Burkina Faso, 2006

Madam President, Burkina Faso is pleased to

see you presiding over the General Assembly at its

sixty-first session. Please be assured of the full

cooperation of my delegation, which will spare no

effort to help your noble mission succeed. I would also

like to express our gratitude to Mr. Jan Eliasson,

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, who

successfully guided the work of the Assembly at the

sixtieth session.

This session is being held at a time when peace

and security are seeing their foundations severely

shaken in several regions of the world. Areas of tension

persist in Africa, despite recent efforts to dispel them.

That is the case, for example, in the Sudan, Somalia

and Côte d’Ivoire. Fortunately, fighting has ceased in

several countries, thus opening up real opportunities

for progress and development.

In Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and

Burundi, democracy and building the rule of law have

now become a reality. That is proof that nothing,

absolutely nothing, can replace the political will of

people to engage fully in inclusive and constructive

dialogue. We very much hope that the democratic

process which is under way in the Democratic

Republic of the Congo will be successfully pursued.

Likewise, we welcome the progress made in the inter-

Togolese political dialogue. Having had the privilege

of following that process as a facilitator, President

Blaise Compaore has been able to sense fully the

degree of determination of the Togolese political

leaders. That is why we reiterate the appeal he made to

Togo’s partners to provide the support necessary for

the economic revitalization of Togo.

The crisis in Côte d’Ivoire is at a decisive turning

point. We are convinced that with the firm and sincere

commitment of all parties and the support of the

international community a lasting solution can be

found very quickly.

In the Middle East, we have watched a disturbing

escalation in the violence in recent months. Since the

causes of that conflict are sufficiently known to all,

there is no reason to go into them here. While

welcoming the adoption of Security Council resolution

1701 (2006) and the deployment of an expanded

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),

Burkina Faso strongly hopes that negotiations will

continue and intensify at all levels in order to achieve a

global and lasting peace in that region, a peace that

will restore the sovereignty of Lebanon, provide

freedom for the Palestinian people and ensure Israel’s

security.

The question of free and fair international trade

remains on the table. The collapse of the Doha

Development Round is proof of this, and it has shown

us the need to search for the best way to ensure that the

rules of the multilateral trading system set by the

World Trade Organization are strictly observed. For

Burkina Faso, which has thrown its full weight behind

the interests of African cotton producers, this

requirement is more imperative than ever. Sustainable

development, the reduction of poverty and the

elimination of hunger and precariousness in the world

still constitute challenges that must be faced.

Over and above what has been done to reduce

debt and find innovative financing mechanisms, which

we welcome, the international community must work

to forge a true North-South partnership that will

guarantee fair treatment of the questions of concern to

all the regions and countries in the world. The midterm

review of the implementation of the Brussels

Programme of Action for the Least Developed

Countries, held several days ago, and its conclusions

suggest that we are moving in the right direction.

The sheer scale of international migration in

recent years, together with the daily tragedies

experienced by thousands of young people who risk

their lives, presents a new challenge caused by

accelerated globalization. To deal with the problem, the

countries of origin, transit and destination must find

more imaginative solutions that go to its root causes, as

neither barriers, nor borders, nor interdiction, nor

forced repatriation can be an adequate, much less a

sustainable, response. That is why we welcome the

results of the Euro-Africa Conference on Migration

and Development, held on 10 and 11 July 2006 in

Rabat, the initiatives taken by the African Union to

prepare a joint African policy on migration and the

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conclusions of the High-level Dialogue on

International Migration and Development, held

recently in New York at the margins of the current

session.

The unprecedented rise in the price of a barrel of

oil and the resulting energy crisis have hit our

countries hard. The economies of African countries that

do not export oil, such as Burkina Faso, will take a

long time to recover. This crisis means that we must

find not only innovative forms of international

solidarity but also alternatives to fossil fuels. With this

reality in mind, Burkina Faso has already decided to

make the development of biogas from the waste of

plant crops, such as cotton, one of its priorities.

The question of nuclear energy has been on the

agenda of most of our meetings for some time. Burkina

Faso reiterates its firm condemnation of the arms race

in general and the proliferation of nuclear weapons in

particular. It is now imperative that we give full force

to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear

Weapons. However, we must do so without prejudice to

the rights of all States to develop, produce and use

nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

In the name of democracy and justice, we have all

sought to create a new United Nations, a symbol of

modern governance and efficiency in its management

of world affairs. That is why we have undertaken to

ensure deep-rooted reform of the Organization and its

working methods. Africa in particular is dedicated to

that cause because we are convinced that it is the only

way to put right an unjustice that has festered over

decades.

Change was launched with the creation of the

Peacebuilding Commission and the Central Emergency

Response Fund, the conversion of the Commission on

Human Rights into the Human Rights Council, and the

adoption of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We

must now all work together to ensure that

multilateralism and universalism triumph over

unilateralism. To that end, we need a strong and

democratic United Nations that is open to all peoples

who seek peace and justice.

That spirit of openness and universalization in the

Organization must be a component of a genuine and

irreversible democratic movement. That is why we

must do justice by the 23 million Taiwanese whose

only aspiration has always been to play an active role

in our common endeavour to build a better world.

In that respect, Burkina Faso is very pleased to

welcome Montenegro as the 192nd Member of the

United Nations.

On behalf of my country, Burkina Faso, I wish

now to pay special tribute to Secretary-General Kofi

Annan, who, with commitment, tact, selflessness and

unprecedented efficiency has breathed new dynamism

into the Organization over the past 10 years and

rejuvenated the founding elements of the new United

Nations that we have dreamed of for decades. As he

prepares to move on from this important chapter in his

life, we wish him every success in his future activities.

The aspirations of our peoples are vast. Just as we

must strive to optimize governance globally, we must

also work to entrench local governance, democracy and

freedom. That is the only way we will be able to satisfy

those legitimate aspirations and to bequeath to future

generations a world of peace that is reconciled to itself.