Ethiopia, 2002

First of all, I wish to

extend to Mr. Jan Kavan congratulations on his election

as President of the fifty-seventh session of the United

Nations General Assembly. I also wish to take this

opportunity to commend his predecessor for his

invaluable contribution to what was achieved at the

fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly. Allow me

also to express our appreciation to our Secretary-

General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for the effort he has been

making to ensure that the United Nations becomes a

more effective instrument for tackling the very many

challenges faced by the international community.

My delegation would like to join others in

welcoming the admission of the Swiss Confederation

to the United Nations. It is a country that has, indeed,

contributed so much to the Organization over the years.

Our continent, Africa, and its peoples, continue to

face enormous and daunting challenges. This is not

new. This is something that has been going on for the

last few decades, with the general economic and social

situation in the continent deteriorating even further.

The general trend has been one of an ever-faster

marginalization of Africa. The continent has yet to see

the benefits of globalization. Africa still awaits the

creation of an enabling international economic context

for progress in its efforts to wage war against poverty.

That effort is unlikely to succeed without greater

international cooperation. Many in Africa, including

my own country, Ethiopia, are unlikely to meet the

internationally agreed poverty-related targets and

goals, including those set by the United Nations

Millennium Declaration, without greater readiness on

the part of the international community to contribute

more to Africa's fight against poverty.

The eradication of poverty is not only Africa's

challenge or only that of the developing world. As was

reiterated at the Johannesburg World Summit on

Sustainable Development, poverty is the greatest global

challenge facing the world. The despair and

hopelessness engendered by poverty have implications

for the world in general — not only for the people of

the South but for those of the North, as well.

Many might have felt that the Johannesburg

Summit failed to rise to the occasion and that its

achievement was not commensurate with the gravity of

the challenges faced by the peoples of the world in a

variety of areas, most of all, in areas most relevant to

the eradication of poverty. But there was one thing

which was unambiguously evident at the Johannesburg

Summit. Those from both the North and the South

stressed with one voice that the global apartheid we

currently have is unsustainable. How can one

implement that vision? This is what continues to elude

the international community. It remains the case

despite some progress that has been made, including at

Monterrey.

The eradication of poverty in Africa, and in my

own country, is not primarily the responsibility of the

international community. It is primarily our

responsibility to put our houses in order and to take the

lead in rejuvenating Africa.

That is where in fact today there is a new

development in Africa. Many in Africa are more

prepared than ever before to take charge of their

destiny. There is a new thinking in Africa today and a

realistic resolve to ensure the regeneration of the

continent. I am referring to the New Partnership for

Africa's Development (NEPAD). It is an initiative by

Africa which demonstrates the readiness of the

continent to take charge of its future. It is a concrete

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commitment by Africa to take the necessary steps in

both the economic and political areas towards creating

enabling conditions for economic and social

transformation. It is a realistic initiative that specifies

and underlines the obligation of African countries in all

areas relevant to the creation of conditions conducive

to economic and social development. Good governance

is one such vital obligation to which the initiative

accords the necessary importance. It is a major step for

Africa and one whose significance should be

underlined. The commitment to democracy and good

governance has major implications for Africa not only

in economic development but also in creating

conditions for nurturing peace and stability.

Nonetheless, NEPAD cannot succeed without the

cooperation of Africa's partners and the international

community. And succeed it must, not only because

NEPAD's success is in the vital interest of Africa but

also because it is in the interest of the world in general.

The logic of globalization makes it obvious that no part

of the globe is immune to the negative influences

emanating from its other, less fortunate parts.

Realistically speaking, we swim or sink together. It

would be unwise to believe that the growing

marginalization and decay of Africa will have no

significant adverse implications for the stability and

viability of the globalizing world. It is this common

interest that we all share which is the basis for our

mutual obligation for the success of NEPAD. I must

state here that we have been encouraged by the

preliminary response to NEPAD by many members of

the international community, including the G-8

countries and others. We are still hopeful that even

greater support and enthusiasm will be demonstrated

by the international community to ensure that NEPAD

will be workable.

Ethiopia subscribes fully to the NEPAD

framework. We are indeed at present in the process of

implementing the principles and ideas promoted by the

initiative. We will continue to be committed to carrying

out our obligations for good governance, for creating

enabling conditions for economic development and for

eradicating poverty.

All the efforts we are making to ensure success in

the fight against poverty are bound to fail without

peace and durable stability. Here as well, Africa,

including our subregion, the Horn of Africa, requires

the effective support of the international community.

What we need is enlightened support which is

transparent and targeted at ensuring durable peace and

stability. What we require is support not compromised

by tactical considerations which are short-sighted and

likely to aggravate already existing problems. Coddling

unaccountable Governments would not promote peace

in the long run and would not bring about durable

stability.

Ours is a region which has suffered so much,

among other things because of strategic considerations

which made expedient the propping up of

unaccountable and authoritarian regimes. The result of

all that has been disastrous for the region. Peace and

stability in the Horn of Africa, as is true in all parts of

the world, is dependent in a critical manner on the

creation of conditions for good governance. This is a

value which ought to be universally applied, including

in our subregion. Durable peace demands it. The

welfare of the people of our subregion makes it

imperative.

Ethiopia will leave no stone unturned for peace in

our subregion and in Africa as a whole. The effort we

have been making for peace in Somalia within the

framework of the Intergovernmental Authority on

Development is being made in that spirit. It is also in

that same spirit that we shall continue to do our share

for peace and national reconciliation in the Sudan.

Most of all, we draw satisfaction from the fact that we

have managed to come out of a war that was imposed

on us. For our part, we are determined to leave behind

the crisis we had with Eritrea. We shall remain

committed to the peace process until its conclusion.

It has always been our conviction that it is in the

vital interest of Ethiopia to nurture peace in our

subregion. That is required by the war we have to wage

against poverty, which is the only real enemy we have.

But the promotion of the cause of peace in the Horn of

Africa has not been that easy. Our subregion is an area

of the world that has long been vulnerable to terrorist

activities. Ours has been an area that, due in part to the

prevalence of poverty, has been taken advantage of

very recklessly. My own country has been among those

to have suffered as a result. This is a challenge that we

still have to contend with, and which we still continue

to face. This first-hand experience of ours put us in a

position where we can deeply share the anguish of the

people of the United States over the 11 September

terrorist attack, which we have condemned vehemently.

As we mark the first anniversary of that evil deed, we

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wish once again to express our solidarity with the

United States and its people.

It is our conviction that success in the fight

against international terrorism requires the genuine

cooperation and solidarity of the entire international

community, no matter who might be the target of such

terrorism. All those who directly or indirectly support

and encourage terrorism should be held accountable.

Resources made available to terrorist groups, in

whatever guise, should not be tolerated regardless of

the area where this is taking place. In short, what is

required is zero tolerance for terrorism regardless of its

intended targets. It is not without reason that I am

reiterating this point. For us in Ethiopia, terrorism is

not a theoretical threat. It is a practical and immediate

threat that we have had to face both before and after 11

September, including most recently. It is our earnest

hope that the international community will do whatever

is necessary to eliminate this scourge. We also hope

that there will be better days ahead, when we will all

concentrate on addressing the challenges that trouble

our planet.

I would like to conclude by renewing Ethiopia's

commitment to the United Nations and to what it

stands for. We wish to see the United Nations become

an even a more effective universal Organization and a

more forceful and faithful custodian of the principles of

international law. Our hope and our dream is that the

United Nations will be an even more robust universal

Organization catering to the legitimate interests of both

big and small counties. We in Ethiopia will continue to

contribute our share to the greater nurturing of

multilateralism and to making the United Nations an

effective custodian of those values.