Ivory Coast, 1999

I wish to

convey to my friend Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab how proud and

happy I am to see a son of Africa leading the General

Assembly into the new millennium. I congratulate him

warmly. I am certain that his experience, gained as the

representative of the South-West Africa People’s

Organization to the United Nations and in the course of a

long diplomatic career, will help him resolve the complex

issues facing the Assembly at this session. This is an

honour for him and for the African continent. I wish also

to convey my congratulations to the other officers of the

General Assembly. The President may rest assured that my

delegation is ready to work with him for the success of the

work of the Assembly at this session.

I wish also to convey to the President of the

Assembly at its fifty-third session, His Excellency Mr.

Didier Opertti of Uruguay, our thanks for the quality of

the work carried out under his presidency.

I pay heartfelt tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr.

Kofi Annan, and reaffirm the appreciation of Côte

d’Ivoire for the unflagging and able way in which he is

fulfilling the mandate entrusted to him.

My delegation welcomes the three new Members of

the Organization: the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic

of Nauru and the Kingdom of Tonga.

On the eve of the new millennium, the Organization

must adapt to the new shape of international relations in

order to increase its effectiveness in all areas, including

that of the maintenance of international peace and

security. Every passing day reveals the dysfunction of

international society. Nearly 10 years after the euphoria

born of the end of ideological confrontation, we have yet

to put in place machinery for political, economic and

financial controls that could lead to the peaceful world

evoked by the 1945 Charter.

On the threshold of the twenty-first century, we are

obliged to say that might continues to prevail over right,

that hotbeds of war continue to proliferate, that individual

rights are often flouted, and that a large part of mankind

has only a remote idea of social progress.

Yet the 1945 Charter remains timely; all that is

lacking is the full implementation of the great principles

it articulates. The faith of peoples in the United Nations

remains intact. This obliges us to make a sustained effort

to increase its credibility and strengthen its capacity to

meet the challenges it faces.

For a number of years the Organization has been

engaged in renewal. Working groups have been

established to reform the main structures of the United

Nations and adapt them better to the new international

context. The Secretary-General himself is involved in this

effort, in part by initiating reforms within his areas of

responsibility. It is now up to us, the Member States, to

work together to complete the process in the months to

come.

We hope that the Millennium Summit planned for

September 2000 will launch the United Nations into the

twenty-first century. It is therefore of great urgency that

the plan to enlarge the Security Council be completed.

30

There can be no doubt that by increasing the number of

both permanent and non-permanent members, among which

Africa will have to have its rightful place, we will also be

remedying the lack of political visibility from which the

Council has been suffering. The Kosovo crisis revealed the

necessity of reaffirming the primacy of the Security Council

and hence that of the United Nations.

Confirming the authority of the Security Council must

by no means imply a reduced role for the General

Assembly. This body, whose representative nature lends it

great legitimacy, must be at the heart of the system, with

all that this implies for its ability to set the overall course

of the United Nations. But such institutional reform can be

effective only if all States meet their financial obligations.

By reiterating the validity of the principles of the Charter

at the dawn of a new millennium, we commit ourselves to

guaranteeing international peace and security for succeeding

generations.

For the past two years the Organization has been

paying particular attention to the conflicts besetting Africa.

In his report to the Security Council of 13 April 1998

(S/1998/318), the Secretary-General identified the many

causes of these conflicts. He reviewed the ways to promote

peace, the most important of which is a development policy

that can eradicate the seeds of violence. For their part,

African States are making every effort to acquire machinery

enabling them to avert conflict situations or, if necessary,

to act.

Convinced that war is not inevitable and that the keys

to peace are at hand so long as the political will exists, the

Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the

Organization of African Unity (OAU) has unanimously

declared the restoration of peace on the continent to be its

priority activity for the years to come.

But let us not delude ourselves: that goal will be met

only if the international community, as embodied by the

United Nations, is mobilized and if it firmly supports

Africa’s efforts. It is not my intention to disregard all that

has been done by friendly countries — the United States,

France, the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada, to name

but a few — to explore new ways to promote peace and

security in Africa and to strengthen Africa’s capacity in that

regard. Let me recall the establishment in my own country,

at Zambakro, of a military training centre specializing in

peacekeeping techniques, which is open to all African

States.

Nor can I fail to mention the initiatives taken by the

United Nations where the scourge of war is at its horrific

worst, such as in Sierra Leone, or where it wantonly flays

its victims, such as in Guinea-Bissau or in the Democratic

Republic of the Congo. The Ceasefire Agreement for the

Democratic Republic of the Congo, signed at Lusaka on

10 July 1999, to which all the factions of the Congolese

Rally for Democracy have now subscribed, owes a great

deal to the perseverance of the Secretary-General and to

the persuasive labours of his Special Envoy.

To help our continent escape the spiral of violence,

the United Nations has acted at every stage of crises,

combining its efforts with those of the OAU and of other

regional and subregional organizations.

Based on its success in the former Yugoslav

Republic of Macedonia, the United Nations has

experimented in the Central African Republic with a

preventive peacekeeping mission, which has thus far been

achieving its objectives. The Organization has thus

prevented that country from beginning a descent into the

hell that the repeated mutinies of 1996 and 1997 seemed

to prefigure and the political and social tension that

followed. I am particularly pleased to say this because my

country has sent a 235-member contingent consisting of

a medical unit, an armoured squadron and members of the

general staff.

Even though it is more complex in terms of the

many issues in its subregion, the work of the United

Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara

(MINURSO) is also praiseworthy. It has made it possible

to build a momentum for dialogue that will ultimately

prevail over the passions and divisiveness that have long

been a source of conflict: this is no mean achievement.

Côte d’Ivoire welcomes developments in the

situation in the Middle East, including recent steps taken

by the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Ehud Barak, and by

President Yasser Arafat with a view to implementing a

just and fair peace that would protect the inalienable

rights of the Palestinian people and Israel’s right to

existence within secure and recognized boundaries.

I would be remiss if I did not mention all that has

been done to strengthen cooperation in peacekeeping with

the OAU, as well as with the Economic Community of

West African States and the Southern African

Development Community. We must welcome the fact that

the United Nations seems gradually to be overcoming the

Somalia syndrome that led it to reduce its commitments.

31

The prospect of the Organization’s soon deploying a

peacekeeping force of 20,000 for the implementation of the

Lusaka agreement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

is certainly a harbinger of an increased effort of the

international community to restore peace and security in

Africa. But we should take care that this hope not be

dashed, thereby strengthening the feeling, widely held in

African public opinion, that our continent is subject to

discriminatory treatment as compared with other regions of

the world. What was possible in Kosovo should also be

possible in Angola, Congo and Sierra Leone. The reference

to the values of democracy and human rights that served as

a catalyst for the large-scale action in Kosovo is equally

applicable to African populations.

I am fully aware of the reluctance of the great Powers

to become involved in complex conflicts whose local

protagonists are often difficult to identify and tend to

compete with one another, at very great humanitarian cost.

Certainly, political prerequisites, especially in the form of

ceasefire agreements, are necessary for the deployment of

peacekeeping forces, but they are not insurmountable when

the Security Council makes use of all the resources offered

by the Charter.

The breathing of new life into the principle of

peacekeeping operations through the provision of credible

deterrent elements and resources should not absolve us of

reviewing or of clarifying Chapter VIII on cooperation

between the United Nations and regional arrangements. Too

many uncertainties remain on the scope and modalities of

such cooperation and the role that falls to the Security

Council in this regard.

The Kosovo crisis and military intervention under the

auspices of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have

only increased our doubts and questions in this connection.

The promotion of the regional approach to collective

security should in no way serve as a pretext for the

Security Council’s lack of involvement. By reiterating the

validity of the principles of the Charter at the dawn of a

new millennium, we commit ourselves to establishing better

living conditions for future generations, including all the

children of Africa.

Africa, of course, has little weight in world economic

statistics, but it does have a potential on which the future

of humankind will largely depend. It must participate fully

in efforts to build a new world financial architecture. It is

also important that, on the eve of major trade negotiations

under the aegis of the World Trade Organization, the

interests of the developing countries not be sacrificed on

the altar of globalization.

I welcome the efforts of the Secretariat to strengthen

the resources available for development and to harmonize

the activities of various United Nations agencies. It was

to that end that a development group was established to

bring together the various operational bodies, including

the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the

United Nations Children’s Fund and the United Nations

Population Fund. The result has been improved

streamlining of activities, more consistent management of

aid and simplified procedures for funding projects. This

represents progress that we can only welcome by paying

a heartfelt tribute to the coordination of the assistance

provided by UNDP, particularly by its resident

representatives.

But this satisfaction cannot calm the anxiety

provoked by the continued decline of official development

assistance, which the statistics of the past decade show to

be precipitous. Official development assistance has now

fallen to below 0.2 per cent of gross national product.

We welcome the initiatives taken last June in

Cologne at the summit of the G-8. These attest to a desire

to increase assistance to developing countries, especially

through significant debt alleviation. The cancellation of

part of the debt of the developing countries, against the

prospect of the opportunity for these countries to relaunch

their investment policies, should allow for harmonization

and coordination of the activities of the major

international financial institutions. The multilateral

framework will also offer the advantage of avoiding direct

dealings between a given country and aid providers,

which experience has often shown to be a source of

misunderstandings that may hamper the smooth

functioning of national economies. However, decisions

taken by the richest countries for reducing debt are likely

to create disparities among the countries concerned,

depending on what category they belong to. The

definition of these categories may rely on economic

criteria that, by definition, are extremely inflexible.

The question of debt is of grave concern to African

countries, which, at the Fourth Extraordinary Summit of

the OAU in Syrte, instructed the current OAU Chairman,

Mr. Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria, and President Thabo

Mbeki of South Africa to negotiate with creditors with a

view to achieving a total cancellation of African debt. We

hope that this mission, led by a head of State, will soon

achieve success.

32

At the dawn of the new millennium, it is urgent that

we define a global development assistance strategy and

guarantee its financing. We therefore support the convening

of a world conference on development financing to set

precise objectives and emphasize support for education and

social projects without, however, neglecting the industrial

and agricultural sectors. I would make a solemn appeal to

all donor countries to reverse the current trend and to

increase their contributions to the United Nations system in

general, and to UNDP in particular, so as to enable them to

pursue their activities on behalf of our countries. I would

ask these donors to base their actions not on short-term

economic interests, but on solidarity.

By reiterating the validity of the principles of the

Charter at the dawn of the new millennium, we commit

ourselves to restoring dignity to every human being,

because nothing is lasting if it is not based on mankind.

I wish here to express my Government’s satisfaction

with the activities of the United Nations and its two

specialized Programmes, the Joint United Nations

Programme on HIV/AIDS and the United Nations

International Drug Control Programme, in our countries.

The campaigns against these pandemics, especially that of

HIV/AIDS, and endemic diseases, as well as the struggle

against narcotics and drugs, are designed to end these two

scourges, which directly threaten the individual and upset

social stability. At the International Conference on

HIV-AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, held in

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from 7 to 11 December 1997, Côte

d’Ivoire and France proposed the establishment of a

solidarity fund to mobilize the international community. At

the suggestion of Côte d’Ivoire, this proposal was taken up

by the OAU last June in Ouagadougou.

The actions undertaken by President Henri Konan

Bédié, especially to protect and manage forests, develop

and manage coastal areas, improve the water supply and

adopt a water code demonstrate our concern to preserve

human health and to protect the environment.

For several years now and in the context of more

sustained economic growth, most African States have opted

for political pluralism and the consolidation of the rule of

law. These are the counterparts of improved economic and

financial management through internationally recognized

criteria of good governance. Much remains to be done and

the situation varies from one region to another and even

from one country to another. But the progress that has been

achieved should be taken into account in major international

negotiations. In particular, we must never lose sight of the

fact that violence is born of poverty. Anything that can

help to eradicate the latter is a source of hope to millions

of men and women.

An Africa in peace and committed to the path of

development is the best guarantee of a better world. This

Africa must be united and free of small arms, trafficking

and rivalry. It must be united.

An Africa at peace and on the road of development,

is the best guarantee for a better world. Such an Africa

must be united and free from arms — particularly small

arms — trafficking and greed. Above all, it must be

united.

During the OAU summit in Algiers, Heads of State

and Government proclaimed their faith in the integration

of the continent enshrined in instruments such as the

Lagos Plan of Action for the Implementation of the

Monrovian Strategy for the Economic Development of

Africa, the Final Act of Lagos and the Abuja Treaty

established by the African Economic Community.

Africa now realizes that time is not on its side; it is

faced with rapid globalization, whose effects do not

always seem to be in Africa's favour. With this

awareness, the fourth special Summit of OAU Heads of

State and Government, meeting on 9 September 1999 in

Sirte, Libya, decided to create an African Union and a

Pan-African Parliament. Next year, another special session

will be held, also in Sirte, to adopt the text establishing

the Union. For Africa can continue to exist only if the

African Union becomes a true Power.

Côte d'Ivoire, keeping faith with this commitment,

has started taking action to strengthen the existing

subregional integration machinery, within the West

African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and

the Economic Community of West African States

(ECOWAS). Within WAEMU we have already

established policies to harmonize tax rates, price statistics,

with a regional stock market and transferable securities.

All these actions by Côte d'Ivoire, instigated by

President Henri Konan Bédié, have no other purpose than

to contribute to internal peace, peace in Africa and peace

between Africa and the rest of the world. They are

designed to buttress greater solidarity and to seek a more

just world, with progress and happiness for each and

every one of us.

33

The millennium summit will afford world leaders an

opportunity to reiterate their commitment to the

fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter,

which urges us to unite our strength to maintain

international peace and security and to employ international

machinery for the promotion of the economic and social

advancement of all peoples, because the principles set forth

in the Charter — dignity, the value of the individual,

equality including gender equality and equality between

nations — are immutable. They cannot be changed. They

are absolute. It is up to us to act, and we must do so, for

action is the very essence of politics.

Let us therefore work together to make real these

noble objectives of a better future for us all.