Cape Verde, 2006

First of all, Madam, I would like to

congratulate you on your election to preside over our

work during the General Assembly’s sixty-first session.

This is a tribute not only to your qualities, but also to

the dedication of your country, because it shows the

recognition of Bahrain’s attachment to the principles

and actions pursued by the United Nations. This is

why, on behalf of the Cape Verde delegation and in my

own name, I would like to assure you of our

cooperation.

The rapid changes in the modern world are a

permanent challenge to the United Nations capacity to

preserve the centrality of its role in the promotion of

development, peace, security and human rights. These

changes involve challenges, opportunities and

constraints that we must properly manage in order to

create the more balanced, democratic and peaceful

world order to which we all aspire.

To confront these challenges, the United Nations

must commit itself unambiguously to modernizing and

reforming its activities. Being the product of its

Member States, the Organization must be granted the

resources that are commensurate with its mandate.

Following the decisions and recommendations

adopted at the 2005 World Summit, relevant important

measures have been adopted. I am particularly grateful

for the establishment of the Human Rights Council, the

Peacebuilding Commission, the Central Emergency

Response fund, the Optional Protocol to the

Convention on the Safety of United Nations and

Associated Personnel, resolutions on development and

the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

In this connection, I would like to express my

country’s gratitude to Mr. Jan Eliasson for his dynamic

and efficient guidance of the work of the Assembly’s

sixtieth session.

Reform of the United Nations will not be

complete unless we reform the Security Council, the

Economic and Social Council, the Secretariat and

management, indispensable components in our

Organization’s efforts to adapt to today’s realities. We

must move ahead with an open and flexible attitude,

without jeopardizing the principles of equity and

justice.

At the internal institutional level, in order for

reform to be understood and supported by all the

parties concerned, it must be carried out in an

inclusive, harmonious and streamlined manner. Cape

Verde has agreed to host a pilot project known as the

Joint Office Mechanism, a procedure with a common

framework for United Nations programmes, agencies

and funds, the final objective of which is to enhance

the efficiency of operational activities by rationalizing

structures and resources and creating synergy at the

technical and budgetary levels. The complexity of this

experiment and its implications in streamlining

operations with the structures on which the JOM

depends in New York will call for adjustments in

policies, instruments and practices and a permanent

dialogue with Governments.

21 06-53952

I am gratified at the selection of the topic of our

debate: “Implementing a global partnership for

development”. This topic could not be more timely, as

many people around the world do not yet enjoy the

fundamental human right to live in dignity, without

having to worry about poverty or fear. The Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs) remain empty words for

these people.

It is deplorable that, despite all scientific progress

in our time, underdevelopment continues to be the

daily reality for so many men, women and children on

the planet. While it is up to national leaders to bear the

prime responsibility, we cannot underline enough the

importance of a global partnership to restore equity in

these situations and create the foundations for

development that is more in line with the MDGs.

In that context, the international community

should genuinely fulfil its commitments with respect to

official development assistance and should establish

the conditions for a fairer and more equitable

international trading system that would take property

account of small, vulnerable economies, including

those of island States.

In the specific case of Africa, I welcome the

various initiatives that have been announced, while

urging the international community to give our

continent a more consistent form of support — one that

is more consistent with the MDGs and the positive

momentum created by the emergence of new African

leaders who are working to promote development,

democracy, peace and political and social stability.

Debt reduction, access to direct investment,

improving the financing modalities for development

and innovative financing efforts are measures that

could encourage and support national policy

adjustment efforts through improvement of the

management of resources. Consistent with the

international agenda, initiatives related to external debt

should also be extended to medium-low-income

countries.

Only two weeks ago, in this very forum, during

the High-level Meeting on the midterm comprehensive

global review of the implementation of the Brussels

Programme of Action for the Least Developed

Countries, the Cape Verde delegation stated that

irrefutable progress had been achieved, but this should

not mask the problems and shortcomings that still

exist.

In general, we see a mixed record in the

implementation of that instrument; this reflects the

major constraints that all these countries face in trying

to reverse the heavy dynamic of underdevelopment.

In the specific case of Cape Verde, thanks to

efforts at the national level, with the support of the

international community, social and economic

indicators have improved markedly during the

country’s 30 years of independence. Considerable

progress has been achieved in education and health and

in reform of the financial and fiscal sectors and of the

State administration. At the political level, reform has

made possible the setting-up of a democratic system

and the emergence of a cultural and political climate of

tolerance and power-sharing. These results provided

the basis for the General Assembly’s decision to

graduate Cape Verde from the category of least

developed countries in 2008.

Cape Verde is aware that to consolidate these

efforts requires a sustained financial effort that it

cannot make on its own. Let us recall that Cape Verde

is a small island country without natural resources and

exposed to permanent drought and external shocks. In

addition, its economic vulnerability outweighs the two

other criteria required for graduation from the category

of least developed country. The Government accepted

this new challenge fully convinced that it is primarily

responsible for drafting and implementing the best

possible development model in the interests of the

people of Cape Verde. That is why it has decided to

pursue dialogue with its bilateral and multilateral

partners in order to ensure smooth transition, in

accordance with the resolution adopted by the General

Assembly.

In many ways, the success of this pioneering step

largely depends on support from the United Nations

system and the broader international community. The

transition support group that has been created has the

responsibility of helping us to clarify the goals and

modalities of graduation and to set in motion a new

partnership for creating a new and more agile

economic momentum that will make us less vulnerable.

Climate change and environmental degradation

have harmful effects on ecosystems, especially in small

island developing States such as Cape Verde. The

international community must provide strong support

for the effective implementation of the Mauritius

Strategy for the Further Implementation of the

06-53952 22

Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development

of Small Island Developing States.

The deadlock in negotiations on disarmament

issues, transnational organized crime, clandestine

immigration and its human, political, social, cultural

and economic impact, endemic diseases such as

malaria and tuberculosis and the rapid expansion of

HIV/AIDS are causes of deep concern, particularly in

small, poor countries. Here again, the international

community must act together and quickly.

Terrorism continues to threaten international

peace and stability. Cape Verde, which has signed the

main legal instruments to combat terrorism, supports

the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy

(resolution 60/288) launched at the beginning of the

current session of the General Assembly. The Strategy

sends a clear message about the determination of the

United Nations to address the root causes of this

scourge and combat it in all its forms and

manifestations. We are convinced that it will contribute

to removing the difficulties surrounding negotiations

on an international counter-terrorism convention.

While there are unresolved conflicts, others are

breaking out in various places, constantly vying for

attention and action by the international community.

The situation in the Middle East has recently escalated

with the confrontation between Lebanon and Israel.

This has led to unspeakable human suffering and

tremendous material damage in both countries and

throughout the region. No one can remain indifferent in

the face of this conflict, which has continued far too

long, 60 years, and which remains a major cause —

indeed, the epicentre — of international instability.

Cape Verde supports the idea of a comprehensive

strategy, the only viable key to which would be the

peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) contains

important provisions that could serve as a basis for

such a strategy. Cape Verde urges all the parties

concerned to resume dialogue and negotiations. The

international community, in particular the United

Nations, must strive to create conditions for restoring

confidence and establishing lasting peace, which are

preconditions for economic integration and the

promotion of intercultural dialogue in the region.

In Africa, while renewed hope accompanies the

peacebuilding process in Burundi, Liberia, Sierra

Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the

persistence of other sources of tension risks

compromising development efforts and perpetrating

human tragedy. That is the case in Darfur, where the

situation remains fragile and where disagreement

among certain parties to the conflict greatly risks

compromising the Peace Agreement signed at Abuja in

May 2006. Cape Verde endorses the recommendations

and appeals issued by the African Union Peace and

Security Council at its recent New York meeting, held

at the margins of the General Assembly, on the

situation in Darfur. We hail the international

community and the African Union for their efforts to

resolve the crisis, and we encourage them to continue.

At the same time, we call upon the parties concerned to

make greater efforts at dialogue and find a peaceful

solution to the crisis.

I would like to end where I started, speaking of

the central role of the United Nations in the

democratization of international relations and in the

promotion of development, peace and human rights.

Allow me to express the appreciation of Cape Verde to

Mr. Kofi Annan for his outstanding work over the past

10 years, which has made it possible for the

Organization to leave its mark on the course of

multilateralism. His work does him credit and it is also

to the credit of Africa. As he prepares to leave the post

of Secretary-General, we wish him every success in his

future endeavours.