Mali, 2011

Allow me at

the outset to convey the regrets of His Excellency

Mr. Amadou Toumani Touré, President of the Republic

of Mali, who, owing to a particularly busy national

schedule at this time, was unable to attend the current

session of the General Assembly. However, he asked

me to convey his most cordial greetings and sincere

wishes for the success of our work.

The Mali delegation is particularly pleased to

convey to Mr. Al-Nasser its heartfelt congratulations

on his election to the presidency of the General

Assembly at its sixty-sixth session. His election is not

only a just recognition of his exceptional qualities as a

seasoned diplomat, but also a tremendous tribute to his

country, Qatar, with which Mali enjoys excellent

relations. I therefore assure him of the support and full

cooperation of my delegation in discharging his

mission. Allow me also to express my great

appreciation to his predecessor, Mr. Joseph Deiss, for

the superb manner in which he presided over the sixty-

fifth session, which has just ended, to the satisfaction

of all Member States.

Finally, I should like to congratulate Secretary-

General Ban Ki-moon on his outstanding re-election as

the head of the Organization. I remain fully convinced

that his unswerving commitment to upholding the

principles and ideals of the Organization and to the

achievement of the Millennium Development Goals

will help to strengthen further the role of the United

Nations on the international scene.

The current global context is marked by profound

political upheavals that gravely threaten international

peace and security. This situation makes the theme

chosen for the general debate — “The role of

mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes” — all

the more pertinent. I should therefore like first to stress

the important role of mediation and the urgency of

renewed collective efforts to prevent and resolve

conflicts and, above all, to put a halt to violence, the

untold suffering inflicted on civilian populations, and

the massive destruction of socio-economic

infrastructure.

5 11-51197

My country remains convinced that the

prevention of conflicts and their resolution through

mediation are undoubtedly guarantees of peace and

lasting security. In that regard, Mali will continue to

encourage and support all initiatives and mediation

efforts under way with a view to combating the root

causes of conflicts and paving the way to a lasting

political solution able to guarantee peace, stability and

security, without which there can be no socio-economic

development. Part of this process are the promotion of

good-neighbourly relations and peaceful coexistence,

the non-use of force in dispute settlement,

understanding and mutual respect, the bolstering of

international cooperation, and the culture of peace and

dialogue among religions and civilizations.

The events under way in the world are of concern

to us in that they clearly demonstrate that the quest for

peace and security remains the most pressing

challenge. In Africa, while outstanding progress has

been made in promoting peace, security and stability,

the fact remains that the situation in the Horn of Africa

and in North Africa, particularly in Libya, remains a

source of major concern. Today more than ever,

weapons and deadly confrontations must give way to

the imperative of dialogue and national reconciliation,

which are required to establish lasting peace,

consolidate national unity and maintain territorial

integrity.

In the Middle East, the Palestinian question is

and remains a source of major concern to the

international community, which must encourage the

Israelis and Palestinians to take the steps necessary to

establish a climate of trust and launch direct

negotiations towards a comprehensive peace

underpinned, inter alia, on the relevant resolutions of

the General Assembly and the Security Council. While

reiterating its active solidarity and total support to the

Palestinian people in their just, legitimate struggle,

Mali will continue to support all initiatives towards the

creation of an independent, sovereign and viable

Palestinian State living side by side and in peace with

Israel within secure, internationally recognized

borders.

International peace and security continue to be

threatened by other phenomena, such as international

terrorism, cross-border organized crime, and the traffic

in weapons, drugs and human beings. The attacks

perpetrated throughout the world are stark reminders

that no country is safe from terrorism, and that no

cause, howsoever just, can justify the deliberate use of

violence against innocent civilians.

In that regard, I note the security challenges in

the vast Sahelo-Saharan strip that Mali shares with

several brother countries in the region. Our subregion

faces today the proliferation of small arms and light

weapons and the trafficking of drugs and human beings

fuelled by organized crime networks in collusion with

terrorist groups. The events in Libya and their

collateral effects could further aggravate this already

worrisome situation.

Aware of the threats posed by these phenomena to

the stability and harmonious development of the

region, the Governments of the countries concerned

have worked to establish joint operational mechanisms

to combat our common enemies effectively. For its

part, the Government of Mali reaffirms its full support

for all initiatives of the States of the subregion seeking

to better coordinate and harmonize our efforts to meet

the multiple common challenges. Parallel to efforts at

the subregional level, our Government is intensifying

its efforts to implement the Special Programme for

Peace, Security and Development in Northern Mali.

The year 2012 will be an important one for Mali.

After almost 20 years of democratic institutional

practices, the President of the Republic, who will not

stand for re-election, saw fit to revise the 1992

Constitution, following broad national consultations, in

order to consolidate democracy, good governance and

the rule of law in our country.

A participative, inclusive process has already

been opened with all stakeholders — the Government,

political parties, national deputies and civil society —

to guarantee the transparency and credibility of future

referendums and future. I reiterate the commitment of

the Government to do its utmost to smoothly

implement the envisaged reforms and meet the

challenge of holding successful elections in 2012. I

remain confident of success as our democracy has

matured over the past four elections. This progress has

been inspired from Malian culture based on dialogue,

tolerance and sharing.

The people of Mali share the ambition of the

Government to build a strong, united Mali — a

democratic and stable Mali resolutely committed to

peace, dialogue and international cooperation. They

also share the determination of the Government to

create the conditions for true prosperity in order to

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make Mali an emerging economy in the medium term.

That is why I solemnly call from this rostrum on the

international community and development partners to

support the electoral process under way and our efforts

to meet the challenge of organizing a constitutional

referendum and free, transparent and democratic

elections.

As a Sahelo-Saharan country facing the

phenomenon of desertification and unpredictable

rainfall, Mali considers climate change to be one of the

major challenges affecting the survival and

development of humankind. That is why we are present

at all meetings on this issue, as borne out by our recent

participation at the High-level Meeting on the theme

“Addressing desertification, land degradation and

drought in the context of sustainable development and

poverty eradication”. I reaffirm Mali’s commitment to

continuing to step up its actions to preserve and

conserve the soils, forests and fauna, in step with the

national and international commitments of our country.

The sessions of the General Assembly also offer

us a chance to take stock of the severity of other

challenges facing the world. I think in particular of the

struggle against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and

non-communicable diseases, which were the subject of

High-level Meetings on 19 and 20 September. In

addition to the challenges they pose to public health,

these scourges have become a real problem for

development. The international community must, we

believe, redouble its efforts and its vigilance to contain

these illnesses. It will also have to deliver on its

commitments to the developing countries in order to

allow them to achieve the Millennium Development

Goals.

It is also important to give sustained attention to

the issue of reform and democratization of the United

Nations by giving a greater role to women in decision-

making in political, economic and security forums. It is

also important to democratize the international

financial institutions, bearing in mind the huge changes

that have taken place in the world and the need for

better representation for all regions.

The global economic situation certainly remains

fragile, but the financial crisis should not become a

pretext for reducing official development assistance

(ODA). The implementation of the Programme of

Action for the achievement of the Millennium

Development Goals must remain a priority. The

international community must revive its collective will

to put into practice and even go beyond commitments

undertaken in the field of ODA in order to combat

poverty and all forms of injustice that breed violence

and insecurity throughout the world.

Similarly, the implementation of the Istanbul

Political Declaration and Programme of Action for the

least developed countries (LDCs) for the decade 2011-

2020 will allow the LDCs to marshal the necessary

financial resources to ensure the lasting growth and

development that guarantee peace and stability in the

world. In that regard, Mali will continue to support all

innovative initiatives in development financing, trade,

the alleviation of foreign debt, and technology transfer

to developing countries in general and LDCS in

particular.

In our quest for a safer and more just, prosperous

and peaceful world, the best way to guarantee our

common future is to strengthen cooperation and

international solidarity. Let us engage collectively to

find lasting solutions to the challenges and complex

problems facing humankind. It is in the interest of us

all and in the interest of our collective survival.