The
delegation of Senegal welcomes the election of
Mr. Joseph Deiss to lead the General Assembly at its
sixty-fifth session. We are aware of his personal
qualities and are confident that his presidency will bear
the hallmark of his country’s traditional neutrality. I
warmly congratulate him and wish him every success.
 I would also like to pay homage to Mr. Ali
Abdussalam Treki for his outstanding work in guiding
the work of the Assembly’s sixty-fourth session. I also
express our great gratitude to our Secretary-General,
Ban Ki-moon, for his tireless devotion to his delicate
task in the service of our common ideals.
 The state of the world has improved little since
the Assembly’s last session. We continue to face the
same urgent issues: the ongoing economic crisis and
continued environmental degradation. Unfortunately,
with regard to the latter, the Copenhagen Conference
was unable to provide a satisfactory response — not
because of a lack of will, but rather because the
question has been inappropriately framed, as I said at
that meeting. To that list we must add persistent issues
such as transnational organized crime, international
terrorism and illicit drug trafficking.
 As we meet here to consider and act together on
those major challenges, we are giving hope to our
people with regard to finding concerted answers to
those many and complex problems, which no country
can face alone. It is therefore altogether fitting that we
turn to the world Organization to find a collective
response, or at least to exchange experiences.
 The theme of the Assembly’s sixty-fifth
session — “Reaffirming the central role of the United
Nations in global governance” — is therefore quite
timely. Perhaps we ourselves have been tardy in
launching this debate. In my view, it is not a matter of
determining whether the Organization has contributed
to improving global governance, but rather a question
of how to make its efforts more useful and effective in
the face of the unprecedented upheavals that the world
has experienced in recent years.
 International relations have accelerated
considerably in a very short time. Much of what was
taken as certain is no longer true and accepted notions
have been shaken. What we call the established order
has been turned on its head by the emergence of new
forces arising from globalization and economic
competition.
 The changes that have taken place call for a new
state of mind and another way of perceiving and
managing world affairs by adapting the system to the
new realities of the twenty-first century. Are we
prepared to define a new world order in which Africa
and emerging Powers fully play the role that the
ongoing changes are conferring upon them? The
answers we provide on those issues will depend, at
least in part, on the role of the Organization in global
governance.

13 10-54959

 After 65 years of existence, the United Nations
system continues to bear the legacy of a bygone
historical era, with the Charter of the United Nations
itself bearing post-war stigmas and colonial prejudices.
For instance, the Charter still refers to the idea of an
enemy State, in the sense of a Power defeated in war.
Also, Article 38 of the Statute of the International
Court of Justice refers to general principles of law
recognized by civilized nations — as if uncivilized
nations still existed. In themselves, such anachronisms
from another time demonstrate the need to reform the
system.
 Moreover, the nature of the issues now addressed
by the Organization has become quite diverse, just as
its composition and the volume of is work have
increased considerably, while some of its mechanisms,
including that for collective security, have remained
nearly unchanged.
 In 1945 the Organization had 51 Members; today
it has 192. The composition of the Security Council, a
body which is supposed to reflect the will of Member
States, has been altered only once, in 1965, when the
number of seats increased from 11 to 15 with the
inclusion of additional non-permanent seats. And
17 years since we began negotiations on the Council’s
reform, there are still no prospects for consensus.
 Maintaining the status quo at all costs means
ignoring the radical changes that have taken place in
the world, thereby making the Council susceptible to
greater mistrust, defiance and criticism. That inertia
may prove to be dangerous owing to the lack of
representation, legitimacy and credibility that could
result. If today many of the Council’s decisions are
being called into question and not properly
implemented, it is because they are perceived by the
great majority of Member States as being more
expressions of national interest than the carrying out of
a mandate on behalf of the community of nations.
 I am not personally in agreement with the
eminent observer of the United Nations who has
written that “the organization of the Security Council
belongs to the nineteenth century”. I believe that it
bears the hallmark of our times, but it needs to be
improved and delivered of its shortcomings.
 How can we preserve a credible role in global
governance for the Organization if Africa — which
makes up more than a fourth of its Members and
accounts for more than 70 per cent of the issues on the
agenda — does not have a permanent seat on the
Security Council? Several years ago in this Hall, in
order to put an end to that anomaly and to right an
historic injustice, Senegal proposed that —
independent of the ongoing reform, which will take
time, given that it began 17 years ago — Africa be
given a permanent seat with veto power.
 Meanwhile, the same grievances that have been
levelled against the Security Council have also been
raised with regard to international criminal justice.
Twelve years ago, the common need for international
criminal justice that was universal, permanent and
neutral led to the establishment of the International
Criminal Court (ICC) to complement national
jurisdictions in punishing and preventing the most
serious crimes.
 Because Senegal has faith in the ideals of peace
and justice for all, it reiterates its commitment to the
Court. It was the first country to ratify its Statute, on
2 February 1999. Nevertheless, the Court will never be
credible if the President of the Sudan is the only one to
be pursued, with suspect eagerness.
 While the setting up of the ICC represents a
significant advance in the fight against impunity, it is
in its practice that the Court itself will be judged. And
for that practice to be free of suspicion and
questioning, we must ensure that it reflects the
principles agreed by the United Nations with regard to
human rights: universality, objectivity, non-selectivity
and impartiality. On the basis of those principles, the
Court should deal with all situations within its
jurisdiction in the same way, whoever the perpetrators
and whatever their nationality.
 Given the deep and multifaceted crisis, global
economic governance remains a pertinent issue.
Consultative frameworks such as the Group of Eight
(G-8) and the Group of Twenty (G-20) are trying to
address it in order to lay the foundations for a new
world order. Those efforts are praiseworthy.
 Today, there are a number of us who would like
to establish an independent circle of very high-level
specialists so as to put ourselves upstream of the G-8
and the G-20 and to provide heads of State and
Government with our thinking on the topics that they
are considering. We would even like to go beyond the
technical nature and address more fundamental issues.
The job of setting all that up has been entrusted to me,
and I am dedicating myself to the task.

10-54959 14

 With regard to the unchecked increase in the
price of oil, which penalizes non-producing countries, I
have already proposed a mechanism that would make it
possible to bring together the corporate superprofits,
the income of producing countries and the surcharges
on non-producing countries, to serve as the basis for a
policy which I call “oil against poverty”, using a fund
financed by the contributions of the first two
categories, which share the oil revenues.
 In order to parry the fierce rise in agricultural
prices, I suggest that we consider that issue again at a
conference in Dakar — the second Dakar Agricultural
Fair. We propose a mechanism that fully integrates
producers in order to establish world governance of
agricultural prices, taking into account the interests of
producers and consumers. That will be the aim of the
conference, which will be held in our capital in January
and February 2011.
 In the same spirit, we continue to contribute to
efforts to protect the environment, in particular in the
context of the project to build the Great Green Wall. It
is a barrier of trees the length of the Sahel-Saharan
region, from Dakar to Djibouti, 7,000 kilometres long
by 15 kilometres wide, and that project is already being
implemented. It has earned us the support of the Global
Environment Facility, which has granted the countries
involved the sum of $119 million.
 With regard to the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs), the assessment that the Assembly’s
High-level Plenary Meeting has just made clearly
shows that, despite our progress, we must remain
mobilized in order to meet the agreed commitments by
the 2015 deadline.
 In Senegal, thanks to the national assessment that
we carried out last May, we have gauged the work to
be done by 2015. Our main conclusion is that a
quantitative approach that sees development only in
terms of money is insufficient. We must show more
creativity and more imagination in our own country.
For its part, Senegal has implemented the following
innovations.
 First is the GOANA Strategy — the Great
Agricultural Offensive for Food and Abundance, which
enabled us to go from an importer of food products in
2008 to self-sufficiency and even net exporter in 2010.
 We have introduced the Neighbourhood
Godmother initiative, which empowers women in the
fight against maternal and child mortality so as to
speed up implementation of the MDGs related to
health. It is based on the sociology of our African
societies. In every neighbourhood or village, there is
always a woman who is the focus of all the others, and,
by giving her a role, we empower her to watch over the
pregnant women and attend to them, even at the child’s
birth. That requires only very little equipment, such as
a mobile phone. That supervision, we believe, will
make it possible to reduce maternal and child mortality.
 Next is the Modern Daras initiative — daras
means studying in Arabic — which introduces the
teaching of Arabic, French and English and vocational
training in madrasas in order to progress towards the
complete disappearance of those students who graduate
from madrasas very learned and able to recite the
Koran, but who are jobless. That initiative is supported
by Senegal’s religious leaders. And we simply think
that it is possible to provide children with spiritual
training and further education at the same time. We
have introduced Christian and Muslim religious
education into schools.
 Another initiative is the scheme to allocate 40 per
cent of the national budget to education and training in
order to ensure sufficient quality human resources, able
to take up the challenge of development. If I am not
mistaken, Senegal is the only country to have agreed to
that sacrifice — to put 40 per cent of the budget into
education.
 The Bac Minus One initiative means that we take
the young people who have failed the baccalaureate
examination and have them help school teachers
promote primary education, in order to address the
criterion of universal primary education.
 Naturally, we have launched a policy to promote
rural women. Today there are facilities that enable
them to retain the added value that was previously in
the hands of factories and producers, that is to say,
those who control the money.
 We have also proposed a new definition of
poverty, which is not the fact of having less than $1 a
day. Poverty is a combination of deficiencies, such as
in housing, decent food, access to school and health
care. We are dealing with that by creating villages in
which all those fundamental needs can be met.
 The Assembly knows about the Digital Solidarity
Fund initiative, which we launched a few years ago to

15 10-54959

help bridge the digital divide between developed
countries and underdeveloped countries.
 I would also like to report that we have launched
the Eco-villages Strategy, which involves converting
traditional villages to energy self-sufficiency by using
clean energy such as solar or wind in order to lessen
the degradation of our environment.
 Lastly, the initiative for complete equality
between men and women in Senegal in all fully or
partially elected bodies is a way for us to marshal
women’s abilities, which are fully acknowledged. The
law of March 2010 fully assimilates women into the
nation’s decision-making circles. I think that we should
perhaps stop talking about the advancement of women.
We must raise women to the decision-making level,
which will happen at the same time and on the basis of
equality with men.
 I could continue, but those examples are enough
to demonstrate the pressing need for innovation.
 In my capacity as current Chair of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference I must once
again draw the attention of the international
community to the resurgence of Islamophobia in
certain sectors. In recent years outbursts of
Islamophobia, as if in a process of escalation and
provocation, have multiplied: profanations of tombs
and of the Holy Koran, hate speech and blasphemous
caricatures. All these incidents in fact give expansive
proof of the small-mindedness, ignorance and
intellectual and moral bankruptcy of their authors. On
behalf of the Islamic umma, I strongly denounce and
condemn these irresponsible and absurd acts. In any
case, with regard to the Holy Koran, God himself has
made himself infallible protector of his holy word, as it
is said, “Surely We have revealed the Reminder and We
will most surely be its guardian” (The Holy Koran,
XV:9).
 I would like everyone to understand that Islam
and Muslims are no one’s enemy. Islam is a religion of
the golden mean, which teaches moderation, which
exhorts us to do good, which preaches respect for
diversity and peaceful coexistence among peoples,
whatever their religion. Still today it is in strict
observance of these rules that nearly 2.5 billion
Muslims throughout the world practice their faith. If
there is a tiny minority that descends to violence in the
name of the Koran, we say: No, that is in keeping
neither with the letter nor the spirit of the Koran.
 I reaffirm the openness of the Islamic umma to
dialogue and joint effort. In the face of extremists of all
sides, who want to take religions and believers hostage,
I invite world leaders, opinion-makers, men, women
and young people to join us to converse, explain,
inform and educate, to promote the choice of wisdom,
knowledge, reason, logic and doing good against
obscurantism and confrontation. I hope that from that
choice will come mutual understanding and peaceful
coexistence between peoples, civilizations and
cultures, respecting each other’s beliefs and diversity.
 At Dakar, we have organized the Conference of
African Ulema, a group of Islamic scholars who are
responding to those who want to use our religion for
political ends. That African conference will culminate
in a conference of all the countries of the umma, to be
held in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
 Right now I direct my hope towards the
establishment of a Palestinian State with
internationally recognized borders. That is why I
support President Obama’s initiative on Palestinian-
Israeli dialogue and renew my long-standing support
for the legitimate demand of the Palestinian people for
a sovereign, independent and viable State. We support
the vision of a Palestinian State that will be a full
member of the United Nations, which has been
promised here by President Obama.
 Faced with the tragedy that has struck the Haitian
people, Senegal has joined its efforts with those of the
international community to provide emergency
assistance. In October we will be receiving some
160 Haitian students who wish to study in Senegal, and
next year we expect to be hosting Haitian families.
From this rostrum I appeal to all, and in particular to
African heads of State, to help Haiti. Those who want
to host students should speak to us: I have sent
commission to Haiti, and I have tasked a minister to be
in charge of Haitian affairs. We have a roster of 3,000
young people who have been chosen by university
teachers, about whom we have all the necessary
information, including health information.
 In Africa, Senegal notes with satisfaction the
progress of our brother people of Côte d’Ivoire towards
national reconciliation and the upcoming holding of
elections in peace and calm. In Guinea, another
neighbour of Senegal, where I have visited many times
to help normalize the situation, I salute the efforts of
the facilitator, President Blaise Compaoré. I invite once

10-54959 16

again all Guinean stakeholders, in particular the two
candidates in the second round, to complete the
electoral process, so that there can be a permanent
return to constitutional order, in national peace and
harmony — which are essential conditions for
development.
 Senegal is also pleased with the progress made by
the Niger to re-establish the country’s political
institutions. Guinea-Bissau, another neighbour of ours,
has made significant progress since its election last
year of President Malam Bacai Sanhá. But its
democratic institutions remain fragile and therefore
need more resolute support from the international
community. In line with the conclusions of the
extraordinary summit of the Economic Community of
West African States held on 17 September, Senegal is
prepared to take part in the efforts of our regional
organization for the establishment of a programme for
security and defence sector reform in Guinea-Bissau.
 In the Sudan, Senegal remains committed to the
African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in
Darfur. We hope that the referendum on self-
determination of the south will be held in the best
conditions possible in order to prevent a domino effect
that would be harmful to the whole of Africa. Perhaps a
group of heads of State could help to work towards that
goal.
 I would like to conclude by recalling that Senegal
will host, from 10 to 31 December, the third World
Festival of Black Arts, after the first two, which were
held in Dakar in 1966 and Lagos in 1977. This
gathering is a reaffirmation of the artistic, cultural and
intellectual identity of the black world, and it carries a
message of openness, dialogue and fraternity from
Africa and its diaspora to the whole of humanity, for
the respect of all cultures and civilizations. All are
cordially invited.


I begin by congratulating
you, Sir, on your well-deserved election to preside over
the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly.
Additionally, I take this opportunity to thank Mr. Ali
Abdussalam Treki of Libya for his effective, strong and
dynamic leadership during the sixty-fourth session and
to salute Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his
tremendous efforts in promoting global peace, security
and development.
 I address the Assembly as we confront the second
decade of this millennium, which brings such
tremendous opportunities for mankind. Scientific and
technological innovations have made the world a truly
global village characterized by continuing connectivity
and unimagined possibilities for facilitating global
development. These technologies, integrating as they
do even the smallest and traditionally most distant
countries into the day-to-day activities of the world
community, have the potential to combat hunger,
eradicate poverty, generate employment, and elevate
the standard of living of people throughout the world,
without compromising the integrity of our ecosystem
and planet Earth.
 However, in order to realize the full potential of
these opportunities, the community of nations now
needs to muster the courage to pursue with
determination reforms in international and multilateral
institutions such as the United Nations which will
ensure equality of treatment, and bring the benefits of
development to those countries which, in consequence
of small size, are often the least endowed, and most
vulnerable in today’s world community.
 The formulation and pursuit of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) has brought the world’s
attention to the main issues of development, especially
the challenges faced by developing countries. It also
brought to the fore the nexus which exists between
financial, social and economic development on the one
hand and the sustainable use of natural resources on the
other.
 By and large, we in the developing world have
lived up to the commitments which we made, by
mobilizing domestic financial resources for
development and making major structural changes,
even in the face of an increasingly hostile economic,
financial and trading system. Those efforts have been

10-55103 4

coupled with international resources for development
in the form of foreign direct investment and official
development assistance. The results to date have been
encouraging when one considers where we were at the
beginning of the millennium. There still remain,
however, a number of unresolved global issues which
have stymied the efforts to attain the Millennium
Development Goals.
 We suggest, therefore, that the next five years
before the target date of the MDGs must see a
reconfiguration and acceleration of efforts by all
Member States. This should begin with the fulfilment
of commitments already given by developed countries,
and South-South cooperation must be strengthened in
keeping with the kind of solidarity now being
demonstrated by Venezuela, Cuba, China, Brazil and
other such developing countries.
 Negotiation of the Doha Development Round
must be concluded within a reasonable time, and in
that regard the very small States of the developing
world must continue to insist, even as others resist it,
on meaningful recognition by the global community of
the principle of special and differential treatment,
rather than a “one size fits all” approach, as a central
principle permitting beneficial economic adjustment
for countries like my own. This will provide
developing countries with an opportunity to compete in
the global trading system and place greater emphasis
on trade rather than aid.
 The phenomenon of climate change has been well
documented by the United Nations and other
institutions over the past decade. In fact, we in the
Caribbean and other small island developing States can
speak of our experience with the increasing intensity of
hurricanes, droughts, floods, destruction to coastal
areas and rising sea levels. These have had severe
impacts on our agriculture, tourism, and physical
infrastructure, especially along our coasts, leading to
an increasingly high cost for adaptation and mitigation,
resulting in the diversion of funds which otherwise
would have been used for social and economic
development. Climate change, therefore, has become a
major threat to the ability of most developing countries
to achieve the MDGs.
 For almost two decades the United Nations has
recognized the special economic, social and
environmental vulnerabilities of small island
developing States. Since the Mauritius meeting in
2005, their situation has become even more precarious.
The impacts of the world food and fuel crises in 2007
and the financial and economic crisis in 2008 have
clearly demonstrated the open and vulnerable nature of
our economies. This, coupled with the impact of
climate change, strengthens the case for a unique
position for small island developing States and hence a
more prominent place within the United Nations
system as a recognized category, with all the attendant
benefits and obligations.
 Despite our many challenges, small island
developing States continue to demonstrate strong
leadership, particularly in the area of climate change
and in the work of the United Nations in general.
Significant progress has been made in the areas of the
protection of biodiversity, strategies for promoting
renewable energy, and the achievement of the
Millennium Development Goals. These efforts need to
be complemented both by the United Nations system
and by other Member States, especially the developed
countries.
 It is regrettable that to date no consensus has
been reached on the best way to deal with what we
consider a clear and present danger to our planet. The
failure at Copenhagen should be further motivation for
all countries to work assiduously towards an agreement
in Mexico.
 We commend the efforts being made towards a
consensus on climate change; however, we maintain
that the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change should be the primary forum for
negotiating the global response to climate change. We
therefore call upon all Member States to work within
this framework in order to arrive expeditiously at a
binding agreement which will recognize the shared but
differentiated responsibilities of Member States.
 Since its establishment, the United Nations has
played, as it continues to play, a critical role in
fostering greater understanding among nations and
maintaining peace and security throughout the world.
The United Nations has also been able to reduce
conflict and minimize tensions between countries and
peoples. These efforts have been buttressed by other
significant efforts, such as the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the
Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and
Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light
Weapons in All Its Aspects.

5 10-55103

 In May this year the United Nations held the
Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Dominica
supports the outcome of the Conference, and calls upon
all Member States to adhere to the obligations of the
Treaty. We call for a world free of nuclear weapons,
and join the calls for total disarmament.
 Small arms and light weapons continue to pose a
major threat to peace and security throughout the
world. Dominica is very concerned over the increase in
that illicit trade in the Caribbean region. We are not
convinced that the larger nations of the world
comprehend the extent of the inability of smaller
nations like my own, which bridge the producers and
consumers of narcotic substances, to cope with this
new horror.
 The continued demand in the North for drugs
produced in the South, and the growth of the related
trade in small arms and light weapons, have placed us
in the crossfire of these illicit activities. Yet it appears
to us that the larger nations of the world only take
decisive steps to cope with this situation when it has
become untenable for themselves. In that context, we
do not believe that sufficient consultation now exists to
ensure that the smaller States are provided, on a
continuous basis, with the capabilities needed for
persistent attention to the problems that arise in our
jurisdictions. This is yet another aspect of the case for
special and differential treatment in the security and
social development spheres.
 The threat of terrorism is of concern throughout
the world. Radical extremism has created an
environment in which cultural and religious
misunderstandings and misplaced anger have claimed
the lives of thousands. We extend our sympathy to all
the Member States which have lost citizens at the
hands of those who have sought to destabilize
Governments and to instil fear in the rest of humanity.
By its very nature, the fight against terrorism requires
global action. This must involve the efforts of the
United Nations in fostering a culture of peace,
tolerance and understanding among the peoples of the
world.
 During last year’s general debate (see A/64/PV.7),
Dominica recognized the important role of the United
Nations in the rebuilding process of our sister nation of
Haiti. We also called upon those Member States that
had pledged assistance to make good on their promises
in order to foster Haiti’s social and economic
development. Today, the challenges facing Haiti have
been magnified to a degree which requires further
commitments from all Member States of the United
Nations. The destruction wrought in Haiti by the
earthquake in January has made the need for resource
mobilization a matter of extreme urgency.
 In March the United Nations hosted the
International Donors’ Conference towards a New
Future for Haiti. Dominica wishes to commend the
organizers and the contributors to this initiative.
During the Conference several Member States pledged
their support for the reconstruction efforts.
Commitments of several billion dollars were made.
Sadly, to date the Government and people of Haiti have
been able to access only a fraction of those pledges.
We call on all Member States to make good their
promises so as to ensure that the rebuilding process can
continue and to avoid further deterioration of the
political, social and economic situation of that country.
 The focus in rebuilding Haiti should be not solely
on physical infrastructure, but also on the building and
rebuilding of institutions to strengthen the governance
of Haiti and to empower its people through technology
transfer and capacity-building. It should also include
development of the productive sectors to place Haiti on
a path to economic independence.
 Most important, the international community
must recognize and accept that the Government and
people of Haiti must be placed at the centre of the
reconstruction process so as to engender a spirit of
unity of purpose, ownership and meaningful
partnership, even at these most challenging times.
 The crisis in Haiti presents both a challenge and
an opportunity, not only to the international
community, but also to the Governments and financial
institutions to which that country remains heavily
indebted. We call on those international financial
institutions and Governments to cancel the remaining
debt owed by Haiti in order to provide more latitude
for that country to fully realize its recovery efforts. As
regards trade, we urge all Member States to liberalize
trading regimes so as to allow greater access of Haitian
products into their markets without barriers.
 Earlier I spoke of the threats which plague
mankind in the era of globalization. I also highlighted
the need for multilateralism and the need for
cooperation between States. Those challenges can be

10-55103 6

overcome only in a global environment where there
exist respect for each other’s territorial integrity; non-
interference in each other’s domestic affairs; and
respect for sovereignty and the right to self-
determination. It is in this context that Dominica again
calls on the United States of America to discontinue its
economic blockade against the people of the Republic
of Cuba.
 The rule of law is an important aspect of
international law. Adherence to our international
obligations is important to the maintenance of peace
and security and to ensuring that all persons, regardless
of race, nationality, creed or gender, continue to
believe in the international system and to recognize
that this system is for the benefit of all peoples and
nations, whether large or small. That is why the
situation in which our sister nation of Antigua and
Barbuda has been placed vis-à-vis its dispute with the
United States of America is extremely unfortunate and
must be remedied as quickly as possible. We urge the
parties involved to quickly seek to resolve the situation
and arrive at a negotiated settlement that is fair and
just.
 The citizens of this planet have come to
recognize that new developments in technology have
brought an interdependence among peoples and States
as they vigorously pursue the development of their
separate countries. They have also come to realize that
there must be increasing cooperation between nations
in order to ensure a deliberate and planned approach to
the maintenance and development of the resources of
this planet. In that connection, regional processes of
cooperation have increasingly come to characterize the
conduct of nations.
 But as the technology of communication has
increased international connectiveness, it has also
become apparent that regionalism often proves
insufficient, and that a global approach must be taken
to new issues which arise. Therefore, my country
strongly supports the principle that it is the United
Nations, to which all countries turn in times of crises,
that must play the fundamental role in the surveillance
of all developments affecting our planet. Consequently,
we hereby reaffirm our commitment to the central role
that the United Nations should play in global
governance.


I wish to congratulate
Mr. Deiss on his election as President of the General
Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. We are confident
that he will discharge the responsibilities of his high
office with wisdom. I assure him of Namibia’s
cooperation and support. I would also like to commend
his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Ali Abdussalam
Treki, for the able manner in which he presided over
the sixty-fourth session.
 The Secretary-General of the Organization, His
Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and his staff have done a
commendable job in overseeing the ongoing efforts to
improve the working methods of the Organization and
for better interaction with Member States. We
commend them for their dedication and hard work.
 The theme for this year’s session, “Reaffirming
the central role of the United Nations in global
governance”, is both timely and appropriate. In that
spirit, Member States should reaffirm the central role
of the United Nations in global governance. Namibia
shares the views expressed in the outcome document of
the Conference on the World Financial and Economic
Crisis and Its Impact on Development (resolution
63/303, annex).
 We believe that because of its universal
membership and legitimacy, the United Nations is well
positioned to participate in the reform processes to
improve and strengthen the effective functioning of the
international financial system. In that regard, we must
reaffirm our commitment to a universal, rules-based,
open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral
trading system and also work together for a speedy and
equitable conclusion to the Doha Round.
 Although Namibia is currently classified as a
high middle-income country, it still bears the scars of
social and economic inequalities inherited from its
colonial past. As a result, we carry the unenviable
distinction as the country with the most unequal
distribution of income and economic resources in the
world. Ironically, our country also faces declining
international development assistance due to that very
classification, which has negatively impacted our
ability to mobilize resources for national development
efforts.
 In that light, I appeal to the international financial
institutions to create special mechanisms to enable
middle-income countries to access financial resources
for development on concessional terms, as called for
by the 2008 Windhoek Declaration on Development
Cooperation with Middle-Income Countries.
 Our recently concluded High-level Plenary
Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) gave world leaders and other stakeholders a
unique opportunity to review progress made towards

10-54965 14

the achievement of the MDGs and to share valuable
experiences. It is also evident that more work remains
to be done. The challenges encountered should
encourage us, and the successes recorded should
inspire us all to work relentlessly for the noble and
common objectives of achieving all of the MDGs.
 At the global level, climate change is one of the
major challenges facing humanity today. The
devastating impact of natural disasters around the
world has affected most of our countries. Although
Namibia does not significantly contribute to the
emission of greenhouse gases, it is one of the countries
most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In
recent years, we have experienced increasingly severe
floods and droughts that have destroyed crops,
livestock and wild animals. We thus call upon
industrialized countries to take practical steps and
demonstrate greater political will to bring about drastic
reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. We also urge
them to give meaningful support to the efforts of
developing countries to mitigate and adapt to the
adverse effects of climate change.
 It is our hope that the industrialized countries will
meet their commitments to provide adequate resources,
in line with the undertakings made at Copenhagen in
2009. Namibia looks forward to a successful outcome
of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held
in Mexico later this year.
 In 2000, while serving as a member of the
Security Council, Namibia initiated and introduced a
theme on women, peace and security, which resulted in
the adoption of the  resolution 1325 (2000). Our
objective was to highlight the plight of women in
conflict situations and to recognize the vital role that
they can play in peacemaking efforts for the effective
resolution of conflicts. As we commemorate the first
decade of that resolution, let us recommit ourselves to
the protection of women and girls in conflict situations
in all parts of the world.
 We welcome the Assembly resolution on system-
wide coherence and the establishment of UN Women as
an entity dedicated to dealing with gender-related
issues (resolution 64/289). We hope that that new
entity will strengthen the institutional capacity of the
United Nations for the support of gender equality and
the empowerment of women. My delegation wishes to
congratulate Ms. Michelle Bachelet on her appointment
as UN Women’s first head.
 In August, Namibia assumed the chairmanship of
the Southern African Development Community
(SADC). In that capacity, we will work to promote
cooperation with other regional economic communities
in Africa, as the building blocks for intracontinental
integration. SADC strives for political stability in the
region as a prerequisite for sustainable development. In
that connection, we have taken proactive steps to
resolve the political crisis in Madagascar, through the
facilitation efforts of former President Joachim
Chissano of Mozambique.
 The recent African Union (AU) summit, held in
Kampala in July, focused on maternal, infant and child
health and development in Africa. African leaders
reaffirmed their commitment to mobilize and direct
resources to check the deaths of women and children
from preventable diseases.
 Namibia has consistently urged the international
community to fulfil its obligation to help the people of
Western Sahara in their quest for self-determination.
We therefore call for immediate and unconditional
implementation of the United Nations Settlement Plan
for Western Sahara and for the holding of a free and
fair referendum, based on the terms of the relevant
resolutions of the Security Council and the General
Assembly.
 Namibia is deeply concerned about the ongoing
suffering and humiliation of the Palestinian people
under Israeli occupation and the denial of their
fundamental right to self-determination. It is
encouraging, however, that direct negotiations have
been resumed between the parties. We hope that a
durable solution will be found without further delay
and on the basis of the relevant United Nations
resolutions.
 Namibia is also concerned about the prolonged
and extraterritorial economic embargo imposed on the
people of Cuba. We fully support the decision of the
AU summit in Kampala calling for the embargo’s
removal. We believe that the economic blockade is
unjustifiable and unfair and should therefore be lifted.
 Similarly, Namibia calls for lifting the economic
sanctions imposed, directly or indirectly, on the
Republic of Zimbabwe by some Western countries.
Those sanctions have caused enormous suffering, not

15 10-54965

only to the people of Zimbabwe, but also to other
countries in the SADC region.
 For many years now, we have been calling for
comprehensive reform of the United Nations system,
particularly the Security Council. The process must be
finalized to render the Council more representative,
democratic and accountable. It is unjust that Africa
remains the only region of the world without
permanent representation on the Security Council. In
that connection, we reiterate our support for the
African common position on Security Council reform,
as articulated in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte
Declaration.
 The maintenance of international peace and
security is our collective responsibility. Namibia
believes that peace, security and stability are the
cornerstones of sustainable development, and thus we
will continue to participate in United Nations and AU
peacekeeping missions. We urge the international
community to support conflict prevention and
peacebuilding efforts around the world.
 Recently, States parties to the Nuclear Non-
Proliferation Treaty reaffirmed their commitment to
nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and the
peaceful use of nuclear energy. We welcome that
positive step, in the belief that multilateralism is the
most viable option for achieving a world free from the
danger of nuclear weapons.
 Namibia believes in the effectiveness of
collective action under the auspices of the United
Nations to resolve conflicts by peaceful means and to
address the challenges facing the world. My delegation
is optimistic that together we can successfully work for
the common good of all humanity. Let us join hands to
achieve our common objective of building a better
world for present and future generations.


It is a great pleasure for me
to address this distinctive forum, which continues to
bring together the most responsible people, committed
to achieving and protecting the common good, peace
and stability. This meeting also confirms the
irreplaceable role of the United Nations in the
international community and the respect in which it is
held.
 Following the valuable contribution made by the
previous President of the General Assembly, Mr. Ali
Abdussalam Treki, I would like to welcome the
election of Joseph Deiss as the President of the
Assembly at its sixty-fifth session, and to wish him
every success. I also pay special tribute to Secretary-
General Ban Ki-moon for his consistent reaffirmation
of the United Nations as an indispensable player in
solving crucial issues that have long been on the
international agenda, which has become more complex
and demanding than ever.
 As the youngest Member of the United Nations,
Montenegro has proved itself a reliable partner in the
United Nations mission to strive for a world of peace,
security and prosperity for everyone. At the same time,
thanks to United Nations support, Montenegro has
significantly enhanced its standing in international
organizations, while ensuring the quality of reforms in
its own State and society. The current improvement in
global finances, albeit slight, shows that, in addition to
the crucial role of the largest and richest countries,
especially the Group of Eight and the Group of 20, the
United Nations is essential to actions undertaken for
the stabilization of the global economy.
 Montenegro supports the pragmatic reform of the
United Nations. We also welcome the recent adoption
of General Assembly resolution 64/289 on system-wide

10-54965 28

coherence and the timely initiative of Assembly
President Joseph Deiss to make the theme of this year’s
general debate the reaffirmation of the central role of
the United Nations in global governance.
 The protection of international peace and stability
continues to be a focus of the General Assembly
agenda. Convinced that no progress or stability can be
ensured without peace and security, Montenegro
supports and contributes to the efforts of the United
Nations in this regard, affirming the basic principles of
the United Nations Charter relating to the peaceful
settlement of disputes through diplomatic channels.
 Mindful of our foreign policy priorities of
European and Euro-Atlantic integration, when
considering and taking any concrete action concerning
conflict zones in the framework of the United Nations,
Montenegro harmonizes its policy with European
Union foreign policy, taking due account of specific
national interests. We are best able to contribute by
continuing to play a constructive role as a stabilizing
factor in the international community, especially in the
Western Balkans and South-East Europe.
 We strongly support United Nations efforts in
implementation of the Global Counter-Terrorism
Strategy, and we welcome the idea of more intensive
activities in the preparation and drafting of a United
Nations convention on international terrorism.
Montenegro is of the opinion that only through the
coordinated efforts of the international community can
global terrorism be defeated. We support the various
United Nations documents on the fight against
corruption, organized crime, illicit traffic in narcotic
drugs and trafficking in human beings.
 Montenegro has fully committed itself to
implementing all international legal instruments
fostering disarmament and arms control. We support
any new constructive initiative aimed at strengthening
international cooperation for the reduction and
elimination of all types of arms and lethal weapons.
 Montenegro deeply appreciates the importance
and role of the United Nations peacekeeping mission as
a unique instrument for the creation and maintenance
of peace and peacebuilding in conflict zones. Decades-
long experience in peacekeeping operations confirms
the validity of this concept and the strategic policy of
the United Nations. Peacekeeping operations have been
successful in reducing the negative effects of conflicts
and preventing their further escalation and disruption
of regional and international peace, stability and
security.
 Although a small country — and the youngest
Member of the United Nations — Montenegro fully
assumes its responsibility to contribute to the
maintenance of peace and stability, as is demonstrated
by our continuously enhanced participation. We will
make further contributions in line with international
efforts and in keeping with our tradition, the
Principality of Montenegro having, as a sovereign
State, participated in the international peacekeeping
mission back in 1897.
 Montenegro believes in the crucial importance of
the Millennium Declaration (resolution 55/2) and of
achieving the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs). We are sure that this aim will be furthered by
the exchange of views and recommendations at the
recent High-level Plenary Meeting on the Millennium
Development Goals, and Montenegro supports the
implementation of all relevant strategies, programmes
and initiatives of the United Nations in this regard. The
crisis has also brought home to us the necessity of
further realizing the sustainable development concept,
which requires a balance between economic and social
development and environmental protection. To this
end, we remain committed to the resolutions of the
United Nations and the Commission on Sustainable
Development, which have also been fully reflected in
the Millennium Declaration of 2000.
 Montenegro supports the ongoing efforts and
attention of the United Nations to the current
challenges in Africa. To this end, the fulfilment of the
MDGs and the implementation of all United Nations
documents, including the Millennium summit
decisions, is of crucial importance.
 As a country engaged in the process of European
integration, Montenegro supports partnership
relationships between the European Union and Africa,
as well as efforts undertaken to solve development
challenges and eradicate poverty on the African
continent.
 In the context of climate change and its adverse
effects, we are fully committed to finding a common
response in accordance with the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change. We are
deeply committed to this end, in view of the effects of
the natural disasters that occurred in the past year
causing heavy loss of life and enormous material

29 10-54965

damage, in particular the earthquake in Haiti and the
floods in Pakistan. Therefore, a global response and
action is required, and not only at the humanitarian
level. Efforts aimed at reducing the effects of natural
disasters and at the rebuilding and further development
of affected regions and countries are also necessary.
 In order to act responsibly with respect to the
complex issue of climate change, we have established,
together with neighbouring countries and countries
from the region, a regional forum in Montenegro which
deals with the prevention of climate change and related
challenges at the national and regional levels.
 Montenegro is fully dedicated to the promotion
and universal protection of human rights and
fundamental freedoms for everyone. We strongly
support the activities of the Human Rights Council and
the Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights, including their more intensive functional
interaction with the General Assembly and relevant
Committees.
 We believe in the potential and capacities of the
United Nations, especially when strengthened by the
active participation and robust contributions of each
Member State, to find adequate responses and take
actions aimed at resolving the ever-increasing global
challenges. As an institution dedicated to individuals
and humankind collectively, which continues to affirm
peace and prosperity, the United Nations remains of
irreplaceable global value, and Montenegro is proud to
belong to it.
 I assure the Assembly that Montenegro will
continue to give its strong support to strengthening and
upholding the United Nations, so that the latter may
improve its efficiency, responsibility and readiness to
meet the needs of each Member State.


It is an honour to address the
General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. Allow me
to express my gratitude to Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki
for having ably presided over this body during the past
year and to congratulate Mr. Joseph Deiss on being
elected the new President of the General Assembly.
 Fifteen years ago, the Dayton Peace Agreement
ended the aggression in and brought peace to Bosnia
and Herzegovina. My country has come a long way
since then, and I feel obliged to thank the
Governments, organizations and individuals who
assisted us in travelling down this road.
 When we asked the General Assembly to support
us in becoming a member of the Security Council, it
honoured us with almost unanimous support, for which
we offer our thanks. That support demonstrated that the
Assembly holds Bosnia and Herzegovina in high
esteem, and we are proud of that. As a member of the
Security Council, we are doing our best to meet the
Assembly’s expectations and honour its trust.
 Thanks to the generous assistance of many
Governments represented here, Bosnia and
Herzegovina completed the main process of
reconstruction relatively quickly, particularly in the
light of the level of devastation. But the rebuilding of
our devastated society has proved to be much more
difficult. From 1992 to 1995, an age-old, genuinely
multicultural society in Bosnia and Herzegovina was
brutally and intentionally torn apart by force. Half of
the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina had to leave
their homes in order to save their lives. Some
1,300,000 of them remain outside Bosnia and
Herzegovina. Systematic obstructions were the cause
of failure of return programmes, and they are still an
obstacle to those who want to return. Those who made
it back to their homes are often confronted with
blockade walls or with outright violations of basic
rights. That makes the restoration of our pluralist
society the single most difficult task ahead of us.
 But hope remains that the upcoming
constitutional changes will lay a foundation for the
new generation to be able to bridge the divides. No
matter what, we will continue to revive the pluralist
character and tolerant spirit of our society because we
strongly believe that cultural pluralism is humankind’s
most precious treasure.
 A healthy economy can be a powerful tool for
achieving that goal. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a
country rich in water and other energy-generating
resources. We have undertaken studies and invited
international investors to participate in developing
these resources. Once completed, these projects will be
the driving engine of our economy, enabling us to
make progress in other areas, such as health care and
social services.
 We continue to develop our infrastructure and
agricultural resources, but not at a desirable pace.
Although generally improved, our education system
remains in some aspects hostage to divisive political
influences. On the other hand, our rising trade
activities have resulted in improving our relations with
the countries in the region, and great opportunities can
be unlocked through more intensive and more
confident regional cooperation.
 As is the case in other societies, our greatest
resource is our youth, educated in our country and
abroad, and ready to take over once our economy is
able to absorb their skills and talents. I am confident
that, in the coming years, employment opportunities
will grow in proportion to the development of the vast
untapped resources of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
 Defence reform is commonly seen as one of our
greatest post-Dayton successes because it resulted in
unified, modern armed forces. Here again, we have to
express our appreciation to our friends and allies
whose assistance made this achievement possible. In a
short amount of time, our armed forces have managed
to earn the trust and respect of the United Nations
through their participation in peacekeeping missions.
 Like everywhere else, the citizens of Bosnia and
Herzegovina desire peace, stability and prosperity, as
well as a better future for themselves and their
children. There is great potential for development, and
opportunities are there to be seized. Yes, there are
reasons for optimism, but there are reasons for concern
too.
 Our progress is hindered by the remnants of those
who still believe in the completion of the political
project that brought catastrophe not only to Bosnia and
Herzegovina, but to the whole region. In short, they
think that the world has forgotten the atrocities
committed against the civilian population, the
concentration camps, the rape camps and the genocide.
After hundreds of thousands of non-Serb civilians were
killed and expelled from one part of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, they are now publicly calling for the

10-55103 22

secession of that part. They hope and dream, as they
say, that the world will somehow recognize that entity
as an independent State. Instead of feeling shame,
these disciples of Miloševic, Karadžic and Ratko
Mladic are now ready to come and ask the international
community to reward the genocide in Srebrenica,
Prijedor, Zvornik, Sarajevo, Mostar and other sites of
horrific crimes for which Karadžic is now being tried
at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslavia in the Hague. What a monument to
inhumanity that would be!
 Of course, they will not succeed. They can no
longer count on the mighty armies of Slobodan
Miloševic because those armies were defeated through
our heroic struggle. They do count on, as they say,
favourable geopolitical circumstances. But they fail to
take one thing into account, as Miloševic did. Bosnia
will be defended.
 They will, however, continue obstructing
progress in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and they will
continue destabilizing the region. They found
inspiration in the inadequate response of the
international community, whose patience they have
been testing for the past 15 years. So, our collective
resolve to prevent the escalation and opening of fresh
wounds in Bosnia and Herzegovina is being tested
again. We must not fail this time.
 This dangerous adventurism aside, I believe and I
know that the train of progress cannot and will not be
stopped. There is no doubt in my mind that Bosnia and
Herzegovina and our entire region will maintain
stability and achieve prosperity in the coming years,
thus fulfilling the dreams and desires of every one of
our citizens.


It is
my pleasure at the outset to congratulate Mr. Joseph
Deiss sincerely on his election as President of the
General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. As he
represents the friendly Swiss Confederation, I shall
now say a few words on behalf of the people of Kuwait
in one of the official languages of his country.
Allow me, on behalf of the people of Kuwait and
myself, to congratulate Mr. Deiss on his election. We
are certain that, thanks to his wisdom and experience,
coupled with the prestigious standing of his friendly
country, the Swiss Confederation, with which we enjoy
a very solid relationship on the international stage, our
deliberations will be crowned with success. Also, I cannot but commend the sincere efforts of
his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Ali Abdussalam
Treki, and express our utmost thanks and appreciation
to him for the successful and distinguished way in
which he conducted the work of the previous session.
 I also wish to express our great pride in the
sincere efforts of His Excellency the Secretary-
General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, to achieve the international
purposes and principles we are all pursuing in order to
strengthen the concepts of international cooperation
and respect for international legitimacy, as well as to
foster the principles of the United Nations Charter.
 Soon we shall be celebrating the sixty-fifth
anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. It is
our hope that the success story of the United Nations
will continue for many years to come, not only because
it is considered the best multilateral international
mechanism there is, but also because it is the most
legitimate, neutral and credible institution. Over the
span of six decades it has demonstrated its ability to
prevent destructive wars and maintain international
peace and security.
 However, since the challenges and threats facing
the international community are increasing rather than
decreasing and are becoming more tangled and
complex, the role of the Organization has had to be
expanded and strengthened in importance and vitality
in order to deal with social crises and problems. Those
include poverty and hunger, the spread of diseases and
epidemics, the scourge of drug trafficking and
organized crime and violations of human rights.
Economic problems must be confronted, including the
increase in food prices and the global economic and
financial crisis, and security challenges — such as
terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
and ongoing armed conflicts in a number of regions of
the world — must be addressed.
 Together, over the past two years all those
different challenges have contributed to wiping out
much of the progress and gains that a great number of
developing countries had made towards achieving the
Millennium Development Goals.
 Natural disasters have also had a destructive
effect on the economies of many developing countries,
causing tremendous loss of life and of property. The
most striking examples were the earthquake that hit
Haiti last January and the floods that swept Pakistan
last month.
 There is no doubt that plenty of work remains to
be done to limit the dangers of the climate change
phenomenon. We hope the conference in Cancún,
Mexico in November will provide us with the
opportunity to reach a binding agreement that will
determine the required goals, the time frame for their
fulfilment, the responsibilities of Member States, and
the joint action mechanisms for guaranteeing the
financing and technology transfer commitments from
developed to developing countries to help them adapt
to climate change and cope with its impact.
 Without doubt, those challenges require
continued reform and improvement of the organs,
agencies and programmes of the United Nations, so as
to keep pace with the changes in international relations
and to improve their performance.
 In that regard, we welcome the adoption of
General Assembly resolution 64/289, entitled “System-
wide coherence”. It established a new composite
entity — UN Women — to foster international efforts
to accelerate gender equality and women’s

10-54959 30

empowerment and created a Deputy Secretary-General
position for this purpose.
 On another topic, we believe that after 17 years
of negotiations to reform the Security Council, it is
high time to take the necessary steps to improve and
develop the work of the Council and make it more
transparent. Its membership must be expanded in
accordance with standards and controls that would
achieve a fair balance in representation and efficiency
in the discharge of its duties and responsibilities. Such
measures should also guarantee the right of the Arab
and Muslim States to be represented in a manner that
reflects their size, their contributions and their role in
defending the purposes and principles of the Charter.
 In affirmation of its steadfast support for the
efforts and activities of the United Nations in various
fields, the State of Kuwait has continued to extend a
helping hand to the needy in different parts of the
world. Furthermore, in consolidating the principles of
Kuwait’s foreign policy, the Kuwait Fund for Arab
Economic Development has continued to provide — as
it has for the past five decades — assistance and
grants, which to date have benefited more than
100 countries all over the world with concessionary
loans totalling $14.5 billion. That is equivalent to
1.31 per cent of Kuwait’s gross national product —
twice the level of official development assistance
agreed upon internationally.
 Based on Kuwait’s firm belief in the vitally
important role of the United Nations in easing the
human suffering resulting from natural disasters or
conflicts, Kuwait has decided to increase almost five-
fold its voluntary contributions to a number of United
Nations agencies, funds and programmes. Kuwait will
do so out of its desire to support those humanitarian
activities and to deepen its joint cooperation with the
United Nations.
 As we celebrate the golden jubilee of our
independence, and in implementation of the desire of
His Highness the Emir of the State of Kuwait to
transform the country into a regional financial and
trade centre, a development plan has been approved for
the period 2010 to 2014. A budget of almost
$115 billion has been allocated to develop
infrastructure, build ports and railways and construct
new cities, as well as to continue to work to improve
the level of basic services provided to citizens and
residents alike.
 In that context, the State of Kuwait is proud to be
a leader, in the Arab world and internationally, in terms
of the quality of education, living standards and health
care services, as well as in the fields of gender
equality, economic achievement and political
freedoms, according to rankings issued by international
organizations, specialized agencies and non-
governmental organizations.
 Twenty years have now passed since the invasion
and occupation of the State of Kuwait by the former
Iraqi regime. It is a painful anniversary that we and our
brothers in Iraq are determined to overcome by laying
the foundations for stable relations based on the
principles of the mutual respect for sovereignty,
independence, good neighbourliness and non-
intervention in the internal affairs of other States. We
will seek to resolve all differences by peaceful means,
to respect all resolutions of international legitimacy
and to implement remaining commitments stipulated
by relevant Security Council resolutions.
 The State of Kuwait is optimistic regarding future
relations between the two countries and is totally ready
to provide all sorts of support to assist the Iraqi
Government in its efforts to enforce security and
stability and to preserve the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Iraq, as well as to rebuild the various State
sectors that have suffered as a result of the adventures
of the former regime and its hostile expansionist
policies.
 In that regard, we hope that the ongoing
negotiations between the different parties and political
forces in Iraq will lead to the formation of a
Government of national unity that represents the entire
spectrum of Iraqi society and all its political
components. Such a Government should be able to
address the country’s security, political and economic
challenges and fulfil the needs and aspirations of the
Iraqi people to build a free, democratic and unified Iraq
living in peace with itself and its neighbours and
contributing to the consolidation of the pillars of
security and stability in the region.
 The State of Kuwait, in its capacity as Chair of
the current session of the Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC), hopes that communication at all levels will
continue between the sisterly United Arab Emirates
and the friendly Islamic Republic of Iran to seek a
resolution to the conflict over the occupied Emarati
Islands, in line with the principles and norms of

31 10-54959

international law and on the basis of good-neighbourly
relations, as set out in the resolutions issued by GCC
summits and ministerial meetings.
 While the State of Kuwait affirms the right of
States to utilize nuclear energy for peaceful purposes,
we call on all States with such programmes to
cooperate with the International Atomic Energy
Agency and to take whatever steps are necessary to
build confidence so as to reassure the international
community about the nature of their nuclear
programmes, in line with resolutions of international
legitimacy. We also emphasize the need to resolve
those issues peacefully through diplomatic means and
direct negotiations between the parties concerned. That
will pave the way to the establishment of a zone free of
nuclear weapons in the Middle East, in implementation
of the resolution adopted at the Non-Proliferation
Treaty Review Conference held at the United Nations
Headquarters last May.
 The Arab-Israeli conflict is considered the gravest
threat to peace and security in the Middle East region.
The failure of the United Nations over the past six
decades to find a solution to that pivotal issue has
contributed to the complication of the Palestine
question and has prompted Israel, the occupying
Power, to persist in its disrespect of international
legitimacy. Israel has also persisted in its settlement
policy, imposed a siege on Gaza and destroyed the
landmarks of Jerusalem in order to Judaize it.
 Moreover, instead of welcoming the Arab Peace
Initiative as a strategic choice and the nucleus of the
peace process in the Middle East, Israel has continued
to confiscate territory and to torture and detain
unarmed Palestinian civilians. It has used the rockets
launched against it as a pretext to launch savage wars
and to use excessive force. All of that is in addition to
its arrogant attack on the Turkish freedom flotilla in
international waters.
 Israel is confident of its impunity and thus
commits crimes continuously and systematically,
without any adequate response from the international
community to its arrogance. We therefore reaffirm the
responsibility of the international community and of
the Security Council for the maintenance of peace and
security, as well as to deal seriously and sternly with
Israel and force it to comply with the international will.
 We hope that the direct negotiations that began at
the start of this month between the Palestinian
Authority and Israel will lead to the restoration of the
legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, the
achievement of a just and comprehensive peace in the
Middle East and the establishment of a Palestinian
State, with Jerusalem as its capital, in line with
relevant Security Council resolutions, the principle of
land for peace, the Road Map and the Arab Peace
Initiative.
 We also renew our full support to the Syrian Arab
Republic in regaining its occupied lands in the Golan
and the return to the line of 4 June 1967. We also stress
the need for implementing Security Council resolution
1701 (2006) and putting an end to repeated Israeli
violations of Lebanese airspace and of the Blue Line of
separation. We also emphasize the need for Israel to
withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territories.
 The peoples of the world want to live in a clean,
safe and stable environment. In recent decades, we
have been able to enact numerous international
agreements and conventions under the umbrella of the
United Nations to ensure dignified lives for our
peoples in a world where justice and equality prevail.
We must therefore shoulder our responsibilities and
adhere to our commitments in order to fulfil the hopes
and aspirations of all the peoples of the world.


His
Majesty Mohammed VI, the King of Morocco, has
honoured me by asking me to deliver his statement to
the General Assembly.
  “Allow me, at the outset, to congratulate
you, Mr. President, on being elected to preside
over the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth
session, and to commend your predecessor,
Mr. Ali Treki, on having given fresh dynamism to
the proceedings of the Assembly. I would also
like to express my deep appreciation to His
Excellency the Secretary-General, who spares no
effort to enhance the role of the United Nations.
  “This session, which is being held 10 years
after the Millennium Summit, is a great
opportunity for us to agree on a consensual vision
to steer our joint action for the years to come and
to reiterate our commitment to the three basic
axes underlying that vision, namely, security and
stability, development and prosperity, and
advancement of human rights and human dignity.
Those priorities form the bedrock of the new
international agenda. This important meeting
therefore provides us a good opportunity to
reassert our commitment to tackling those
priorities and to reiterate our determination to
promote international cooperation and lay solid
groundwork for a new world where safety and
solidarity prevail.
  “Morocco, which firmly believes in the
important position of the United Nations as the
symbol of universal values and international
legitimacy, has worked tirelessly to give the
Organization active and concrete support, to
promote its principles and to contribute to the
achievement of its objectives. Indeed, my country
has also actively sought to ensure that its national
priorities are in line with issues on the
international agenda.
  “Peacekeeping was the main objective
behind the creation of the United Nations, which
is playing a key role for all mankind. From this
rostrum, the Kingdom of Morocco calls on the
international community to increase its
involvement and work for the settlement of all
disputes — whether overt or covert — that strain

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relations between neighbouring States and
hamper the indispensable integration of their
economies, particularly in Africa.
  “To foster healthier relations in our
Maghreb region, we submitted an autonomy
initiative to the United Nations in 2007 with a
view to bringing an end to the artificial dispute
over the recovery by Morocco of its southern
provinces. That bold, innovative initiative has
received the support of the international
community and the Security Council, which have
repeatedly described the efforts underlying it as
serious and credible. They have also commended
Morocco’s active steps to facilitate the settlement
of this dispute, which seriously jeopardizes the
integration of the Arab Maghreb and the
prosperity of the peoples of its five countries.
  “In that context, the Kingdom of Morocco
calls on the other partners to seize this historic
opportunity and engage in substantive and serious
negotiations under the auspices of the Secretary-
General and his Personal Envoy, to whom we
reiterate our sincere willingness to cooperate.
  “The need to free our region from the yoke
of this dispute, which hampers our joint action,
has never been greater, not only for us, but also
for our strategic partners. We must therefore
settle this dispute, given the numerous pressing
challenges facing us, especially with respect to
security in the Sahara and Sahel regions and in
the Mediterranean basin.
  “Achieving peace in the Middle East is not
an impossible goal, nor is the persistence of the
conflict inevitable. The only solution to the
conflict remains that of two States, living side by
side in peace and security.
  “The international community is therefore
called upon to support the direct negotiation
process taking place under the commendable
auspices of the United States Administration.
This is a good opportunity to strive to achieve a
final settlement, in compliance with international
legitimacy and the relevant United Nations
resolutions and on the basis of a clear frame of
reference, a comprehensive agenda and a specific
timetable.
  “As an active player in the peace process,
Morocco is aware that such negotiations must
address the issue of establishing a fully sovereign
Palestinian State, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its
capital, as well as the related and complex issues,
and that for negotiations to succeed, unilateral
actions must be avoided and settlement building
must end, especially in Al-Quds Al-Sharif.
  “As Chair of the Al-Quds Committee, I
have consistently drawn the attention of the
United Nations and of the international
community to the sensitive nature of the issue of
Al-Quds Al-Sharif and to attempts to Judaize that
Holy City and obliterate its character. Al-Quds
must remain a symbol of coexistence and concord
between the monotheistic religions, a city of
peace and of coexistence between the Palestinian
and the Israeli peoples.
 “Two days ago, we took stock of the
progress that has thus far been made in achieving
the Millennium Development Goals. We agreed
that a combination of crises, including the
adverse effects of climate change, has clearly
delayed the attainment of most of these Goals in
many developing countries, particularly on our
African continent.
 “With a population of more than 900
million people and natural resources abundant
enough to ensure the continent’s self-sufficiency,
Africa is indeed capable of enjoying steady
growth and development. This potential
notwithstanding, Africa largely remains on the
sidelines when it comes to foreign direct
investment flows, a trend which has been
compounded further by the global economic and
financial crisis. The Kingdom of Morocco
therefore proposes that the General Assembly
hold a high-level dialogue on investment in
Africa.
 “Similarly, the magnitude of the challenges
posed by globalization requires from the
international community urgent, substantial
reforms of the existing international economic
governance institutions as well as further
mobilization to lay the foundations for a new,
equitable, balanced and efficient international
environmental order that will enable us to

33 10-55122

safeguard our planet for the sake of current and
future generations.
 “The Kingdom of Morocco has committed
itself irreversibly to protect and promote human
rights. To this end, it will implement a
comprehensive strategy based on a participatory
approach which places special emphasis on
human resources development and the promise of
a dignified life, these being the key elements in
our endeavour to build a democratic society
dedicated to development.
 “Accordingly, Morocco has launched a
programme of major workshops and reforms.
Substantial progress has been made towards
expanding the scope of individual and collective
freedoms, safeguarding human dignity and
promoting and protecting the rights of its citizens,
especially those of women, children and people
with special needs.
 “Internationally, Morocco has manifested a
deep commitment to protecting human rights
since the establishment of the Human Rights
Council and its operational mechanisms. This
commitment was recognized in March 2010,
when Morocco was chosen by the General
Assembly to be a co-facilitator of the review
process aimed at charting a renewed vision for
the Council by putting human capital at the heart
of human resources development and sustainable
development.
 “Morocco will spare no effort to achieve
this goal and to help develop a shared,
responsible vision of the true values of human
rights, a vision which excludes empty slogans and
the tendentious manipulation of lofty objectives.
 “The world still has a long way to go before
States and peoples learn to accept diversity and
make it a genuine source of spiritual, social and
cultural enrichment. More than a necessity,
dialogue among civilizations has become an
urgent priority.
 “Indeed, it is of the utmost importance that
the United Nations become the standard-bearer of
a culture of peace, tolerance and mutual
understanding and that it serve as a catalyst for a
new form of cooperation based on solidarity and
dedicated to achieving dignity, prosperity, well-
being and peace for all people everywhere.”


It has
now been more than 65 years since the nations of the
world, exhausted, and in some cases devastated, by
years of war, established the United Nations. Canada
was one of those nations — one of the many, in fact,
whose fresh experience of conflict had persuaded their
peoples that the possibility of a better world, one in
which nations resolved their differences peacefully,
was an objective worthy of their every effort.
 Today, the Canadian people continue to believe in
that purpose and will continue to strive to live by the
principles that would make it possible. Such principles are enshrined in the Charter of
this Organization; that same United Nations Charter
endorsed with happiness and hope by a former
Canadian Government on that auspicious June day in
San Francisco in 1945.
 Those foundational beliefs recognize the
sovereign equality of countries. They remind us of the
obligation to settle disputes peacefully, and they
demand we seek justice and uphold the human rights of
all people. Those are values that Canadians hold dear,
and, as the universal membership of this body implies,
so do peoples the world over. That widespread
consensus continues to convince the idealist in all of us
that so much more is possible in this world of ours.
 At the same time, it makes the gap between
aspiration and achievement so disappointing. It calls us
onward to do more, as successive Canadian
Governments have worked diligently to do for almost a
lifetime.
 Those ideals, as well as an acute awareness of the
broad concerns of the international community,
especially those of the developing countries, continue
to animate the Government of Canada, the Government
that I lead today.
 Those ideals have the enthusiastic support of the
Canadian people, and I do not foresee any day or
motivation that would lead us to cease in our
endeavours in this regard.
 The question, as always, is how this is to be done.
Our preference is to take meaningful action, action that
produces real results, action that helps people in their
struggle with oppression, disaster and poverty.
 Let me just run through some of those actions. As
a founding member of the United Nations and the
seventh-largest contributor to its finances, Canada has
been a consistently reliable and responsible participant
in United Nations initiatives around the world. This
was so in the earliest days of the United Nations. It was
so during the difficult days of the cold war,
decolonization and the struggle against apartheid, and
it remains so today. Canada continues to pay, for
instance, a heavy price to fulfil our United Nations
obligation to support the lawful Government of
Afghanistan. We pay it with the resources of Canadian
taxpayers, but more profoundly in sorrow for the
priceless lives of our young men and women who serve
there in the Canadian forces, as well as, sadly, civilians
who have also given their sweat and their lives in the
service of both our country and the people of
Afghanistan.
 In Afghanistan, our military efforts have gone
hand in hand with our reconstruction and development
programmes. In particular, Canada supports those such
as the Dahla Dam, which will have enduring economic
benefit.
We have also invested heavily in other programmes
which will improve the lives of that country’s most
vulnerable citizens, and we will continue to do so.
 Our international engagement is by no means
restricted to Afghanistan. In fact, elsewhere in the
world, we have also expanded our efforts. We pledge to

45 10-54827

double our aid to Africa,thereby making Canada a
leader in the Group of Eight (G-8).
And we are on track to double our overall development
assistance by March of next year. Furthermore, we
have untied food aid, and all Canadian aid will be
untied by 2013. Such measures significantly extend the
purchasing power of Canadian aid funds.
 Canada was also among the first last year at the
G-8 Summit at L’Aquila to double support for
agricultural development. During the economic crisis
as well, we acted, in concert with our Group of Twenty
(G-20) partners, to increase the lending capacity of
development organizations like the Inter-American
Development Bank and the African Development
Bank. In particular, we have made a significant
contribution to peace and security in Africa, including
to peace initiatives, humanitarian assistance and
reconstruction in the Sudan, since taking office in
January 2006.
We have also provided leadership in peacebuilding in
Sierra Leone.
 Canada welcomes the resumption of direct talks
between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. We
sincerely hope that the discussions will be successful,
and we will continue to assist the Palestinian Authority
in building its institutions.
 As members know, we have also engaged very
extensively in Haiti, both before and since the terrible
earthquake earlier this year. Canada was among the
first nations to provide tangible relief in various forms,
and it has made a long-term commitment to assist the
people of Haiti in rebuilding their severely damaged
country.
 Most recently, Pakistan has faced devastating
floods, and Canada has again responded swiftly. All
these actions are born from Canadian ideals.
 So allow me to say one thing. This Assembly
should know that Canada is eligible to serve on the
Security Council. And if we are elected, we will be
ready to serve.
And if called upon to serve on the Security Council, we
shall be informed by these ideals and strive to further
them, just as we have striven to implement Security
Council resolutions.
 I should also mention Canada’s role this year as
Chair of the G-8 and host of the most recent meeting of
the G-20. We have tried to ensure that these gatherings
serve the broader interests of the entire global
community. In preparation for the G-20, we conducted
wide-ranging outreach sessions, including with the
Secretaries-General of the Commonwealth, la
Francophonie and, of course, this Organization. We
used our chairmanship of the G-8 to reach out to
leaders from Africa and the Americas and to secure an
agreement to enact the Muskoka Initiative for
maternal, newborn and child health.
Such progress is literally vital in meeting the most
achievable of the United Nations Millennium
Development Goals — to reduce the appalling
mortality among mothers and children in developing
countries.
 We are mobilizing support from donor nations
and private foundations. Together, we should be able to
mobilize more than $10 billion over five years. This
will contribute in a major way to the Secretary-
General’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s
Health. Likewise, we announced here two day ago that
Canadian taxpayers would make an enhanced
replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria.
 We did these things for one simple reason: to
alleviate the suffering and, indeed, save the lives of
people all over the world who are among the millions
afflicted with these grave and debilitating diseases.
Actions such as these are a moral imperative. It is
essential that we strive to make a significant, actual
difference in the lives of the world’s most
disadvantaged people. Who, seeing his neighbour
distressed, will pass by on the other side of the road?
 That is why we have also used our chairmanship
of the G-8 to further the essential ethic of
accountability. We published the first accountability
report to ensure that, as donor countries, we fulfil the
pledges that we make. Our words must be translated
into action and we must make a real difference to those
who need our help. And to that end, as many of you
also know, Canadian taxpayers have forgiven debts

10-54827 46

totalling $1 billion owed by the world’s poorest
countries.
 However, let us not limit our horizons by looking
just at the least we can do. Much higher goals are
within our capacity if we will but reach for them. In the
short time that I have here today, there is one thought
above all others that I wish to share.
 It is the pressing need in the twenty-first century
for all the States of the world to adopt an enlightened
view of sovereignty. As I said earlier, respect for
sovereignty is a fundamental principle of the United
Nations. However, the global recession of the past two
years has taught us, we hope, a painful lesson. We have
been forcefully reminded that, in this shrinking world,
we all travel together in a single boat, not as solo
voyagers, and that how we travel together matters. This
is because our interests are all interconnected: from
climate change to health and pandemic threats and to,
of course, the economy.
 For example, nations that do not consider the
effects of their economic choices on others may hurt
not only their trading partners, but themselves as well.
Those who succumb to the lure of protectionism soon
find that trading partners denied a market also lack the
means to be a customer. To recognize that is to
understand the need for enlightened sovereignty, the
idea that what is good for others may well be the best
way to pursue one’s own interests. In business, it is
called win-win, and it is good for business. In
international affairs, it is good for development and for
justice, and it is in the spirit of the United Nations
Charter. It is therefore of the highest importance, in a
passionate world of competing interests and principles,
where every person left to himself does what is right in
his own sight. In such a world, the need for an
enlightened, expansive view of sovereignty is as great
now as it ever was.
 At the outset of these remarks, I referred to the
origins of the United Nations. It was founded at the end
of the greatest and most destructive war that had ever
disturbed the ocean of humanity. That war was
certainly attributable in part to an extreme and
pernicious nationalism. But we should never forget that
appeasement and expediency also allowed fascism to
gather such strength that it required the whole and
undivided effort of the world’s free peoples to subdue
it.
 The United Nations mission has grown over time,
but its core job remains the same: through peace and
development, to build a better world, to prevent war
and conflict, yet at the same time, to uphold what is
right and to protect the weak and the poor from those
who prey upon them.
 The Government of Canada has always been
deeply committed to these objectives and to the
Organization that nurtures them. It remains so today.
 As we attend to our own affairs, in, for example,
the protection of Canada’s Arctic or the promotion of
our trade or the pursuit of our values, Canada will be
guided by the same advice we prescribe for others. We
will listen to their concerns, we will speak the truth,
and we will act with vigour. We will do all these things
ever mindful that peace and opportunity for all remain,
always, our ultimate purpose.
 I know it has been a long meeting this morning,
and I thank members for their attention.


I bring the warm greetings of
“Yokwe” from the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
 Every September since the country became a
member of the United Nations in 1991, leaders of the
low-lying Republic of the Marshall Islands have been
reminding the international community of the need for
full global action on climate change.
 We have no mountains or high ground; we have
only our narrow archipelago resting a metre above the
ocean. There has been enough talk, and too much
repetition. It is now time for meaningful action,
creative cooperation and visible results to address
climate change. If we fail in the short-term, the
economic and moral costs for our low-lying islands —
and eventually the whole world — will be beyond
calculation.
 The global commitment at Copenhagen to
safeguard the most vulnerable faces a true litmus test:
will our local communities see visible results leading
towards a climate-resilient future? I urge that by the
time of the climate change talks in Cancún nations
build political trust through “fast start” finance, by
providing transparent information and actively turning
commitments into results.
 We cannot wait for the uncertain path to achieve
a full multilateral climate agreement, and we cannot
allow laggards to set us back. Those most vulnerable
and those willing to confront the challenges facing us
must take leadership in this process by putting forward
our own agreement spelling out real and ambitious
commitments and actions to address climate change.
And we urge others to follow.
 To work in true partnership we must first show
our own commitment. The Marshall Islands
Government has endorsed a new climate change road
map, spelling out specific actions to cut our own
emissions by 40 per cent by 2020, and concrete
strategies to ensure that the growth of our local
communities is safeguarded from climate impacts.
 The Marshall Islands has made important
progress towards achieving several Millennium
Development Goals, but much remains to be
accomplished. With our international partners, we must
also better address climate change risks in the context
of our core development.

10-55103 2

 Practical and “shovel ready” adaptation actions
taken now — water security, resource conservation and
infrastructure protection — will sharply reduce the
long-term risks to our security and sovereignty. But we
cannot ignore such threats. It should be a matter of
serious concern to the Secretary-General that we are
actively contemplating risks to our territorial integrity
and United Nations membership, that we are
considering options to safeguard our population’s
political rights if our land —and our thin water table —
becomes unusable in the face of rising seas.
 The Republic of the Marshall Islands is known to
the United Nations as a small island developing State,
but we are first and foremost a large ocean nation. Our
thin atolls may appear tiny on a map, but our exclusive
economic zone is over 2 million square kilometres. As
Chair of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement, I address
the United Nations on behalf of a unified political bloc
vested in ensuring the future of the Western and
Central Pacific, the world’s largest viable tuna fishery.
 The development pathways of the Parties to the
Nauru Agreement are narrow and limited, and at the
highest levels we have committed to putting a firm stop
to the unrestricted global harvest of our resources. The
status quo of overfishing is unacceptable; it has
strangled our development and threatened the viability
of our resources. We have closed off surrounding
pockets of international waters, and if our development
and ecosystem needs so demand, we will close off
more.
 We currently realize only a tiny fraction of a
multibillion-dollar industry — only one penny from
each can of Pacific tuna — and we are seeking global
support and economic partnership to grow our benefit.
Without political and economic cooperation in regional
fisheries decision-making, and unless fishing targets
are in line with science, the collective economic
development of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement
will remain at a standstill as our coastal resources
decline. We have already driven our partners to achieve
positive action. However, far greater efforts are
needed, from both United Nations agencies and
regional fisheries management organizations, to
identify time-bound strategies which assist us in
realizing a greater share of benefits from our own
resources.
 The United Nations must make faster progress
towards reflecting modern twenty-first-century
dynamics. The Security Council should be restructured
to accommodate those nations whose size, leadership
and responsibility — in particular, the Group of Four
of Japan, Germany, India and Brazil — indicate a
deserved role as permanent members. Further efforts
should also ensure that Africa and small nations,
including island States, have an improved voice.
 The Republic of the Marshall Islands welcomes
the progress achieved on both sides of the Taiwan
Straits. The pragmatic and moderate actions of Taiwan
should not be overlooked by the United Nations, and
deserve further encouragement. I call upon the United
Nations system and Member States to be open-minded
and identify appropriate means to accept Taiwan’s
participation within specialized agencies, including the
International Civil Aviation Organization, and in the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change. In particular, recognizing the commitment to
reduce emissions by the 23 million people of
Taiwan — a fellow island nation — in addressing
climate change is in the common interest of us all.
 The Republic of the Marshall Islands welcomes
the leadership of the United Arab Emirates as host of
the International Renewable Energy Agency. We look
forward to pursuing increased partnership with the
United Arab Emirates and to establishing a dialogue
with the Arab League on investment and development
assistance in the Pacific region.
 Finally, I must address one of this year’s most
important issues within the United Nations. Member
States and leaders must improve progress towards
achieving the goal of stopping the spread of nuclear
weapons and pursue the peace and security of a world
without them.
 The Marshall Islands has a unique reason for
seeking the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons.
During our time as a United Nations Trust Territory,
67 large-scale surface tests of nuclear weapons were
conducted on our homeland, explicitly authorized
under two United Nations resolutions, in 1954 and
1956. No people should ever bear such a burden. For
decades, we have told the United Nations about our
communities who are still displaced, about the
deliberate use of our people in scientific experiments
and of ongoing health impacts inherited through
generations. We continue to face the challenges of a

3 10-55103

United Nations-era nuclear waste storage site,
surrounded by rising waters, towards dealing with
which we lack resources or technical capacity.
 We acknowledge important and positive actions
already taken by partners, including our former
administrator, the United States, but we need, and
deserve, improved attention and assistance from the
United States, as well as from the United Nations
system and multilateral bodies.
 I also acknowledge the support of the Pacific
Islands Forum, including the leadership of the outgoing
chair, Australia, as well as of the Non-Aligned
Movement, in ensuring that this year’s Review
Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons acknowledged
the need to address sites contaminated by testing. I
fully expect that Member States of the United Nations
will be willing to further recognize that a special
responsibility exists towards former United Nations
Trust Territories adversely affected by nuclear testing.
As the United Nations maps a global future of
non-proliferation, the past legacy of nuclear activities
can no longer be ignored.
 The message is the same for nuclear weapons,
global security and freedom from terrorism, or climate
change: international law is not an empty promise.