I bring you, Madam
President, good tidings from Chief Olusegun Obasanjo,
President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, who could not be here in person
as a result of a national tragedy. He has asked me to
deliver his statement to the Assembly and it is now my
privilege and honour to read it out.
“On behalf of the people and the
Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I
would like to extend my sincere congratulations
to you, Madam, and your country, the Kingdom
of Bahrain, on your historic election as President
of the General Assembly at its sixty-first session.
Your assumption of that high office is a source of
inspiration to us all, particularly to women all
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over the world. I assure you of the support and
cooperation of my delegation.
“I would like to extend my profound
appreciation to your predecessor, His Excellency
Mr. Jan Eliasson, for the commitment and
dedication with which he presided over the affairs
of the sixtieth session. This was particularly
evident during the delicate negotiations that
resulted in the establishment of the Peacebuilding
Commission and the creation of the Human
Rights Council.
“The founding fathers of the United Nations
envisaged an international organization whose
primary strength would rest on the ability of its
Members to act collectively and in a spirit of
cooperation in solving international problems.
“The theme for this year’s general debate,
‘Implementing a global partnership for
development’, aptly captures this aspiration and,
indeed, reaffirms one of the objectives of the
Millennium Development Goals. Nigeria restates
its firm commitment to the principle that genuine
global partnership is the key to development. This
is particularly so in the face of the many
challenges confronting us today.
“For Africa, the most urgent challenge
remains the resolution of conflicts and the
maintenance of peace and security as the
foundation for socio-economic progress. We
remain undaunted and have collectively decided
to take action to address the problem under the
auspices of the African Union. Our efforts have
been bolstered by the active engagement of the
Security Council and the international
community, for which we remain grateful. I am
happy to note that in Liberia and Sierra Leone,
where hostilities have happily ceased, there are
signs of progress everywhere as democracy and
its benefits take their most important first steps.
“With respect to Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria
welcomes the recent efforts by all parties to
overcome their differences through dialogue. We
urge them to remain steadfast in their
commitment in order to ensure that the peace
process remains on course. However, it is now
doubtful that elections can take place in October.
But we must not allow the elections in Côte
d’Ivoire to be postponed beyond 31 December
2006. If the proposed extraordinary meeting of
the Economic Community of West African States
in early October fails to achieve this goal, a
Security Council resolution will become
necessary to impose heavy sanctions on all
culprits and their relations.
“Nigeria is encouraged by the progress
towards implementation of the Darfur Peace
Agreement, which was signed in Abuja last June.
We are, however, concerned by the slow pace of
implementation regarding key aspects of the plan,
which has exacerbated the humanitarian situation.
We share the frustration of the international
community over the lack of access to vulnerable
groups in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
We call on all parties to respect their
commitments.
“The situation in Darfur has placed a heavy
burden on the African Union and continues to
exert pressure on its meagre resources, as it
struggles to maintain a peacekeeping force of
over 7,000 troops. Africa’s commitment to peace
in Darfur was reaffirmed by the latest decision of
the Peace and Security Council of the African
Union, at its meeting in New York on
20 September 2006, to extend the mandate of the
African Mission in the Sudan (AMIS) until
31 December 2006. Nigeria calls on the
international community to urgently assist the
African Union with the logistical and financial
support to sustain AMIS through that date.
“If the early removal of the obstacles that
have thus far prevented the conclusion of the
negotiations on the replacement of the African
Union force with a United Nations peacekeeping
force cannot be achieved, the African Union may
be left with no other option but to allow the
troops to return to the contributing countries. The
consequences of the withdrawal of AMIS without
a United Nations umbrella will be the full
responsibility of the Government of the Sudan.
“Nigeria is concerned by the increasing
threat of violence and insecurity in the world
brought about by threats or acts of terrorism.
Nigeria strongly condemns all acts of terrorism
and calls upon the international community to
redouble its efforts to defeat this heinous crime in
all its forms and manifestations.
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“On the situation in the Middle East,
Nigeria welcomes Security Council resolution
1701 (2006) and calls for the implementation of
the terms of the ceasefire by both parties. We
believe, however, that a long-lasting solution
must come through dialogue and a readiness to
abandon violence as a means of resolving the
crisis. The root causes of the Middle East crisis
must also be addressed in a comprehensive
manner for lasting peace to be attained. We
reaffirm our commitment to a two-State
arrangement: Israel and Palestine living in peace
within secure borders, in accordance with
Security Council resolutions. We therefore call on
the international community to show greater
commitment to the peaceful and early resolution
of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.
“West Africa has experienced conflicts for
many years as a result of the illicit proliferation
of small arms and light weapons in the region.
We believe that the restoration and maintenance
of peace are critical for socio-economic
development in the subregion. Towards that end,
in June this year, States member of the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
adopted a landmark Convention on Small Arms,
Light Weapons, Their Ammunition and Other
Associated Material to reduce violence in the
subregion and pave the way for the achievement
of peace, security, stability, cooperation and
development. The Convention bans international
arms transfers, except those for the legitimate
defence and security needs of member States. Of
greatest significance is the ban on transfers to
non-State actors, who have been largely
responsible for political instability in the
subregion, as elsewhere.
“In this regard, I wish to express Nigeria’s
deep disappointment that the first United Nations
Review Conference on implementation of the
Programme of Action on small arms and light
weapons failed to agree on a final document,
including a similar ban on arms transfers to non-
State actors. I urge all Member States to be
guided by the example of ECOWAS on this issue
when and if the Conference reconvenes.
“As a demonstration of Nigeria’s
commitment to the fight against illicit small arms,
we have deposited the instrument of ratification
of the Firearms Protocol to the United Nations
Convention against Transnational Organized
Crime. We also call for a comprehensive and
legally binding global arms trade treaty.
“Humankind has made giant strides in the
field of nuclear technology since the discovery of
the atom. This has opened up vistas of
opportunities for determined and committed
societies to uplift the standard of living of their
citizenry. Indeed, nuclear energy has become a
veritable source of socio-economic development
and a reliable source of electricity generation. We
note in particular the global trend towards the
utilization of nuclear technology for the
generation of electricity, agricultural
development, human health and environmental
development, especially for developing countries.
“In the context of this development and of
the enormous energy crisis that confronts us in
Nigeria, my Government decided to inaugurate
the Board of the Nigeria Atomic Energy
Commission. With the inauguration of the Board,
our quest for energy self-sufficiency has begun.
“Nigeria remains resolute in its commitment
to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons (NPT) and the Treaty of Pelindaba on
the African nuclear-weapon-free zone. We wish to
assure the international community of our
determination to restrict the use of nuclear energy
to purely peaceful purposes.
“I take this opportunity to reiterate our deep
appreciation to this body for the invaluable
support it has given to the New Partnership for
Africa’s Development (NEPAD). We are also
very appreciative of the interest shown by the
international community and the commitments it
has made in support of NEPAD. The NEPAD
initiative remains our continent’s most viable
socio-economic blueprint; it could bring
sustained economic growth while strengthening
good governance and enhancing the protection of
the human rights of our peoples.
“Trade is one of the most potent and
genuine engines of economic growth and
development. We therefore support efforts that
would enhance the ability of our countries to
enjoy the benefits of the successful conclusion of
agreements on regimes under the auspices of the
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World Trade Organization (WTO). In this
connection, we regard the recent breakdown of
the WTO Doha round of development talks as a
very serious setback. The successful conclusion
of Doha development talks and the
implementation of their outcome would provide
succour to the almost 1 billion people currently
subsisting on less than one dollar a day. We urge
all parties to return to the negotiating table and
resume talks in the spirit of global partnership,
cooperation and global economic progress.
“Nigeria remains committed to the fight
against the HIV/AIDS pandemic, malaria,
tuberculosis and related diseases. We have taken
bold steps to deal with them. To this end, we
hosted the Special Summit of the African Union
on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Abuja
in May this year. At the Summit, African leaders
reaffirmed their commitment to earlier
declarations and pledged to take immediate action
to ensure universal access to relevant drugs. We
applaud the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS
(resolution 60/262) which was adopted at the
United Nations High-level Meeting on HIV/AIDS
last June and hope that it will be fully
implemented.
“On 14 August this year, Nigeria lowered its
flag for the last time on the Bakassi peninsula and
effectively withdrew its presence there in
accordance with the ruling of the International
Court of Justice. With this final act, Nigeria has
fulfilled its obligations under the terms of the
agreement between my country and Cameroon. I
use this opportunity to recognize the positive
contributions of Mr. Kofi Annan and members of
the international community and to thank them
for their assistance and support. Nigeria hopes
that our brotherly neighbour will protect and
respect the rights and freedoms of Nigerian
nationals who decide to remain in the area in
accordance with the mutually agreed terms.
“Nigeria believes that the reform of the
United Nations system must not lose momentum.
National or regional interests should not be
allowed to obscure our common objectives for a
reinvigorated United Nations. The reform should
be linked to the overall interest of making our
Organization stronger, more effective and better
positioned to meet the challenges facing both the
weak and the strong.
“The identity, importance and relevance of
the different organs of the Organization must be
maintained. Above all, nothing should be done to
weaken one in favour of the other. The General
Assembly, as the pre-eminent, deliberative,
policymaking and representative organ of the
United Nations, deserves the support of all
Members. It remains the only organ where States
big or small, rich or poor, find equality and voice.
“It is in this context that African countries,
along with other Members of the United Nations,
have called for the reform of the Security
Council. For us, no reform will be complete
without the reform of that vital organ. The
Security Council, as now constituted, does not
reflect the realities of our time. We hope that
progress will be made on this issue during this
session.
“I cannot conclude this statement without
paying a special tribute to my brother, the
distinguished statesman Mr. Kofi Annan. Nigeria
salutes his dedicated service to our Organization.
He has, in the past 10 years, assiduously piloted
the United Nations through very important
milestones and turbulent waters.
“It is, indeed, impossible to forget the
reform agenda that you have initiated and set in
motion. We are proud of you and your services
and wish you the best in your future endeavours.
As I am attending the General Assembly for the
last time in my capacity as President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, I wish to take this
opportunity to thank all my colleagues and the
Secretary-General as well as all the staff of our
Organization for their support and cooperation
over the past seven years.”