Republic of the Congo, 2013

At

the beginning of this week, at the opening of the

general debate, the international community strongly

condemned the heinous attacks that have once again

struck Kenya. That situation should lead us to reflect

on our ability to prevent, manage and settle conflicts.

Kenya’s tragedy is to be situated near the territory of

Somalia, which for too long has been left to terrorist

groups. The lesson is to avoid the creation of any

vacuum that could serve as fertile ground for subversive

movements. That is why in Central Africa the member

States of the subregional community have reacted

quickly to the risk of the “Somalization” of the Central

African Republic ever since the beginning of the crisis

there, despite our limited resources.

The dialogue on the humanitarian crisis in the

Central African Republic that we, the partners of

that ravaged country, held recently in New York, on

25 September, clearly indicated that the international

community has taken stock of the challenge and

has decided to resolutely provide assistance to the

Central African Republic on the political, security,

humanitarian, economic and financial levels, and to

ensure that it has a successful transition, like that of

Mali, a country which we commend and which deserves

all our attention and solidarity today as it did yesterday.

Therefore, beyond the humanitarian emergency,

the Central African Republic must be given all the

resources necessary to restore the authority of the

State, enable its Administration to operate, revive the

economy and prepare for elections. An international

support mission in the Central African Republic

is being established under African leadership. We

encourage the Security Council to swiftly adopt a

resolution supporting that initiative, which is aimed at

creating the necessary conditions to restore peace and

security, which would ensure the much-needed stability

and the effective implementation of the transition

road map. As a mediator and as chair of the follow-

up committee of the Economic Community of Central

African States on the situation in the Central African

Republic monitoring that crisis, the Congo can only

welcome that very encouraging development.

Also in the context of my country’s neighbourhood,

by participating in the signing of the Peace, Security

and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic

Republic of the Congo and the Region, which took

place on 24 February, President Denis Sassou Nguesso

reaffirmed his commitment to a foreign policy aimed at

peace and security in the world in general and in Africa,

particularly in Central Africa and the Great Lakes

Region. In doing so, he favoured the quest for peaceful

solutions and showed his willingness to continue along

that path. The various consultations he has initiated in

the context of the implementation of the Framework

agreement and the appeals directed to him demonstrate

his approach.

In that spirit, the Congo is pleased with the

conclusions of the Second Meeting of States Parties

to the Framework Agreement, which was held in New

York on 23 September. We commend the leadership of

the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, while we call

for those efforts to culminate in talks in Kampala.

Just two years ago, we welcomed the wave of

popular uprisings — the so-called Arab Spring, which

led to the fall of some political regimes in the Arab

world, sometimes by force of arms. We welcomed

those movements, just as we welcomed the enormous

changes that transformed the European landscape after

the fall of the Berlin wall, in 1989. Today, in view of

the developments in some of those countries, whose

populations aspired and still legitimately aspire to

freedom, democracy and social justice, I cannot fail

to recall the remarks that I made from this rostrum

during the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly

(see A/66/PV.27). I called then for greater caution and

prudence, convinced that the overthrow of a political

regime does not necessarily bring freedom and

democracy, since they must be won and nurtured by

other victories that cannot be imposed from the outside.

The situations we have just mentioned are replete

with lessons, not just because of the internal instability

that may result from them, but also and above all because

of their unpredictable negative impact on regional and

international peace and security.

It that regard, I shall mention other challenges to

international peace and security, particularly those

of the Syrian tragedy, which is unfolding relentlessly

before our eyes, and the untenable Israeli-Palestinian

conflict, which has consumed so many human lives and

so much energy and time.

With regard to the situation in Syria, my delegation

strongly condemns the use of chemical weapons and

welcomes the Syrian Government’s adherence to

the Chemical Weapons Convention and its decision

to place its stockpile of chemical weapons under

international control for destruction. Nevertheless, we

believe that only a political solution can put an end to

the martyrdom of the Syrian people and the fratricidal

war that has already killed more than 100,000 people.

That is why the Congo welcomes the United States-

Russian agreement and the discussions under way in

the Security Council on the adoption of a resolution

that would mark the first steps in a process that will,

we hope, in the near future, bring together the Syrian

actors and all parties involved around a table in the

framework of a conference for peace in Syria. In that

regard, once again, we believe that the focus must be

placed on finding a peaceful solution.

At the same time as Syria is agreeing to

eliminate its stockpile of chemical weapons, it is

appropriate to recall one of the most serious threats to

humankind — the nuclear danger. It is indeed urgent

for the nuclear-weapon States, as well as for those that

have other weapons of mass destruction, including

biological weapons, to implement concrete measures

enabling the elimination of those arsenals and making

progress towards real disarmament, while ensuring

respect for the prohibition of nuclear proliferation for

military purposes. This is also the moment to commend

the overtures made here by Iran concerning its nuclear

programme.

Last year, the Congo supported the General

Assembly’s historic decision to confer United Nations

non-Member observer State status on Palestine. It was

a symbolic act that the Assembly welcomed almost

unanimously. The new American initiative designed

to relaunch the Israeli-Palestinian talks also deserves

the support of the entire international community. Here

too, the Congo encourages dialogue and rejects any

recourse to force or violence.

Given the current series of political crises and in

the spirit of peace and justice, how can we fail to ask

that the embargo unjustly imposed on the Cuban people

for five decades be lifted? That unilateral decision is

contrary to the principles and values of the Charter of

the United Nations and to international order, based

on non-interference in a State’s internal affairs and

peaceful cooperation.

The damage done by the economic and financial

crisis that recently shook the world is far from being

repaired; even if here and there we can see some signs

of recovery, they are unfortunately not capable of

relaunching sustained growth. The progress that about

40 developing countries have made has definitely led to

some rebalancing of power, as the Human Development

Report 2013 of the United Nations Development

Programme indicates. However, the fruits of that growth

are unequally distributed. Similarly, the disparities both

within countries and between rich and poor countries

once again raises the problem of inequality and social

justice, which often causes social unrest. Between now

and 2015 there will be numerous African countries

that will not meet the Millennium Development Goals

(MDGs).

For my own country, there has been significant

progress in achieving the MDGs, especially those

relating to education and maternal and child health,

thanks to my Government’s efforts and initiatives in

areas such as abolishing school fees, providing free

textbooks, recruiting teachers and providing free

Caesarean sections, vaccinations and antiretroviral

treatments. However, progress has been somewhat

slow in fighting poverty and promoting decent jobs.

Nonetheless, combating poverty remains a major

concern to which my Government accords high priority

through investment programmes in health, education,

professional training, infrastructure, agricultural

production, forestry and mining.

We have reasons to hope for progress between

now and 2015. The national context is being prepared.

The Republic of the Congo enjoys reassuring stability

and a favourable economic environment. Lasting

peace has been established. We are consolidating the

democratic process, which is strengthened by a regular

dialogue between the Government and the opposition

on organizing peaceful elections. My country has also

built a harmonious overall framework for implementing

its development policy, focused on modernizing and

industrializing the country on the basis of our national

development plan for 2012-2016.

The favourable rise in the price of petroleum

products and other natural resources such as wood has

enabled my country to register significant increases

in its economic growth rate, now over 5 per cent per

year since 2010, allowing for inflation. That economic

improvement has notably benefited State revenues,

which have been going up steadily. The Republic of the

Congo has also benefited from substantial debt relief

after reaching the completion point for the Heavily

Indebted Poor Countries Initiative in January 2010 and

will from now on have more resources available for

national development programmes, particularly in the

social sectors.

Structural reforms undertaken through the Extended

Credit Facility of the International Monetary Fund have

enabled us to make essential progress in managing the

public finances and macroeconomic stabilization. The

business climate continues to improve. Other measures

have been taken to enable the Congo to speed up its

achievement of the MDGs between now and 2015.

The 2012 United Nations Conference on

Sustainable Development (Rio+20) outlined for us

“The future we want”. Ambassador Ashe, who was one

of the co-facilitators of the Rio+20 process and is now

the President of the General Assembly, is therefore well

placed to help us to set the stage that will enable us

to reach the horizon that is the future we want. “The

post-2015 development agenda: setting the stage” is the

theme of the current session. It invites us to establish the

foundations for another vision of development, focused

on poverty eradication and human development.

My delegation agrees with the President that what is

needed is an ambitious, bold programme that takes new

and emerging development challenges into account

and that better integrates the economic, social and

environmental aspects of sustainable development.

The Congo, a country in the forested Congo

basin, can only concur with that view. The Congo’s

commitment to sustainable development at the national

level, as well as at the regional and international

levels, has been unflagging. It is in that context that,

after having spoken for Africa throughout the Rio+20

process, the Congo has continued its active commitment

within the framework of the Open Working Group on

Sustainable Development Goals. Once those sustainable

development goals have been defined, there remains the

vital issue of how to finance sustainable development,

which will be tackled by establishing a committee of

experts on the issue.

It is regrettable that the issue of climate change,

which affects all humankind, is still suffering from a

lack of consensus. Permit me to revisit a subject of deep

concern for developing countries such as ours, namely,

the issue of financing the fight against climate change,

which should be a central element in our negotiations.

For our part, we affirm the importance of supporting

developing countries in establishing low-carbon

regimes that can adapt to climate change in order to

tackle the worldwide problem that humankind is facing.

In regard to the programme entitled “Reducing

Deforestation and Forest Degradation and Enhancing

Environmental Services in Tropical Forests”,

established by the International Tropical Timber

Council, the Congo welcomes the consensus on the

importance of participation by all countries, according

to their capacity and national context, in the fight

against deforestation, forest degradation and of

increasing stocks of forest carbon, which is responsible

for almost 20 per cent of total greenhouse-gas

emissions. Our interest in conserving nature and

protecting wildlife has impelled us to launch a fierce

fight against poaching. In that context, next year the

Congo is organizing a major international meeting

on combating that scourge. Participants will include

political and technical stakeholders involved in wildlife

management, countries that buy wildlife products, and

international organizations.

The world has changed, and we must deal with the

new geopolitical challenges that have helped new forces

to emerge onto the international scene. Every living

organism must evolve. The United Nations, which we

would like to see become more transparent, dynamic

and democratic, cannot avoid that law of nature.

As President John F. Kennedy noted as early as in

1963, at the eighteenth session of the General Assembly,

“The United Nations cannot survive as a static

Organization. Its obligations are increasing as well

as its size. Its Charter must be changed as well as its

customs. The authors of that Charter did not intend

that it be frozen in perpetuity.” (A/PV.1209, p. 7)

We are therefore at the heart of an important and timely

debate.

United Nations reform is therefore urgent

and possible. It must be based on the principles of

democracy, justice and equality. In that regard, the cycle

of the intergovernmental negotiations on the question

of equitable representation on and increase in the

membership of the Security Council and other matters

related to the Council should lead, through a consensual

framework, to concrete results. That reform is part of

the will of the Member States to make the Organization

an institution that expresses the values of modernity

and is open to the future, a sanctuary for builders of the

future of the world, a world where planetary challenges

require concerted global solutions, a world that is being

built on the bedrock of solidarity, unity, mutual respect

and tolerance.