Guinea, 2002

Allow me,

at the outset, to express my warm congratulations and

wishes to His Excellency Mr. Jan Kavan for every

success on his election to the presidency of the fifty-

seventh session of the General Assembly. I should also

like to express my delegation's gratitude to His

Excellency Mr. Han Seung-soo for the competent and

able manner in which he conducted the work of the

fifty-sixth session. I wish to convey to His Excellency

Mr. Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General, the sincere

appreciation of His Excellency General Lansana Conté,

President of the Republic of Guinea, for his tireless and

dedicated efforts on behalf of the community of

nations.

In addition, I wish to welcome the admission of

the Swiss Confederation, a country of great traditions

of peace and democracy, to the Organization. My

delegation looks forward with great interest to the

forthcoming entry of the Democratic Republic of

Timor-Leste to the family of nations. I remain

convinced that the accession of those two countries

will make a high-quality contribution to the endeavours

of the international community and will strengthen the

Organization's universality.

Twelve months have passed since the tragic

events of 11 September 2001. The global security

climate has suffered profound changes, casting new

light on the dangers of international terrorism and its

interdependence with other forms of crime. Terrorism,

one need hardly stress again, constitutes a menace to

international peace and security. Faced with the global

dimensions of that scourge, my country associates

itself fully with the efforts of the international

community with a view to providing an appropriate

response.

In that regard, we hope for the prompt adoption

of a general convention against terrorism and for the

effective implementation of other existing international

legal instruments. Within the framework of the

dialogue among civilizations, an appeal should be

addressed to all countries for the organization of an

extensive campaign of education and consciousness-

raising in order to promote tolerance, respect and

acceptance of others.

The current session is being held in a difficult

international context dominated by numerous conflicts

that compromise legitimate aspirations to peace and

progress. In this climate of violence, nevertheless, a

gleam of hope can be glimpsed on the African

continent. We welcome the important progress made

towards the restoration of peace in Angola and in the

Great Lakes region, especially in the Democratic

Republic of the Congo and in Burundi. In the Horn of

Africa, peace between Eritrea and Ethiopia is gradually

returning, but the Somalia crisis remains more

17

worrisome than ever. In Western Sahara, my country

supports the remarkable work accomplished by the

Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, Mr. James

Baker. We encourage him to persist in his efforts with a

view to finding an acceptable and definitive solution to

that crisis.

In the Middle East, the conflict situation persists.

The cycle of acute violence over the past two years has

widened further the gap between the parties,

reinforcing the wall of misunderstanding. The

Government of Guinea is convinced that the

application of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967)

and 338 (1973) will allow Palestinians and Israelis to

coexist peacefully within secure and internationally

recognized borders. We appeal to the two parties to

comply unconditionally with Council resolutions 1397

(2002) and 1402 (2002). We reaffirm the support and

the solidarity of Guinea to the brotherly people of

Palestine, to the Palestinian Authority and to its head,

President Yasser Arafat, who has fought courageously

for the creation of an independent and sovereign

Palestinian State for more than 50 years.

The situation in Iraq is a source of vital concern

to the people and the Government of Guinea. In order

to prevent further suffering by the Iraqi population and

to preserve peace in the region as well as international

security and stability, my country invites the parties to

show greater restraint. Iraq's acceptance of the

unconditional return of the United Nations Monitoring,

Verification and Inspection Commission is an

encouraging sign for the peaceful settlement of the

crisis. My delegation appeals earnestly to Iraq to

respect and comply with the relevant Council

resolutions.

Turning to the Korean Peninsula, Guinea supports

the efforts for peaceful reunification of the two Koreas,

in conformity with the declaration signed by the heads

of State of the two countries in June 2001.

My Government reaffirms its attachment to the

principle of one China.

I now turn to the situation in our subregion, West

Africa, an area that has long been shaken by internal

crises but that is now moving towards a climate of

peace and stability. Sierra Leone has committed itself

to the path of peace and reconciliation, thanks to the

mediation of the Economic Community of West

African States (ECOWAS) and to the support of the

United Nations. That success was also made possible

by the United Kingdom's important role. In Liberia, the

situation is still precarious. My delegation remains

convinced that the adoption and effective

implementation of a programme of disarmament,

demobilization and reintegration of armed groups,

based on the successful conclusion of the inter-

Liberian dialogue begun in Abuja, will contribute to

the restoration of peace and stability in the subregion.

Guinea, a member of the Mano River Union, renews its

commitment to continuing to work for peace.

Because of that commitment, my country took an

active part, in the Rabat Summit, on 27 February 2002

and in the process of implementing its

recommendations. The political dialogue at the Summit

should be pursued with a view to strengthening

confidence between the parties. In that regard, it is

important to point out that the Joint Security

Committee of the Mano River Union, which met in

Freetown on 10 September 2002, decided to

simultaneously reopen the borders among the three

countries of the Union and to organize a caravan for

peace next October that will tour those countries. My

delegation takes this opportunity to again express its

profound gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI

of Morocco for his mediation. The political dialogue at

the Summit and the respect for measures imposed by

Security Council resolution 1343 (2001) represent two

complementary tracks of managing the situation in the

Mano River Basin. The international community, in

particular the Council, should ensure follow-up, while

bearing in mind the interdependence of the situations in

Liberia and Sierra Leone. The Government of Guinea

hopes that the establishment of the Office of the

Special Representative of the Secretary-General for

West Africa will contribute to meeting the challenges

faced by the States of the subregion. We also welcome

the creation of a Security Council Working Group on

Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa. Clearly,

that initiative is likely to contribute to our common

reflection on such problems.

Disarmament issues, particularly those related to

light weapons and to anti-personnel mines, remain a

source of concern. As members are aware, Guinea

belongs to a subregion whose population continues to

suffer the adverse effects of the proliferation and the

illicit circulation of light weapons, which feed

conflicts, lead to the resurgence of crime and

encourage the phenomenon of child soldiers.

18

We welcome the renewal of the ECOWAS

Moratorium aimed at eradicating that phenomenon. We

call for the implementation of all measures for the

dismantling of supply networks of small arms and light

weapons. We support the pursuit of all the activities

under way to alleviate the suffering and loss of life

caused by anti-personnel mines.

The consequences of armed conflicts and natural

disasters primarily affect vulnerable civilian

populations, which constitute the majority of refugees

and displaced persons. For more than a decade, Guinea

has been hard hit by the negative socio-economic,

security and environmental impact of wars in Liberia,

Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau.

Let me take this opportunity to reiterate our

appeal for the holding of a special consultation of the

United Nations on Guinea. In this context, my country

appreciates the renewed commitment made by the

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at

the workshop held on 18 July 2002 by the Security

Council on the countries of the Mano River Union.

My delegation welcomes the creation of the

Regional Bureau for humanitarian affairs in West

Africa, the extension of the rapid response system for

natural disasters and the setting up of the integrated

regional information network.

Prevention and resolution of conflicts calls for the

reduction of poverty and eradication of disease. The

question of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis

remains a source of concern, especially for developing

countries, particularly those in Africa. The adoption by

the General Assembly of the Millennium Declaration,

the declaration of commitment on HIV/AIDS and the

2001-2010 Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing

Countries, Particularly in Africa, are significant steps

forward.

But the question of mobilizing resources remains

central to this effort. The primary responsibility for

measures to be taken to implement these initiatives

falls to African leaders. However, they need to be

supported at the community, national, regional and

international levels.

My delegation welcomes the Secretary-General's

initiative that led to the creation of the Global Fund to

Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and other

transmittable diseases. One of the commitments made

by heads of State and Government at the historic

Millennium Summit was to reduce, if not eliminate,

poverty. But much of the planet's population is still

living in absolute poverty. This situation is aggravated

by the effects of globalization that, in the absence of

just and equitable rules, increases the capacity of the

strong to promote their interests, while limiting that of

the weak.

The advent of the African Union illustrates the

will of African peoples to achieve the objectives of

economic integration and consolidate the foundations

of peace, stability and security in Africa. In that

framework the New Partnership for Africa's

Development (NEPAD) remains an effective

instrument for enhancing the African economies and

bringing about their integration into the world

economy. My delegation appeals to the various partners

to provide effective support in order to make that

common vision a reality.

We hope that the decisions of the International

Conference on Financing for Development in

Monterrey, the commitments of the G-8 in Kananaskis

and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit

on Sustainable Development held at Johannesburg will

have a positive impact on Africa.

My delegation welcomes the improvement of the

procedures and methods of work aimed at better

operation of the General Assembly. We support the

reform of the Security Council, to adapt it to the

requirements of democracy and transparency,

especially by increasing the number of its permanent

and non-permanent members on the basis of a more

equitable geographical distribution.

Two years after the historic Millennium

Declaration, the gap between North and South

continues to widen. I wish to express our sincere hope

for the advent of a world of greater justice and

solidarity in the framework of true partnership for

peace and development. Accordingly, we remain

convinced that the United Nations, reformed,

revitalized, adapted to new changes, remains a viable

framework to face the challenges before us, and thus to

ensure for future generations the conditions necessary

for their fulfilment.