UN General Assembly
2002

debt, as the African Union has always recommended. Long captive to its domestic problems, the Republic of Chad, now more than ever before, intends to shoulder its responsibilities within the international community, particularly on the level of the African 13 continent. Therefore, the Government is committed to helping to make the African Union — whose birth was celebrated on 9 July 2002 at Durban, South Africa — a genuine instrument of the continent's political and economic integration. The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is part of that major objective. In the framework of North-South and South- South cooperation, NEPAD deserves the support of Africa's development partners. But again, Chad is among those who think that Africa's salvation lies in the hands of Africans themselves. To that goal, they must take courageous political decisions and transcend their differences so that the African Union can become a reality, because the disruptions and crises of all kinds suffered by that great and rich continent are sources of serious anxiety. However, the latest news coming from various