Guinea-Bissau, 2006

The sixty-first session of the

General Assembly has begun its work in quite a

disturbing context. We note the persistence of certain

conflicts and the emergence of new hot spots of

tension, which are serious threats to international peace

and stability. World poverty and hunger have not

decreased, despite the enormous efforts of our

countries to improve the living conditions of our

populations. In fact, we note a deterioration in the

social and health conditions of millions of people as a

result of endemic diseases such as HIV/AIDS,

tuberculosis and malaria, particularly on the African

continent.

The political, economic, financial, social and

environmental problems facing the world are assuming

increasingly alarming proportions. That requires

concerted efforts on the part of the entire international

community. Therefore, we must work together to

strengthen the existing multilateral system and the

capacity of the United Nations to act in order to

address those challenges more effectively.

Our people expect concrete, swift and effective

measures from the Organization, involving the

establishment of modern and efficient operational

structures. In short, reforms within the United Nations

system are necessary and urgent.

It is in that context that, on behalf of my country,

Guinea-Bissau, which it is my honour to represent, I

warmly congratulate you, Madam, on your election as

President of the General Assembly at the present

session. We believe that your many qualities and your

long experience are guarantees of the success of our

work. Under your guidance, we will experience a new

dynamism capable of promoting joint efforts for peace.

I would like to assure you of the availability and full

cooperation of our delegation in contributing to the

achievement of the our common goals.

Allow me to congratulate your predecessor as

well, Mr. Jan Eliasson, for his dedication to the cause

of our Organization and for the important results

achieved during the sixtieth session. I reference in

particular to the creation of the Human Rights Council

and the Peacebuilding Commission, of which my

country is a member.

We recently participated in the fourteenth Summit

of the Non-Aligned Movement in Havana, where a

large number of world leaders gathered. Those eminent

personalities, including the head of State of Guinea-

Bissau, considered the world’s problems, the

seriousness of which calls to us all and demands of us

concerted and collective actions. The conclusions

reached at the Summit, as well as the initiatives we

intend to undertake on behalf of our Movement, are in

line, to a large extent, with the opinions,

recommendations and solutions set out by the

Secretary-General in his annual report on the work of

the Organization, delivered during a brilliant speech to

the Assembly.

None today can doubt the seriousness of the

situation in the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon. It

is the same with regard to the tragic conditions in

which millions of our African brothers live in Darfur. It

is clear that we can no longer accept the systematic

violation of international norms. Nor can we

understand why we are incapable of taking concerted,

negotiated and responsible measures to put an end to a

tragic situation that threatens the lives of innocent and

vulnerable people. Our brothers in Darfur have the

right to the compassion and solidarity of Africa in

particular, and of the international community as a

whole.

If current trends in the world continue, poor

countries will not be able to achieve the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. The reforms that

are planned or that have already been introduced into

our systems of governance, respect for the rules of

democracy and respect for human rights are,

06-53341 30

unfortunately, insufficient to achieve the rates of

growth essential to relaunch our economies.

In our countries, the economic and financial

situation depends on internal and external factors that

we do not control. Protectionist measures and subsidies

for agricultural products such as cotton, sugar and

wheat seriously compromise the competitive capacity

of our farmers. The absence of an agreement on the

rules that should govern international trade and the

lack of political will and of progress in the negotiations

within the World Trade Organization are aggravating

factors.

We need to recognize that we are far from

achieving the objectives set out in the Monterrey

Consensus and Johannesburg Plan of Implementation,

which concern developing countries, particularly the

least developed countries. We also feel the imbalance

in the globalization process. These are serious

obstacles to our development. The midterm review for

the Brussels Programme of Action for the Least

Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 has

indeed shed new light on the shortcomings and on the

still-insufficient level of development assistance. In

this environment, our efforts to eliminate poverty and

create better living conditions within our countries are

at risk.

A large part of our populations, particularly our

young people, are more and more despondent because

of the very high level of unemployment and lack of

hope for a better future. Thousands of young people are

so desperate that they even risk their lives to seek other

forms of existence, which, unfortunately, often turn out

to be mirages. The international community must

accord greater attention to this issue so that we might

find the means to ensure the rebirth of hope in the

hearts of our youth. I am thinking especially of

creating professional training centres and promoting

activities that generate jobs, thus ensuring more and

better social integration.

I would also like to stress in this regard the

importance of the High-level Meeting on International

Migration and Development, which for the first time

met here at the Headquarters of the United Nations. I

am convinced that thanks to this type of dialogue and

cooperation at the international level, we will be better

equipped to put a brake on illegal immigration and on

organized crime, to which this tragic phenomenon is

more and more linked.

Guinea-Bissau, with a considerable number of

citizens living abroad, pays particular attention to the

issue of migration. Therefore we welcome the place it

occupies on the agenda of the international community.

We support the relevant recommendations emerging

from the High-level Dialogue on Migration and

Development that took place here in New York, two

weeks ago. We are aware of the role played by our

diaspora in the economy of developing countries,

thanks to remittances and other forms of contributions.

My country is committed to developing an appropriate

national policy on this issue in cooperation with our

development partners, especially with the countries of

destination.

On 17 July Guinea-Bissau hosted the sixteenth

Conference of the Heads of State Community of

Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP). The heads of

State of our community reaffirmed their determination

to step up efforts to eradicate hunger and poverty. They

also committed themselves to undertaking concrete

measures to mobilize internal and external resources

for the achievement of the Millennium Development

Goals (MDGs) by 2015. The consolidation of

democracy, the rule of law and human rights issues

were also subjects of particular attention for these

leaders. They are indispensable preconditions for

international peace and security. The heads of State

also decided to strengthen relations between the CPLP

and the United Nations and its specialized agencies in

order to establish an effective partnership.

Allow me in this respect to thank, on behalf of

the CPLP, all our partners for the important assistance

they have given to the weakest members of our

community. I would also like to appeal to our

development partners in general and to the Group of

Eight countries in particular, requesting that they assist

us in addressing the critical issue of external debt

burden.

One year after elections in Guinea-Bissau, which

confirmed the return to constitutional normality in my

country, I should like to reiterate here the commitment

of the people, Government and especially that of

Mr. João Bernardo Vieira, President of Guinea-Bissau,

to spare no effort in consolidating peace and

establishing political stability and national

reconciliation. Significant progress has been made in

this area. It must, however, be stressed that the

complexity of the current reforms, especially within

the defence and security forces, requires lasting and

31 06-53341

substantial support from the international community,

given the lack of resources available to us.

I would like to express our appreciation to all our

partners, especially our brothers in the Economic

Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the

Community of Portuguese Language Countries

(CPLP), for their support and the creation of the

International Contact Group on Guinea-Bissau, whose

first meeting was held here at the United Nations

Headquarters last week. I would also like to take this

opportunity to reaffirm that my country will spare no

effort to continue to deserve your confidence and

solidarity. Nonetheless, it must be stressed that, despite

our willingness and determination, Guinea-Bissau

needs your urgent assistance in order to implement the

measures contained in the national poverty reduction

strategy paper. Just adopted by our Government, that

document will serve as the basis for preparing a

roundtable on Guinea-Bissau planned for next

November at Geneva. It is a pleasure to invite all our

traditional partners and others here present to take part

in that roundtable, which will, indeed, be an event of

great importance for stimulating our economy and for

raising the living conditions of our people.

Today’s world is a genuine global village.

Mankind’s progress in science, information technology,

communications and transportation means that the

destinies of our peoples are more and more

interdependent. That is why we must combine our

efforts to eradicate poverty and hunger in the world

and to deal with endemic diseases, such as HIV/AIDS,

and to put an end to injustices, violations of human

rights and all forms of discrimination and intolerance.

When we discuss the issues of development and

combating poverty, we must resist the temptation of

taking the easy way and applying simplistic solutions.

Economic and social development and its corollary, the

eradication of poverty, require deep thought and

courageous measures. No phenomenon can be

explained simplistically, and there is no simple

universal recipe. The signs of the times must be

correctly interpreted. Peoples’ opinions, their culture,

their religious practices and their concerns must all be

understood and respected. We must find new ways of

reorganizing and strengthening democratic States by

giving priority to education and training. We must also

think about the need to increase our collective capacity

to combat terrorism and to deal with all forms of

extremism through permanent dialogue between

cultures and civilizations.

It is incomprehensible, and even less acceptable,

that human beings are abandoned and condemned to

die under the indifferent regard of the international

community. International solidarity towards vulnerable

populations must not be delayed or be given under post

mortem conditions. The international community must

demonstrate vigilance and be capable of preventing all

humanitarian catastrophes resulting from conflicts, as

the Secretary-General rightly recalled, in the name of a

universal conscience. It is precisely because of the

universal nature of the responsibility of our

Organization that Guinea-Bissau will spare no effort in

order to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations

through concerted, pragmatic and efficient reforms. In

fact, the effectiveness of our Organization would be

even greater with the full participation of all Member

States with a view to enhancing our multilateral

institution, which needs greater democracy and

transparency in fulfilling its mandate.

More than sixty years after its founding, the

United Nations must adapt to the changes that have

taken place in the world in order to take into account

the existence and the emergence of new players on the

world stage whose contribution to peacekeeping and

international security are becoming more and more

important. Among those States are countries in Africa,

Asia and Latin America, which can legitimately lay

claim to a permanent seat on the Security Council.

Developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin

America have the right to greater participation and

prominence on the Security Council.

Ten years ago, we elected Kofi Annan, an

outstanding son of Africa, to guide the destiny of our

Organization. As we assess his tenure, it is with pride

and satisfaction that we note the achievements during

his term of office. Recent years have not been easy,

because the world is confronting new and longstanding

challenges in various forms and scales and for which

our Organization was insufficiently designed and

prepared. On behalf of Guinea-Bissau, the President of

Guinea-Bissau, João Bernardo Vieira, and our

Government, I would like to add our voice to the

vibrant tribute paid by the entire international

community to the Secretary-General. I would also like

to express the gratitude of our people to him for the

contribution of the United Nations system in promoting

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peace, political stability and development in our

country.

The great challenges of the new millennium will

determine the development work facing us and the

capacity of people to resolve, as quickly as possible,

problems of peace, political stability, national

reconciliation and social justice. All States and civil

society must be able to count upon, whenever required,

the transparent and democratic functioning of the

United Nations system for the defence of their rights,

in a perspective that creates consensus and which is

compatible with human development, namely

compatible with the well-being of humanity.

As the General Assembly prepares to select a

successor to Mr. Kofi Annan, it will, I am convinced,

be able to elect a Secretary-General with the essential

attributes of skill, experience and dedication for

promoting better understanding between peoples and

nations of this world.

The determination and leadership of the next

Secretary-General will also be necessary in order to

establish synergy and international cooperation so as to

transform the United Nations into a unique and

irreplaceable instrument that can strengthen

multilateralism in favour of development, of improved

conservation of our planet and of international peace

and security.