Guinea, 2009

At the

outset, on behalf of the Guinean delegation, which I

have the honour of leading, I would like to pass on to

the President, Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, Secretary of

African Union Affairs of the Great Socialist People’s

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, the congratulations of the

Guinean people and Government on his brilliant

election to the presidency of the General Assembly at

its sixty-fourth session. I would also like to convey the

09-52604 20

congratulations of Captain Moussa Dadis Camara,

President of the Republic, Head of State, President of

the National Council for Democracy and Development

and Commander-in-Chief of the Guinean armed forces.

My delegation is convinced that because

Mr. Treki is a seasoned diplomat, our work will be

crowned with success. We assure him of our full

cooperation. I would also like to tell his predecessor,

Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, how much my

delegation appreciates his wisdom and the devotion

with which he led the work of the Assembly at its

sixty-third session. The Republic of Guinea salutes the

remarkable work that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

has accomplished at the helm of our Organization in

favour of peace, development and prosperity in the

world.

Mrs. Gallardo Hernández (El Salvador),

Vice-President, took the Chair.

On 23 December 2008, all the people of Guinea

enthusiastically welcomed the arrival of the National

Council for Democracy and Development, the CNDD.

Guinean armed forces decided to take the destiny of

the country into their hands after the death of President

Lansana Conté on 22 December 2008 in order to avoid

the social implosion that would have damaged peace,

security, stability, unity and harmonious development

in the country.

Poor political and economic governance and its

related effects of corruption, impunity, the

consumption of and trafficking in drugs, the

proliferation of small arms and light weapons,

organized crime and the abdication of republican

institutions had considerably weakened the authority of

the State. The National Council for Democracy and

Development, faithful to its commitments, has

undertaken specific actions, the results of which are

encouraging.

Such actions include, inter alia, the preparation of

a timetable for transition, designed and accepted by all

parties involved on the basis of a participatory and

inclusive dialogue, which should lead to democratic,

free and transparent elections with a view to returning

to constitutional order. There is also the fight against

drugs and narcotics, against the embezzlement of

public funds, organized crime and other social ills.

Additionally, there will be a special programme to

meet the basic needs of the population, including water

and electricity, as well as the beginning of reform of

the security and defence sectors.

In this context, the National Council for

Democracy and Development enjoys a close working

relationship with national stakeholders. This synergy of

activities has allowed for the establishment of an ad

hoc committee that has evaluated and revised the

transition timetable. Following the new timetable, the

presidential elections will be held in January 2010 and

the legislative elections in March of that year. In

parallel, a relationship of trust and cooperation has

been established with the International Contact Group

on Guinea, whose mission is to accompany this process

of transition.

The CNDD and the Government attach particular

importance to the fight against drugs and narcotics in

our country, which, unfortunately, in recent years has

become one of the hubs of this trade in West Africa.

The recent discovery of toxic substances and

underground laboratories in certain towns of our

country illustrates the seriousness of the situation. The

bold operations undertaken by the new authorities have

led to arrests within the highest echelons of the

security and defence forces and the civil service.

The Republic of Guinea is seeking the support of

the international community in this stabilization effort.

We call for the application of the Political Declaration

and Plan of Action on International Cooperation

towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to

Counter the World Drug Problem adopted by the

Commission on Narcotic Drugs at its fifty-second

session, held in Vienna in March 2009.

The Guinean Government has also carried out

activities to bring ethical management to the handling

of public finances. In this area, audits have revealed

many cases of financial misappropriation at high levels

within the State. The funds recovered so far have been

used to partially finance the programme to provide

water and electricity for all, launched by the CNDD to

improve the living conditions of the population. My

delegation renews its call to development partners for

increased material, financial and technical support

during the period of transition in Guinea.

On behalf of the CNDD and the President of the

Republic, His Excellency Captain Moussa Dadis

Camara, the Guinean Government expresses its

profound gratitude to all those who support its efforts

in the framework of a peaceful, consensual and

21 09-52604

successful transition. The Guinean authorities wish to

thank all those who have shown their goodwill, in

particular the leader of the Libyan Revolution and His

Majesty the King of Morocco, as well as Their

Excellencies the Presidents of Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire,

Burkina Faso, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Mali, for

everything they have done in favour of unity,

reconciliation and stability in Guinea. The Guinean

authorities also express their thanks to all leaders from

Africa and elsewhere who have been prepared to

provide various kinds of help to ensure the historic and

exemplary success of the transition process in our

country.

The agenda of the Assembly’s present session

includes several recurrent questions, real challenges to

the construction of a new world order founded on

justice, solidarity and sustainable development.

Realizing these aspirations remains dependent on the

international community fulfilling its commitments to

developing countries, which are bearing the brunt of

the global economic and financial crisis. This is yet

more necessary because, despite the progress that has

been made in the fight against pandemics, illiteracy

and extreme poverty, immense efforts are still needed

for the full and harmonious achievement of the

Millennium Development Goals.

Therefore, the establishment of a partnership that

prioritizes the development of Africa through

substantial increases in aid and investment flows is

clearly indispensable. The question of foreign debt,

which seriously compromises our efforts to eradicate

poverty, merits particular attention. Furthermore, the

low prices we receive for basic commodities, together

with the unpredictability of nature, the harmful effects

of human activity on the environment and climate

change, all contribute to rendering African economies

fragile and lead to precarious agricultural and food

production.

With regard to peace and security, significant

progress has been made in the prevention and

resolution of conflicts. However, areas of tension still

exist here and there, with the associated loss of human

life, unspeakable suffering, destruction of property and

flows of refugees and displaced persons.

In Africa, the peace and reconciliation process at

the national level is making progress, thanks to

concerted actions on the part of the African Union and

subregional organizations, supported by the international

community, despite human rights violations and bad

economic and political governance. In the Mano River

basin, the success of the vigorous peacebuilding

measures in Sierra Leone and Liberia gives us cause for

comfort and hope. Through the implementation of the

Ouagadougou Political Agreement, Côte d’Ivoire is

consolidating its reunification and is in the process of

organizing free elections. The Republic of Guinea

supports this process.

Elsewhere on the continent, the successful

holding of presidential elections in Guinea-Bissau and

Mauritania augurs well for a new era, conducive to

national reconciliation, peace, stability and progress. In

the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United

Nations, the African Union and neighbouring countries

are engaged in a dialogue that will without a doubt lead

to the re-establishment of peace in the east of the

country, which is a yardstick for stability, security and

development in the Great Lakes region.

With regard to Somalia and the situation in

Darfur, the international community must step up its

efforts alongside the African Union in order to bring

about a rapid and durable political solution.

Regarding the Western Sahara, while we welcome

the efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special

Envoy, my country welcomes the Moroccan initiative

for the negotiation of an autonomous status for the

Sahara region. We urge the parties concerned to find a

mutually acceptable political outcome to this dispute.

With regard to the Middle East, Guinea remains

convinced that solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

necessarily requires a comprehensive solution, leading

to the creation of an independent, sovereign and viable

Palestinian State living side by side and in peace with

Israel within secure and internationally recognized

borders, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of

the Security Council and the road map of the Quartet.

The international community has a duty to ensure that

this comes about.

In Asia, Guinea reaffirms its commitment to the

principle of one China and to the peaceful reunification

of the Korean peninsula.

Terrorist acts are proliferating throughout the

world, indiscriminately affecting innocent victims,

including women, children and the elderly. Those

forms of barbarism and intolerance must be condemned

in no uncertain terms. My delegation welcomes the

09-52604 22

adoption by the United Nations of the United Nations

Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We remain in

favour of developing a comprehensive international

convention against terrorism and hope that

consultations on this issue will continue in a spirit of

full cooperation.

My country continues to pay great attention to

international efforts in the area of disarmament and

weapons control. We express our support for the

banning and total destruction of nuclear, biological and

chemical weapons, as well as the eradication of the

trade in fissile materials. In Africa, the illicit and

uncontrolled circulation of small arms and light

weapons is a source of instability for States and of

insecurity for the population. The Economic

Community of West African States has adopted a

convention on this issue with the objective of

establishing a climate of peace through a framework

for cooperation between member States for the

systematic control and elimination of these weapons,

which fuel civil wars. The success of this programme

requires the commitment of all member States and the

support of bilateral and multilateral partners.

The world finds itself facing a grave and

unprecedented financial and economic crisis. Africa

has not been spared the contagious effects of this crisis.

The report of the Secretary-General details how our

continent has seen setbacks in such crucial areas as

economic growth, agricultural development, the

eradication of poverty and the implementation of the

Millennium Development Goals.

The time has come to rethink the international

financial architecture in order to adapt it to the realities

of the twenty-first century in terms of its representation

of Member States and its working methods, as well as

the equitable distribution of resources.

Innovative initiatives are essential in the areas of

trade, official development assistance, debt alleviation,

technology transfer and financing for developing

countries in general and least developed countries in

particular to enable them to benefit as much as possible

from globalization. In that context, the commitments

made at Monterrey, Johannesburg, Doha, London and

Pittsburgh within the framework of the Group of 20 are

grounds for hope. It is important that the Doha Round

negotiations swiftly lead to an agreement on measures

to promote development and put an end to abject

poverty.

My country attaches the greatest importance to

increasing and improving official development

assistance and making it more predictable and more

aligned with national priorities, in accordance with the

Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.

Guinea welcomes the progress made in

implementing the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Debt

Initiative. Given the debt burden, we urge donors to

work to strengthen resources and national and

international capacities to support the strategies put in

place to make the requirements for reaching its

completion point more flexible.

The international community must fully support

the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s

Development, which commits the continent to

developing infrastructure and promoting human rights,

the rule of law, democracy and the achievement of the

Millennium Development Goals.

The problems related to climate change have

drawn the attention of all States because of the threat

that phenomenon poses to humanity. Guinea, which

occupies a central place in the implementation of

policies and strategies for sustainable development and

the restoration of ecological balances in West Africa, is

aware of the seriousness of the situation and the urgent

need for action. My delegation strongly calls for

concerted and courageous international action to put an

end to the paradox wherein countries and populations

that have contributed least to global warming are

suffering its most serious consequences. We hope that

the forthcoming Copenhagen summit will meet the

great expectations of humanity.

In addition, particular attention must be accorded

the problems related to migratory flows and the many

issues underlying them. It is only by promoting

effective solidarity that we will be able to manage

migratory flows.

Today’s world is beset by swift, complex and

profound changes. Peace, development and the

interdependence of nations remain undeniable realities

and factors essential for a prosperous world of

solidarity. Therefore, multilateralism is the only viable

alternative for addressing the global challenges facing

humanity. My delegation remains convinced that the

present session will further strengthen the role and the

activities of our universal Organization in the defence

of just causes.