UN General Assembly
2008

The facilities of the Special Court in the heart of our historic capital, Freetown, will be inherited by Sierra Leone, and we will explore the best possible use for them. In recent years, Sierra Leone has made real progress in consolidating democracy and good governance by conducting successive free, fair and non-violent presidential, parliamentary and local Government elections. We are on the right path. On behalf of all Sierra Leoneans, I would like to thank 08-51845 26 members of the international community for their invaluable contribution to our electoral process, and particularly for their logistical and technical support that enabled the various institutions to perform their respective tasks. But we are the first to acknowledge that much more needs to be done to achieve sustainable peace and development. War and deadly conflicts have social and economic consequences long after the fighting has ended. A peaceful country requires more than the absence of war. Development remains the foremost need of all Sierra Leoneans. Moreover, it is the foundation of security, and it makes political rights meaningful.