Madagascar, 2005

No

one here took part in the first General Assembly in

1945. We can only imagine how at the end of the

Second World War men and women full of hope were

prompted by a firm resolve to change and make the

world better. They were right. The shortcomings and

weaknesses of our Organization should not in any way

detract from the leading role of the United Nations in

the world.

Do we today share the same spirit that inspired

our predecessors? At the end of this General Assembly

will we feel that we have improved the world?

We welcome the draft outcome document. We

also welcome recent resolutions adopted by the

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Security Council on counter-terrorism and conflict

prevention, particularly in Africa. We support the early

establishment of a human rights council so as to

promote democracy.

However, the results of the summit meeting do

not fully correspond with Africa’s aspirations. What is

lacking is that long-hoped-for impetus that would

enable every Member State to express its views, give

hope to our peoples, preserve the balance of nature and

enable us to ensure the futures of all the world’s

children. We need to further strengthen our efforts by

trying fresh approaches.

First of all, it is high time to strengthen the role

of the General Assembly. It is also time for Africa to

be better represented within United Nations bodies,

and in particular on the Security Council. That is a

matter of justice, but it is also a necessity for the

development of our continent. Having Africa’s voice

heard on the international level and allowing it to share

in responsibilities on a global level are marks of

concern and respect for our States and our peoples. Let

us put an end to the exclusion of the African continent.

We want to make our full and complete contribution to

debates and decision-making on issues that concern

how our world works.

The discussions in recent months have focused on

institutional reform at the United Nations. That is a

very important question. It is also important for Africa.

But we would ask you to expand the discussion so as to

properly define the role that the Organization should

play in world development. The United Nations should

be more than just a crisis management body — a body

that addresses poverty, disasters and emergencies. Let

us convert it into a body that inspires us with hope. Let

us work together for development, justice and equity.

The sixtieth anniversary of the United Nations

should mark the beginning of a new era in which we

will have the opportunity to build a more prosperous,

more just, more democratic and more environmentally

aware world — a world that is sounder, healthier, more

responsible and more united.

We need to work out strategies and plans that

arouse enthusiasm among nations and attract the

fervent hopes of our peoples. We will only change the

world if we can secure the support of our populations.

The United Nations must devise and adopt the

necessary measures to establish a more balanced world.

All the crises, the wars, the questions of security and

terrorism, the world’s epidemics — all of those have

concrete causes.

The Secretary-General rightly quoted one of the

United Nations purposes from the preamble to the

Charter: “to promote social progress and better

standards of life in larger freedom”. Our peoples want

to have real opportunities. Quite rightly, they call for

the favourable conditions that will allow them to take

advantage of those opportunities.

Our Organization is 60 years old. Much has been

achieved in decolonization and peacekeeping, for

instance. Five years ago we defined the Millennium

Development Goals. Now we must go still further. Let

us devise a genuine global strategy for development, a

strategic partnership with a clear-cut vision and more

ambitious goals.

As regards Africa, what is lacking is a clear

vision of its future. It can be seen that Africa is still a

poor continent. Nonetheless, Africa has the potential to

be rich. The previous General Assembly provided me

with an opportunity to propose a “Marshall Plan for

Africa”. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

made the same proposal and the President of the World

Bank, Mr. Paul Wolfowitz, has also spoken of a plan of

action for Africa. Let us ask other donors to join in this

initiative.

The Marshall Plan for Africa should cover much

more than a call to cancel debt and increase financial

support. It should take into account Africa’s potential

and the right steps that are needed to realize it. It

should build a positive image of our continent and

determine the role that it could play in economic,

political, social and cultural spheres.

Globalization highlights the economic dimension

of international relations. However, we need to invest

more in the social dimension of development by

enhancing the role of the Economic and Social Council

so as to meet the legitimate aspirations of our peoples.

The future of Africa lies, of course, with its

children. The plan for Africa should describe how we

can approve the transfer of knowledge and how we can

ensure access for young Africans to the world’s

knowledge and expertise, so that the intellectual

potential of millions of people will not be wasted.

We need to increase literacy levels. We also need

an educational system that meets international

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standards of quality and effectiveness — a system that

will foster creativity and help our peoples to realize

their dreams; a system that will optimize our countries’

human resources so as to enable us to play an

important role in the world economy; a system which

will help to close the digital divide among nations.

Saving African children also means feeding them.

In that respect, overcoming hunger in Africa is an

urgent challenge, as millions of people will be affected

by this crisis.

Madagascar, as a new member of the Southern

African Development Community, urges the General

Assembly to make that crisis its highest priority. We

must act rapidly and with resolve.

Let us also improve the situation of women. They

deserve to play a more significant role in civil society

and in the economic and political arena.

I have personally been asked by the Water,

Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project to share their

concerns with you. Indeed, one of the most

burdensome daily chores of African women is

providing a family with water. Access to drinking

water for all frees women from servitude and thus

preserves their dignity. Moreover, the issue of water

management is inseparable from those of sanitation

and hygiene. Water is a source of life and a great

economic asset. The development of hydroelectric

energy is one solution to Africa’s energy deficit. Let us

not forget that rational water management will enable

us to achieve food self-sufficiency.

Such a Marshall Plan should include the

protection and development of natural resources, which

are crucial to our continent. To that end, we have a

vision, which we call “Madagascar, naturally”.

Two years ago in Durban, I announced our

decision to triple the extent of protected areas in the

country so as to ensure the preservation of our rich and

unique biodiversity. We took the decision to earmark 8

per cent of funds stemming from the cancellation of

external debt for the funding of our protected-area

system.

The African continent already is involved in the

preservation of natural resources for the world and will

increase its efforts in that area.

Let us focus on agribusiness by creating more

opportunities for processing our natural products and

thus enhancing the value-added that they bring to our

countries. This is the approach that Madagascar is

taking now, with the support of donors. Let us foster

initiatives to establish a fair and equitable trading

regime among nations, such as the reduction of trade

barriers.

In short, such a Marshall Plan should make it

clear that the African continent can prosper by

shouldering its responsibilities. We need to speak more

of our assets than of our weaknesses. We need to speak

of our potential rather than our lack of resources. The

world wants to invest in our potential. Let us find a

fresh approach. Let us create a new image, a new, clear

vision for Africa. It is only through such a vision,

along with a genuine global strategy for development,

that the Millennium Development Goals can be

achieved.

Such an approach must incorporate the various

international and bilateral programmes and projects

whose differing structures, objectives and content

make them complicated to manage and hinder the

identification of possible synergies. But it is incumbent

on us to ensure the effective coordination of

development and thus adopt the concept of country

ownership. We in Madagascar have taken the initiative

of setting up national programmes in which all donors’

projects are incorporated.

The world must heed the needs of Africa, but

Africa must also face up to its responsibilities by

strengthening democracy, good governance and the

rule of law.

The discussions on the role and the structure of

the United Nations which have taken place in the

context of the sixtieth anniversary offer us an

exceptional opportunity. Let us create more equitable

structures that are better suited to today’s needs and

realities. Let us draw inspiration from the spirit of the

founding fathers of our Organization.

Let us be nations united in spirit, with a global

vision and strategy of development for a world that is

not only more dynamic but also more balanced, more

equitable and more responsible. Let us work towards

that end.