Mauritania, 2002

Mr.

President, on behalf of the delegation of the Islamic

Republic of Mauritania, I would like to congratulate

you on your election to the Presidency of the fifty-

seventh session of the General Assembly. We are

confident that your experience and wisdom, already

well-proven, will ensure the success of this session. I

would also like to thank your predecessor, His

Excellency Mr. Han Seung-soo, for his able guidance

of the work of the last session. Also, I would like to

congratulate the Swiss Confederation and the

Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste on their

admission to membership in the United Nations.

I would also like to congratulate most warmly our

United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and the

United Nations staff for their excellent work in

promoting the noble goals of this Organization.

We note with satisfaction the significant activities

and the commendable international conferences held

this past year, primarily the United Nations Conference

on HIV/AIDS in New York, the Monterrey Conference

on Financing for Development and the World Summit

on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

Such international conferences have placed the

world before its collective responsibilities in dealing

with core issues that require global solutions. What is

at stake is the equilibrium and future of the world. This

session is being held one year after the criminal attacks

against New York and Washington. I would like to

confirm once again that Mauritania totally condemns

those terrorist acts. We condemn terrorism in all its

forms. Mauritania will be actively involved in regional

and international initiatives to combat that pernicious

phenomenon. We reconfirm our full support for the

relevant Security Council resolutions and are resolved

to implement them, specifically resolution 1373 (2001)

of 28 September 2001.

The tragic events highlighted a new reality.

Terrorism, instead of being a marginal phenomenon,

has become a core issue ignoring borders and which

can only be combated through a global strategy.

Nobody should believe that fighting terrorism is a clash

between two civilizations or cultures. Rather, we must

act together to show that the elimination of terrorism is

a new step taken by the human race towards further

developing its comprehensive, all-inclusive civilization

and attaining its aspirations for a safe and better future.

In order to achieve peace and security, the United

Nations must play an ever-larger part to strengthen

international law. We noted the sustained efforts and

the repeated calls for peace in the Middle East. We

believe the Arab countries' initiative adopted at the

Beirut Summit offers the ideal framework for

comprehensive and lasting peace that will ensure

progress and prosperity for all peoples in the region.

We noted with great interest the vision of the President

of the United States of America, Mr. George Bush, who

spoke of the need for the coexistence of two

independent States, Palestine and Israel, and efforts by

the Quartet and the European Union with a view to the

establishment of an independent Palestinian State with

Al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital. This play is pursuant

to the terms of reference of Madrid and the land-for-

peace principle and is also in accordance with Security

Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 425

(1978. We reiterate the need for an immediate Israeli

withdrawal from all territories of the Palestinian

Authority, an end to the suffering of the Palestinian

people and the immediate resumption of peace

negotiations. This is the only way to have peace and

security in the Middle East.

We hope to see a return to peace, stability and

harmony in the Gulf region. We oppose the use of force

against Iraq and affirm our support for a peaceful

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solution to settle the crisis in accordance with

international law.

We are concerned that there should be respect for

the independence and territorial integrity of Kuwait,

and respect for the independence and territorial

integrity of Iraq. Once again we call for the lifting of

the embargo against the Iraqi people, which has now

been in place for more than 12 years.

With regard to Western Sahara, we support the

efforts by the Secretary-General and his Personal

Envoy, James Baker, to find a definitive solution to

insure stability in the region, one that would be

accepted by all of the parties.

On developments pursuant to the Lockerbie

crisis, we welcome the significant steps taken by the

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to find a diplomatic solution

to the problem. We think it is now up to the Security

Council to take the necessary steps to lift the embargo

imposed on Libya.

Turning to our own continent, Africa, we

welcome the birth of the African Union, which will be

a framework for enabling the African peoples to

achieve their aspirations for progress and development.

We also support the New Partnership for Africa's

Development (NEPAD), which seeks to strengthen

regional cooperation to achieve economic integration,

and we welcome the support given to this initiative by

our development partners.

Mauritania reiterates its support for the People's

Republic of China, the sole legitimate representative of

the Chinese people, pursuant to General Assembly

resolution 2758 (XXVI) of 1971. Mauritania welcomes

the efforts made by the Government of the People's

Republic of China for the peaceful reunification of that

country.

We have now seen it proven that violence and

extremism result from poverty and despair. The

international community must therefore make more

efforts in the areas of human solidarity and social

progress everywhere in the world. We call for the

necessary assistance to be provided to the countries of

the South and for the opening of the markets of the

developed countries to the products of developing

countries. Investment opportunities in developing

countries should be increased.

Despite the huge challenges and a difficult

economic international situation, the Islamic Republic

of Mauritania has taken major steps towards

development and construction, as noted by our

President at the World Summit on Sustainable

Development in Johannesburg. We have established

solid foundations for sustainable development and have

developed a clear-cut strategy to combat poverty.

We have taken steps towards comprehensive

education, health care and other social services for our

people such as drinking water, electricity and

communications. Illiteracy and ignorance are major

obstacles to development. We have launched broad

literacy and education campaigns for our citizens. We

have been able to do this because of our pluralist

democratic system, which insures freedoms and human

rights in an atmosphere of security and stability.

The United Nations Charter seeks common goals

of freedom and solidarity for all people. New

developments in the international arena in the last few

years require our Organization, including the Security

Council, to adapt to changes. Today, more than ever

before, we must comply with the commitments we

made to achieve a new world order based on justice

and rights law, to ensure peace, security and dignity for

all.