UN General Assembly
1999

integration in Africa. Indeed, participants in this conference clearly affirmed that greater unity is one way to resist the threat of globalization looming over the continent. Together with all African countries, Madagascar urges the international community to lend its material and financial support and to share with our continent its own experiences in its achievement of unity. According to United Nations resolutions, Africa in the 1990s has been a priority for action against poverty and insecurity. In this regard, I welcome the financial commitment of $150 million, announced three days ago on 28 September by Mr. James Wolfensohn, President of the West Bank, to its Partnership for African Capacity. The contribution of every Member State to forging a new Africa is an obligation. With this in mind, over the past three years Madagascar has built a structure that will promote democracy, human rights and multifaceted cooperation. An entire field of activity has opened up today, making our big island a major actor in regional, continental and international life. The principle of sharing has been implicit in the