Cape Verde, 2008

First, I

congratulate Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann on his

election to the presidency of the Assembly at its sixty-

third session. I wish him a successful presidency. I also

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salute Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and express my

highest regard for his commitment to peace, dialogue

and prosperity for all.

The world grows in complexity, with its multiple

challenges and numerous risks and uncertainties. This

calls for increased multilateralism, more collective

responsibility and greater cooperation. In short, it

demands and expects more and better from the United

Nations.

The world is undergoing a profound and

multifaceted crisis in the financial, energy, food and

environmental areas. Indeed, we face an environment

fraught with uncertainty in the short and long term,

underscored by financial instability, foreign exchange

volatility, escalating oil and food prices and a globally

troubled world economy. There is risk to our economic,

human, political and military security — in other

words, our general and collective security.

On the one hand, organized transnational crime

and terrorism threaten international order and the rule

of law. On the other hand, the effects of global

warming and climate change, as well as the risks

imposed by their worsening, are real facts that confront

world leaders and institutions.

World peace remains out of reach. Areas of armed

conflict still exist. Indeed, they resurge repeatedly or

persist at low intensity. In the meantime, new sources

of tension arise in many places. However, I believe we

agree that war is not the best way to overcome these

challenges.

We also have failed to build security and trust

among all and for all, large and small, rich and poor.

Without security, without social stability, without

political and institutional cohesion, and above all

without mutual trust between the international political

actors, it is difficult to further the premises that may

contribute to ensuring a solution to major global

problems, resolving our main challenges, overcoming

extreme poverty and the most pervasive endemic

diseases, as well as moving past current global social

and economic imbalances.

With the adoption of the Millennium

Development Goals the international community

expressly undertook to contribute to overcoming this

unsustainable situation. I therefore urge the Assembly

to work towards the preservation of an international

environment favourable to the achievement of the

commitment that we undertook — the social and

economic growth of the poorest countries, the

eradication of extreme poverty, the consolidation of

peace, dialogue and international cooperation towards

international balance, the defence of life and the

planet’s future.

The current financial crisis is underscored by the

instability of the financial markets and the volatility in

the movement of capital, which put our worldwide

economic stability at risk. We must retain the global

financial architecture. It seems necessary for us to

agree on new forms of financial regulation that are

effective, trustworthy and acceptable to all.

The food crisis has placed hundreds of millions

of people in a precarious situation. It is clear that

urgent action is required to ensure increased

agricultural production capable of meeting current and

future needs. That requires the promotion of

agricultural policies consistent with the demands of the

situation, the partnership of the rich and

technologically more advanced countries and technical

assistance from international organizations; it means

that attention must be given to modernizing and

increasing agricultural production and productivity in

the affected countries and regions. I think specifically

of my country and the African continent.

Escalating oil prices have created serious

problems for the economies of the least developed and

non-producing countries. I ask, why not consider forms

of compensation for the poorest and most affected

nations in view of the enormous financial surpluses

that have been accumulated? Admittedly, such an act of

justice and solidarity would not be enough. We must

therefore act individually and collectively and continue

to promote energy alternatives and energy efficiency,

as well as encourage reduced dependence on fossil

fuels. Urgent and global measures are required to

overcome the serious environmental crisis and to

develop innovative and safe options for the future of

humanity. That is the challenge that we must take up

for the sake of the future and that we must overcome

for the benefit of all.

We surely agree that humanity is at a decisive

moment in history that clearly runs counter to the

paradigms of its recent past — a time when a new

world is painfully coming into being.

Recent experiences show that no single nation

can in isolation solve the great challenges and global

37 08-51839

problems which the world faces. However, our

universal institution does present the essential

conditions and the required collective responsibility for

such an endeavour. Therefore, it is incumbent on the

United Nations to shoulder the tremendous mission of

promoting more effective world governance.

However, to perform such a role, which is now

more complex than ever, the United Nations is called

upon to adapt itself to the challenges of the twenty-first

century, to express the major shaping forces of the

contemporary world and to ensure and convey

confidence to all of its Member States. Accordingly,

the United Nations system must be reformed and

improved and, above all, the representativeness and

legitimacy of the Security Council must be urgently

expanded and strengthened.

Thirty-five years ago, on 4 September 1973, the

Republic of Guinea-Bissau acceded to national

sovereignty. I salute the delegation of Guinea-Bissau in

this room. It is our firm conviction that our brother

nation will be able to overcome all the difficulties

currently facing it and to consolidate the foundations of

its stability under the rule of law.

Allow me also to welcome the recent legislative

elections in Angola and to congratulate the people and

authorities of Angola for the responsible and transparent

manner in which those important elections were

conducted.

I would further like to welcome the political

agreements that led to the end of the political crisis in

Zimbabwe. That is a testament to the emancipation of

our continent and to its aspiration to progress, and thus

helps to usher in the new era and the new world that

we so eagerly desire.