At the
outset, it is my great pleasure to express to you,
Madam, the heartfelt congratulations of the delegation
of Mali on your outstanding election to the presidency
of the General Assembly at its sixty-first session. Your
election attests to your eminent personal qualities and
is a tribute to your country, Bahrain, with which Mali

06-53005 44

enjoys fruitful cooperation. I assure you and other
Bureau members, whom I also congratulate, of the
support of my delegation.
 I should also like to express our satisfaction to
your predecessor, Mr. Jan Eliasson, for his excellent
guidance of the work of the General Assembly at its
sixtieth session. History will recall his spirit of
initiative and his commitment, which were decisive to
the implementation of the outcomes of the September
2005 World Summit.
 I should also like to pay tribute to Secretary-
General Kofi Annan, who, throughout his two terms,
has carried out his mission with devotion and
commitment.
 Tomorrow, Mali will celebrate the 46th
anniversary of its independence, but Mali is an ancient
country, a country of traditions, a crossroads of
civilization, a land of culture, dialogue and tolerance.
Under the leadership of President Amadou Toumani
Touré, our country continues every day to consolidate
its model of democracy, which has been unanimously
hailed in Africa and throughout the world. A new
Mali — a democratic, united Mali — is on the march.
 A symbol of that dynamic was the signing in
Algiers on 4 July of the accord for the restoration of
peace, security and development in the Kidal region.
The Algiers agreement bolsters Mali’s firm resolve to
opt for the peaceful settlement of disputes, fruitful
dialogue and concerted action. The restoration of peace
in the northern part of our country has allowed the
various components of the Malian nation to work
together in building our nation in a spirit of solidarity
focused on the well-being and prosperity of all.
 Similarly, our political system is being
strengthened daily in a context of peaceful democracy,
to the great satisfaction of our people, who have made
the irreversible decision that any devolution of power
must occur within a democratic and constitutional
framework. To that end, in the first quarter of 2007 the
people of Mali will be called to the polls — for the
fourth time since the establishment of multiparty
democracy in 1992 — to elect a president and renew
the mandate of the deputies to the National Assembly.
 Mali welcomes the choice of theme for the sixty-
first session of the General Assembly on implementing
a global partnership for development. In that respect, it
goes without saying that the 2005 World Summit
represented a decisive moment in the international
community’s determination to ensure a better life for
all the peoples of the world. At that time, our heads of
State and Government reviewed the implementation of
the internationally agreed development objectives, in
particular the Millennium Development Goals, and
reaffirmed their relevance, thereby confirming their
importance at the heart of the development agenda.
 In that regard, Mali has made the fight against
poverty a priority of the Government’s actions. In May
2002, my country adopted a strategic framework for
the fight against poverty, which sets priority
development guidelines, particularly in the social
spheres, in order to better meet the basic needs of our
people by creating an environment conducive to
sustained growth, enhanced participatory democracy,
good governance and entrenched rule of law.
 With respect to results achieved, the Government
of Mali, with the assistance of its partners, is finalizing
a new so-called second-generation strategic framework
that will encompass, above and beyond the social
sectors, the productive sectors of agriculture, industry
and trade. In the same vein, we recently adopted a law
on agricultural guidelines that makes agriculture the
driving force of the national economy in order to
guarantee food self-sufficiency and to ensure the well-
being of our people.
 Mr. Chungong-Ayafor (Cameroon), Vice-President,
took the Chair.
 Security cannot be ensured in an environment in
which the movement of small arms and light weapons
continues to destroy human lives, destabilize States
and impede their economic and social development. In
accordance with the United Nations Programme of
Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit
Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its
Aspects, we are firmly committed to mitigating the
unspeakable suffering caused by those weapons and to
ensuring individual security for all.
 In that regard, in West Africa and in the context
of the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS), we have taken significant measures to
stem the scourge of the proliferation of light weapons.
Indeed, the thirtieth conference of ECOWAS heads of
State and Government, held at Abuja on 14 June,
decided to back up the ECOWAS moratorium on the
import, export and production of small arms and light
weapons with executive power by converting it into a

45 06-53005

binding convention. That new instrument should
contribute to building the capacities of Governments to
exert stricter control over the traffic in small arms and
to improve security arrangements within the
Community.
 Similarly, we cannot fail to welcome the
launching, in Bamako on 6 June, of the new ECOWAS
Small Arms Control Programme (ECOSAP). Over the
course of six years, ECOSAP — via the intermediary
of national commissions — will not only provide
member States with technical and financial support, but
will also contribute to building the capacities of a
special unit in the ECOWAS Executive Secretariat.
 On the other hand, we can only regret the fact
that the United Nations Conference to review the
implementation of the Programme of Action to
Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in
Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects
failed to draft an agreed text because of the lack of
progress in the priority areas of the bearing of arms by
civilians, the management of stockpiles, references to
human rights and the participation of civil society. As a
result, we have fallen far behind in the Programme, the
provisions of which we were supposed to improve. For
its part, Mali reiterates its readiness to continue to
work with other Member States to make progress on
that important issue.
 Rarely have international peace and security been
put to such a harsh test by the resurgence of hotbeds of
tension and conflict and acts of international terrorism.
International terrorism is, as we all know, one of the
most serious threats to international peace and security.
In that respect, the attacks perpetrated worldwide
vividly remind us that no country is safe from that
phenomenon.
 In order to create conditions conducive to
responding to terrorism, it is urgent that we build
national and regional capacities. To that end, we must
overcome our differences in drafting a consensus
definition and adopting a comprehensive strategy in
that area. No cause, howsoever just or right, justifies
the deliberate use of violence against innocent
civilians. In that vein, we must promote a dialogue
among civilizations, which remains fully relevant in an
international context marked by a lack of trust among
nations in terms of culture and religion.
 The maintenance of international peace and
security is a prerequisite of any development process.
Mali therefore continues to be fully committed to the
ideals of peace and stability, both within and beyond its
borders.
 On the African front, I welcome the progress
made towards reconstruction and national
reconciliation in many countries, including Guinea-
Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Burundi and the
Comoros. In Côte d’Ivoire, despite the clear lack of
progress in the implementation of the road map, the
peace process has reached a critical phase. Mali
reaffirms its readiness to assist the Ivorian political
actors in restoring lasting peace in that brotherly
neighbour country.
 In the Sudan, the implementation of the Darfur
Peace Agreement, signed on 5 May in Abuja, is a major
concern of the international community. We urge all
parties involved to fulfil their commitments and to
work to restore peace and preserve national unity.
 In the same vein, we can only welcome the
successful convening of the first general, free,
multiparty elections to complete the process of
democratic transition in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo.
 The recent outbreak of violence in the Middle
East recalls — as if there were any need to do so — the
necessity for the international community to take
appropriate measures to create conditions conducive to
a lasting, negotiated and peaceful settlement to that
crisis. While reaffirming our active solidarity with the
people of Lebanon and Palestine, we are closely
following developments in that region and will
continue to support relevant United Nations resolutions
on the Middle East and the Palestinian question.
 While it is now recognized that trade is a factor
for growth and development, we must also note that
developing countries continue to suffer the
repercussions of an unfair and discriminatory trade
system, particularly given the tariff and non-tariff
obstacles and subsidies for production and export that
distort competition. Given their negative effects, such
measures prevent the development of our agriculture,
deny our producers — Malian cotton growers among
them — a decent income, and keep them in the poverty
that we have committed ourselves to eradicating by
2015.
 In that regard, the hopes placed in the Doha
Development Round contrast starkly with the major

06-53005 46

uncertainties arising from the recent failure of the trade
talks on agricultural products. That is a source of
legitimate concern to us. Mali urges all parties to be
flexible and promptly to relaunch the Doha Round to
ensure that trade liberalization serves the development
of all nations without exception, particularly the
poorest, so that we may raise millions of people out of
poverty.
 The issue of external debt is of particular
importance to developing countries, especially the least
developed. Indeed, despite the welcome measures to
cancel the multilateral debt of certain countries,
including Mali, the debt burden continues to weigh
heavily on developing countries, undermine their
development efforts and prevent their economic
recovery. Those countries are locked in a cycle of
dependence on outside financing and, if nothing is
done, will fall behind in their efforts to achieve the
Millennium Development Goals.
 In such circumstances, we need to explore lasting
solutions for making the debt less burdensome,
including the cancellation of bilateral debt. Those
countries need investment and to strive for the well-
being of their peoples. There must also be accelerated
progress towards a substantial increase in official
development assistance if the ultimate goal of 0.7 per
cent of the gross national income of the developed
countries is to be reached.
 The AIDS pandemic has spread so alarmingly
that, beyond its health dimensions and given its vast
reach, it has today become a development problem
throughout the world. Indeed, in Africa it has become a
health emergency, despite our national and
international efforts. In the face of the pandemic, we
need to step up our efforts and strengthen our resolve
fully to implement the 2001 Declaration of
Commitment and the General Assembly’s Political
Declaration issued at the High-level Meeting on
HIV/AIDS in May and June this year. The XVI
International AIDS Conference, held at Toronto in
August 2006, it should be recalled, has highlighted the
seriousness of the situation and the urgent need to take
action.
 At the national level, Mali has established a
multisectoral programme for combating HIV/AIDS,
whose implementation has made it possible to provide
free access to antiretroviral treatment for patients and
to carry out an awareness and education prevention
campaign to stem the disease and its disastrous social
effects. In the same vein, the Government has created a
National High Council against AIDS under the direct
authority of the President. I would like to take this
opportunity to stress that the international community
must continue to give the same priority to other
diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis and polio,
whose consequences are just as devastating for our
people as AIDS.
 As for the situation of the disabled, Mali is
pleased to have been a member of the working group
that prepared the text that was the basis for a draft
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
We welcome the negotiations under way within the Ad
Hoc Committee, and we remain convinced that such a
tool will create the framework for equality and the full
participation of the disabled in efforts to build their
respective societies.
 As for the institutional reform of the United
Nations, Mali welcomes the creation of the
Peacebuilding Commission, one of the major results of
the Summit of September 2005. For many years the
management of post-conflict situations has been the
weak link of our Organization. As is known, the
impulse that gives rise to peacekeeping, for both donor
countries and troop contributors, subsides once there is
a semblance of stability. As a result, such situations
quite often result in a resurgence of conflicts less than
five years after they have ended, as we have seen from
experience in this area.
 How can we not welcome the creation and
implementation of the Human Rights Council, of
which Mali is a member, the Central Emergency
Response Fund and the adoption of a series of
resolutions on the follow-up to development? All those
measures work together for the attainment of the
wishes of the world’s leaders to address better the
problems and the challenges of our time in order to
bring changes in the priority areas of development,
peace, collective security, human rights and reform of
the Organization.
 The progress achieved must not cause us to forget
that much remains to be done, especially the necessary
reform of the Security Council. While that need is
unanimously accepted, it is no less true that not one of
the formulas proposed has so far won consensus.
 Mali, drawing on the Ezulwini Consensus and the
Syrte Declaration adopted by the heads of State and

47 06-53005

Government of the African Union, strongly supports
Africa’s claim to two permanent seats and five
non-permanent seats. A Council thus reformed would
better reflect the geopolitical realities of today’s world
and would redress the historical injustice done to
Africa, the only region without a permanent seat on the
Security Council.
 I would like to end by recalling that millions of
persons in the world have placed their hopes for peace,
security, development and solidarity in the United
Nations. We have no right to disappoint them. As the
community of nations, we have the obligation and the
means to achieve all that through collective awareness
and protection of our common values. This is what it
will take for us to be in a position to guarantee future
generations sustainable development that will protect
them from the scourge of war.


Let me begin by
congratulating you, Madam President, on your
appointment and assuring you of Ireland’s full support
for the coming year.
 This session of the General Assembly is the last
under the stewardship of Secretary-General Annan. I
salute his achievements and pay tribute to his
leadership. He has carried out his heavy
responsibilities with wisdom and dignity. He can step
down from office fully satisfied with the service he has
given to the peoples of the United Nations. I was proud
last year to act as one of his envoys in the vital reform
agenda that he pioneered.
 Since the 2005 World Summit significant
progress has been made. The Peacebuilding
Commission and the Human Rights Council have been
established. But there is more to be done. Management
reform is essential to revitalizing the Organization and
ensuring that the Secretariat can focus on the priorities
we all share. It is in the interest of us all — developed
and developing countries alike — for it to succeed.
 The continuing stalemate over the reform of the
Security Council leaves it insufficiently representative
of the world as it now is. That serves those who for
their own reasons would challenge its legitimacy. This
situation cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely, so
I welcome recent efforts to restart negotiations on
possible options likely to win widespread support.
 The true test of the United Nations is, however,
not the efficiency of its structures, but the effectiveness
of its actions. As the Secretary-General said last week,
three key challenges face the world: first, achieving
sustainable development and the elimination of poverty
and disease; secondly, the promotion of universal
human rights and the rule of law; and, thirdly, ensuring
security, the prevention of conflict and the ending of
war.
 In setting our own national aid target of meeting
the goal of 0.7 per cent of gross national income by
2012, three years ahead of the European Union
schedule, Ireland has put the Millennium Development
Goals at the heart of its aid programme, with a special
focus on Africa, poverty reduction, tackling hunger,
and HIV/AIDS. Last week we published a White Paper
which sets out clearly and in detail how we aim to
achieve our development objectives. Sustainable
development must include addressing the immense
global threat of climate change. Development is also
the key to addressing the enormous challenges posed
by migration.
 Ireland is deeply committed to Africa. Despite its
huge problems, there are encouraging signs. We are
inspired by the efforts to shape new institutions and
more cohesive societies in the aftermath of conflicts
and cruelties in Sierra Leone, Burundi, Rwanda,
Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Ireland is honoured to assist these and other countries
through their difficult transitions, including through aid
and the presence of our troops in the United Nations

7 06-53609

Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). We particularly support
the efforts of the African Union to bring peace and
prosperity to Africa, helping to place Africans firmly in
control of their own destiny.
 However, not all of our collective efforts have
met with success. The suffering of the people of Darfur
shames the world. There has been human tragedy there
on a massive scale, with the intimidation, rape and
murder of hundreds of thousands of innocents and the
displacement of vast numbers from their homes. Just
two months ago I visited a displacement camp myself,
in Aboushouk in Darfur. I have seen how precarious
the lives of the people are there and also their
determination to return home to a better future for
themselves and their children.
 The people of Darfur have three essential needs.
First, humanitarian aid must be delivered safely and
without restrictions. Secondly, there must be an
international peacekeeping force with a robust
mandate. As set out by the Security Council, it should
be a well-equipped and substantial United Nations
force. I again appeal strongly to the Sudanese
Government to agree to the deployment of such a
force, and to all those with influence on it to persuade
it so to do. I cannot emphasize enough the urgency of
this. Pending the arrival of a United Nations force, the
African Union force — whose continuation I
welcome — should have the resources necessary to
play a more effective role. Thirdly, long-term security
can only be guaranteed by the full implementation of
the Darfur Peace Agreement.
 Last year the World Summit defined the
international community’s responsibility to protect
populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic
cleansing and crimes against humanity should national
authorities fail to do so. It would be a disgrace if this
major advance became an exercise in empty rhetoric.
The Government of Sudan has fundamental
responsibility for the safety of its own people. The
international community must find ways to persuade it
to live up to that responsibility, if need be including
further measures against it. We cannot indefinitely
stand by and watch with horror from the sidelines.
 There can be no lasting development or security
without full respect for human rights. The human rights
of the most vulnerable are especially important. I
strongly welcome the recent conclusion of negotiations
on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities. The Human Rights Council must, in
developing its new ways of working, build on the
achievements of its predecessor. It must demonstrate
that it can provide strong leadership, particularly in
dealing effectively with grave human rights abuses.
The human rights situation in Burma/Myanmar remains
particularly grave. I again call on the regime to move
towards democracy and to release all political
prisoners, in particular Aung San Suu Kyi.
 The centrality of the United Nations to
international peace and security is once again
underlined by the issues dominating the debate in the
Assembly. The question is not whether the United
Nations is relevant, but, rather, whether it can respond
effectively to all the situations which clamour for its
attention. The Peacebuilding Commission adds an
important new dimension. It must be properly
resourced, and Ireland is pleased to be contributing
€10 million to that fund.
 The single greatest challenge to international
peace and security is the situation in the Middle East.
The dreadful events of recent months have again
brought before the eyes of the world the continuing
suffering being borne by the peoples of the region.
Frustration at the long agony of the Palestinian people
creates and sharpens wider divisions across the world.
A comprehensive settlement of the interrelated
problems of the region is more urgently required than
at any time in the past 60 years.
 In Lebanon there are signs of hope, but there is
no room for complacency. Security Council resolution
1701 (2006) offers a path to a stable peace, and good
progress is being made in its implementation. European
countries in particular have responded well to the call
for contributions to the United Nations Interim Force
in Lebanon (UNIFIL) II. Ireland will very shortly be in
a position to offer its own contribution to that force.
 But the conflict between the Israelis and the
Palestinians will continue to generate surges of conflict
across the region until it is resolved. Any illusion that
there can be a unilateral or a military solution has
surely been shattered. This is a conflict about the
sharing of space. The only solution lies in a negotiated
outcome. It is time for a major international effort to
launch serious negotiations for a settlement — the
establishment of two sovereign democratic States
living together in peace and security.

06-53609 8

 But to achieve peace there must be partners for
peace. Ireland strongly supports the continuing efforts
of President Abbas to create a national unity
government committed to the peace process and
reflecting the Quartet principles. If he succeeds the
international community must be generous and creative
in response. Israel’s absolute right to exist in peace and
security should be unchallenged. But, not least in its
own interests, Israel must engage seriously and openly
with the Palestinians. It must cease all activities, in
particular the expansion of settlements, which are
against international law and which make a lasting
peace harder to attain.
 Ireland shares the Secretary-General’s continuing
outrage at the failure of last year’s Summit to make
any reference to nuclear disarmament. It is simply folly
to let this issue languish. In the next review of the
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
we must do better. Ireland will work with like-minded
partners to keep this issue on the agenda. Dr. Hans Blix
has already offered us a range of fresh and practical
ideas from which we can draw. The world is right to
insist on nuclear non-proliferation, but progress on
disarmament would make that insistence still more
compelling. Ireland, with its European partners, wants
to see a diplomatic solution to the issue of Iran’s
nuclear programme, and we call on Iran to respond
positively and rapidly to the wide-ranging proposals
that have been put to it. We equally support efforts to
renew the six-party talks on North Korea.
 The world must also act to reduce the supply of
small arms and light weapons, which facilitate the
escalation of local tensions into all-out conflicts.
Ireland strongly supports the negotiation of an arms
trade treaty. The disturbing reports from Lebanon also
highlight the need for further restrictions on the use of
cluster bombs.
 On behalf of my Government, I pay particular
tribute to Prime Minister Blair for his commitment and
dedication to the peace process in Northern Ireland. He
and my Prime Minister, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, have
devoted almost 10 years to driving it forward. Credit is
also due to the parties in Northern Ireland, who,
despite deep and abiding divisions reaching far back
into our history, are committed to addressing those
divisions purely within the political arena.
 In Northern Ireland the word has finally replaced
the weapon as the way to resolve disputes. The
Northern Ireland peace process is now at an important
juncture. We have worked hard to implement the 1998
Good Friday Agreement, but its capstone, a sustained
power-sharing government, has for far too long proved
elusive. The British and Irish Governments are
demanding that the political parties there agree by
24 November this year to form such a government.
That deadline is real, reflecting our shared belief that
drift and uncertainty on the political front are not in the
interests of peace and reconciliation, and cannot be
sustained.
 If the parties fail to agree, both Governments will
deepen their cooperation to deliver improvements in
peoples’ daily lives. But that is not our preferred
option. We want local politicians in Northern Ireland
taking responsibility for the issues that concern their
people. The conditions for a power-sharing government
have never been more favourable. It is what the people
want. Inevitably it will happen some time. But if it
does not happen in November the opportunity may not
come again for a considerable time.
 The great Irish writer George Bernard Shaw once
said that making war was hard, but that making peace
was infinitely more arduous. Peacebuilding and
conflict resolution are ultimately about psychology —
addressing fears, perceptions and beliefs about the past
and about the future. A conflict does not begin when
the trigger is pulled; it begins in the heart and mind of
the person who pulls that trigger. We have learned this
at first hand in Ireland. We know the pain and
difficulty of dealing with the legacy of division. But
over the years we have learned some things about
building peace, encouraging reconciliation, improving
human rights and the rule of law and addressing social
and economic alienation.
 Our own national experience reinforces what we
have learned at the United Nations and from our
development programme. That is why we have just
established in Ireland an Irish Conflict Analysis and
Resolution Support Unit. It will seek to harness our
experience and help to share it. It will work closely
with the Peacebuilding Commission. We do not
overestimate what we can do, nor do we underestimate
the difficulty of peacebuilding, but I genuinely believe
that our track record means that we can bring
something distinctive to the table. I would encourage
all countries represented here to find ways of sharing
their own experience and exchanging and enhancing

9 06-53609

our collective knowledge of how to prevent and resolve
conflict.
 Since the establishment of the United Nations the
world has been spared a repeat of the catastrophic
global conflicts that made the first half of the twentieth
century the bloodiest era in human history. But the
challenges ahead of us remain grave and pressing.
When we met here last year we agreed an ambitious
agenda for the twenty-first century. We have made
progress since then, but there is still so much to do. We
must now focus on making our ambitions real.


I would like to
express my sincere congratulations, and those of my
delegation, to you, Madam President, on your election
as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-first
session.
 My delegation wishes to commend Secretary-
General Kofi Annan for the leadership and courage he
has displayed during his tenure at the helm of the
Secretariat. Secretary-General Annan assumed office at
a time when the United Nations was facing severe
criticism and its very relevance was being questioned.
His dedication and professionalism have contributed
significantly towards enhancing the efficiency and
credibility of our Organization and its Secretariat. His
initiatives to promote the development agenda of the
United Nations have been of crucial importance, in
particular to Africa. As the Secretary-General prepares
to relinquish his office in the next few weeks, we thank
him warmly and wish him well in all his future
endeavours.
 Since our last annual meeting, several ongoing
conflicts have remained unresolved and new ones have
emerged. The situation in the Middle East continues to
be a major preoccupation for the international
community. While violence is still raging in Iraq and
peace still eludes the Palestinian people, the recent
conflict involving Israel and Hizbullah has not only
cost so many innocent lives but has also resulted in the
wanton destruction of vital infrastructure within
Lebanon. Now that the guns have finally fallen silent,
we urge all concerned in this unnecessary month-long
conflict to abide fully by the provisions of Security
Council resolution 1701 (2006) and to settle their
outstanding issues through United Nations mediation.
 There seems to be a unanimous view in the world
today that the Middle East remains the epicentre of
global insecurity and instability. Global peace and
prosperity will remain an elusive dream unless and
until the international community stretches all its
diplomatic sinews to create conditions for lasting peace
in the region. Mauritius strongly believes that a fair
and final peace settlement in the Israel-Palestine
conflict rests in the early implementation of the
existing road map that has been endorsed by the
international community.
 We reiterate our support for an independent and
sovereign Palestinian State existing side by side with
the State of Israel.
 The situation in Darfur remains a matter of
serious concern not only to us in Africa but to the
international community as a whole. We are confident
that Security Council resolution 1706 (2006) has the
capacity to lend strong support to the efforts already
deployed by the African Union to put an end to that
crisis.
 Terrorism continues to be a major disruption for
peace and development. The recent adoption of
resolution 60/288 — the United Nations Global
Counter-Terrorism Strategy — sends a clear message
that terrorism is unacceptable no matter who commits
it, no matter where it takes place and no matter what
the reason. Mauritius unreservedly condemns terrorism
in all its forms and manifestations. But let us not
delude ourselves into thinking that we can address the
scourge of terrorism without addressing its root causes.
 Fifteen years ago, the Assembly initiated
discussions on the reform of the Security Council.
Numerous proposals have been made since then. Each
proposal, whatever its merits, has met determined
resistance from some members defending their own
narrowly defined interests. It is unacceptable that the
African and Latin America and the Caribbean regions
are not represented in the permanent membership of
the Security Council. It is also morally and politically
unacceptable that the world’s most populous
democracy is still denied a seat as a permanent member
of the Council. It is imperative that a reformed Security

13 06-53317

Council should include India among its permanent
members.
 The establishment of the Human Rights Council
constitutes a significant step in the implementation of
our common reform agenda. That new organ of the
General Assembly should perform efficiently so as to
establish itself as a credible universal institution for the
promotion and protection of human rights. My
delegation would like to thank the General Assembly
for electing Mauritius as one of the 47 members of the
Council at the elections held earlier this year. We will
do our utmost for the universal promotion and
protection of human rights in accordance with the
mandate conferred upon the Council by the Assembly.
 The multilateral approach to disarmament has
been on the back burner for some time. It is
unfortunate that little progress has been achieved in
respect of strengthening the foundations of the Treaty
on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Mauritius supports the aim of the total elimination of
all nuclear weapons on the basis of a comprehensive
and non-discriminatory disarmament regime.
 My delegation wishes to draw the attention of the
Assembly to the fact that, 38 years after its
independence, Mauritius has still not been able to
exercise its sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago,
including Diego Garcia. The Archipelago was excised
from the territory of Mauritius by the former colonial
Power to be subsequently used for military purposes
behind our back, in total disregard of Assembly
resolutions 1514 (XV) and 2066 (XX). That exercise
also involved the shameful displacement of the
inhabitants of the Chagos from their homeland, thereby
denying them their fundamental human rights.
International law must prevail, as must respect for the
sovereignty of all countries. We therefore call once
again on the United Kingdom to pursue constructive
dialogue in earnest with my Government, with a view
to enabling Mauritius to exercise its sovereignty over
the Chagos Archipelago.
 We view positively the visit jointly organized by
the Governments of Mauritius and of the United
Kingdom in April this year to enable the former
inhabitants of the Chagos to visit the Archipelago for
the first time since their displacement to pay respects at
their relatives’ graves on the Archipelago.
 We hope to continue meaningful dialogue with
France on the question of sovereignty over Tromelin,
given our excellent bilateral relations. We view the
agreement reached in Paris at the expert level in
January 2006 to set up a French-Mauritian joint
commission for the co-management of the Tromelin
zone as a positive first step.
 My delegation is pleased that you, Madam
President, have chosen development as the focus of
your presidency. We welcome your proposal to
dedicate this session of the General Assembly to the
issue of implementing a global partnership for
development. The biggest dilemma is how to secure the
necessary financial flows towards developing
countries. We call on the international community to
honour commitments made to developing countries
concerning official development assistance. Equally,
we hope for conditions that will allow better access to
the markets of the more affluent countries to generate
resources for development.
 Our meeting today coincides with the end of the
First United Nations Decade for the Eradication of
Poverty. The progress towards achieving the
Millennium Development Goals, including halving the
proportion of people suffering extreme poverty by
2015, has been below expectations, as reflected in
human development indices. Poverty continues to
prevail from generation to generation in many parts of
the world, in particular in the sub-Saharan region. The
political, social and economic marginalization or
exclusion of poor people very often undermines the
stability and development potential of many countries.
 Does that imply that conventional solutions have
failed because they do not really address the root
causes of persistent poverty? Or is it because instead of
taking a bottom-up approach we have adopted a top-
down approach, relying too much on the trickle-down
effect? The fight against poverty is becoming more and
more complex. Only a holistic and comprehensive
approach will allow us to push back the frontier of the
misery, conflict and hardship that afflict such a
sizeable proportion of humankind.
 In our own subregion, we have initiated measures
to address the issue of poverty in earnest. At the recent
Southern African Development Community (SADC)
summit, held in Lesotho in August, we debated the
issue of poverty alleviation. An extraordinary SADC
summit on regional integration, scheduled for next
month, will discuss a road map on poverty and
development.

06-53317 14

 There is an almost symbiotic relationship
between poverty and ill health, with disease often
further impoverishing the poor and impacting
negatively on the stock of scarce human capital in poor
countries. Apart from malaria, HIV/AIDS and
tuberculosis — and now avian flu — which are getting
a lot of attention, other vector-borne diseases have
manifested themselves, and are growing in an
exponential manner.
 The alarming rate with which the HIV/AIDS
pandemic is ravaging our populations has far-reaching
implications for our socio-economic development. It
impedes our global efforts to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals. We appreciate the political
commitment of the international community to combat
this scourge so as to bring solace to those already
afflicted and to prevent the further spread of the
disease. Mauritius promptly and spontaneously joined
the innovative financing mechanism initiated by France
and Brazil to introduce a solidarity levy on air tickets
to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The
launching this week of UNITAID — the International
Drug Purchase Facility — has aroused new hopes.
 Climate change is yet another serious threat. For
too long, some of us have conveniently decided to
ignore it. In fact, well-known institutions and eminent
scientists have reached the conclusion that climate
change may be one of the biggest threats to
humankind. Of particular concern is the impact of
global warming on certain vectors of disease, leading
to their proliferation. It is estimated that in Africa, for
example, we may witness many more millions of cases
of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases as a
result of climate change.
 Mauritius is fully committed to the successful
conclusion of the Doha Development Round. We look
forward to a multilateral trading system that will be
fair and equitable and that provides for the specific
situations and needs of small and vulnerable
economies. The recommendations of the World Trade
Organization Aid for Trade Task Force, submitted in
July 2006, should be implemented urgently to enable
countries, particularly those with small and vulnerable
economies, to access resources to undertake adjustment
and restructuring programmes and to enhance their
trade infrastructure and supply capacities.
 Globalization does not seem to be living up to its
promises. We should not allow it to be a process that
unleashes the potential of the few while suppressing
the aspirations of the many. It will have to be tamed
into a development process that will provide an
opportunity to every single citizen of the world to
achieve his or her full potential.
 Mauritius, like so many small island economies
with meagre resource bases, has had to adjust to the
realities and challenges of increasing liberalization and
global economic competition — especially the erosion
of trade preferences, which have so far helped in
addressing our inherent disadvantages. My
Government has embarked upon a programme of bold
and wide-ranging economic reforms to adapt to the
new realities of the international economy.
 At the end of the day, what is the ultimate role
that each of us here has as heads of State and heads of
Government? We have been entrusted with the destiny
of our people and of our countries. We are but
temporary custodians of the welfare of our people and
that of humankind. If we really want to build better
societies and a better world for future generations, we
must indeed make a significant dent on the issue of
poverty. We must channel significant resources and
energy towards reaching the Millennium Development
Goals. And we must ensure that we create stable and
sustainable societies.
 To achieve that, we can no longer afford to
simply keep talking about noble intentions. We must
walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Each one of us
here has the responsibility to implement national
policies that provide opportunities for those who have
always been deprived of their human dignity as a result
of living perpetually on the margins of the socio-
economic mainstream.
 My Government is guided by the notion of
citizenship with dignity as a moral compass for action.
We believe that socio-economic justice is a
fundamental pillar of human dignity. We are therefore
determined to provide concrete opportunities to the
economically disenfranchised, in order to lift them out
of the vortex of unjust economic inequalities. I have
always upheld the ideals of social justice. I have
therefore ensured that my Government dedicates no
less than 12 per cent of our last national budget to an
ambitious empowerment programme. That programme
is funded by State and non-State actors, thereby
heralding a new partnership for development in my
country. It will provide tangible avenues for the poor

15 06-53317

and unskilled to equip themselves with the tools
necessary for them to join the economic mainstream. It
also seeks to create a new and flourishing class of
entrepreneurs. That is one of the effective and concrete
ways by which we can truly ensure that we widen the
circle of opportunities.
(spoke in French)
 Resolving the problems to which I have referred
to a large extent requires openness, responsiveness,
dialogue and solidarity. We in Mauritius have the good
fortune of being situated in a major crossroads as far as
philosophies and religions are concerned. The history
of the settlement of our islands has made that the case.
We are the children of several traditions. Our identity
has been shaped by various influences, from the East,
West, North and South. Numerous ethnic groups,
cultures, religions and languages have been evolving in
our territory, and we are endeavouring to ensure that
they enrich each other. We seek the commingling of
cultures, which provides us Mauritians with a complex
and dynamic identity. We believe that that is the best
way to build a nation and to assert ourselves. As one
can imagine, that situation requires ongoing vigilance
on the part of political, religious and media leaders as
well as rigorous and transparent application of the
principles of justice.
 We would like to believe that the experience of
Mauritius can be applied at the international level. We
also hope that dialogue between peoples and
communities and communication between heads of
State and Government will bring about the end of the
disagreements that are today undermining our world,
which is the only one we have.


Considerable
progress has been made in implementing the specific
set of actions to ensure peace, development and human
rights that was agreed upon by more than 150 heads of

06-53005 20

State or Government at last year’s World Summit. The
Peacebuilding Commission, the Human Rights
Council, the Central Emergency Response Fund, the
United Nations Democracy Fund, the United Nations
Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and other
achievements speak for themselves.
 However, we cannot afford to be complacent
about what we have achieved so far. Redoubled efforts
ought to be made to ensure that people in every corner
of the world feel the benefits of development in their
everyday lives. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his
annual report on the work of the Organization,
observes that
 “The words of 2005 have yet to have a direct
impact on the lives of the poor people they are
meant to help. Nor have they produced the
implementation breakthroughs required to
achieve the Millennium Development Goals”.
(A/61/1, para. 27)
That conclusion is sad, but true.
 My delegation therefore welcomes the most
timely initiative of the presidency to focus our
attention at this session of the General Assembly on the
implementation of the global partnership for
development. The global partnership for development
was framed as Millennium Development Goal (MDG)
8 and thus cannot be divorced from other development
goals and objectives.
 In our view, the global partnership for
development means a global compact between
developed and developing States. It is the
responsibility of developing countries to formulate and
implement sound policies to ensure their sustainable
economic and social development and, to that end, to
mobilize domestic resources. For the developed
countries, it entails an obligation to support such
efforts through the provision of development financing,
including official development assistance (ODA), in a
timely and sufficient manner and to ensure increased
market access for developing countries. Mongolia, for
one, takes its responsibilities seriously and is
committed to its development objectives.
 Allow me to describe the policies and specific
actions taken by my country to implement the MDGs,
as well as my views on the need to build partnerships
to achieve them. First, Mongolia attaches particular
importance to its implementation of the MDGs. Our
first progress report was discussed at both the Cabinet
and parliamentary levels, resulting in parliament’s
adoption in April last year of a resolution
institutionalizing Mongolia’s MDGs. Thus, the Goals
have been mainstreamed into the guidelines for the
country’s economic and social development, and the
funds necessary to meet the individual goals are
reflected in the annual State budget.
 Secondly, to honour its commitment made in the
2005 World Summit Outcome Document (resolution
60/1), Mongolia is developing an MDG-based
comprehensive development strategy and plans to
submit the first draft to parliament during its autumn
session. The active participation of political parties,
civil society and the private sector in that undertaking
will ensure the sustainable implementation of the
national development strategy over the years.
 Thirdly, the adoption of an additional, ninth,
Millennium Development Goal (MDG) — on the
promotion of human rights, fostering democratic
governance and combating corruption — was an
innovative step that reflected the indissoluble link
between development, good governance, human rights
and democracy in our national policy. Within the
framework of working towards meeting that goal, the
parliament recently passed a new law against
corruption, thereby creating a legal environment to
remove the shackles that that phenomenon imposes on
development. In accordance with the new law, a new
anti-corruption body is to be set up to deal with raising
public awareness and to address ways to prevent and
uncover corruption, investigate cases of corruption and
audit the financial and income declarations of public
officials.
 Fourthly, the Government of National Unity,
which was formed early this year, is undertaking a host
of quick-impact projects on poverty reduction and
income-generation in the implementation of its MDGs,
in order that the benefits of the social security policy
can reach various strata of the population. Allow me to
cite a few examples.
 Salaries in the public sector have been raised by
33 per cent, and the minimum wage by 30 percent. A
monthly allowance is being provided to every one of
the nearly 1 million children in Mongolia, which
accounts for almost half of the entire population.
Married couples and new-born children are provided
financial support on a one-time basis. Mothers with

21 06-53005

five or more children and older persons have seen
considerable increases in their monthly allowances and
pensions. In collaboration with the private sector, this
academic year my Government introduced a free
school-meal programme for elementary school
children. The launching of all those quick-impact
initiatives will contribute to our efforts to reduce
poverty and achieve the MDGs.
 Fifthly, on the policy level, my Government is
placing particular emphasis on the human development
dimension of the MDGs, including in such areas as
education and health. For example, a programme on
the theme of “A healthy Mongolian”, which is to be
implemented between 2006 and 2008, will provide for
medical check-ups and diagnosis and carry out surveys
of the prevalent illnesses among the population over
15 years of age. The programme will also include
preventive measures and treatment. Furthermore, the
implementation of our education master plan for the
period 2006-2015, will improve access to education
and the quality and competitiveness of our national
education system, ultimately advancing the level of
human development. The plan will also contribute to
the goal of increasing employment by means of
developing human resources in a way that corresponds
to the economic structure of the country and meets the
demands of the labour market.
 In addition, on the initiative of my Government,
amendments have been made to the tax code that aim
at easing the overall tax burden, thereby creating a
favourable business environment, promoting greater
economic growth and generating new jobs.
 Although Mongolia is poised to achieve most of
its MDGs by 2015 in the areas of education, gender,
child and maternal health and combating various
diseases, the goals of halving poverty and ensuring
environmental sustainability continue to be a source of
concern. It goes without saying that, like many other
developing countries, Mongolia will not be able to
achieve those goals on its own. Genuine partnership
and effective cooperation between all stakeholders —
including bilateral and multilateral donors,
international financial organizations and the private
sector — is therefore required in order to substantially
reduce poverty and promote development in the
developing world.
 The quality of aid should also be improved
through the tailoring of foreign grants and loans to the
implementation needs of the MDGs and MDG-based
national development strategies. That improvement
should also be achieved by providing more predictable
and multi-year aid flows, addressing weaknesses in
institutional capacity and harmonizing the distribution
of aid with the priorities of recipient countries, in
accordance with the principles set out in the Paris
Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.
 Mongolia is a landlocked developing country
dependent on a few export commodities. We are
therefore highly susceptible to fluctuations in the
world’s commodity and energy markets. I believe that
the establishment of commodity-price stabilization
mechanisms and anti-shock facilities could make a
tangible contribution to poverty reduction measures in
low-income commodity-dependent countries. At the
same time, trade and investment are among the driving
forces of development. The World Trade Organization
Doha Development Round of negotiations should
therefore be revived, with a view to creating a more
favourable and just trade regime that involves market
access and trade and industrial capacity-building
assistance for developing countries, particularly for
economically vulnerable States. For its part, Mongolia
is preparing to host a conference of trade ministers of
landlocked developing countries in 2007.
 I should also like to urge the international
community to focus its attention on the declaration
adopted at the first-ever Meeting of the Heads of State
or Government of Landlocked Developing Countries
held last week in Havana. That document reflects the
common position of landlocked LDCs. Its full
implementation will be instrumental in assisting
landlocked LDCs, including Mongolia, as they carry
out their development and poverty reduction efforts.
 Democracy plays an important role in bringing
about peace and development. Although democracy is
rooted in the soil of individual societies, it has to be
supported through international cooperation. In its
capacity as Chair of the fifth International Conference
of New or Restored Democracies, Mongolia has
endeavoured to promote democratic values at the
international level. We have undertaken a set of
concrete measures as follow-up to the fifth Conference,
including the development of nationally owned
democratic-governance indicators, a country
information note and a national plan of action to
consolidate democracy. We have also introduced a
tripartite structure in the Conference to include

06-53005 22

Governments, parliaments and civil society. We have
also set up a friends-of-the-chair group and are fully
utilizing the follow-up mechanism in New York. It is
gratifying to note that the international follow-up
conference to the fifth International Conference, which
was held in Ulaanbaátar last June, highly commended
the work done over the last three years. My country is
prepared to report on its activities and to share its
accomplishments and lessons learned with the greater
membership of the movement during the sixth
International Conference of New or Restored
Democracies, which is to be held next month in Doha,
Qatar.
 This year marks the 800th anniversary of the
establishment of the great Mongol State — a
remarkable date for my country. The General
Assembly, in resolution 60/16, adopted last year,
invited Member States, international organizations and
academia to take an active part in the commemorative
events associated with the anniversary. I wish to
express our great appreciation to all persons —
including people of Mongol ethnicity, academics and
guests from various countries and organizations — for
their active participation in the many international
conferences organized in the spirit of that resolution.
Those meetings included the international conference
on traditions of Mongolian statehood, the ninth
international forum of Mongolists, the convention of
world Mongolians and the international workshop on
the traditions of nomads. I am also happy to
acknowledge that more than 300 high-level guests
representing more than 30 States and Governments
attended our national day ceremony — Naadam —
which was the main commemorative event of the year.
 The year-round celebration of activities and
events are of particular importance, as they help us
modern-day Mongols heirs to statehood preserve and
develop nomadic culture and traditions and to re-
introduce to the world our rich history and culture,
along with the progress and challenges facing us today.
 The sixty-first session has special meaning for us,
as it coincides with the 45th anniversary of Mongolia’s
membership in the world Organization. Our admission
to the United Nations as a full-fledged Member, on
27 October 1961, was a historically important event for
the people of Mongolia. Over the years, our
cooperation with the United Nations has expanded in
terms of both content and scope. The Organization’s
support and assistance have been instrumental in
helping Mongolia meet its development goals, build
capacity and consolidate democracy. For its part,
Mongolia has all along supported the United Nations.
We have also striven to participate actively in its
activities and to make our contribution to the efforts of
the international community to find solutions to the
pressing issues facing the world.
 This autumn, we are about to select the next
Secretary-General of the United Nations. Beginning in
2007, that person will represent the international
community on the world stage. The next Secretary-
General must be someone who will effectively follow
through with the bold initiatives and reform efforts
carried out by the current Secretary-General, Kofi
Annan, in the areas of peace, development and human
rights. That person must also be committed to making
the world a better place, and possess strong managerial
skills, vision and experience. In short, he or she must
be a genuine leader. I am convinced that such a person
can, and should, come from Asia, which is home to
half of the world’s population.
 Mongolia is prepared to participate actively in the
work of the United Nations and of other multilateral
organizations and processes. We reaffirm our
commitment to the world Organization as a central
coordinating instrument of the common efforts of the
world’s nations to maintain peace and promote
development.


I am greatly honoured to congratulate Her Excellency
Ms. Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa of Bahrain upon her
election, the first woman from the Middle East, to
preside over the work of the sixty-first session of the
General Assembly. She has the great responsibility to
promote dialogue and harmony in the midst of the
spread of conflict throughout the world. Likewise, we
wish to pay tribute to the Secretary-General for his ten
years at the head of this Organization and for his
immense efforts to promote peacekeeping, security and
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
 In the interest of continuity in the pursuit of
United Nations reform, so notably promoted by the
Secretary-General, our country wishes to reiterate its
conviction that any reform must provide for greater
democratization. We recognize the unquestionable
accomplishments achieved during this process, such as
the creation of the Human Rights Council and the
Peacebuilding Commission. Notwithstanding, reform
will be incomplete if it does not include reform of the
Security Council, the body specifically responsible for
taking political decisions within this Organization. It is
our conviction that the Security Council must be
expanded to make it more diverse and participatory,
with the aim of ensuring more equitable regional
representation and taking into account the regional and
national interests that prevail in today’s world. There is
also a need for closer cooperation between the Security
Council and other important United Nations bodies,
such as the General Assembly and the Economic and
Social Council.
 One of the global issues of great concern to the
Dominican Republic and other parts of the world is
that of human security. We have observed with great
consternation that there has recently been an erosion of
domestic security in countries, leading to increased
violence and criminality. That situation has, without a
doubt, been fuelled by a combination of factors, among
them drug trafficking, the illicit traffic of arms, the
trafficking of persons and other criminal activities. In
addressing this dramatic situation, which is driving
some populations to desperation, the Dominican
Republic remains vigilant in the continuous struggle
and urges the international community to strengthen
control and prevention mechanisms that are needed to
meet these modern challenges that only increase fear
and desperation among defenceless civilian
populations.
 Another issue of great importance for the
progress and well-being of our countries is the
relationship between migration and sustainable

06-52885 12

development, which constitutes the main item on the
General Assembly’s agenda. We believe that the
phenomenon of migration is positively linked to the
cause of development. However, there is an inherent
contradiction in this modern, globalized world in that
we promote the free flow of merchandise, capital and
services, while we restrict the free flow of human
labour.
 Although each State exercises its sovereign right
in implementing its migration policies, it is our
conviction that the asymmetry currently existing
between the free flow of production inputs and the
restricted flow of persons will have to cease to exist
over time. According to the conservative voices in the
developed world, migration is a sort of invasion from
the underdeveloped countries to the most developed
countries. It is also considered to be an act of revenge
for the territorial expropriation that took place in the
colonial era and is seen as a threat to their current way
of life.
 This is a fallacy. Migration is not about the poor
invading the developed countries, nor is it a threat to
their current way of life. Frankly speaking, migration is
one of the historical means used by human beings and
to which they continue to resort to in order to achieve
greater well-being, liberty and justice. As it will be
impossible to do away with this phenomenon, we can
only seek to control it in a legal and organized fashion,
in a framework of respect for the human rights and
dignity of all persons. In the meantime, many people
could benefit from this situation, through remittances,
the creation of networks of contacts and cooperation,
capacity-building in human resources, technology
transfer and diverse forms of collaboration and
exchange.
 In another regard, the serious events that recently
took place in the Middle East have filled us with alarm
and consternation. They are a dramatic reminder that
tensions affecting the peace of entire regions still
persist. As with other conflicts, the dispute between
Israel and its neighbours can be resolved only through
dialogue and the good offices of the United Nations,
which recently achieved the cessation of hostilities
between the two disputing parties. We are confident
that a definitive peace will prevail in this region and
allow the development of enhanced levels of
understanding, tolerance, and co-existence among its
inhabitants.
 The Dominican Republic maintains its interest in
participating in the promotion of peacebuilding and
conflict resolution. We reiterate our deep commitment
to the activities and objectives of the United Nations
International Research and Training Institute for the
Advancement of Women (INSTRAW). We consider
them suitable for the advancement and dignity of all
the women of the world and, in particular, the women
of countries such as the Dominican Republic. As the
host country, we warmly appreciate the support of
Member States to INSTRAW.
 The Dominican Republic is deeply committed to
re-establishing stability in Haiti, and we applaud the
recent decision of the Security Council to extend the
mandate of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in
Haiti (MINUSTAH) for six months. The Dominican
Republic has special interest that there be an increase
of international cooperation aimed at preserving the
pace of the reconstruction process of this sister nation.
With regard to our two countries, our warm relations
are also expressed through the Dominican-Haitian Joint
Commission, a forum which our Governments are
reviving because we recognize it as the most
appropriate mechanism for discussion and for reaching
agreements on many topics of shared concern.
 In conclusion, we wish to see the United Nations
renew and strengthen itself with a view to playing a
more active, dynamic and effective role — one that
would guarantee the realization of the values and
principles enshrined in the San Francisco Charter, so as
to ensure that peace on Earth will become the daily
form of existence among human beings.


I wish to begin by warmly
congratulating the President of the General Assembly.
Although the empowerment of women has long been a
United Nations priority, it has been nearly 40 years
since a woman last held the Assembly presidency.
Thus, we are encouraged by her election. I wish her
every success.
 I also want to express my appreciation to the
President of the General Assembly at its sixtieth
session, His Excellency Mr. Jan Eliasson. The World
Summit Outcome (resolution 60/1), which addresses
the challenges of our time, was the joint product of our
work and his tireless efforts. His sound guidance
enabled us to move forward on the pressing issues
related to reform. The Peacebuilding Commission, the
Human Rights Council and the Global Counter-
Terrorism Strategy are the hallmarks of those efforts.
 In addition, it is my distinct pleasure to pay a
heartfelt tribute to our Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi
Annan. His name will continue to inspire us whenever
we think of his dedication to global peace and stability
and his tireless reform efforts.
 The hostilities and the outright destruction in
Lebanon tested the faith placed in the United Nations.
In the end, the resolve of Member States was
manifested. From the very beginning, Turkey was
engaged in active diplomacy and took its place at the
forefront of the international efforts to end the
bloodshed. At the same time, we remained in close
contact with all the parties to the conflict. Throughout,
we provided humanitarian aid to the people of Lebanon
and assisted in the rapid evacuation of some 10,000
foreign nationals.
 We supported the adoption of Security Council
resolution 1701 (2006). It is a major step forward. Yet,
given the many challenges that remain, it is only a first
step towards bringing peace and stability to the region.
We have decided to contribute to the implementation of
the resolution, which is aimed at restoring the political
sovereignty of the Lebanese Government.
 Indeed, we must try to seize the opportunity
represented by resolution 1701 (2006). We hope that its
spirit will be translated into a broader political
perspective for the entire region. The tragic events in
Lebanon should have reconfirmed that unilateralism is
not the answer and that the use of force is not the
solution. Similarly, they revealed for all to see that the
question of Palestine continues to lie at the core of the
problems in the Middle East.
 This issue is not simply a conflict between two
countries. It is a problem for which everyone pays a
heavy price — a problem that has huge ripple effects
on a global scale. Indeed, the continuation of this
problem is used to justify extremism around the world.
Therefore, progress made towards a lasting peace in
the Middle East would have a positive impact on many
other problems.
 We note that everyone has drawn lessons from
what took place in Lebanon. Now, in the aftermath of
that tragedy, there is a different climate, conducive to a
renewed peace initiative. Now is the time to revive
efforts to put the Middle East peace process back on
track. We make a heartfelt appeal to all the parties and
to the international community not to let this
opportunity pass by. What we need now is strong and
determined leadership that will resolutely follow the
path towards peace.
 Let us not forget that the growing sense of
injustice associated with the Middle East problem
deepens the rift in terms of cultural perceptions. We
cannot permit events in the region to undermine the
prospects of the cross-cultural harmony that we are
working so hard to achieve. We believe that better
understanding among cultures is indispensable for
global harmony. That is precisely why the Prime
Ministers of Turkey and Spain co-sponsored the
Alliance of Civilizations initiative, launched by the
Secretary-General. The objective is to emphasize the
elements that unite various societies around our
common humanity.
 The High-level Group for the Alliance of
Civilizations will soon submit a comprehensive report
to the Secretary-General setting out concrete and
practical measures to improve intercultural dialogue.
That is obviously what the world needs now.
Therefore, we hope that the initiative will receive
strong and sincere support from Member States.
 Indeed, regardless of where we come from —
whether it be the East or the West — whatever faith we
profess and whatever tradition we represent, we must
all act responsibly. In today’s world, in which
information travels at the speed of light, we must all
refrain from acts and statements that can be
misconstrued and can strengthen the hand of
extremists. Likewise, our reactions must demonstrate

06-53323 8

such a sense of responsibility. Thus, we call upon
everyone to act with common sense and to keep
humanity’s best interests at heart.
 As we focus on the Middle East, we must not lose
sight of Iraq. It is equally urgent that we build a
democratic and prosperous Iraq that is whole and free
from ethnic and sectarian violence. I should like to
recall that a staggering number of people have lost
their lives as a result of violence. We must all help the
Iraqis to achieve a national consensus and to resolve
their differences through dialogue and democratic
processes. First and foremost, the Iraqis themselves
must work towards that end.
 Throughout the past year, terrorism has continued
to claim innocent lives. There is a growing realization
that no degree of leniency can be extended to those
who commit acts of terror. There is no room for double
standards, and we can make no distinction between
terrorists. At the same time, we must keep in mind that
terrorism, an age-old method of coercion, has no deep
links to any culture or religion. We should also be
cautious not to associate any faith with terrorism.
 By voting in favour of the proposed United
Nations comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus
problem in the April 2004 referendum, Turkish
Cypriots responded positively to the expectations of
the international community. Notwithstanding the
intensive and sincere efforts of the Secretary-General,
the Greek Cypriot side rejected that plan. Despite that
rejection, the Turkish side remains committed to a just,
peaceful and comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus
question, based on the well-established parameters
determined through the good offices mission of the
Secretary-General. Turkey and the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus continue to support strongly the
Secretary-General’s mission. Indeed, the United
Nations is the only sound platform that can help deliver
lasting peace, cooperation and prosperity to all
inhabitants of the island of Cyprus. The Turkish side
still maintains the hope that the Greek Cypriot leaders
will support the vision of a new partnership based on
political equality with their Turkish Cypriot
counterparts. The Turkish Cypriots have already given
their support to the 8 July agreement and their consent
to the United Nations suggestions for implementing
that agreement in due course. There should be full-
fledged negotiations on substantive issues between the
two leaders of the island. Our proposal of 24 January
2006 for the simultaneous lifting of all restrictions
related to the island remains on the table. In this day
and age, living under unjustly imposed restrictions
defies all reason. It is time for the Turkish Cypriots to
integrate into the global economy. We appeal to the
international community to heed the call of the
Secretary-General to end the current isolation of the
Turkish Cypriots, which has no legal or moral basis.
 Turkey is close to the centre of most of the issues
of concern to the international community, which
naturally figure prominently on my country’s foreign
policy agenda. Our objective is to establish conditions
for a lasting peace and enhance cooperation for
integration in the greater region. In this context, our
relations with our neighbours continue to diversify. We
believe that our good-neighbourly relations with
Greece will enhance cooperation, stability and
prosperity in the Balkans and the Eastern
Mediterranean.
 In a similar vein, we have prepared several
regional initiatives. We take part in peacekeeping and
police missions around the world. These greater
objectives help explain our active diplomacy, primarily
in regions such as the Balkans, the Middle East and the
Caucasus surrounding Turkey. In all such instances, we
work to avert outright conflict and consolidate stability.
We try to put out the fires of discord and cultivate
reconciliation. We are committed to political processes
and diplomatic solutions and are in the forefront of
post-conflict rehabilitation, reconstruction and
assistance.
 The Balkans are passing through a profound
transformation. In order not to relive the pain and
suffering of the 1990s, we must vigilantly keep watch
over peace. We must promote the building of viable
State structures in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We must
also promote a peaceful transition in Kosovo. We
welcome Montenegro as a new Member of the United
Nations.
 Frozen conflicts in the Caucasus also demand our
urgent attention. Resolution of the Nagorny Karabakh
conflict on the basis of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity
is of vital importance for peace and prosperity in the
region. We would like to see this region become an
area of prosperity based on cooperation.
 We will continue to support the political process
and reconstruction effort in Afghanistan. In addition to
our strong presence in the International Security
Assistance Force, Turkey is establishing a provincial

9 06-53323

reconstruction team in the Vardak province of
Afghanistan. Turkey will continue to be active in the
areas of health, education and development in
Afghanistan.
 On the Kashmir question, we continue to
encourage the parties involved to work for a just and
lasting solution to the problem through dialogue.
 We advocate reform at a time when transparency,
the rule of law, gender equality, good governance and
similar common values can no longer be denied to
peoples, especially in an age of globalized
communications.
 Turkey’s efforts are not, of course, confined to its
immediate vicinity. Having consolidated our place
among the largest economies of the world, we want to
enrich and improve our relations with more distant
regions. Our aim is to strengthen bilateral ties with
Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, East Asia and
the Pacific. We are actively engaged in efforts to
resolve the problems of the African continent, having
established local offices of the Turkish International
Cooperation Agency in Addis Ababa and Khartoum to
help coordinate this larger effort across the African
continent. More branches will follow. Turkey has been
recognized by the World Food Programme as a major
donor of food to Africa. Turkey is also contributing to
five United Nations and two European Union missions
in Africa.
 The fate of Africa is our common destiny, and we
cannot remain indifferent to that continent’s acute
problems. We must not let down Africa. We appeal to
the more fortunate to help that continent achieve its
true potential.
 After reviewing our activities within the United
Nations, we have selected a number of areas as a
priority in our work. These are issues related to
development, peacekeeping operations, the
strengthening of peacebuilding activities, humanitarian
and relief operations, combating terrorism in all its
forms and enhancing global energy security through
the creation of safe transportation routes.
 Turkey firmly believes in the need for
international cooperation to achieve environmentally
friendly and socially sustainable development. We
must better cater to the needs of the developing
countries, particularly in the field of poverty reduction,
eliminating infectious diseases, reducing infant
mortality and improving maternal health. If we fail to
create equal opportunities for women and provide
education for children, none of the above will ever be
achieved.
 I am pleased to say that Turkey is becoming a
major donor country. Last year, Turkish official
development assistance reached US$ 600 million. This
figure does not reflect the contribution of the Turkish
private sector, which contributes an almost equivalent
amount. In this regard, we will further increase our
contributions to the United Nations funds and
programmes that serve the least developed countries,
landlocked developing countries and small island
developing States.
 The President returned to the Chair.
 Over the past two years, we have been
campaigning for a seat on the Security Council for the
term 2009-2010. Turkey has not served on the Council
since 1961. This is an anomaly. We believe that, in the
spirit of equitable rotation, our turn to be represented is
long overdue. Turkey’s membership will enrich the
work of the Security Council in a singularly important
manner. We will bring our unique attributes to bear on
the work of the Council. Our membership will bring
new insights and perspectives at a time when we see
the United Nations becoming increasingly relevant in
fulfilling the rightful hopes of humanity.


I
am honoured and grateful to address the General
Assembly at its sixty-first session, and in so doing I
join other Members in congratulating you, Madam, on
your historic assumption of the presidency of this body.

5 06-53323

Let me assure you of my country’s full support. We are
confident that under your leadership, the Organization
will be steered safely through the challenges ahead. I
would also like to pay tribute to your predecessor, Mr.
Jan Eliasson, for his dedication and stewardship of the
Organization during the past year.
 Just recently, the Pacific island countries lost one
of its leaders. The Federated States of Micronesia is
deeply saddened by the passing of King Tupou IV of
the Kingdom of Tonga. We express our profound
condolences to the people and the leaders of Tonga
during their period of national mourning and wish them
well in their transition to a new leadership.
 We are keenly aware of the remaining awesome
task of implementing measures to reform the
Organization. We are nonetheless encouraged by the
significant achievements made so far since the
adoption of the Outcome Document of the World
Summit last year. The United Nations has made great
strides, for instance in constituting the Human Rights
Council, in launching the Peacebuilding Commission
and in adopting the resolution on implementing
international development goals.
 Reform of the Security Council should remain a
high-priority agenda item. My country would like to
reiterate its position as expressed in previous years. We
support a restructured Security Council that reflects the
current realities of international society. For the
Council to be effective and its work meaningful, its
working methods should be improved and its
membership, both permanent and non-permanent,
expanded. We must give new impetus to the reform
process and seek, with an open mind, new ways to
achieve the institutional reform of the United Nations.
 The small island developing States in the Pacific
such as my country, recognized as among the most
vulnerable, stand to benefit from an efficient and
relevant United Nations. It is for that reason that we
place high hopes on the relevant reforms. We hope that
such reforms will facilitate our achievement of the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other
internationally recognized commitments, which, if left
to our own devices, we cannot reach, even with the
best of intentions and efforts.
 Thus, we are pleased with and grateful for the
decision to establish additional United Nations offices
in our Pacific region, including in my country. Taken
within the context of the overall reform of the
Organization, the presence of those offices is mutually
beneficial to the United Nations and to our peoples in
many ways, including through effective coordination in
the delivery of much-needed assistance and services.
 My country, with a large exclusive economic
zone, attaches great importance to the sustainable
development and conservation of our marine resources
and ecosystem. Consistent with that priority, we have
joined forces with some of our neighbouring States in
calling for an immediate moratorium and a total ban on
deep bottom trawl fishing. The Organization must not
close its eyes to activities that result in commercial
gain for only a few at the expense of the integrity of
the ecosystem that supports the livelihood of our
people, especially those living in areas that are widely
recognized as vulnerable. We appeal to the
international community to mobilize support to put an
end to bottom trawl fishing and other activities that are
ecologically destructive and unfriendly to the marine
ecosystem.
 It is well established by the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other highly
respected scientific organizations that the Earth’s
climate is adversely changing due to our carbon
economy and the emission of greenhouse gases. Within
this decade alone, we have witnessed unprecedented
destruction caused by extreme weather events. The
increasing magnitude, intensity and frequency of
typhoons, hurricanes and other natural disasters,
including the unprecedented melting and disappearance
of glaciers, are directly linked to human activities. This
obviously calls for a more robust post-Kyoto regime.
 As an island nation composed mostly of low-
lying small islands with large coastal areas, the
Federated States of Micronesia is vulnerable to the
adverse impact of climate change. Exposed to the
effects of extreme weather events, our livelihood and
traditions as an island people — in fact, our whole
civilization — are under greater threat than ever
before.
 The sad irony is that those of us who contribute
little to the causes of climate change and sea-level rise
are the first in line to suffer the consequences. In the
face of that reality, Micronesia will continue to speak
out for concerted global action to mitigate the adverse
impact of climate change, taking into consideration the
principle of common but differentiated responsibility.

06-53323 6

 While adaptation measures require national
actions, the “polluters pay” principle should apply.
Therefore, those who pollute should underwrite the
costs of adaptation, particularly for small island
developing States.
 Sustainable development remains a top priority
for small island developing States such as Micronesia,
but it cannot be achieved by us alone. Our development
still requires official development assistance from
bilateral and multilateral donor partners alike. But
official development assistance on its own is not
sufficient. Ongoing propositions for active foreign
direct investment and effective development
partnerships, among others, should be translated into
concrete action, as they are critical components of
sustainable development.
 The small island developing States continue to
pin their hopes on the Mauritius Strategy as a blueprint
for their sustainable development. But what good is the
Strategy if the support necessary to implement it is not
forthcoming? The international community must
provide that support, which would include facilitation
and improvement of access to existing resources and,
where appropriate, allocation of dedicated financial
resources. For the Mauritius Strategy to be effective
and meaningful, it must be mainstreamed into all
United Nations processes, including the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change process.
 In addition to the Mauritius Strategy, we support
the principles of the Information Society and the
Community of Democracies as vital to our national
progress. In particular, we seek help in the formulation
of our national plan on information and communication
technologies and in access to broadband connectivity,
which we believe will help overcome the obstacles to
our development that result from the geographical
configuration of our island country.
 Dependency on fossil fuel is an obstacle to our
sustainable development. To mitigate that obstacle and
prevent the perpetuation of this carbon economy, my
Government has prioritized renewable energy as the
way forward. I therefore reiterate the call made by
many small island developing States, including my
own, for accelerated efforts in the development,
utilization and distribution of renewable energy
technologies to small island developing States. We will
continue to look to the international community,
including our development partners, to help ensure that
such technologies are transferred and put in place
effectively.
 Terrorism affects all countries, large and small,
rich and poor. Micronesia condemns, in the strongest
terms, terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
The taking of innocent life is unambiguously
unjustifiable, regardless of one’s grievances.
 We therefore call once again on the United
Nations to do everything in its power to prevent
terrorism and to mitigate its root causes. While we are
doing our best to uphold our responsibilities and
obligations under the United Nations counter-terrorism
resolutions, we need the assistance of the international
community to more effectively implement and carry on
the fight against this scourge.
 In that spirit, we would like to commend the
efforts that resulted in the recent ceasefire in Lebanon.
We hope that the ceasefire will lead to a lasting peace
for the Israeli and Lebanese peoples. We also hope
that, by building on that momentum, the conflict
between Israel and Palestine will be resolved. The
people of Israel have the right to live within secure,
recognized borders, free from the fear of terrorism. The
Palestinian people have the right to have their own
State and to coexist peacefully with their neighbours.
 Micronesia is concerned about the threats to
regional stability and international peace and security
posed by nuclear proliferation. We urge the
international community to continue its efforts to
address that problem.
 In closing, I would like to pay tribute to our
outgoing Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Kofi
Annan, for his distinguished leadership and his decades
of dedicated service to the Organization. My country
expresses to him our gratitude and best wishes.


Let me begin by offering my
congratulations to you, Madam President. We would
also like to thank former Assembly President Jan
Eliasson for his able leadership over the past year. Our

deep appreciation also goes to Secretary-General Kofi
Annan, who has served the Organization with skill and
devotion.
 Palau joins others in welcoming Montenegro, the
newest State Member of the United Nations. We look
forward to its participation in our debates.
 Participation in the United Nations has special
meaning for Palau. We were the last country to emerge
from the United Nations Trusteeship System. During
trusteeship, it was the United Nations that showed us
that every country, regardless of size, had a role to
play. The United Nations provided our nation with a
platform from which we could achieve independence
and establish our sovereignty. For that we are forever
grateful.
 Palau is often seen as a paradise of swaying palm
trees and ocean breezes. But that simplistic view fails
to recognize the challenges we face as a small island
developing State. In this shrinking world, the actions of
distant countries are having a profound effect on us.
We come to the Assembly now, asking for its help once
again as we face those difficult issues.
 One of the issues that we hope the General
Assembly will act on this year is deep-sea bottom
trawling. As the Secretary-General has reported,
bottom trawling is responsible for 95 per cent of the
worldwide damage to seamount ecosystems. It is an
irresponsible practice, and Palau has passed a law
banning all bottom trawling within our waters. In doing
so, Palau followed the lead set by Japan, the United
States, Norway, Australia and many other responsible
countries.
 It is now time to ensure that similar measures are
taken for international waters. That is why Palau has
joined with our Pacific colleagues in Tuvalu, the
Marshall Islands and Micronesia to propose an interim
prohibition on unregulated bottom trawling. Our
proposal represents the strong determination of our
region to protect the oceans upon which we all
ultimately rely.
 Another issue of great importance is that of
global warming. Coral bleaching, a rise in sea level and
altered fish migration all threaten the future of Palau
and other small island nations. Reversing that trend is
one of our top priorities. We continue to urge the
international community to act aggressively to reduce
emissions that lead to global warming.

06-53317 18

 Palau is a democratic society. Our children know
the importance of culture and community. We
guarantee human rights in our nation. We also know
that flying our flag here at the United Nations carries
with it certain obligations, and we have met them all.
Palau has deployed peacekeepers to regional and
international missions. When natural disasters strike,
Palau responds willingly and voluntarily. When the
international community called upon countries to
preserve biodiversity, Palau came forward with the
Micronesian Challenge. That initiative will protect 462
coral species, which represent 58 per cent of all known
corals.
 Our future as a nation and the future of our
children depend upon the viability of our environment,
especially of the oceans. Palau relies on the health of
its amazing reefs and waters to provide food for our
people and to support our tourism industry. Without
those we will not be able to develop a sustainable
economy that will allow our children to live and work
in their homeland. To provide for them, we look to the
United Nations for leadership and support. To that end,
Palau remains open to ideas for harmonizing the
environmental agencies at the United Nations. We
applaud efforts to streamline the process of accessing
those agencies; that would make them more responsive
to small nations. In the same vein, Palau would like to
state that difficulties in accessing assistance in
claiming our extended continental shelf have made it
clear that we will have a hard time meeting the 2009
deadline for submissions.
 Last year, in this historic Hall, we noted our
concern that the United Nations, its offices and
organizations did not have a permanent representative
in Palau. In June, it was announced that a coalition
comprised of the United Nations Development
Programme, UNICEF and the United Nations
Population Fund would open a total of eight new
offices in Pacific island countries, including Palau. We
welcome that historic accomplishment. It is a giant step
towards harmonization within the United Nations. For
Palau, it will give us one of the tools we need most for
sustainable development, namely, local capacity-
building.
 Let us not forget the continuing threat of
terrorism. We recognize that terrorism anywhere is a
threat to people everywhere. We have looked for
assistance to improve our anti-terrorism capacity. Palau
has met, and worked with, the Counter-terrorism
Executive Directorate to advance our requests for
assistance, particularly in the area of combating
money-laundering and the financing of terrorism.
Unfortunately, the efforts of the Directorate have been
insufficient. Our hope is that, during the sixty-first
session of the General Assembly, the United Nations
will be able to help smaller countries in addressing that
threat.
 We would also like to take a moment to thank a
few of the many partners that have assisted Palau this
past year. The efforts of the Global Environment
Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme deserve
special recognition. The GEF programme in the North
Pacific has resulted in an effective mechanism to
protect our environment through grass-roots projects.
 Palau has also partnered with a number of
countries that have supported our development. First,
the United States has provided in-country diplomatic
representation and years of support. We acknowledge
the generosity of the United States in responding to
natural disasters in Asia and the Pacific region. We
thank them for that. Japan has also provided invaluable
assistance to Palau. The addition of Japan as a member
of the Security Council would help inform other
Council members that are less familiar with our
regional needs and concerns. We have supported, and
continue to support, the G-4 draft resolution, and hope
that the Assembly will address the draft resolution this
year.
 Taiwan has been another steady supporter of
Palau’s development. We continue to assert that the
world would benefit from Taiwan’s membership in the
United Nations and other international institutions.
This year, Palau co-sponsored a draft resolution calling
for a proactive role for the United Nations in
addressing the tensions in East Asia. We were
disappointed that the actions of the General Committee
prevented a debate on that draft resolution.
 Palau would also like to recognize Australia’s
steadfast commitment to stability in our region, as well
as its dedication to capacity-building. Through such
initiatives as its patrol boat programme, Australia
enables Palau to address illegal, unregulated and
unreported fishing, which threatens our sovereignty
and the marine habitats that surround our island nation.
 We call on all parties in the Sudan to work
together to mitigate the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
As Mr. Jan Eliasson stated on 11 September,

19 06-53317

 “we have ... seen the horrors of Cambodia,
Rwanda and Srebrenica without taking action.
The same tragedy must not befall the people in
Darfur or elsewhere. The responsibility to protect
must move from declaration to action.”
(A/60/PV.100, p. 6 )
 Lastly, Palau would like to take this opportunity
to express our hope that the Middle East peace process
can be successfully restarted. We are hopeful that the
expanded United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
(UNIFIL) will bring peace and security to both Israel
and Lebanon. We stress the need for full
implementation of Security Council resolution 1701
(2006), including its preamble. We join the call for the
unconditional release of the kidnapped Israeli soldiers.
It is critical that the reconstructed UNIFIL force be
effective and capable of enforcing the arms embargo as
called for.
 On behalf of Palau, a small island nation in the
wide Pacific Ocean, let me thank the entire Assembly
in my country’s native language. Kom Kmal Mesulang.
God bless you all.