UN General Assembly
2009

contribute to general and complete disarmament. We have been at the forefront in fulfilling our commitments in this area, and we are resolved to continue to work in that regard within our modest means. Our most recent initiative was to ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 14 May 2009 — a formality that made the Niger one of the very first countries to do so and accelerated its entry into force. We believe that this gesture, although it may seem minor, assumes its full meaning in the context of the difficult path towards complete disarmament. For us, this initiative, together with our country’s ratification of the Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Their Ammunition and Other Related Materials, adopted by the Economic Community of West African States, is a significant contribution to disarmament at our level. We are following the various processes carried out at various levels to reform the United Nations system. This includes reform of the Security Council, with regard to which we call for greater recognition of Africa’s role through the Ezulwini Consensus; the