The Gambia, 1997

Allow me first of all to extend

my delegation’s whole-hearted congratulations on the

unanimous election of Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko to the

high office of President of this session. His skills as a

statesman are excellent qualifications for the presidency,

and I wish to assure him of my delegation’s support and

cooperation at all times during the proceedings of this

session.

My delegation’s appreciation also goes to the

President of the fifty-first session, His Excellency

Ambassador Razali Ismail, for the impressive work he

accomplished during his presidency. His efforts to

improve the work of the General Assembly and

strengthen the role of the United Nations in international

affairs have increased the momentum of the United

Nations reform process. My delegation congratulates him

on a job well done.

On behalf of my delegation, I also wish to extend

our congratulations to the Secretary-General, His

Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan. Since he assumed office in

January this year, he has been engaged in commendable

efforts to reform the United Nations Organization. The

presentation of his two-tracked proposals and measures

21

constitutes a bold and far-reaching reform programme,

which is expected not only to revitalize the United Nations

system but also to make it better suited to execute its

mandates in the years ahead in a more efficient and cost-

effective manner.

The fifty-second session of the General Assembly is

taking place at an important period during the international

community’s effort to evolve an atmosphere of viable and

equitable international cooperation in the areas of economic

development, social advancement and the recognition of the

important need for the maintenance of a balanced global

ecosystem.

The recent holding of the nineteenth special session of

the General Assembly, on the overall review and appraisal

of the implementation of Agenda 21, is one of the many

factors and activities that symbolize the importance of this

period and that mark our collective effort to shape a more

meaningful atmosphere of international cooperation. The

special session reaffirmed the international community’s

effort to ensure that the blueprint for international

development and the preservation of the environment, as

enunciated in Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration five years

ago, are translated into concrete realities.

The successes and constraints so far recorded in our

effort to achieve sustainable development clearly point to

the difficulty of creating a framework for international

cooperation characterized by the full and continued

commitment of both developed and developing countries.

As stated by Her Excellency the Vice-President of the

Gambia during the special session,

“The difficult and protracted negotiations and the

intellectual, expert and statesmanlike efforts that made

these agreements possible reflected the goodwill and

good faith of all Governments ...

“... the constraints cited as obstacles to implementation

during this review session tend to indicate the

persistence of the contentious and also cross-cutting

issues of additional financial resources, technology

transfer, information sharing, training and institutional

capacity-building and the unfulfillment of our

differentiated responsibilities under these provisions”.

[See Official Records of the General Assembly,

Nineteenth Special Session, Plenary Meetings, 9th

meeting]

I wish to inform the General Assembly of the political

evolution taking shape in my country, the Gambia. Since

the Gambian delegation addressed the Assembly last year,

we have successfully completed a two-year transition

programme to democratic civilian rule with the entry into

force of a new Constitution for the Second Republic in

January this year. Successful free and fair presidential and

National Assembly elections were held earlier, in

September 1996 and early January 1997. Most of the

institutions provided for under the new Constitution are

already in place and have started to play their legitimate

role in the promotion and entrenchment of a genuine

democratic culture that is commensurate with the hopes

and aspirations of all Gambians. Throughout the transition

process, the people of the Gambia have been regularly

consulted; their views and aspirations have guided the

process. In this exercise we have been faithful to our

wishes. The Gambian National Assembly, which is

playing its important role in our nation-building, has been

readmitted to the Commonwealth Parliamentary

Association, where we will continue to participate

actively.

Alive to the fact that genuine democracy can neither

thrive nor be nurtured and sustained in the midst of

poverty, deprivation, hunger, ignorance and ill-health, the

Gambia Government embarked on an ambitious socio-

economic development programme during the two-year

transition period, which focused basically on building

schools, health facilities, roads and other infrastructure as

well as on boosting agricultural development in order to

ensure food self-sufficiency by the year 1999. The main

objective of this programme was to lay the basis for a

genuine and sustainable democracy that is in consonance

with our own social and other specificities as a nation.

The successful completion of the transition period

intensified our Government’s determination to continue

the effective implementation of measures and programmes

designed to promote and achieve the sustained socio-

economic development of the Gambia. In order to

accomplish this task, the Government of the Gambia, in

collaboration with the private sector, has embarked on the

implementation of a national development programme to

transform the country economically and socially over a

25-year period into a developed, economically viable

State. The blueprint for this socio-economic development

is called Vision 2020. The overall orientation of this

development blueprint, as enunciated in its mission

statement, is:

“To transform the Gambia into a financial

centre, a tourist paradise, a trading export-oriented

agricultural and manufacturing nation, thriving on

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free market policies and a vibrant private sector,

sustained by a well-educated, trained, skilled, healthy,

self-reliant and enterprising population, and

guaranteeing a well-balanced ecosystem and a decent

standard of living for one and all, under a system of

government based on the consent of the citizenry”.

It is obvious from that mission statement that we in

the Gambia have opted for a holistic development strategy

that is human-centred and export-oriented, and founded on

free market principles. As rightly pointed out by His

Excellency President Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh in his

foreword to Vision 2020,

“This means that the production base of the

economy will be strengthened and diversified to cater

for the needs of an export-oriented industry. In pursuit

of pragmatism, Vision 2020 will build on the sound

macroeconomic policies of our recent past while

launching a new partnership contract between the

public and private sectors to spin faster growth with

equity.”

In this connection, the Gambia has embarked on a

sustained effort to enhance bilateral and multilateral

cooperation with all friendly countries and institutions in

order to ensure the realization of our development goals as

enshrined in Vision 2020. In pursuit of these goals, we will

not relent in our efforts to develop and enhance intra-

African cooperation and solidarity in all vital sectors for the

attainment of sustained economic growth. It is in fact the

Gambia’s firm belief and conviction that it is only through

such cooperation, founded on self-reliance and hard work,

that African countries can adequately rise to the daunting

development challenges facing them.

To complement our own efforts at the national,

subregional and regional levels, no effort will be spared to

develop and enhance cooperation with all traditional

development partners as well as new friends in conformity

with the underlying principles of the Gambia’s foreign

policy objectives, which are predicated on openness,

peaceful coexistence, genuine respect for each other’s point

of view and full equality in international intercourse with

all countries. We strongly believe that it is only through

dialogue and the constant quest to understand the points of

view of others that we can aspire to attain world peace,

mutual trust and understanding.

Here, I would like to underline again that the

centrepiece of the Gambia’s foreign policy is the promotion

of African solidarity and self-reliance and the enhancement

of world peace. That is why we are friends of all

countries of the world irrespective of ideological or

political differences. This policy is predicated on our

strong belief that the world is one family, and that it pays

no dividends to isolate any member of that great family,

because any member of the family which feels isolated

quickly becomes intransigent and hostile in its dealings

with the rest of us. It is therefore paramount for us to

maintain lines of dialogue between ourselves, which can

only promote understanding.

On global economic issues, we note that the world

economic outlook continues to be influenced strongly by

the forces of economic globalization and trade

liberalization, which in themselves are not negative

trends, provided they are underpinned by a genuine desire

on the part of all concerned to promote partnership, in an

environment where equality reigns supreme.

The persistent slow rate of development in Africa

can be traced to certain factors and impediments. Africa’s

foreign debt crisis remains a major impediment to growth.

The international community’s effort to resolve Africa’s

external debt problem continues to fall short of the

desired result. The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries

Initiative, recently adopted by the International Monetary

Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, while complementing

the global effort, also fell short of the expected target of

complete cancellation of the debt stock of developing

countries. Unless this is done, the debt burden will

naturally continue to have a negative impact on the

availability of existing resources to finance Africa’s

economic recovery and social development.

Also, the growth and expansion of the incidence of

poverty in Africa has contributed to the failure to achieve

sustainable development on the continent. The sombre

conclusions on the increase of poverty reflect, in a wider

sense, the seeming lack of the required commitment by

the international community to promote social progress

and the qualitative improvement of the human condition,

as recommended by the World Summit for Social

Development.

Here I want to state that my country, the Gambia,

has embarked on a bold national plan of action for the

eradication of poverty, and I want to commend the United

Nations system, the World Bank and other bilateral

partners that are actively assisting us to achieve our goals

in this domain. We thank them for their continued

support. Poverty, we all agree, is a global problem that

needs to be addressed by all of us.

23

The pursuit of global peace and security remains a

fundamental responsibility of our Organization. It is,

however, regrettable that the international community’s

effort to achieve international peace and security has been

constrained by continued conflicts and other forms of

tension between States and communities.

In our own subregion of West Africa, the situation

evolving in Sierra Leone remains of grave concern, not

only to us but also to the international community. Failure

to resolve the problem and restore stability, security and

constitutionality in Sierra Leone can only prolong the ordeal

of the innocent and peace-loving people of that country.

Therefore, we all hope that the initiatives embarked upon

by the Economic Community of West African State

(ECOWAS) within the framework of the Committee of

Five will yield the anticipated results. I am pleased to note

that the approach adopted by the Committee of Five to find

a solution to the Sierra Leone crisis has the support of the

United Nations Security Council and the Organization of

African Unity (OAU).

It is hoped that the restoration of constitutional

democracy in Liberia following the national elections held

on 19 July 1997 will lead to a permanent peaceful solution

to the country’s crisis, paving the way for sustained

national reconstruction. All of us in the subregion are

giving our material and moral support to the sister Republic

of Liberia to help it stay on the path of national

reconciliation in order to recover fully from its tragedies of

the recent past.

With regard to the Middle East, despite the significant

progress of the past few years in the Middle East peace

process, especially since the signing of the Oslo accords,

we note with concern the erosion of the peace dividend

accumulated in the international community’s effort to

achieve durable peace there. The recent escalation of

tension between Israel and Palestine over the extension of

Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem constitutes a serious

threat to peace and security in the region.

The adoption by the General Assembly of resolution

ES-10/3 of 15 July 1997, as well as other peace initiatives

by the international community should, however, provide

the basis for a peaceful and permanent solution to the

conflict.

On a more general note, we in the Gambia strongly

believe that the containment of tension and conflict globally

can be enhanced by transparency, the restoration of mutual

trust and confidence and respect for the rights of peoples,

communities and nations in the execution of the role and

mandates of the United Nations. As I indicated earlier, it

is only through genuine dialogue and the desire and will

to understand each other that we can achieve global

peace.

In this regard, my delegation strongly supports the

aspiration of the 21.3 million people of the Republic of

China on Taiwan to exercise their right to share and

participate in the activities of intergovernmental

organizations on international cooperation by joining this

comity of nations. The legitimacy of their aspirations,

both legal and national, has been reinforced by similar

actions and measures taken by the United Nations on the

issue of parallel representation, which now serve as useful

reminders and examples. The Taiwan question is also a

test of the international community’s interpretation of

democracy. As we are all aware, the Republic of China

on Taiwan has existed, physically, legally and politically,

since the foundation of the United Nations. My

Government therefore believes that our Organization will

do itself a great service by admitting Taiwan into our

midst, in the true spirit of the application of democratic

principles. The presence of the Republic of China on

Taiwan among us can only enrich our Organization. In

this regard, we therefore believe that resolution 2758

(XXVI) adopted at the twenty-sixth session of the General

Assembly, needs to be reviewed.

Concerning the legal dispute surrounding the

bombing of Pan Am flight 103, the Gambia supports the

resolution on the matter adopted by the OAU Heads of

State or Government in Harare last May as providing a

viable framework for resolving the present impasse.

With regard to Cuba, it is incomprehensible to us

Gambians why a whole people, a whole nation, should be

made to suffer the denial of the basic necessities of life

simply because it chooses to live under a different

political ideology. Therefore, in the present climate of

greater international cooperation and reconciliation, the

people of Cuba and their Government deserve the support

and assistance of the international community in their

continued efforts to engage in more meaningful national

development in order to achieve greater socio-economic

progress. We fully support the measures being taken by

this body to provide this support. In doing so, our

Organization will only be upholding the principle of

respecting the basic human rights of the Cuban people.

It is in this same spirit that we call on the

international community to continue to preserve the

24

dignity and security of the people and the Government of

Kuwait and to support the full implementation of the

relevant Security Council resolutions on payment of

reparations and compensation, release of prisoners of war

and other conditions imposed on Iraq for its internationally

condemned act of aggression against Kuwait. Therefore,

while we encourage greater United Nations intervention in

bringing solace to the suffering, innocent Iraqi civilian

population, we strongly urge the Government of Iraq to

comply with the provisions of these Security Council

resolutions, in order to alleviate the suffering, especially

that of the children.

That catalogue of conflicts and misunderstandings has

prompted my Government and people to formulate the

following wish, which we want to express to the

international community: we want the United Nations and

the international community to make a solemn pledge to

ensure that all conflicts are peacefully resolved by the year

2000. In order to achieve this noble aim, we propose, first,

that 1998 be declared a year for the resolution of all

conflicts between Member States; and, secondly, that 1999,

as it is on the eve of the twenty-first century, be a year

devoid of conflicts and misunderstanding, to become the

year of reconciliation.

This, we believe, will enable humankind to enter the

twenty-first century as a united, peaceful family that can

proudly bequeath to ensuing generations a developed,

peaceful world, where democracy, justice, freedom and

equality are guaranteed to everyone, irrespective of origin,

race, religion or political ideology. That is what the Gambia

wants to bequeath to coming generations, and we strongly

believe that all it takes is tolerance, mutual respect, love,

patience and understanding.

With regard to global trade relations, we followed with

high expectation the conclusion of the Uruguay Round of

multilateral trade negotiations and its implementation.

While encouraging globalization and liberalization, it

deprived developing countries, particularly those in Africa,

of the opportunities and benefits predicted during its

implementation.

We note, however, that the liberalization of trade and

investment policies has yet to foster international

cooperation for the achievement of economic development

and genuine partnership among all nations. Developing

countries in general, and African and the least developed

countries in particular, are yet to be effectively integrated

into the world economy. The commitments agreed in the

Final Act of the Uruguay Round have not been fully

implemented.

International cooperation has, however, continued to

flourish in other equally important areas. The promotion

and expansion of South-South cooperation continues to

receive greater support among developing countries.

These cooperation initiatives have resulted in the

Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of

Small Island Developing States, among many other

initiatives. Within the context of promoting South-South

cooperation, Japan has successfully held the Tokyo

International Conference on African Development

(TICAD I) and it is now planning to host a follow-up

conference, TICAD II, next year, in an effort to develop

a practical, achievable and sustainable development

programme for Africa.

It is indeed commendable that this Japanese initiative

is not restricted to Africa, but also includes the evolution

of a new development strategy responsive to the present

international development climate, and is providing the

motivating force for a concerted global effort. We

commend Japan for these initiatives, including financial

contributions which serve as a practical demonstration of

South-South cooperative interaction and application.

It should, however, be pointed out that the

promotion and application of South-South cooperation

within the context of technical and economic cooperation

among developing countries can only succeed as an

important aspect of international development cooperation

if both the South and North remain committed to its full

realization.

Intra-African economic cooperation and integration

have also been growing. Regional activities are now

directed to the socio-economic transformation and

integration of the economies of African States. The

adoption and implementation of the Abuja Treaty, putting

in place economic integration arrangements, is a positive

effort in building an African Economic Community. The

inaugural session of the African Economic Community

was held during the thirty-third summit of Heads of State

and Government of the Organization of African Unity

(OAU) in June this year. We in Africa are becoming

more and more aware of the paramount importance of

self-reliance. Any assistance from development partners

must be seen as a complement to what we can or should

do by ourselves.

25

Within the context of subregional cooperation, the

Gambia hosted the twelfth summit of Heads of State and

Government of the Permanent Inter-State Committee for

Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), held in Banjul from

11 to 12 September 1997. The summit unanimously elected

His Excellency Colonel Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh, President

of the Republic of the Gambia, as chairman of the

organization for the next three years. These meetings and

activities testify to the importance attached to the issues of

drought and desertification, not only in Africa, but also in

other parts of the world, and to the urgent need for a

sustained collaborative effort to combat the twin menace. In

this regard, the Gambia is fully and actively participating in

the ongoing Rome Conference of the Parties to the United

Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those

Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or

Desertification, Particularly in Africa. In fact, we should

redouble the resources provided and the measures so far

adopted to combat drought and desertification and improve

our environment in accordance with the provisions of the

Convention, and also of chapter 12 of Agenda 21, adopted

at the United Nations Conference on Environment and

Development. In furtherance of these targets we intend to

achieve, as President Yahya Jammeh stated, sustainable

development and food security through research into the

underlying phenomena of drought, desertification and

ecological instability and by designing and implementing

programmes for natural resource management and the

improvement of agro-food sectors in the Sahel, as well as

the sustainability of farming systems.

I will conclude with the subject of reform of the

United Nations system, a subject very dear to the hearts of

Gambians. The reform of the United Nations system

continues to engage our collective attention. Reform

activities — including the restructuring and revitalization of

the United Nations in the economic, social and related

fields, especially the work of the Economic and Social

Council; and the efforts of the High-level Open-ended

Working Group on the Strengthening of the United Nations

System in formulating innovative mechanisms to enhance

the role and functions of the General Assembly and its

main Committees, as well as of the Open-ended Working

Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and

Increase in the Membership of the Security Council —

continue to attract wide debate, both at the United Nations

and in other forums. These include OAU, which at the

summit of Heads of State and Government held in Harare

in June adopted a Declaration on the reform of the Security

Council to which the Gambia remains firmly committed.

It is my Government’s firm belief and conviction

that there is an urgent need to democratize the United

Nations, and especially the Security Council, to make it

more responsive to the hopes and aspirations of all its

Members for a world devoid of intolerance, injustice and

inequality. There is therefore a need to curb the use of the

veto, which is exercised by some Powers in the Security

Council against the wishes of the vast majority of the

Members of our Organization. The geopolitical and

historical considerations that were at the heart of the

present composition and mandate of the Security Council

no longer prevail. The composition of the Security

Council should therefore be reflective of the realities of

our times, and the powers of the individual Member

States therein seen in the same light.

We also firmly believe that it is necessary to ensure

that United Nations resolutions and, indeed, decisions by

the International Court of Justice are respected, obeyed

and implemented by all countries. It is not fair that while

some countries are chastised for violating United Nations

resolutions, others seem to violate them with impunity.

With regard to the Secretary-General’s Track 2

reform proposals, the report (A/51/950) entitled

“Renewing the United Nations: A Programme for

Reform” includes bold and far-reaching measures and

proposals. The Gambia generally supports the Secretary-

General’s reform proposals, in particular the following.

First, we have that of creating a dividend for

development. The effectiveness of this initiative would

depend on Member States meeting their financial

contributions to the Organization on time. Moreover, the

initiative should serve as a catalyst for donors to provide

greater support for development by meeting the agreed

target contribution of 0.7 per cent of their gross national

product.

Secondly, the creation of the post of Deputy

Secretary-General is timely, given the increasing

mandates of the Organization. However, it is expected

that the role of the Deputy Secretary-General would go

beyond mobilization of funds for the Organization to

incorporate administrative coordination. The length of stay

in office of the incumbent should be determined.

Thirdly, restructuring and regrouping of organs and

agencies to facilitate their effectiveness and productivity

should be guided by agreed principles, procedures and

operational objectives to prevent a reduction of their

26

usefulness while enhancing the achievements of their

specific goals.

Fourthly, the fiscal measures, including zero growth

and personnel cuts, are necessary. It is expected that this

will not impair the Organization’s capability to fully

discharge all its responsibilities.

Fifthly, the putting into effect of “UN House” — the

common premises system for all United Nations agencies

serving in one country — is necessary and timely, given the

substantial savings to be derived from the sharing of

common services. Additionally, maintaining a common

identity and location in a country would enhance the United

Nations presence as a world Organization, as well as its

accessibility in terms of speed and effective

communication. It will also minimize confusion, waste

and duplication of efforts.

Suffice it to say that the Gambia will continue to

study the Secretary-General’s reform proposals and their

broad implications for the Organization and Member

States in the years ahead.

Lastly, as we continue with the reform of the United

Nations system after over 50 years of operations, so must

we also continue to address the weaknesses, inequalities

and inadequacies inherent in the international economic

and social system, global trade, finance and investment,

international development and so on in order to achieve

more meaningful international cooperation and global

partnership, the promotion and preservation of human

rights and fundamental freedoms, the right to

development, good governance and economic growth —

all cherished hallmarks of sustainable development and

human achievements.