I particularly
welcome the opportunity today to represent His
Excellency Mr. Macky Sall, President of the Republic
of Senegal, before the General Assembly and to deliver
this intervention on his behalf.
In line with my predecessors, I would like to extend
a warm welcome to Mr. Sam Kahamba Kutesa and
express my delegation’s particular pleasure in seeing
him assume the presidency of the General Assembly at
its sixty-ninth session. In reiterating our warm wishes
for success in fulfilling his important duty, I assure him
of the unwavering support of my delegation, which, as
always, will contribute in a constructive manner to the
full realization of the goals of the United Nations. I also
pay warm tribute to his predecessor, His Excellency
Mr. John William Ashe, whose dynamism and open
mind greatly contributed to the success of the sixty-
eighth session of the General Assembly. I also want
to express, on behalf of the President of Senegal, our
full gratitude to Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon
for his tireless efforts in promoting peace, security,
development and human rights.
I am therefore particularly pleased by the
opportunity to represent President Macky Sall and
to take the opportunity offered to my delegation to
welcome the conclusions of the Open Working Group
on Sustainable Development Goals and those on the
financing of sustainable development for the purpose of
defining the main pillars of the post-2015 development
agenda. The scope of those challenges, linked to this
important moment for humankind, requires that our
States adopt appropriate strategies and measures with
a view to assuring a good transition and calmly facing
the expected global transformation.
The theme of this session — “Delivering on and
implementing a transformative post-2015 development
agenda” — provides an opportunity to deepen the
discussion already begun during the previous session
with a view to establishing a common vision on the
ways and means to strengthen our commitment and
our actions for sustainable and inclusive growth. It
is therefore our mission to work towards inclusive
development for present and future generations, given
the many challenges faced by our people, particularly
in the areas of education, health, the fight against
poverty and extreme poverty, energy, climate change
and endemic poverty.
With that in mind, the Government of Senegal has
resolutely moved towards a model whose goal is the
creation of wealth and structural transformation of its
economy. That is why we have adopted the Emerging
Senegal Plan, which is, and for the next few years will
be, the reference point for Senegal’s economic and social
policies. Emerging Senegal is backed by a progressive
dynamic that is firmly oriented towards sustainable and
inclusive development.
In the light of all of the above, we need to understand
the importance of the New Partnership for Africa’s
Development, whose Steering Committee, led by the
President of the Republic of Senegal, deserves to be
further supported and promoted, given its goals relating
to poverty eradication and infrastructure development
in Africa and the structural transformation of African
economies.
At this very moment, as we consider the issue
of sustainable development, the world continues to
be confronted with terrorism and various crises and
conflicts that are just as dangerous for international
peace and security. The Sahel and West Africa are
faced with recurring threats from terrorist groups
whose criminal actions undermine the foundations of
our society and hinder our development efforts. We are
pleased by the Security Council’s adoption yesterday
of resolution 2178 (2014), a strong resolution against
terrorism.
With regard to our subregion, our immediate
neighbours in general and Guinea-Bissau in particular,
Senegal would like to welcome the democratic process
that led to the election of President José Mário Vaz. I urge
the international community to support that fraternal
country, with its enormous potential, including through
a donors round table.
Similarly, the efforts of the international community
to help stabilize the Central Africa region are
hampered by the arduous process of the disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration of the main militias
and armed groups, while the Horn of Africa, on top
of terrorism, is still severely affected by the scope of
conflicts with disastrous humanitarian consequences.
Another part of Africa is suffering the effects of
a scourge — rather, I should say a catastrophe — and
that is the haemorrhagic fever caused by the Ebola
virus. It certainly affects West Africa but is also a
genuine threat to the entire world. We are pleased
by the Security Council’s adoption by consensus of
resolution 2177 (2014), which was sponsored by 134
countries, including Senegal, and by the high-level
meeting organized by the Secretary-General this very
morning, which was a resounding success. The decision
to establish the United Nations Mission for Ebola
Emergency Response has reassured our country that
the international community is aware of the scourge
and that Ebola is not only an African matter but one
that affects the entire world.
That is why Senegal calls on the international
community to take swift action to provide the necessary
support not only to the countries affected by the virus,
but to those of the entire West African region exposed
to the ravages of this epidemic. The sooner we take
action, the better we can control the epidemic. As for
Senegal, we have set up a secure humanitarian corridor
as a sign of solidarity with the brotherly countries that
have been struck by the disease.
Furthermore, concerning another important issue,
that of Western Sahara, my country reaffirms its
commitment to strengthening the historic fraternal ties
among all of the countries of the Maghreb and Africa
in general. With that in mind, all forms of separatism
must be discouraged. In that regard, Senegal would
like to reiterate its support to Morocco’s initiative to
grant broad autonomy to Western Sahara in the context
of respect for its sovereignty and for the relevant
resolutions of the Security Council, for the sake of
durable peace in the region.
Faced with all of those pressing challenges, my
delegation is convinced of the urgent need to establish
a holistic approach that can enhance the resilience of
countries facing recurrent crises and emerging new
conflicts. From that perspective, a body such as the
International Criminal Court (ICC) has, as part of its
mandate, a significant role to play in re-establishing
peace. Therefore, I would like to acknowledge here the
distinctive honour recently bestowed on Senegal, via
the person of Mr. Sidiki Kaba, Minister of Justice, who
is the single African candidate standing in the election
for the position of President of the Assembly of States
Parties to the ICC, scheduled to take place in December.
In any event, Senegal remains committed to its
irreversible path in favour of peace and international
security. It will continue to provide, with commitment
and determination, its contribution to peacekeeping
operations, while stressing the deployment of high-
quality personnel, whenever it is requested and within
its capacities.
For a global solution to crises, we believe that in
addition to policies addressing the issues, conditions
must be conducive to restoring the economic capacities
of countries affected by conflict. It is also urgent to
strengthen cooperation and refine our prevention
strategies to better cope with the escalating violence
and new forms of conflict related to the spread of
international terrorism.
The thorny issue of the Palestinian conflict comes
to mind. In that connection, Senegal welcomes the
ceasefire of recent months. In its capacity as Chairman
of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable
Rights of the Palestinian People, Senegal reiterates its
call to revive the peace process and put an end to the
blockade that has been suffocating Gaza since 2007. In
this International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian
People, Senegal renews its support for a just, peaceful
and negotiated solution as the only option capable
of ending the conflict and achieving the creation of
a viable, independent Palestinian State with East
Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel
within secure, internationally recognized borders.
Paradoxically, the acuteness of the current crises
is symptomatic of the status quo that continues to bog
down the process of Security Council reform. I hope that
the upcoming celebration of the seventieth anniversary
of our common Organization in 2015 will mark the start
of a reformed and renovated Security Council. Senegal
commends the French initiative to suspend the right of
the veto in cases of mass crimes.
Also during the Assembly’s seventieth session,
non-permanent members of the Security Council will
be elected for the 2016-2017 term. As a candidate,
Senegal wishes to request from this rostrum the support
of all Member States for its election next year to a
non-permanent seat on the Council, 25 years after its
last term on the Council.