Comoros, 2014

Let me

begin by conveying to the United States authorities my

delegation’s heartfelt gratitude for their always warm

hospitality in hosting this great annual event here in

New York. I also express my sincere congratulations to

the President and wish him full success in conducting

the work of the Assembly at its sixty-ninth session.

Finally, on behalf of my delegation and myself I renew

our full gratitude to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

for his commitment to serving our Organization.

The current session — the sixty-ninth — is

taking place at a crucial moment in the history of our

Organization, a crucible of multilateralism and global

diplomacy that has, over time, become an ever more

precious and indispensable tool for peace and security

in the world. The session is being held on the eve of

our Organization’s seventieth anniversary, which we

will celebrate one year hence in this beautiful city

of New York. We will celebrate it here, at a venue

renowned for the discussions and ongoing dialogue

that place humankind and the environment at the

forefront of concerns, with a view to fostering peace in

international relations. In the light of the wisdom and

experience of its 69 years, our Organization must find

fresh strength and vitality and renew its commitment to

a world continually faced with challenges and threats

that change and become more unpredictable with each

passing day.

The current session also provides us with an

important opportunity to carry out a comprehensive

assessment of our Organization’s work and undertake

the preparations to ensure that 2015 will be the year

of reform, on the occasion of our seventieth birthday.

Clearly, as part of that process, we should take greater

account, first, of new complications, such as those related

to the extreme vulnerability of small island developing

States, in accordance with the recommendations of the

recent Third International Conference on Small Island

Developing States, held in Apia. Secondly, we should

work to ensure better representation for developing

countries, particularly those in Africa, which today

includes not only areas that are seeing significant

economic growth but also some that are afflicted by

great poverty and often bloody conflicts that slow

their development and are an obstacle to their peoples’

welfare.

Meanwhile, it is vital that the long-hoped-for reform

of our Organization include ensuring that the Security

Council takes on the role of coordinator in the fight

against the new global scourge of terrorism. In any

event, as a country committed to and involved in the

East African Standby Force, the Union of the Comoros

fully appreciates the Security Council’s responsibilities

in helping to promote, guide and supervise the

prevention and resolution of conflicts in Central Africa,

Nigeria and Mali, as well as Libya, Syria, Iraq, Ukraine

and any country in crisis. All are sources of tension

that undermine peace in various parts of the world and

have become fertile breeding grounds for international

terrorism. It is in that context, and especially in the

wake of the recent and bloody armed attacks on our

Palestinian brothers in Gaza, that I would like to stress

the urgent need for a just and immediate solution to the

question of Palestine, which, sadly, is almost as old as

our Organization.

In order to maintain and build peace in a constantly

changing world, we must focus unfailingly on conflict

prevention, while continuing to support efforts to

solve crises as they arise. Our community of nations

has a duty to take the initiative on issues that may ruin

our Organization’s credibility if not dealt with fairly.

That is the case with my country, which, admitted

as a Member of the United Nations under resolution

3385 (XXX), of 12 November 1975, in affirmation of

the importance of respecting the unity and territorial

integrity of the Comoro Archipelago, consisting of four

islands, still awaits the completion of its decolonization

process. In that regard, in my address to the General

Assembly at its sixty-eighth session (see A/68/PV.10), I

discussed our new approach to reaching an agreement

with France on a fair solution that is consistent with the

principles governing our Organization.

In keeping with the commitment I expressed from

this rostrum, I would like to inform the Assembly that

the high joint council proposed by the Paris Declaration

has been established. This monitoring body began its

work in November 2013 and is preparing to meet again

at the end of this year. At its second meeting, the issues

it will address will include that of people’s movement

between the archipelago’s four islands, in an effort

to end the tragedies that afflict Comorian families

daily — tragedies that generally go unnoticed by

international public opinion but are deeply damaging

to my people’s collective consciousness. These are

tragedies that are equally troublesome to the conscience

of France, the great country whose humanistic values

we share.

In other words, quite apart from the two countries’

territorial dispute, it is extremely urgent that we end

this human tragedy through a peaceful and committed

dialogue between the two parties, which can only

benefit from United Nations support. That is why,

in the spirit of the Paris Declaration and to pave the

way for building a renewed relationship focused on

the future, I recently sought the support of the Indian

Ocean Commission at the fourth summit for Heads of

State and Government of that subregional organization,

of which France and the Comoros are both members.

There, the Comorian Government put the emphasis

on a spirit of harmony aimed at preserving the bonds

between our peoples, while reaffirming the importance

of respecting the principles of international law in

settling this 40-year dispute.

The purpose of the Assembly’s sixty-ninth session

is to define a development programme for the post-

2015 period, with, as its chief aims, the eradication

of poverty and hunger and the promotion of inclusive

and sustainable economic growth throughout the

world. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

unquestionably created a global covenant of solidarity

for our nation’s socioeconomic progress. Like many

countries, and like small island developing States

in particular, the Union of the Comoros has made

significant strides towards achieving the Goals,

including improving maternal health and women’s

participation in political and economic life, reducing

malaria and infant mortality, fighting HIV/AIDS and

ensuring equality in children’s education. However,

there is still much to do, particularly in the areas of

food security, access to universal health care and the

deterioration of the environment. Similarly, energy,

sustainable agriculture and access to drinking water

for much of the population are still matters for concern.

That is why, at a time when my country is

negotiating entry into the World Trade Organization,

we urge that the MDGs that have still not been reached

be incorporated into our new sustainable development

goals. We also call for strengthened strategic

partnerships for development, the establishment of an

equitable regime for international trade, the promotion

of domestic and foreign direct investment and, lastly,

greater mobilization and commitment in combating

climate change. It is also vital to implement promptly

the recommendations of the various climate summits,

especially the Samoa Conference and the Climate

Summit held here in New York on 23 September.

Many indicators over the past few years, such as the

rate of economic growth in various African countries,

give reason to hope for a better future for development

on our continent. However, Africa is having to deal

with challenges related to conflict resolution and

multiple threats to peace and security that no country

in the world can manage alone, without international

cooperation and support. One example is Ebola, a virus

that is devastating various West African countries, the

alarming scale and speed of whose spread represent a

global threat. We welcome the steps that many countries

have taken recently to help contain and eradicate this

epidemic.

It is on my belief in the crucial importance of

international solidarity in meeting our peoples’

ever-growing needs that I base my hopes of seeing

our Organization successfully negotiate its own

transformation after almost 70 years of existence.

Indeed, it is by rising to meet the many current

challenges and fully assuming the demands of an

increasingly interdependent and complex world that we

will be able together to open up ways of hope for future

generations.