Senegal, 2014

I particularly

welcome the opportunity today to represent His

Excellency Mr. Macky Sall, President of the Republic

of Senegal, before the General Assembly and to deliver

this intervention on his behalf.

In line with my predecessors, I would like to extend

a warm welcome to Mr. Sam Kahamba Kutesa and

express my delegation’s particular pleasure in seeing

him assume the presidency of the General Assembly at

its sixty-ninth session. In reiterating our warm wishes

for success in fulfilling his important duty, I assure him

of the unwavering support of my delegation, which, as

always, will contribute in a constructive manner to the

full realization of the goals of the United Nations. I also

pay warm tribute to his predecessor, His Excellency

Mr. John William Ashe, whose dynamism and open

mind greatly contributed to the success of the sixty-

eighth session of the General Assembly. I also want

to express, on behalf of the President of Senegal, our

full gratitude to Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon

for his tireless efforts in promoting peace, security,

development and human rights.

I am therefore particularly pleased by the

opportunity to represent President Macky Sall and

to take the opportunity offered to my delegation to

welcome the conclusions of the Open Working Group

on Sustainable Development Goals and those on the

financing of sustainable development for the purpose of

defining the main pillars of the post-2015 development

agenda. The scope of those challenges, linked to this

important moment for humankind, requires that our

States adopt appropriate strategies and measures with

a view to assuring a good transition and calmly facing

the expected global transformation.

The theme of this session — “Delivering on and

implementing a transformative post-2015 development

agenda” — provides an opportunity to deepen the

discussion already begun during the previous session

with a view to establishing a common vision on the

ways and means to strengthen our commitment and

our actions for sustainable and inclusive growth. It

is therefore our mission to work towards inclusive

development for present and future generations, given

the many challenges faced by our people, particularly

in the areas of education, health, the fight against

poverty and extreme poverty, energy, climate change

and endemic poverty.

With that in mind, the Government of Senegal has

resolutely moved towards a model whose goal is the

creation of wealth and structural transformation of its

economy. That is why we have adopted the Emerging

Senegal Plan, which is, and for the next few years will

be, the reference point for Senegal’s economic and social

policies. Emerging Senegal is backed by a progressive

dynamic that is firmly oriented towards sustainable and

inclusive development.

In the light of all of the above, we need to understand

the importance of the New Partnership for Africa’s

Development, whose Steering Committee, led by the

President of the Republic of Senegal, deserves to be

further supported and promoted, given its goals relating

to poverty eradication and infrastructure development

in Africa and the structural transformation of African

economies.

At this very moment, as we consider the issue

of sustainable development, the world continues to

be confronted with terrorism and various crises and

conflicts that are just as dangerous for international

peace and security. The Sahel and West Africa are

faced with recurring threats from terrorist groups

whose criminal actions undermine the foundations of

our society and hinder our development efforts. We are

pleased by the Security Council’s adoption yesterday

of resolution 2178 (2014), a strong resolution against

terrorism.

With regard to our subregion, our immediate

neighbours in general and Guinea-Bissau in particular,

Senegal would like to welcome the democratic process

that led to the election of President José Mário Vaz. I urge

the international community to support that fraternal

country, with its enormous potential, including through

a donors round table.

Similarly, the efforts of the international community

to help stabilize the Central Africa region are

hampered by the arduous process of the disarmament,

demobilization and reintegration of the main militias

and armed groups, while the Horn of Africa, on top

of terrorism, is still severely affected by the scope of

conflicts with disastrous humanitarian consequences.

Another part of Africa is suffering the effects of

a scourge — rather, I should say a catastrophe — and

that is the haemorrhagic fever caused by the Ebola

virus. It certainly affects West Africa but is also a

genuine threat to the entire world. We are pleased

by the Security Council’s adoption by consensus of

resolution 2177 (2014), which was sponsored by 134

countries, including Senegal, and by the high-level

meeting organized by the Secretary-General this very

morning, which was a resounding success. The decision

to establish the United Nations Mission for Ebola

Emergency Response has reassured our country that

the international community is aware of the scourge

and that Ebola is not only an African matter but one

that affects the entire world.

That is why Senegal calls on the international

community to take swift action to provide the necessary

support not only to the countries affected by the virus,

but to those of the entire West African region exposed

to the ravages of this epidemic. The sooner we take

action, the better we can control the epidemic. As for

Senegal, we have set up a secure humanitarian corridor

as a sign of solidarity with the brotherly countries that

have been struck by the disease.

Furthermore, concerning another important issue,

that of Western Sahara, my country reaffirms its

commitment to strengthening the historic fraternal ties

among all of the countries of the Maghreb and Africa

in general. With that in mind, all forms of separatism

must be discouraged. In that regard, Senegal would

like to reiterate its support to Morocco’s initiative to

grant broad autonomy to Western Sahara in the context

of respect for its sovereignty and for the relevant

resolutions of the Security Council, for the sake of

durable peace in the region.

Faced with all of those pressing challenges, my

delegation is convinced of the urgent need to establish

a holistic approach that can enhance the resilience of

countries facing recurrent crises and emerging new

conflicts. From that perspective, a body such as the

International Criminal Court (ICC) has, as part of its

mandate, a significant role to play in re-establishing

peace. Therefore, I would like to acknowledge here the

distinctive honour recently bestowed on Senegal, via

the person of Mr. Sidiki Kaba, Minister of Justice, who

is the single African candidate standing in the election

for the position of President of the Assembly of States

Parties to the ICC, scheduled to take place in December.

In any event, Senegal remains committed to its

irreversible path in favour of peace and international

security. It will continue to provide, with commitment

and determination, its contribution to peacekeeping

operations, while stressing the deployment of high-

quality personnel, whenever it is requested and within

its capacities.

For a global solution to crises, we believe that in

addition to policies addressing the issues, conditions

must be conducive to restoring the economic capacities

of countries affected by conflict. It is also urgent to

strengthen cooperation and refine our prevention

strategies to better cope with the escalating violence

and new forms of conflict related to the spread of

international terrorism.

The thorny issue of the Palestinian conflict comes

to mind. In that connection, Senegal welcomes the

ceasefire of recent months. In its capacity as Chairman

of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable

Rights of the Palestinian People, Senegal reiterates its

call to revive the peace process and put an end to the

blockade that has been suffocating Gaza since 2007. In

this International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian

People, Senegal renews its support for a just, peaceful

and negotiated solution as the only option capable

of ending the conflict and achieving the creation of

a viable, independent Palestinian State with East

Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel

within secure, internationally recognized borders.

Paradoxically, the acuteness of the current crises

is symptomatic of the status quo that continues to bog

down the process of Security Council reform. I hope that

the upcoming celebration of the seventieth anniversary

of our common Organization in 2015 will mark the start

of a reformed and renovated Security Council. Senegal

commends the French initiative to suspend the right of

the veto in cases of mass crimes.

Also during the Assembly’s seventieth session,

non-permanent members of the Security Council will

be elected for the 2016-2017 term. As a candidate,

Senegal wishes to request from this rostrum the support

of all Member States for its election next year to a

non-permanent seat on the Council, 25 years after its

last term on the Council.