Guinea-Bissau, 2007

First of all, I would

like to congratulate the President on his election to the

presidency of the sixty-second session of the General

Assembly. His great attributes will contribute greatly to

the success of our work. I would like to assure him of

the constant support of the delegation of Guinea-Bissau

in the realization of his noble mission.

I would also like to extend my warm

congratulations to the President’s predecessor, Sheikha

Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa of Bahrain, for the talent and

competence she displayed during her tenure.

I would also like to take this opportunity to

extend my congratulations to Secretary-General Ban

Ki-moon for the excellent work he has done since his

election. We fully agree with the contents of his report

and with his analysis of the international situation. We

endorse the measures he has recommended.

The prevention and peaceful resolution of

conflicts and the maintenance of international peace

and security occupy a central position in the Charter of

the United Nations. It is therefore the duty of all

Member States to make efforts to achieve those noble

objectives. We believe that the establishment of an

international coalition for peace, international security

and the promotion and defence of human rights is the

ideal way to promote efforts towards the resolution of

conflict.

Terrorism and drug trafficking are scourges that

threaten all of us and can even gravely affect the

stability of a country. Guinea-Bissau, like many other

countries in West Africa, is confronting the

phenomenon of drug trafficking. The weakened

infrastructure of the State and the problems we face in

controlling our borders in particular our waters

have made it possible for drug traffickers and other

organized crime elements to flourish in our country.

That has resulted in many sorts of difficulties for our

authorities, to the point of damaging Guinea-Bissau’s

image and putting at risk our relations with the

international community.

Despite the Government’s political will and

determination to combat drug trafficking, we have not

been able to put an end to this scourge. Its eradication

will only be possible through international cooperation.

The emergency plan to combat drug trafficking

developed by my Government illustrates my country’s

determination to make the fight against the trafficking

of drugs and organized crime a national objective.

Unfortunately, however, we do not have the trained

human resources or the material and financial means

needed to carry it out.

I am pleased that an international conference on

drug trafficking in West Africa will take place soon.

We would like to thank the Portuguese Government for

its willingness to host it in Lisbon. Likewise, a regional

conference to be held in Dakar will seek to promote

better coordination between the countries of the

subregion.

I would like to launch an appeal to all countries

able to share their experience and technology relating

to drug trafficking and organized crime to assist us in

the fight against those criminal activities, which

jeopardize the internal security and stability of our

countries and pose a great danger to our young people.

In that regard, I welcome the efforts of the United

Nations system to establish a genuine international

network to eradicate this scourge.

The Government of Guinea-Bissau has decided to

launch programme to address problems in the financial

sector that will serve as an adjustment instrument

vis-à-vis international financial institutions. That step

will certainly allow us to re-establish and strengthen

the framework for interaction and external partnerships

of cooperation for development. The approval of a

post-conflict programme by the Executive Board of the

International Monetary Fund will be an important step

towards achieving the country’s economic recovery

and stabilization.

We are aware of our responsibilities to manage

transparently the meagre resources at our disposal and

to combat corruption through good governance based

on true democracy.

The disbursement of pledges made during the

donors’ conference for Guinea-Bissau in Geneva last

November is much-needed in the political and

institutional stabilization of our country. It goes

without saying that without the firm support of the

international community, it will be difficult for us to

put in place the conditions necessary for the

consolidation of stability and for the promotion of true

national political reconciliation, which is essential if

we are to preserve peace and achieve sustainable

development in Guinea-Bissau.

Allow me to pay tribute to subregional

organizations such as the Economic Community of

West African States and the West African Economic

and Monetary Union for their constant support and

solidarity, from which we have benefited in our efforts

to confront the enormous political, economic and

financial difficulties we face. I would also like to

welcome the important contribution made by the

International Contact Group on Guinea-Bissau to

improve dialogue between international development

partners and to mobilize external assistance for my

country at a particularly difficult moment in our recent

history.

It is also important to emphasize the role played

by the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Guinea-Bissau of

the Economic and Social Council.

I wish to express our thanks for the contribution

of the United Nations system in general, as well as that

of the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in

Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS) in particular, in the

process of establishing peace and political stability in

our country.

The relationship between the Community of

Portuguese-speaking Countries and the United Nations

has been developing in a steady and satisfactory

manner. We draw attention to the progress already

made in consolidating democracy and the rule of law

as well as in promoting respect for human rights in the

Community. This constitutes a marked change in the

life of the peoples of its member States. Indeed, our

eight countries Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-

Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe

and Timor-Leste are committed to pooling together

their affinities and their cultural identities in order to

establish a forum for exchange, in a spirit of constant

and active solidarity. My country, Guinea-Bissau, has

benefited from the support of these sister countries in

tackling the many difficulties I have outlined. On

behalf of the people of Guinea-Bissau, I warmly

commend the leaders present here, and thank them,

reiterating our determination to strengthen the

historical ties of friendship and cooperation among our

peoples.

Allow me also to reaffirm our determination to

contribute to strengthening the role of the United

Nations in attaining peace, international stability and

development. We support the peaceful settlement of

disputes and the promotion of dialogue in all

circumstances and situations. History teaches us that

change, because it is inescapable, cannot be hindered

indefinitely.

China is one nation, one people. The People’s

Republic of China’s contribution to the maintenance of

international peace and security and its partnership,

especially with regard to cooperation for development,

are exemplary. The People’s Republic of China is the

sole, legitimate and true representative of the Chinese

people.

We are aware of the problems and the difficulties

which we confront in the world in general, and in

Africa in particular, where conflict situations and

humanitarian crises persist, as in Darfur and in

Somalia. We hope that a new spirit of cooperation will

prevail within the international community so that a

lasting solution and peace can be found in the Middle

East.

We therefore need an effective Organization that

represents the geographical, cultural and religious

diversity of the world, an Organization that takes into

consideration and defends with equal commitment and

determination the legitimate aspirations of a large

number of countries for just representation and

participation in the deliberations and decision-making

of the Security Council.