

and prevents the reaching of solutions to conflicts.

Angola has paid a very high price as a result of

such interference, which for too long compounded a

fratricidal conflict that Angolans were finally able to

settle and wisely overcome with magnanimity, fairness

and inclusion, thanks to the leadership of our President.

The role of Angola and its contribution to internal and

regional peace should be seen in the broader context of

conflict resolution. In that regard, the implementation

of the landmark Security Council resolution 435 (1978)

led to the independence of Namibia and created the

conditions for peaceful coexistence in a region that had

endured extreme hostility and constituted a permanent

threat to world peace.

Imbued with a spirit of fraternity, the

Government of Angola has spared no effort in pursuing

its policy of effective reconciliation, which has allowed

the reconciliation of all its children who were

previously involved in the conflict. There has been

genuine investment in peace, which has been a decisive

factor in the process of post-conflict reconstruction.

Angola has served as a reference point for the

resolution of several conflicts on the African continent.

Moreover, we have spared no effort in sharing our

experiences with other peoples and countries.

Also in the context of conflict resolution, it is

important to strengthen the role of multilateralism

while adhering to the principle of shared responsibility

and shared benefits, recognizing the legitimate

interests of all parties and engaging in consultations

and dialogue in the search for workable solutions to

international peace and security issues.

There is therefore a need to refer to the

instruments of cooperation between the Security

Council and the African Union, as well as to the role of

11-51398 12

the United Nations and regional institutions in

preventing and resolving conflicts. It is of crucial

importance to strengthen the action of regional

organizations in the management of situations that may

constitute threats to peace and security. In that

connection, the Security Council has the primary role

in preventing and resolving conflicts and in

maintaining peace, in accordance with the powers

conferred upon it by the Charter of the United Nations.

The central theme of our debate has drawn

attention to the need for reform of the Security

Council, including the imperative of achieving fair

representation for all regions and increasing the

number of permanent members, thereby adapting the

Council to contemporary reality.

With regard to peaceful cooperation at the

regional level, Angola is a member of the Southern

African Development Community (SADC), the

Economic Community of Central African States, the

Gulf of Guinea Commission and the Community of

Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP), which, with

several partners, has acted on the basis of preventive

diplomacy in the search for peaceful solutions to the

various crises that have arisen.

With regard to the constitutional crisis in

Madagascar, SADC mediated the recent signing by all

parties involved of the road map for the

implementation of the reconciliation process, which is

intended to lead to elections and the restoration of

constitutional order. That was an important

breakthrough in the process, which Angola welcomes.

Guinea-Bissau, our brotherly country and partner

in the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries,

has been the subject of special attention by Angola. As

part of the CPLP, Angola and other member States

have striven to establish a strategic partnership with

the Economic Community of West African States under

the coordination of the United Nations, aiming to bring

political stability to the country so that it can carry out

major structural reforms, in particular the reform of the

defence and security sectors. We welcome the positive

developments that the country is now experiencing and

we encourage the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to

vigorously pursue the process of stabilization.

The drought in the Horn of Africa is a cause of

deepest concern for my country and the entire

international community. The consequences of drought

in Somalia are felt even more profoundly due to the

prevalence of armed conflict, which compounds the

humanitarian crisis, shocks the world’s conscience and

calls for a redoubled effort by the international

community. Angola has joined the international

humanitarian assistance efforts under way, as well as

the search for political solutions to end the armed

conflict and open new prospects for a better future for

the Somali people.

With regard to the situation in Libya, the Angolan

Government hopes that the Libyan people can find

stability in the very near term. That can only be

achieved through the free exercise of their democratic

rights. In that regard, Angola urges the National

Transitional Council to promote genuine national

reconciliation and to form an inclusive Government, as

those are prerequisites for ensuring that Libya can

regain its rightful place in the African and international

arenas. However, we must make use of lessons learned

with a view to achieving more effective cooperation

between external partners and the African Union in

seeking joint solutions based on international law and

mutual respect.

Angola remains concerned about the limited

progress in addressing the problem of Western Sahara,

which remains an important issue on the international

agenda. We call on the warring parties to resume

negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations

and the African Union, so that the people of Western

Sahara can exercise their right to self-determination.

The situation in the Middle East, particularly in

the Palestinian territories, is one of the most serious

problems facing the international community. Angola

is witnessing with great concern the escalation of the

conflict and the lack of progress towards a solution of

the Palestinian question. In line with the general

position of the international community regarding the

conflict, my country advocates the establishment of an

independent Palestinian State, living side by side with

the State of Israel, in peace and security, within secure

internationally recognized borders.

As in previous sessions, the sixty-sixth session of

General Assembly will address the embargo imposed

on Cuba, which violates the rules of international free

trade. In spite of the timid steps taken towards

normalizing the situation, Angola reiterates its position

of principle by reaffirming the need to end the embargo

against Cuba.

13 11-51398

Angola has been making its contribution to

finding solutions to the most pressing problems. Within

the broader international community, we have sought

to cooperate with all countries based on mutual respect

and interests, upholding the highest ideals of peace and

cooperation for development. We will continue on this

path, firmly believing that the defence and promotion

of these principles contribute to the development and

advancement of all peoples.