First, Madam, I should like to congratulate you on your
election to the presidency of the General Assembly at
its sixty-first session. Your election is proof of the high
esteem in which the international community holds
your country, Bahrain, and also yourself, whose wealth
of diplomatic experience will help us find the right
solutions to the problems facing this session of the
Assembly. I would also ask you kindly to convey my
delegation’s congratulations to the other members of
the Bureau. You may count on my delegation’s
06-53952 12
unremitting willingness and desire to work with you
for the success of this session. Allow me also to
express to your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Jan
Eliasson of Sweden, the Ivorian delegation’s gratitude
for his intensive activities during his presidency and
for the quality of the work he accomplished.
I would also like to pay well-deserved tribute to
Secretary-General Kofi Annan and to reiterate my
country’s appreciation for the skill with which he has
discharged his mission at the head of our Organization.
As he prepares to leave his office, I would like to say
how proud my country, a neighbour of Ghana, his
motherland, is for the distinguished way he has guided
the United Nations over the past 10 years. I would like
to express to him once again the sincere gratitude of
the people and the Government of Côte d’Ivoire for his
personal commitment to advancing the process of
peace and reconciliation in Côte d’Ivoire.
We welcome the Republic of Montenegro, which
has just joined the great family of the United Nations; I
pledge Côte d’Ivoire’s readiness to cooperate with it.
As the General Assembly marked the sixtieth
anniversary of the United Nations, we all expressed our
ambition to reform the Organization. We raised the bar
very high for our objectives in the main areas of United
Nations activity, namely international peace and
security, development and human rights. We decided,
among other things, to create a new mechanism to
restore and consolidate peace in countries devastated
by conflict and war, to adopt strategies to combat
poverty and disease and to act collectively to prevent
genocide and promote human rights. At the sixtieth
session, which recently came to an end, we were able
to achieve significant progress while seeking to
overcome existing differences.
Further tangible progress has been made since
then in many areas, such as counter-terrorism, human
rights, democracy, peacekeeping, humanitarian
intervention and management reform in order to make
the Secretariat more effective and accountable.
With regard to the strengthening of the human
rights machinery, for example, I should like to
welcome our joint commitment to help the Office of
the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights to strengthen its services and to double its
working budget. The creation of the Human Rights
Council, which began its work in Geneva on 19 June
2006, to replace the Commission on Human Rights is
another sign of our common awareness that we need to
set the question of the respect and promotion of human
rights among our priorities. We now have a Human
Rights Council, which must work with determination
and a sense of responsibility, so as to regain respect
and obtain the results expected by all.
As for terrorism, on whose definition everyone
has yet to agree, my delegation welcomes the existence
within our Organization of a structure to coordinate the
fight against terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever and
for whatever purposes.
Another source of satisfaction is the creation of
the Peacebuilding Commission, which is aimed at
giving assistance to countries emerging from armed
conflict. In this respect, and in the context of creating
the solidarity that should exist within our Organization,
the United Nations and the international community
must continue their efforts to bring lasting peace in
post-conflict periods in countries emerging from war.
They must be involved financially in this process not
only to consolidate this peace but also and above all to
contribute to the economic recovery and sustainable
development of those countries.
In his important — and final — report on the
work of the Organization (A/61/1), introduced to the
Assembly on 19 September 2006 (see ),
Secretary-General Kofi Annan advocates a United
Nations that is able to find solutions in this divided
world so that people can fulfil their common destiny.
In explaining his thinking, he said that we now face a
world whose divisions threaten the very notion of an
international community whereas most of the
challenges require a global response. My delegation
fully shares this affirmation of the Secretary-General.
Finding a global, indeed comprehensive, response to
all the world’s problems in all areas, particularly those
of international peace and security, sustainable
development and fundamental human rights, are the
real objectives of this Organization.
More than half a century after the creation of our
Organization, increasingly serious and complex
problems continue to arise in the world. We have seen
serious violations of international law and a repeated
use of force at the expense of dialogue. We can add to
this poverty, illiteracy, hunger, pandemics, local
conflicts and terrorism, not forgetting natural disasters.
In addition to these challenges, increasing
13 06-53952
globalization imposes demands and responsibilities
that are increasingly burdensome for the international
community. We are living in a world where the media
can come into our homes and make us more aware of
the suffering of others. This forces the world’s
decision-makers to display more justice and equity.
The events of the past few years — particularly
the most recent events in the Middle East — seem once
again to call into question the commitment set out in
the Millennium Declaration to share responsibilities, in
the context of the multilateralism represented by the
United Nations, in order to address the threats to
international peace and security. Those events seem to
have caused deep divisions within the international
community and have raised new questions about the
effectiveness of United Nations action and the
principles that guided its establishment.
It is thus urgent that the General Assembly begin
to have in-depth discussions about the future of
multilateralism. Indeed, my delegation believes that the
concept of multilateralism should reflect a broad
consensus regarding the means to prevent major threats
to international peace and security and responses that
must be made to those threats.
The legitimacy of the United Nations is the
Organization’s main asset. Therefore, that legitimacy
must be reinforced by the confidence of States and of
international public opinion in the capacity of the
United Nations to resolve international problems
through agreed action.
There are positive examples in this area
illustrating that assertion. Indeed, following the attacks
of 11 September 2001, the United Nations
demonstrated that it could act swiftly by establishing a
collective mechanism to combat terrorism. In the area
of peacekeeping and peacebuilding, we have also seen
that the Organization could carry out complex
mandates and tackle the difficult task of stabilizing a
conflict situation and assisting countries in transition
towards peace and democracy. Pertinent examples can
be cited in that regard: Timor-Leste at the time of its
independence, Kosovo, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Those examples demonstrate that authorization to
deploy multinational forces is proving to be the
appropriate tool for calming down — if not
extinguishing — hotbeds of tension. In that connection,
my delegation is grateful to the countries and
organizations that have headed such forces. We remain
aware of their acts of solidarity, and we welcome their
interest in maintaining peace throughout the world.
With regard to weapons of mass destruction and
small arms and light weapons, Côte d’Ivoire agrees
that there is a need to strengthen and complete existing
international legislation. I believe that the United
Nations must broaden its action in this area and adopt
the measures necessary to prevent the proliferation of
these weapons. It must also take unequivocal measures
spelling out the consequences for any State that does
not respect such legislation.
Another new challenge with global consequences
threatens our existence: the phenomenon of terrorism.
Indeed, no one is safe from terrorist attacks. As
stressed by the Secretary-General in his report on the
work of the Organization during the fifty-eighth
session (A/58/1), terrorism continues to pose a major
threat to international peace and security. It must thus
be combated everywhere and tirelessly. While
universal condemnation of terrorism must remain
strong and unwavering, the fight against it must be
carried out within the framework of strict respect for
human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of
law.
Returning to the subject of conflict prevention,
my delegation would like to commend the work begun
by the United Nations through its adoption of
resolution 57/337, which is aimed at integrating that
issue into its areas of action and invites States and
regions to adopt conflict prevention strategies. Specific
activities to establish a structural culture of conflict
prevention at the national, regional and international
levels must be carried out and strengthened.
Moreover, my delegation believes that additional
resources should be devoted to conflict prevention
programmes and projects. A mechanism for
strengthening international cooperation in this area
should be established in countries at risk. Indeed,
history teaches us that disagreements — even
seemingly insignificant ones — can lead to difficult-to-
manage conflicts if they are not contained in time.
Thus, it is important that the Organization’s
interventions be preventive in order to avoid the
dramatic and tragic consequences of such conflicts.
That is in the interests of everyone, and in the interest
of the Organization’s credibility.
Henceforth, it should be a major United Nations
priority to establish a policy of conflict prevention by
06-53952 14
strengthening international dialogue and creating
appropriate mechanisms for conflict settlement.
Constant monitoring of international commitments
should be a part of this new vision of peaceful
coexistence and international harmony.
Côte d’Ivoire has always supported the Secretary-
General’s United Nations reform programme. We
welcome the major progress already made with a view
to making the Organization more active and more
effective. The resolve shown by the Secretary-General
in that regard must also be demonstrated by all
Member States.
The current composition of the Security Council,
in both quantitative and qualitative terms, remains a
prisoner of the past and does not reflect the
geopolitical realities of the twenty-first century.
Developing countries — and Africa in particular —
have not yet found their place on the Council.
Therefore, so long as this issue remains unresolved, the
Council’s decisions will continue to be perceived as
reflecting mainly the interests of the countries
benefiting from its current composition. Member
States — particularly the Council’s five permanent
members — must display a spirit of initiative and
openness with regard to this issue, which has been on
the United Nations agenda for more than a decade.
The comprehensive implementation of the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) remains a
fundamental United Nations priority. My delegation is
particularly concerned by the current trends, which
indicate that many developing countries are falling
behind and that, at the current rate, those countries will
not be able to attain the Goals without assistance.
Accomplishing the MDGs requires partnership
and cooperation among all the countries of the world.
In that connection, my delegation would like to urge
the international community to provide the necessary
support to developing countries, particularly the least
developed and most heavily indebted countries. A
sufficient amount of official development assistance
and foreign direct investment would likely enable such
countries to take their place in the process of socio-
economic development.
Therefore, my delegation would like to
congratulate the Secretary-General on his efforts to
undertake reforms to make our institution fully address
the important task of achieving the MDGs. The socio-
economic survival of developing countries is at stake.
My delegation thus encourages the United Nations
system to continue to support the Governments of these
States in their resolve to integrate the Goals into
national and regional development programmes and
strategies. In Africa, for example, the New Partnership
for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) would be an ideal
framework for the achievement of these goals. This is
why NEPAD should be implemented and why our
development partners’ promises should be fulfilled
within the agreed deadline.
Côte d’Ivoire also welcomes the determined
commitment of the Secretary-General to place the
Organization at the service of its Members. Reforms
now under way could very much help to place the
Organization in the forefront of the fight to eliminate
poverty and eradicate HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis
and many other pandemics. This is why my delegation
welcomes the launching of the International Drug
Purchase Facility (UNITAID) on 19 September 2006,
here during the current Assembly and in the presence
of the Secretary-General. This initiative by France,
which has been supported by other countries, such as
Brazil, Chile, the United Kingdom and Norway, will
give the poorest people access to drugs of known
quality, including generic drugs, at the lowest prices
and also to the means of diagnosing AIDS, tuberculosis
and malaria. I am delighted that my country, Côte
d’Ivoire, was one of the first four to establish a tax on
air tickets to help finance the abovementioned fund.
At this stage in my statement, allow me to briefly
mention the socio-political situation in my country,
Côte d’Ivoire. Indeed, since the formation of the
Government of Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny
on 28 December 2005, following the adoption of
Security Council resolution 1633 (2005) on 21 October
2005, the peace and reconciliation process in Côte
d’Ivoire has seen — thanks to the actions of the
Government, the main parties involved in the conflict
and the Ivorian people as a whole — brought tangible
progress in the implementation of the Government’s
road map.
While significant progress has been achieved,
much still remains to be done. In this respect, my
delegation welcomes the invaluable assistance that the
United Nations, the African Union, the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the
European Union and friendly countries have all given
to Côte d’Ivoire. My delegation invites them all to
continue to give their support to the Government and
15 06-53952
people of Côte d’Ivoire in their search for a definitive
way out of this crisis, which is unprecedented in the
history of my country.
The future of the West African region and
beyond — that of Africa as a whole — is at stake. We
remain fully confident both in the United Nations and
in the international community.
The legitimacy and credibility of our
Organization, now sixty-one years old, remains intact,
and its actions for the advancement of well-being and
for better living standards on this planet all continue to
be irreplaceable. The new challenges that the
Organization faces, with the help of a multilateral
perspective and a sense of an increased and clearly
understood collective responsibility, should strengthen
its effectiveness. Essential reforms, which it should
embark upon in order to adapt to the new context of
international relations, should enable it to respond
more swiftly and effectively to the legitimate
aspirations of its constituent peoples, who continue to
have complete trust in it.
In sum, the United Nations remains useful, even
today. It could be even stronger tomorrow, if we wish
it.