Mauritania, 2006

Allow me first to warmly congratulate the

President on her election. We firmly believe that her

experience will guarantee an excellent grasp of all the

issues and that she will carry out her task with wisdom

and skill.

I take this opportunity to pay tribute to her

predecessor, Mr. Jan Eliasson, for his admirable and

tireless efforts in the reform process of the United

Nations and moving it forward.

I also thank and congratulate Mr. Kofi Annan, the

Secretary-General, and his team for their untiring

contribution to improving the work methods of the

Organization in order to achieve its objectives in all

areas.

I also take the opportunity to welcome the

Republic of Montenegro as a new Member of the

United Nations.

We particularly pay tribute to the important

resolutions dealing with the creation of the Human

Rights Council and the Peacebuilding Commission.

Without a doubt, those two new bodies will contribute

to improving the Organization’s activities to find

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solutions to two of the main concerns of the peoples

and Member Governments of the United Nations,

namely, conflicts and wars, and the impact that they

have on the rights and dignity of individuals and

communities. We are all aware of the direct impact of

those issues on peace, security, development, justice

and democracy throughout the world.

We wish to stress the resolutions and the

important work of the United Nations between the two

sessions, namely conferences and summits dealing with

the information society and the HIV/AIDS pandemic,

as well as meetings on development, alleviating

poverty, protecting the environment, promoting the

advancement of women, and dealing with

unemployment and the issues of migration.

How we meet the need for development, security

and peace throughout the world will depend on how we

deal with the issues of violence and terrorism. Since

the phenomenon of terrorism is universal in nature, the

solution to it must also be found through a global

vision that is anchored in understanding and dialogue

between civilizations and nations, a vision that rejects

confrontation and conflict and seeks to overcome

poverty, illiteracy and social, scientific and technical

underdevelopment.

In Mauritania we reject terrorism in all its forms

and manifestations. We remain faithful to our Islamic

values of solidarity, understanding and tolerance,

which reject violence and extremism.

My country, Mauritania, reiterates its support for

peace and for relaunching the negotiation process on

all tracks. That is the only way to put an end to the

conflict in the Middle East, on the basis of

international resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative and

the Road Map, which will guarantee the Israeli

withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories in

Palestine, Syria and Lebanon and allow the Palestinian

people to restore its legitimate rights and establish an

independent State with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

With regard to Western Sahara, Mauritania

supports the measures taken by the United Nations and

its Secretary-General to find a lasting solution that

guarantees stability in that region and enjoys the

support of all stakeholders.

Concerning Iraq, we are following very closely

the changing political, security and humanitarian

situation in that fraternal country. We note with

satisfaction the success achieved by the Iraqi

Government in rebuilding State institutions. We

reaffirm our support for the unity of Iraq, its territorial

integrity and independence and for non-interference in

its internal affairs.

After the changes of 3 August 2005, the Islamic

Republic of Mauritania ushered in a new era in its

political history. The new era started with the creation

of a pluralist, democratic system based on the

guarantee of equality and justice for all. It enshrines

the peaceful assumption of authority and transparency

in management and administrative reform, while firmly

establishing the mechanisms of good governance.

These choices have been implemented on the

basis of a sound experiment carried out throughout the

country using all the active forces of our people,

including civil institutions, political parties, trade

unions and the transition Government, through a

programme of action for justice and democracy that

has been implemented with the informed and effective

participation of all stakeholders. It includes

constitutional reform, reform of the administration of

justice, administrative reform to combat corruption,

and reform of the electoral system by creating an

independent national electoral commission on the basis

of transparency and by encouraging the participation of

women.

In order to ensure total neutrality in the elections,

the Military Council for Justice and Democracy has

decreed that the President, members of the Military

Council, the Prime Minister and members of the

civilian transition Government are ineligible to take

part in future municipal, legislative and presidential

elections.

The absence of real democracy, free choice and

fair elections led the Military Council for Justice and

Democracy to intervene to end the political stalemate

that the country was experiencing before 3 August

2005.

Here, on behalf of the Mauritanian people, I

would like to thank sincerely all fraternal and friendly

countries and international organizations and bodies

that have supported our reform process and helped and

supported us through its various stages.

Mauritania is keen to contribute to strengthening

the links of fraternity, cooperation and solidarity in its

region, in line with the common aspirations of our

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peoples. Within this framework, we affirm our

unswerving faith in building an Arab Maghreb as a

strategic, non-negotiable choice.

We are also profoundly attached to the spirit of

fraternity and solidarity on our African continent and to

the close relations that link our country to all fraternal

African countries. Our country will continue to be

faithful to strengthening the basis for dialogue,

exchange and understanding between peoples and

civilizations, particularly within the 5+5 forum and the

Barcelona Euro-Mediterranean process.

The major changes that have taken place on the

international scene in recent years require a review and

reform of the organs and method of work of the United

Nations — in particular, by revitalizing the role of the

General Assembly and ensuring respect for its

resolutions, by reactivating the Economic and Social

Council and by making the Security Council more

representative. All this should aim to take account not

only of important regions in the world, such as Africa

and Latin America, or important regional groups, but

also of industrialized countries that make major

contributions to the United Nations, such as Germany

and Japan.

We also believe that the Security Council today

must improve its methods of work so that it can fulfill

its task of maintaining international peace and security.

In closing, I would like to express the wish that

the work of this session will be crowned with success.