Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2012

At

the outset, I should like to join previous speakers in

congratulating Mr. Vuk Jeremić and the other members

of the Bureau on his election to the presidency of

the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session. I

should like also to congratulate Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz

Al-Nasser for the work that he accomplished during

his mandate, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

for his commitment to defending the ideals of our

Organization.

The holding of a session of the General Assembly

offers each of us an opportunity to participate in a

collective process of ref lection on ways and means of

ensuring the success of efforts aimed at peace, security

and development in each of our States and throughout

the world.

President Jeremić has rightly recommended

that interventions during this general debate focus

in particular on the adjustment or settlement of

international disputes by peaceful means. That

recommendation is particularly wise because this is an

issue whose relevance and timeliness are immutable

and which is part and parcel of the process of tirelessly

seeking peace through means other than the use of

force.

World history makes clear the operational validity of

the principle of the peaceful settlement of international

disputes. It also teaches us that processes of dialogue

and negotiation, in order to remain credible as ways of

resolving conflicts and disputes, must be based on truth

and respect for the law and the values and universally

recognized principles. They should guard against both

hasty action and stalemate, and they should demonstrate

effectiveness by producing the hoped-for results, even

if this is done in a gradual manner.

It must be noted that more than 60 years after the

founding of the United Nations, the world continues

to witness many situations of war and instability.

Terrorism is increasing instead of decreasing. Maritime

piracy, which we thought had been eradicated, is once

again becoming one of the main threats to peace

and security. The Middle East is today a hotbed of

tension. Syria is in the throes of bloodshed, and Mali is

witnessing attempts at separatism.

More broadly, as peace is more than just the absence

of war, many scourges still affect humanity. Many are

devoting their creativity and energy to destabilization

and destruction, by means of drug trafficking, trafficking in persons and other violations of the rights

and freedoms of human beings, instead of working for

the prosperity and for individual and collective well-

being.

In addition, for the sake of more than two thirds of

humanity, there is an increasingly urgent need to fight

poverty, ignorance, violence, injustice and diseases of

all kinds, particularly HIV and malaria.

After years of difficulties, my country, the

Democratic Republic of the Congo, is in the process

of consolidating of peace and security. To that end, no

effort has been spared, and remarkable progress has

been made. Begun for the first time only 10 years ago

in a country that has had independence for 50 years,

tireless efforts towards democratization, the building

of a State based on the rule of law, the development of

the socioeconomic infrastructure, and the improvement

of the living conditions of our people continue, which is

proof of the determination of the Congolese people and

of its leaders to be a factor of peace and stability.

That momentum, unfortunately, is now under

threat by the enemies of peace. Since March 2012, the

province of North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic

of the Congo, where the concepts of peace, stability,

reconciliation, work and human dignity had begun

to regain a foothold, has, sadly, once again gained

notoriety, not because of the incomparable beauty

of its landscape or the extraordinary richness of its

biodiversity, but as an example of the profound evil

that selfishness, extremism, communal violence and

the philosophy of “might makes right” can wreak on

a society.

Even as I address the Assembly today, hundreds

of thousands of children, women and men in North

Kivu are deprived of peace and are being subjected to

inhuman and degrading treatment by negative forces,

led by unrepentant elements with a vast capacity to do

harm and who benefit from external support. Children

are unable to attend school and are forced to carry

and use firearms to kill other children, even their own

brothers and sisters. That situation is unacceptable. It

should be condemned and should give rise to sanctions.

We expect that the community of nations will shoulder

its responsibilities in that respect and that the Security

Council will ensure compliance with its resolutions.

That is a condition for those resolutions to be effective

and remain credible.

We are aware that it is up to us, the Congolese

people, to defend our country and ensure law and order

and security throughout our national territory. We are

determined to assume that responsibility and we intend

to dedicate all of our human, material and financial

resources to that end, even sacrificing our legitimate

ambitions for the emergence of Congo. We also remain

determined to guarantee national cohesion and ensure

equal protection for all Congolese citizens.

At the same time, it is my hope to see the Organization

encourage all Member States, in particular those that are

tempted by violence, to respect the guiding principles

of the Charter of the United Nations.

In conclusion, I would like to thank all those who,

from afar or from close by, bilateral or multilateral

partners, including the United Nations, have assisted us

in our efforts to build at the centre of Africa a Congo

that is united and prosperous and that lives in peace

with itself and with all of its neighbours. I would like

to assure the Assembly of one thing: the Democratic

Republic of the Congo is a safe investment.