First of all, Madam, I would like to
congratulate you on your election to preside over our
work during the General Assembly’s sixty-first session.
This is a tribute not only to your qualities, but also to
the dedication of your country, because it shows the
recognition of Bahrain’s attachment to the principles
and actions pursued by the United Nations. This is
why, on behalf of the Cape Verde delegation and in my
own name, I would like to assure you of our
cooperation.
The rapid changes in the modern world are a
permanent challenge to the United Nations capacity to
preserve the centrality of its role in the promotion of
development, peace, security and human rights. These
changes involve challenges, opportunities and
constraints that we must properly manage in order to
create the more balanced, democratic and peaceful
world order to which we all aspire.
To confront these challenges, the United Nations
must commit itself unambiguously to modernizing and
reforming its activities. Being the product of its
Member States, the Organization must be granted the
resources that are commensurate with its mandate.
Following the decisions and recommendations
adopted at the 2005 World Summit, relevant important
measures have been adopted. I am particularly grateful
for the establishment of the Human Rights Council, the
Peacebuilding Commission, the Central Emergency
Response fund, the Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Safety of United Nations and
Associated Personnel, resolutions on development and
the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
In this connection, I would like to express my
country’s gratitude to Mr. Jan Eliasson for his dynamic
and efficient guidance of the work of the Assembly’s
sixtieth session.
Reform of the United Nations will not be
complete unless we reform the Security Council, the
Economic and Social Council, the Secretariat and
management, indispensable components in our
Organization’s efforts to adapt to today’s realities. We
must move ahead with an open and flexible attitude,
without jeopardizing the principles of equity and
justice.
At the internal institutional level, in order for
reform to be understood and supported by all the
parties concerned, it must be carried out in an
inclusive, harmonious and streamlined manner. Cape
Verde has agreed to host a pilot project known as the
Joint Office Mechanism, a procedure with a common
framework for United Nations programmes, agencies
and funds, the final objective of which is to enhance
the efficiency of operational activities by rationalizing
structures and resources and creating synergy at the
technical and budgetary levels. The complexity of this
experiment and its implications in streamlining
operations with the structures on which the JOM
depends in New York will call for adjustments in
policies, instruments and practices and a permanent
dialogue with Governments.
21 06-53952
I am gratified at the selection of the topic of our
debate: “Implementing a global partnership for
development”. This topic could not be more timely, as
many people around the world do not yet enjoy the
fundamental human right to live in dignity, without
having to worry about poverty or fear. The Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) remain empty words for
these people.
It is deplorable that, despite all scientific progress
in our time, underdevelopment continues to be the
daily reality for so many men, women and children on
the planet. While it is up to national leaders to bear the
prime responsibility, we cannot underline enough the
importance of a global partnership to restore equity in
these situations and create the foundations for
development that is more in line with the MDGs.
In that context, the international community
should genuinely fulfil its commitments with respect to
official development assistance and should establish
the conditions for a fairer and more equitable
international trading system that would take property
account of small, vulnerable economies, including
those of island States.
In the specific case of Africa, I welcome the
various initiatives that have been announced, while
urging the international community to give our
continent a more consistent form of support — one that
is more consistent with the MDGs and the positive
momentum created by the emergence of new African
leaders who are working to promote development,
democracy, peace and political and social stability.
Debt reduction, access to direct investment,
improving the financing modalities for development
and innovative financing efforts are measures that
could encourage and support national policy
adjustment efforts through improvement of the
management of resources. Consistent with the
international agenda, initiatives related to external debt
should also be extended to medium-low-income
countries.
Only two weeks ago, in this very forum, during
the High-level Meeting on the midterm comprehensive
global review of the implementation of the Brussels
Programme of Action for the Least Developed
Countries, the Cape Verde delegation stated that
irrefutable progress had been achieved, but this should
not mask the problems and shortcomings that still
exist.
In general, we see a mixed record in the
implementation of that instrument; this reflects the
major constraints that all these countries face in trying
to reverse the heavy dynamic of underdevelopment.
In the specific case of Cape Verde, thanks to
efforts at the national level, with the support of the
international community, social and economic
indicators have improved markedly during the
country’s 30 years of independence. Considerable
progress has been achieved in education and health and
in reform of the financial and fiscal sectors and of the
State administration. At the political level, reform has
made possible the setting-up of a democratic system
and the emergence of a cultural and political climate of
tolerance and power-sharing. These results provided
the basis for the General Assembly’s decision to
graduate Cape Verde from the category of least
developed countries in 2008.
Cape Verde is aware that to consolidate these
efforts requires a sustained financial effort that it
cannot make on its own. Let us recall that Cape Verde
is a small island country without natural resources and
exposed to permanent drought and external shocks. In
addition, its economic vulnerability outweighs the two
other criteria required for graduation from the category
of least developed country. The Government accepted
this new challenge fully convinced that it is primarily
responsible for drafting and implementing the best
possible development model in the interests of the
people of Cape Verde. That is why it has decided to
pursue dialogue with its bilateral and multilateral
partners in order to ensure smooth transition, in
accordance with the resolution adopted by the General
Assembly.
In many ways, the success of this pioneering step
largely depends on support from the United Nations
system and the broader international community. The
transition support group that has been created has the
responsibility of helping us to clarify the goals and
modalities of graduation and to set in motion a new
partnership for creating a new and more agile
economic momentum that will make us less vulnerable.
Climate change and environmental degradation
have harmful effects on ecosystems, especially in small
island developing States such as Cape Verde. The
international community must provide strong support
for the effective implementation of the Mauritius
Strategy for the Further Implementation of the
06-53952 22
Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development
of Small Island Developing States.
The deadlock in negotiations on disarmament
issues, transnational organized crime, clandestine
immigration and its human, political, social, cultural
and economic impact, endemic diseases such as
malaria and tuberculosis and the rapid expansion of
HIV/AIDS are causes of deep concern, particularly in
small, poor countries. Here again, the international
community must act together and quickly.
Terrorism continues to threaten international
peace and stability. Cape Verde, which has signed the
main legal instruments to combat terrorism, supports
the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy
(resolution 60/288) launched at the beginning of the
current session of the General Assembly. The Strategy
sends a clear message about the determination of the
United Nations to address the root causes of this
scourge and combat it in all its forms and
manifestations. We are convinced that it will contribute
to removing the difficulties surrounding negotiations
on an international counter-terrorism convention.
While there are unresolved conflicts, others are
breaking out in various places, constantly vying for
attention and action by the international community.
The situation in the Middle East has recently escalated
with the confrontation between Lebanon and Israel.
This has led to unspeakable human suffering and
tremendous material damage in both countries and
throughout the region. No one can remain indifferent in
the face of this conflict, which has continued far too
long, 60 years, and which remains a major cause —
indeed, the epicentre — of international instability.
Cape Verde supports the idea of a comprehensive
strategy, the only viable key to which would be the
peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) contains
important provisions that could serve as a basis for
such a strategy. Cape Verde urges all the parties
concerned to resume dialogue and negotiations. The
international community, in particular the United
Nations, must strive to create conditions for restoring
confidence and establishing lasting peace, which are
preconditions for economic integration and the
promotion of intercultural dialogue in the region.
In Africa, while renewed hope accompanies the
peacebuilding process in Burundi, Liberia, Sierra
Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the
persistence of other sources of tension risks
compromising development efforts and perpetrating
human tragedy. That is the case in Darfur, where the
situation remains fragile and where disagreement
among certain parties to the conflict greatly risks
compromising the Peace Agreement signed at Abuja in
May 2006. Cape Verde endorses the recommendations
and appeals issued by the African Union Peace and
Security Council at its recent New York meeting, held
at the margins of the General Assembly, on the
situation in Darfur. We hail the international
community and the African Union for their efforts to
resolve the crisis, and we encourage them to continue.
At the same time, we call upon the parties concerned to
make greater efforts at dialogue and find a peaceful
solution to the crisis.
I would like to end where I started, speaking of
the central role of the United Nations in the
democratization of international relations and in the
promotion of development, peace and human rights.
Allow me to express the appreciation of Cape Verde to
Mr. Kofi Annan for his outstanding work over the past
10 years, which has made it possible for the
Organization to leave its mark on the course of
multilateralism. His work does him credit and it is also
to the credit of Africa. As he prepares to leave the post
of Secretary-General, we wish him every success in his
future endeavours.