Guinea

Allow me at the outset, on behalf of my delegation, warmly to congratulate Mr. Eliasson on his outstanding election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixtieth session. My country, Guinea, assures him of its full cooperation as he carries out his important mission. I also pay well-deserved tribute to his predecessor, Mr. Jean Ping, for the competence, effectiveness and devotion with which he led the work of the fifty-ninth session. I am also pleased to convey to Secretary-General Kofi Annan the deep appreciation, encouragement and support of Mr. Lansana Conté, President of the Republic, for his tireless and praiseworthy work. The summit meeting at this session of the General Assembly has substantially stiffened our common resolve to promote international peace and security, the rule of law and the right to development. The 23 assessment of the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and the renewed commitment of States Members to achieving them are cause for hope. The Republic of Guinea nevertheless remains convinced that if we are better to meet the threats and challenges we face, we must resolutely pursue the reforms necessary to revitalize our Organization. In the name of peace and security, the concerted and decisive action of the United Nations system and of regional and subregional organizations, the African Union in particular, has made significant progress in recent months. In West Africa, and especially in the Mano River basin, hopes for peace are gradually growing after years of turbulence and tragedy. In Liberia, the political and institutional rebirth under way is encouraging, although many obstacles still hinder national reconciliation and the country’s economic revival. It is essential that, in order to preserve their legitimacy and fairness, we do everything possible to prevent October’s elections from being manipulated by the forces of destabilization. We therefore call on the international community to give that country the assistance necessary to seeing the transition through and launching its own reconstruction. In Sierra Leone, the process of national reconciliation is continuing, thereby promoting peacebuilding and development. My delegation believes that adequate financing for the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the transfer of all persons presumed guilty of serious crimes under international law are prerequisites for putting an end to impunity and consolidate subregional stability. As concerns Guinea-Bissau, my country welcomes the smooth holding of the presidential elections, which herald a positive new era that will be conducive to national reconciliation and a return to constitutional order. In Côte d’Ivoire, the signing of the Pretoria Agreement on 6 April 2005 has given rise to real hopes that the crisis can be resolved. However, recent developments are a source of concern to us. Our Government calls on all parties concerned to spare no effort to promote a political settlement of the conflict, since peace and stability in the subregion hinge on this. In Burundi, major progress has been made in the peace process, particularly through the holding of legislative and presidential elections in free, fair and peaceful conditions. Guinea welcomes this and calls on our brothers in Burundi to continue on the path to national reconciliation and reconstruction. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the transitional period is at a decisive stage, problems persist in the eastern part of the country. My country encourages all parties to abide by the relevant provisions of the comprehensive agreement. In the Sudan, despite the sad death of Vice- President Garang, the establishment of a national unity Government and the political will shown by the various protagonists will help to defuse tensions. Guinea urges all parties in Darfur to pursue the negotiations that have begun under the auspices of the African Union with a view to achieving a comprehensive, consensus-based solution. In the Horn of Africa, Somalia has reached a decisive stage with the creation of a Transitional Federal Government. My delegation makes an urgent appeal to the various factions to engage in negotiations with the Government in order to reach a comprehensive peace agreement. Regarding the Ethiopia-Eritrea dispute, we call on both parties fully to respect the Algiers Accord and to implement the Boundary Commission’s decision. As to the situation in the Western Sahara, Guinea supports a negotiated and mutually acceptable solution. It encourages the parties concerned to enhance their cooperation with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General. Concerning the Middle East, our Government welcomes Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. However, we remain concerned by the occupation of the West Bank, the continued illegal construction of the separation wall and the continuing detention of Palestinian political prisoners. That is why we appeal to the two parties to respect the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and of the Security Council, as well as the Quartet road map. This is the only way to bring about the creation of two States — Palestine and Israel — living side by side in safety and security within secure and recognized boundaries. 24 In Iraq, despite the holding of legislative elections that led to the establishment of a transitional Government, we cannot but deplore the current climate of daily violence. We agree that everything should be done to help the country’s leaders to consolidate the political transition, put an end to indiscriminate violence and build a united, democratic and prosperous Iraq. With regard to Asia, our Government reaffirms its belief in the principle of one China. We also attach importance to the peaceful and independent reunification of the two Koreas as well as to ongoing efforts to maintain peace, security and stability on the Korean peninsula. My delegation notes with profound concern the resurgence of terrorist activities throughout the world. We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and in all its manifestations, for it constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. We express solidarity with all States that have fallen victim to it. To eradicate that scourge, my delegation reaffirms the need to tackle with determination its root causes, including injustice, exclusion, poverty and the intensification of social divisions. We welcome the adoption by the Assembly on 13 April 2005 of the resolution on the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, and we urge Member States to reach agreement on a comprehensive convention on terrorism. The seventh Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Second Biennial Meeting of States to Consider 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, which were held, respectively, in May and July 2005, shows the concern of States parties to do more to address disarmament-related problems. However, we note and deplore the fact that the States parties to the Treaty have not yet succeeded in reaching consensus on questions of substance. Hence we urge all States to continue negotiations in order to strengthen the international non-proliferation regime. With regard to combating the proliferation and illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, Guinea has resolutely undertaken to eradicate that scourge and welcomes the adoption of a draft instrument for the tracing of such weapons. We invite the donor community to provide appropriate support for the implementation of the subregional programme of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The initiative to transform the ECOWAS moratorium into a binding legal instrument merits due consideration by Member States. Aware of the importance that peoples attach to development goals, of the latter’s interdependence and of what is at stake, the Government of Guinea has adopted a national poverty-reduction strategy whose implementation has, regrettably, been compromised by external factors linked to rebel attacks, a massive influx of refugees and regional instability. My delegation appeals urgently to all development partners to support Guinea in its efforts to implement that strategy, which remains the most certain way of achieving the Millennium Development Goals. In that connection, we welcome the recent progress made in the framework of poverty reduction, particularly the commitment of the G-8 to double official development assistance (ODA) over the next few years and immediate debt cancellation for the 18 most indebted poor countries. We commend and endorse all other initiatives designed to increase funds for ODA. We express the hope that the Gleneagles initiative, which represents an important step forward in the right direction, will be translated into reality and will be extended to all least developed countries. Furthermore, in the context of the current World Trade Organization trade negotiations, we urge Member States to show a spirit of compromise and diligence in order to overcome their differences and come to an understanding on a consensus programme for the implementation of the Doha Development Agenda before the sixth Hong Kong Ministerial Conference. What is at stake is the very future of the multilateral trading system. Our work is taking place following the High-level Plenary Meeting, as a consequence of which our leaders have adopted an outcome document to guide our actions. The decisions and commitments taken at the summit clearly indicate that a new era has begun. The time for promises has passed, and we must now translate our commitments into concrete action in a 25 spirit of true solidarity between developed and developing countries, on the basis of a far-reaching reform of our Organization. By so doing, we will leave to future generations, to which we owe a debt, the right tools to lead humankind towards a better future.