Let me
begin by conveying to the United States authorities my
delegation’s heartfelt gratitude for their always warm
hospitality in hosting this great annual event here in
New York. I also express my sincere congratulations to
the President and wish him full success in conducting
the work of the Assembly at its sixty-ninth session.
Finally, on behalf of my delegation and myself I renew
our full gratitude to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
for his commitment to serving our Organization.
The current session — the sixty-ninth — is
taking place at a crucial moment in the history of our
Organization, a crucible of multilateralism and global
diplomacy that has, over time, become an ever more
precious and indispensable tool for peace and security
in the world. The session is being held on the eve of
our Organization’s seventieth anniversary, which we
will celebrate one year hence in this beautiful city
of New York. We will celebrate it here, at a venue
renowned for the discussions and ongoing dialogue
that place humankind and the environment at the
forefront of concerns, with a view to fostering peace in
international relations. In the light of the wisdom and
experience of its 69 years, our Organization must find
fresh strength and vitality and renew its commitment to
a world continually faced with challenges and threats
that change and become more unpredictable with each
passing day.
The current session also provides us with an
important opportunity to carry out a comprehensive
assessment of our Organization’s work and undertake
the preparations to ensure that 2015 will be the year
of reform, on the occasion of our seventieth birthday.
Clearly, as part of that process, we should take greater
account, first, of new complications, such as those related
to the extreme vulnerability of small island developing
States, in accordance with the recommendations of the
recent Third International Conference on Small Island
Developing States, held in Apia. Secondly, we should
work to ensure better representation for developing
countries, particularly those in Africa, which today
includes not only areas that are seeing significant
economic growth but also some that are afflicted by
great poverty and often bloody conflicts that slow
their development and are an obstacle to their peoples’
welfare.
Meanwhile, it is vital that the long-hoped-for reform
of our Organization include ensuring that the Security
Council takes on the role of coordinator in the fight
against the new global scourge of terrorism. In any
event, as a country committed to and involved in the
East African Standby Force, the Union of the Comoros
fully appreciates the Security Council’s responsibilities
in helping to promote, guide and supervise the
prevention and resolution of conflicts in Central Africa,
Nigeria and Mali, as well as Libya, Syria, Iraq, Ukraine
and any country in crisis. All are sources of tension
that undermine peace in various parts of the world and
have become fertile breeding grounds for international
terrorism. It is in that context, and especially in the
wake of the recent and bloody armed attacks on our
Palestinian brothers in Gaza, that I would like to stress
the urgent need for a just and immediate solution to the
question of Palestine, which, sadly, is almost as old as
our Organization.
In order to maintain and build peace in a constantly
changing world, we must focus unfailingly on conflict
prevention, while continuing to support efforts to
solve crises as they arise. Our community of nations
has a duty to take the initiative on issues that may ruin
our Organization’s credibility if not dealt with fairly.
That is the case with my country, which, admitted
as a Member of the United Nations under resolution
3385 (XXX), of 12 November 1975, in affirmation of
the importance of respecting the unity and territorial
integrity of the Comoro Archipelago, consisting of four
islands, still awaits the completion of its decolonization
process. In that regard, in my address to the General
Assembly at its sixty-eighth session (see A/68/PV.10), I
discussed our new approach to reaching an agreement
with France on a fair solution that is consistent with the
principles governing our Organization.
In keeping with the commitment I expressed from
this rostrum, I would like to inform the Assembly that
the high joint council proposed by the Paris Declaration
has been established. This monitoring body began its
work in November 2013 and is preparing to meet again
at the end of this year. At its second meeting, the issues
it will address will include that of people’s movement
between the archipelago’s four islands, in an effort
to end the tragedies that afflict Comorian families
daily — tragedies that generally go unnoticed by
international public opinion but are deeply damaging
to my people’s collective consciousness. These are
tragedies that are equally troublesome to the conscience
of France, the great country whose humanistic values
we share.
In other words, quite apart from the two countries’
territorial dispute, it is extremely urgent that we end
this human tragedy through a peaceful and committed
dialogue between the two parties, which can only
benefit from United Nations support. That is why,
in the spirit of the Paris Declaration and to pave the
way for building a renewed relationship focused on
the future, I recently sought the support of the Indian
Ocean Commission at the fourth summit for Heads of
State and Government of that subregional organization,
of which France and the Comoros are both members.
There, the Comorian Government put the emphasis
on a spirit of harmony aimed at preserving the bonds
between our peoples, while reaffirming the importance
of respecting the principles of international law in
settling this 40-year dispute.
The purpose of the Assembly’s sixty-ninth session
is to define a development programme for the post-
2015 period, with, as its chief aims, the eradication
of poverty and hunger and the promotion of inclusive
and sustainable economic growth throughout the
world. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
unquestionably created a global covenant of solidarity
for our nation’s socioeconomic progress. Like many
countries, and like small island developing States
in particular, the Union of the Comoros has made
significant strides towards achieving the Goals,
including improving maternal health and women’s
participation in political and economic life, reducing
malaria and infant mortality, fighting HIV/AIDS and
ensuring equality in children’s education. However,
there is still much to do, particularly in the areas of
food security, access to universal health care and the
deterioration of the environment. Similarly, energy,
sustainable agriculture and access to drinking water
for much of the population are still matters for concern.
That is why, at a time when my country is
negotiating entry into the World Trade Organization,
we urge that the MDGs that have still not been reached
be incorporated into our new sustainable development
goals. We also call for strengthened strategic
partnerships for development, the establishment of an
equitable regime for international trade, the promotion
of domestic and foreign direct investment and, lastly,
greater mobilization and commitment in combating
climate change. It is also vital to implement promptly
the recommendations of the various climate summits,
especially the Samoa Conference and the Climate
Summit held here in New York on 23 September.
Many indicators over the past few years, such as the
rate of economic growth in various African countries,
give reason to hope for a better future for development
on our continent. However, Africa is having to deal
with challenges related to conflict resolution and
multiple threats to peace and security that no country
in the world can manage alone, without international
cooperation and support. One example is Ebola, a virus
that is devastating various West African countries, the
alarming scale and speed of whose spread represent a
global threat. We welcome the steps that many countries
have taken recently to help contain and eradicate this
epidemic.
It is on my belief in the crucial importance of
international solidarity in meeting our peoples’
ever-growing needs that I base my hopes of seeing
our Organization successfully negotiate its own
transformation after almost 70 years of existence.
Indeed, it is by rising to meet the many current
challenges and fully assuming the demands of an
increasingly interdependent and complex world that we
will be able together to open up ways of hope for future
generations.