Cameroon, 2004

On 10 June 2004, you, Mr. President, were elected to

serve as President of the General Assembly. As you

begin your term of office, I have the great pleasure of

conveying to you the warm and fraternal

congratulations of the people of Cameroon — brother,

neighbour and friend of your country, Gabon — as well

as from Cameroon’s Government and its President,

Mr. Paul Biya. Your election crowns an outstanding

career and is a tribute to Gabon’s diplomacy under the

wise guidance of President El Hadj Omar Bongo

Ondimba.

Cameroon would also like to congratulate the

other members of the Bureau of the fifty-ninth session

of the General Assembly. We would like to reiterate

our full cooperation to you, Mr. President, and to say

that we are at your disposal. In addition, I would like to

take this opportunity to pay tribute to your predecessor,

Mr. Julian Hunte, for the important work he

accomplished with the tireless support of the Bureau,

including in particular with regard to our common

endeavour to reform the Organization and enhance its

effectiveness by, among other things, reviewing the

General Assembly’s methods of work.

The waning year has strengthened our common

resolve to strengthen multilateralism and to give it

prominence in the management of international affairs

in the new international order, with the United Nations

as the foundation and framework of that order. Despite

the ups and downs that the United Nations has

experienced, in particular in the Security Council, it is

time for there to be an active dialogue among the

world’s nations, all of which adhere to the universality

of the Organization and its unique and irreplaceable

role in promoting economic and social development

and international peace and security. The world of

course faces numerous challenges, some of which are

new in nature. Others, however, although older and

better known, remain without real solutions — either

due to their complexity or because of a lack of

determination on the part of the international

community to mobilize ways and means commensurate

with the stakes.

In January 2005, the General Assembly will

receive a report from the Panel of eminent persons

appointed by the Secretary-General to reflect on

reforms that could make the Organization more

effective, transparent and democratic, as well as better

able to carry out its mission and tackle the new

challenges requiring our attention. I trust that the Panel

will not fail to rely upon previous relevant proposals

when framing its recommendations, in particular those

made at the Millennium Summit. As far as Cameroon

is concerned, mankind must be at the heart of any

substantive reform of the United Nations.

My country continues to promote the proposal

put forth here in New York during the Millennium

Summit by President Paul Biya. That proposal called

for the creation within the Secretariat of an

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international ethics-monitoring centre entrusted with

the task of “promoting fundamental and universal

human values between and within nations”. (A/55/PV.5,

p. 27)

In addition, it also seems that the time has come

for the General Assembly to express its views on the

issue of Security Council reform, and in particular with

regard to expanding its membership. The proposals that

have been introduced in the General Assembly are

undoubtedly a very good basis for discussion. The

Assembly will recall that the Organization of African

Unity called for a reconstituted Security Council that

included seven seats for Africa, including 2 permanent

seats. That proposal, which Cameroon fully endorses,

still stands. Nevertheless, we must forge concrete

consensus without delay, as an indicator of greater

transparency and renewed legitimacy of a Security

Council that is more effective and credible.

Standing side-by-side with other nations,

Cameroon is resolutely committed to eradicating new

threats that seriously imperil international peace and

security. We unreservedly condemn international

terrorism and all forms of fundamentalism and

extremism, which provide it with both a breeding

ground and a vehicle. It is for that reason that we

reiterate our solidarity with all those who have fallen

victim to terrorism, most recently in Russia and the

Middle East.

The efforts undertaken by the Security Council in

that regard are encouraging. However, we believe that

the time has come for worldwide globalization and the

summit level. It is time to act together against the

terrorist hydra. Cameroon once again suggests that a

high-level conference be urgently convened to define

collectively more effective strategies to combat

terrorism.

The new threats confronting the world are real

challenges, and it is only right that they be given

certain priority. That approach will be quite appropriate

as the Organization’s other traditional concerns

continue to enjoy our full attention. Cameroon believes

that nothing can justify terrorism. Nevertheless, the

response to terrorism and to other new threats cannot

be solely a military response.

The modern world must focus on the causes of

violence and on the injustices that undermine

international peace. Resolving regional conflicts in

Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere; combating

poverty and mobilizing against great epidemics, and

against HIV/AIDS in particular; redressing the

imbalance in world trade in goods and services; and

addressing the foreign debt of poor countries — like

the new threats, all these challenges require the

Organization’s attention.

I mention this parallel because we run a real risk,

today, of getting used to the endemic poverty that kills

thousands every day, particularly in sub-Saharan

Africa. Solidarity with the poor must become a very

concrete reality rather than mere lip service. In order to

combat hunger and poverty, we need massive private

and public financing. We need relief from the burden

of debt.

The world today is faced with a paradox. The

poorest countries are the ones that have the most open

and liberal economies. Even their non-commercial

sector has been privatized, causing unemployment for

millions of citizens and the destabilization of basic

social sectors, such as water and electricity, for many

years, with harmful consequences for all economic

activity. The current economic order, if we are not

careful, could consolidate — and indeed make

permanent — current relations based on force, to the

benefit of rich countries and to the detriment of poor

countries. The rich can easily subsidize their

agriculture, their industry and their airlines, among

other sectors. The poor countries, however, under the

watchful eyes of financial institutions in which their

voices go unheard, must submit themselves to the law

of the market. Cotton from West and Central Africa is

a perfect example of unbalanced and unfair

globalization. We should not become discouraged,

however, and Cameroon is convinced that under your

presidency, Sir, the fifty-ninth session of the General

Assembly will adopt strong initiatives to help poor

countries and to ensure a readjustment of globalization,

making it more equitable and beneficial to all.

International economic relations must be profoundly

reformed with a view to ensuring greater United

Nations involvement.

The same issues that apply to the economy also

apply to the subject of health. The world, viewed in its

entirety, is rich. It has the means of providing adequate

health for all. Medicines exist that should make it

possible to contain the major pandemics. Research

scientists and the pharmaceutical industry are making

great strides on a daily basis in combating malaria,

tuberculosis, meningitis and cholera, among other

diseases. Those scourges, however, kill millions of

Africans every year. The reason for this is poverty and

insufficient means to obtain care and medicines.

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With regard to HIV/AIDS, which is far more

terrible since it is thus far incurable, we welcome the

fact that scientific research today is making it possible

to drastically diminish its devastating scope. The

Bangkok International AIDS Conference has certainly

given reason for hope. Significant pledges to help

eradicate this scourge are announced on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, most of the persons infected by the HIV

virus are unable to obtain anti-retroviral medications

since they lack the necessary financial means.

Combating AIDS is a worldwide cause, rallying us all.

I have touched upon regional conflicts. Their

negative impact on the international environment,

whether politically, economically or in humanitarian

and security terms, requires no further demonstration.

Africa, as if not already handicapped enough, is the

continent most plagued by conflict, as evidenced by the

Security Council agenda.

The situation in some countries gives rise to

relative optimism. Developments in Liberia, Sierra

Leone, Guinea-Bissau and the Comoros give us reasons

for hope. Recent firm commitments by political actors

in the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire doubtless give rise to

better prospects for that fraternal, friendly country.

In Central Africa, despite some improvement, the

situation remains worrisome. It calls for constant

vigilance and increased involvement on all levels by

the international community. In this respect, the

international conference on the Great Lakes region,

which has been announced several times but has

always been deferred, must finally be held as

scheduled in November 2004. That will make it

possible to lay a fresh foundation for constructive

cooperation among the countries of the region,

consistent with the interests of their respective peoples.

Still with regard to Central Africa, it is our hope

that, at this session, the debate on cooperation between

the United Nations and the Economic Community of

Central African States (ECCAS) will address the

concerns expressed by our subregion’s heads of State

to the Secretary-General’s multidisciplinary assessment

mission to Central Africa. I recall here that the heads

of State had unanimously and firmly expressed a desire

for a political presence by the Secretary-General in

Central Africa through a permanent subregional

structure. We take note of the statement made here in

this connection by the delegation of the Republic of the

Congo, as Chairman of ECCAS.

The crisis in Darfur is currently a matter of grave

concern on our continent. Wishing to prevent a

catastrophe such as has occurred in the past, the

African Union has squarely embraced this question

with the decisive support of the Security Council and

other international partners. We all hope a positive

solution will be reached quickly. In order to do this,

dialogue must be ongoing, forward-looking and

voluntary on the part of all protagonists in the crisis.

To be sure, the political will and determination of the

Sudanese authorities are key; they must continue to

display these qualities. That is the only way that an

unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe will be

avoided. In any case, the international community must

be further mobilized behind the African Union in order

to ward off this curse and avert this major crisis

without delay.

My country is profoundly devoted to peace. It

will spare no effort to promote the peaceful settlement

of disputes. In that connection, it will continue to

promote peace throughout the world, and specifically

in Africa, in Central Africa and in the Gulf of Guinea.

As members know, the International Court of

Justice in The Hague, after lengthy deliberations

lasting almost 10 years, handed down its judgment, on

10 October 2002, relating to the boundary dispute

between Cameroon and Nigeria. Both countries, within

the context of the Joint Commission established by the

Secretary-General and chaired by his Special

Representative, have agreed to define the ways and

means of implementing that judgment and have

adopted a programme of work with a specific

timetable, approved on 31 January 2004 by their heads

of State and the Secretary-General. The Secretary-

General has eloquently reported on the progress that

has been made in this connection. We call upon the

United Nations family to give its full support to the

Secretary-General and to use its influence to help

Nigeria and Cameroon in implementing the judgment

of the International Court of Justice.

Whether it be the reform of our Organization to

make it more efficient, democratic and legitimate; or

the Middle East peace process to re-launch the road

map; or pacification, reconstruction, enhanced security

and institution-building in Iraq and Afghanistan; or the

settlement of African disputes and the post-conflict

reconstruction of such countries; or combating AIDS

and other pandemics; or adjusting financial and trade

mechanisms to help the weakest and most exposed

countries; or, finally, eliminating poverty:

Mr. President, our dear brother, we think that you have

a full plate. Quite fortunately, your great qualities will

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allow you to involve the international community in

working on these problems.

Moreover, you have at your side the Secretary-

General of our Organization, Mr. Kofi Annan, Nobel

Peace Prize laureate, whose actions and commitments

to promote peace, security and development today

serve as both a lever and an engine for the activities

undertaken by the international community as a whole.

You also have at your side, I am sure, the entirety of

the United Nations membership. Cameroon, for its

part, will spare no effort to support you in your lofty

mission.