Tanzania, 2007

Let me begin by congratulating Mr. Kerim for his well deserved

election as President of the General Assembly at its

sixty-second session. He can count on Tanzania’s full

support and cooperation as he discharges his mandate.

I also commend his predecessor, Sheikha Haya Rashed

Al-Khalifa, for having skilfully presided over the sixty-

first session.

We also congratulate Mr. Ban Ki-moon for his

unanimous election as the eighth Secretary-General of

the United Nations, which reflects his distinguished

diplomatic track record, integrity and commitment to

international diplomacy. I thank him for the honour and

trust he has bestowed upon my country, by appointing

an accomplished Tanzanian academic and diplomat to

the post of Deputy-Secretary-General. I take this

opportunity to once again congratulate Ms. Asha-Rose

Migiro, for her appointment to that high office. I trust

that such a combination of diligence and devoted

leadership will steer this important institution towards

greater heights of success.

I highly commend the Secretary-General for his

decision to convene the High-Level Event on Climate

Change four days ago. The meeting gave us an

opportunity to discuss the state of health of our

common planet. It also gave us the opportunity to

renew our commitment to take the necessary steps to

correct the mistakes we have made. It is indisputable

and is attributable, by and large, to human activities.

Unfortunately Africa and many small island

States contribute the least to the greenhouse gases that

cause this phenomenon and yet suffer the most from

the impact of climate change. Climate change can also

adversely affect our abilities to achieve the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs). It also threatens to undo

the results of many decades of development efforts.

I wish to emphasize that international collective

action is critical in developing an effective response to

global warming. Indeed, a review process to consider

further commitment on the part of the Parties under the

Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012 is urgent and necessary.

Tanzania promises to participate actively in the Bali

Conference.

Tanzania welcomes the recent milestones in the

United Nations reform process, namely the

establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission, the

Human Rights Council and the Central Emergency

Response Fund. We attach great importance to these

new initiatives, and we want to contribute to their

success.

In its report of November 2006 entitled,

“Delivering as One”, the High-level Panel on United

Nations System-wide Coherence made valuable

recommendations, including the establishment of a

“One United Nations” system at the country level. We

in Tanzania believe that the development coordination

agenda is best served when we have one programme,

one budgetary framework, one leader and one office at

the country level. Tanzania is pleased to be among the

eight “One United Nations” pilot countries. The One

United Nations Initiative is a logical development from

the United Nations Development Assistance

Framework (UNDAF), a framework that is fully

aligned with our national priorities. The efficiencies in

aid delivery expected through “One United Nations”

will certainly contribute to enhancing our capacity to

attain the MDGs.

I call upon Member States to give our

Organization, the United Nations, the resources it

needs to implement this pilot project. The project

should not fail for lack of resources. I also urge the

Bretton Woods institutions to take a keener interest in

this initiative and join in the efforts to realize its

objectives.

The need to make the Security Council more

representative is an age-old demand we all share. We

need to move from rhetoric to action. Now is the time.

Tanzania assures the entire United Nations membership

of our wholehearted support and cooperation in this

process.

We are now almost halfway through the timeline

of 2015 set for achieving the Millennium Development

Goals. Yet, we are not halfway in realizing the targets

as spelt out at the Millennium Summit of 2000. We are

in this unfortunate state of affairs because the

additional resources expected and promised by the

developed countries have not been delivered. I urge

this Assembly to renew its appeal to the developed

nations to deliver on their promise.

In this regard, we welcome the initiative

mentored by the Norwegian Prime Minister, Mr. Jens

Stoltenberg, to launch a global campaign to mobilize

resources for achieving Goal No. 4 on reducing infant

mortality rates and Goal No. 5 on reducing maternal

mortality rates. Tanzania supports the effort and we are

happy to be associated with it. I appeal to all Members

to support the initiative. It is our hope that developed

nations will support the campaign by providing the

requisite resources.

In the same vein, we commend Secretary-General

Ban Ki-moon for establishing the MDG Africa Steering

Group. Africa is excited about it, and we trust that it

will give new impetus in assisting Africa attain the

Millennium Development Goals.

We also welcome the historic decision taken by

the President of the General Assembly to convene a

special summit of leaders to discuss the MDGs during

this session. We support this wise decision of our

President, for we believe it will provide the needed

momentum for the timely achievement of the MDGs in

Africa. Tanzania promises to participate actively in this

important meeting.

We are happy with the tremendous progress made

in Burundi. Peace has been restored, and life has come

back to normal. Tanzania will continue to work with

the region and South Africa to ensure the full

operationalization of the peace agreement signed

between the Burundi Government and the Parti

Liberation du Peuple Hutu Forces nationales de

liberation (PALIPEHUTU-FNL) rebel group.

We are concerned with the fluidity of the

situation in North Kivu. We hope wisdom will prevail

on the parties concerned to give peace a chance. The

people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

deserve peace; they have missed it for too long. We in

Tanzania promise to play whatever part may be

required of us.

With peace restored in Burundi and many parts of

the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is incumbent

upon us in the international community to encourage

and assist refugees to go back to their respective

countries. That is what the tripartite commissions,

involving Tanzania, the Office of the United Nations

High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the

respective countries of Burundi and the Democratic

Republic of the Congo, have been doing. Our joint

commissions have been encouraging the repatriation of

refugees on a voluntary basis, and we have been

assisting those who have come forward. The results are

encouraging, but things could be better. A word of

encouragement from the Organization could make a

difference.

Tanzania believes that the return of refugees to

their countries of origin, after peace has been restored,

is a sovereign right that should not be denied. It is also

the ultimate testimony to and guarantor of peace that

has been attained. It is not fair it is not right for

people to continue to live in refugee camps after peace

has been restored in their countries of origin.

The progress currently being made with regard to

Darfur gives us hope. The adoption of Security Council

resolution 1769 (2007), on the deployment of a hybrid

force from the African Union and the United Nations,

and the renewed political dialogue among the parties to

the conflict hold promise for the stalled peace process

and for the humanitarian crisis that unfortunately

persists there. Tanzania applauds the unique

partnership which has evolved between the African

Union and the United Nations. We stand ready to

contribute troops to the hybrid force.

We are encouraged by the recent developments

with regard to internal political dialogue in Somalia.

We are equally happy with the attention given to

Somalia by the Security Council and the Secretary-

General. We welcome the recent Security Council

resolution 1772 (2007), which supports the political

process in Somalia and the role of the African Union

Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). We commend

Uganda’s contribution of peacekeepers to Somalia and

the good work they have been doing so far. As a

member of the International Contact Group on

Somalia, Tanzania promises to continue to be proactive

and offers to contribute in the training of the Somali

military.

The United Nations should remain seized of the

issue of Western Sahara. Tanzania reaffirms its support

for the inalienable right of the Saharawi people to

decide and choose the way forward. We urge the

United Nations to intensify its efforts to find an

honourable and just solution to this long-standing

decolonization issue.

The crisis inside the Palestinian territories is

unfortunate; it is a matter of great concern to many of

us. Tanzania remains supportive of efforts aimed at

creating two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by

side and at peace with each other. This presents, in our

view, the best hope for sustainable peace in the region.

We applaud and welcome the renewed international

interest and efforts being expended in line with the

relevant United Nations resolutions.

In conclusion, Tanzania reaffirms its belief in and

commitment to multilateralism and the United Nations.

The Assembly can count on Tanzania’s continued

support to this Organization and the ideals for which it

stands.