Cameroon, 2010

I would like

first to extend my hearty congratulations to you, Sir, on

your unanimous election as President of the General

Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. With your rich

experience in international affairs, we believe you will

succeed in your task. I would also like to pay tribute to

your predecessor, Mr. Ali Abdussalem Treki, for his

commitment and skill in discharging his challenging

functions during the previous session, and I convey to

him my special thanks.

I also wish to thank Secretary-General Ban

Ki-moon and his aides for their untiring efforts in the

service of peace and development throughout the

world, particularly in the least developed countries.

As the first decade of the twenty-first century

draws to a close, it is certainly worthwhile to review

the ground covered since we proclaimed, some

10 years ago in this very Hall, our common resolve to

cut poverty in half by 2015, worldwide. We all recall

the enthusiasm engendered by that solemn

commitment.

Today, we are forced to note that we are still

quite far off the track. More than one billion people are

still living in extreme poverty. The development gap

between the countries of the North and those of the

South continues to widen instead of narrowing.

International assistance is stagnating and remains

below the level of commitment made by developed

countries to devote 0.7 per cent of their gross national

product to it. The results in the eight priority areas of

the Millennium Development Goals are disappointing,

even unsatisfactory, while the deadline of 2015 is just

around the corner.

So what happened? The economic crisis caused

by the recent upheavals in financial markets is

certainly to blame. The slowdown in activity

worldwide — and, in some cases, recession —

monopolized the attention of the countries of the

North. They gave priority to reviving their own

economies and solving their own social problems.

However, even though we can understand that, it does

not explain everything.

In fact, the awareness shown at the turn of the

century of the disastrous consequences of deepening

poverty in the third world seems to have waned

significantly. Yet the situation has not only failed to

improve, it continues to deteriorate. On several

occasions, from this rostrum and elsewhere, I have

drawn the attention of the international community to

the problem posed by the growth in poverty worldwide.

I have pointed out that, for ethical reasons, it behooves

us all to express solidarity with the most

underprivileged. I have further indicated that this is, of

course, in everyone’s interests, for the ever-widening

gap between the rich and the poor can only exacerbate

tensions and jeopardize international peace and

security.

I will be pardoned, I am sure, if I dwell a little on

the case of Africa. It is undeniably the continent most

affected by extreme poverty, which is generally

accompanied by food shortages, epidemics, population

movements and insecurity. Is it any wonder, then, that

such profound misery sometimes explodes, as was the

case two years ago during what were dubbed the food

riots? The international community cannot remain

indifferent to such a threat, which could undermine our

efforts to advance democracy and ensure our

development.

Let me make myself clear. It is not a matter of

engaging in recriminations for the sake of any

ideology, of ascribing motives to this or that country or

group of countries, or of sermonizing. I am the first to

acknowledge that the United Nations and its agencies

have provided assistance and guidance to our continent

since independence; that most countries of the North

have, through their cooperation, financial assistance

and debt cancellation, lent and continue to lend

irreplaceable support to Africa; and that emerging

countries have taken over. We are, of course, grateful

to all of them.

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However, that obviously is not enough. I am not

trying to apportion blame for this state of affairs. I

merely want to say that the solutions applied were

perhaps not the best. I would add that from the African

perspective, we have been burdened with too many

historical handicaps — slavery, colonization, economic

dependence and internal and external conflicts — and,

of course, that we have lacked toughness and

steadiness of mind.

For reasons of mutual interest mentioned earlier, I

think we should review the issue thoroughly, without

ulterior ideological motives or political or economic

prejudices. No matter what is said, Africa has changed

significantly over the past 50 years and seems to me to

be ready for a wide-ranging ideological debate on the

issue, provided that it is conducted in a true spirit of

partnership. Through this approach we can realize the

famous Marshall Plan for Africa, which is often

mentioned but has yet to see the light of day.

That concern led Cameroon to organize an

international conference — Africa 21 — in Yaoundé on

the occasion of the celebration of the fiftieth

anniversary of its achieving sovereignty. At that

conference the 50 years of African independence were

objectively assessed and the future opportunities for

our continent were evaluated. The conference was

attended by several Heads of State and Government,

former Prime Ministers, high-level representatives of

international organizations, experts of world renown,

major corporate executives and Nobel Peace Prize

winners.

The final declaration of the conference, which my

delegation has made available, can serve as a kind of

guide for the rehabilitation of Africa, with regard to

both its economic recovery and its participation in

international life. That is what it is all about —

ensuring that our continent does not remain forever

aid-dependent and that it plays its rightful role in

international affairs.

Allow me, in this Hall, to emphasize the second

point. How can we today explain why Africa is the

only continent without a permanent member on the

Security Council? How can we explain that Africa is

unable to make its voice heard when its problems are

examined in global economic and financial bodies

while the decisions made there will be imposed on it?

At a time when emerging countries are rightly calling

for a seat on the Security Council commensurate with

their economic and political weight, Africa as a whole

should not be forgotten.

For a long time our continent has been treated, I

dare say, as an object of international relations. Yet, it

is directly affected by most of the major problems

confronting humanity today, be they migratory flows,

global warming, economic and financial regulation,

terrorism, et cetera. In short, it is sometimes the victim

of phenomena for which it is not responsible. From

that standpoint also, there is a need to get out of the rut

in which major negotiations appear to be bogged down.

Africans seek more understanding and sympathy

in the true sense of the words. The delayed

development from which they suffer cannot be reduced

to the Millennium Goals. Admittedly, they want to be

less poor and to eat their fill, but above all, to be

protected from fear and want, to be freer and to

imagine a future without anxiety. In short, they want to

live in a society that guarantees them those minimum

conditions for existence and well-being.

Most African countries have embarked on this

path. For its part, over the last decades Cameroon has

set up representative institutions, established the rule

of law and ensured respect for human rights. On the

economic and social front, significant progress has

been made in the areas of public finance, education and

health. Should this trend continue, our country can

expect, in the medium term, to attain the status of an

emerging country.

That to me seems to be the mindset of most

African countries. Certainly, the international

community has a role to play in supporting them in

their effort to join the global society. To that end, the

international community needs to show more

understanding, solidarity and, of course, more

fraternity.