Gabon

I wish first to convey to Mr. Didier Opertti the warm, sincere congratulations of the Government and the delegation of Gabon on his well-deserved election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-third session. This is a tribute to his country, Uruguay, and an unambiguous recognition of his personal and professional qualities. Our congratulations go also to all the other Assembly officers, and we wish them every success in guiding our work. We assure them of the support and cooperation of the delegation of Gabon. To the President of the General Assembly at the fifty- second session, Mr. Hennadiy Y. Udovenko, who spared no effort in carrying out his responsibilities, I convey our satisfaction and our deep gratitude. The present times are characterized by political tension, by change and by socio-economic upheaval exacerbated by a grave financial crisis; our involvement is required, in more than one respect. Gabon remains convinced that the United Nations continues to be the best forum for working together to harmonize our different approaches towards peace and development. We owe it to ourselves to consider the circumstances in which the Organization was established to free the world from the spectre of war. Was it just to prevent world war, or was it to make use of the renewed humanism inspired by the San Francisco Conference to eradicate all the causes of armed conflict wherever they might emerge so as, in the words of the Charter, “to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom”? Now more than in the past, and especially since the end of the cold war, narrow nationalism has been resurfacing to nullify all the international community?s efforts to make of our world a global village in which peace and security, friendship among nations and international cooperation are the watchwords. Peace is a sine qua non for the development of peoples and of nations. That truth is easy enough to affirm, but applying it is complicated by the play of interests within States, often combined with outside interference. This has been and remains the bitter experience of Africa. For nearly a decade, the African continent has faced multifaceted political tension and violence between and within States, just when the end of the cold war had given rise to hope that resources would be mobilized for its development. Yet during that same period many African countries have courageously embarked on political reform and economic restructuring. Overall, there has been tangible progress. Clearly, stability is indispensable for such progress, which means that questions of international peace and security are the concern of the day on our continent, and more specifically in Central Africa. That subregion, so rich in potential, has come since the end of the cold war to be a world disrupted by “the disorder of nations”, fuelled and maintained by a variety of forces. Although living in peace within its borders and with its neighbours, Gabon is extremely concerned at this situation. President Bongo believes that our country cannot remain an isle of peace, freedom and even relative prosperity in an ocean of misery, violence and fratricidal wars. That concern is shared by the other heads of State of Central Africa, and was at the root of the summit conference held on Thursday, 24 September 1998, at Libreville, at the initiative of President Bongo, on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. That important meeting gave heads of State and heads of delegation an opportunity to express their support for President Kabila and to condemn the aggression against the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the interference in the internal affairs of that country. They called for the withdrawal of foreign forces of aggression; for a ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; for respect for the territorial integrity of that country; and for continuing the process of democratization begun by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They also stressed the need for concerted action by the countries of Central Africa, the States members of the Southern African Development Community, of the Organization of African Unity and of the United Nations, and all those who are working to find a solution to the Congo crisis, renouncing any partisan decisions that could prolong the suffering of the peoples of Congo and of neighbouring States. The heads of State and heads of delegation of Central Africa therefore decided to establish a summit follow-up and negotiating committee under the chairmanship of the President of the Gabonese Republic, and reaffirmed that it would be appropriate to establish a regional peacekeeping force. Turning to Angola, I wish first to honour the memory of the Special Representative of the Secretary- General, Matre Alioune Blondin Beye, and of members of his team, who worked tirelessly for peace in that country, tragically giving their lives to that cause. The heads of State and of delegation reaffirmed at the Libreville summit their support for the Government of Angola, which is sparing no effort in the search for 25 lasting peace in that country and for the full and speedy implementation of the Lusaka accords. Finally, with regard to the Republic of the Congo, the heads of State supported the reconstruction and national reconciliation efforts and condemned the destabilization manoeuvres originating outside the country. Of course, we are not insensitive to the disturbances and violence occurring in other parts of the world — quite the contrary. Gabon shares the position of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) on ways and means of resolving the problems in Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Somalia and between Ethiopia and Eritrea. We are following most attentively the resumption of dialogue between the Israelis and Palestinians, as seen in the recent summit meetings. These talks offer a glimmer of hope for a global settlement of the problems of the Middle East. We likewise believe that only political means will return peace to Afghanistan. With the same conviction, we encourage the efforts of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to preserve peace in South-East Asia. A global vision of peace is certainly necessary. In fact, through the phenomenon of globalization, the shock wave of conflict is often felt very far from the epicentre. It is equally clear that development cannot be ensured in an unstable environment, for peace constitutes the fertile ground in which development must take root and prosper. It is in that spirit that Gabon studied the remarkable report (A/52/871) that the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, submitted to the Security Council on the causes of conflict in Africa. He very rightly noted that historical legacies, internal and external factors, economic motives and particular situations are the source of many conflicts in Africa. These various causes are known to us and we must combat them. In this respect, I would like to draw the attention of the Assembly particularly to one of the causes of conflict that I believe should be given our full attention because of the many dangers it poses to the stability of our entire continent. Furthermore, this phenomenon is also evident in Central and Eastern Europe. I refer to the question of transnational populations — in other words, communities dispersed over several States as a result of various historical circumstances. Aware of the danger in Africa, the founding fathers of the OAU, in their great wisdom, inscribed in its Charter the principle of the inviolability of frontiers inherited from colonization. To reshape States on the basis of diverse claims seemed to them to be simply risky. They therefore chose to take charge of our history through the openness of integration. Gabon reaffirms its support for this approach. All in all, the resurgence of nationalism, poor understanding and abuse of the rights of peoples as well as their manipulation, inevitably lead to national unrest, with its attendant deadly difficulties. Faced with these realities and possibilities, the Government of Gabon would more than ever like to reaffirm its commitment to certain principles which underlie the maintenance of peace and security, both internally and internationally. These include respect for human rights in general and for the rights of national minorities in particular; respect for cultural identities; respect for the territorial integrity of States; respect for national sovereignty; the principle of non-interference in internal affairs; the principle of good neighbourliness; and the principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes. In any event, dialogue remains the best and most effective way of preventing conflicts and maintaining or restoring peace. Political differences must have a political response. The African populations, already overwhelmed by underdevelopment, cannot and should not have to endure, in addition, the deadly consequences of conflict. We must therefore always engage in dialogue. This is why President Bongo, sensing the changes in history and the aspirations of his people, set in motion in mid-1989 the rethinking within the former single party in our country that led to the national conference of March-April 1990, which reopened the way to pluralism and democracy. New regulatory and control institutions have gradually been established since then and they are working. Individual and collective freedoms are recognized and enjoyed by our citizens, who can even appeal as high as the Constitutional Court, as a glance at our newspapers in Gabon suffices to make clear. This shows how deeply committed we are to the principles of participatory democracy, taking into account our overall level of development and our sociological environment. It is also in this new context that in two months we shall be organizing presidential elections for the second time. The logistical and legislative preparations are already at a very advanced stage; they are basically the work of government. The National Electoral Commission, which is already in place, will conduct the actual electoral operations. Its representatives were appointed last week in all departments and communes. The Prime Minister sent 26 invitations a month ago to various States and organizations, including the United Nations, to observe both the preparations and the polling process itself. A few days ago I had the opportunity to address the Security Council on mechanisms for conflict prevention in our subregion. Without repeating the report that has been made to the Assembly, I would like to recall here that, in accordance with the decision made by the heads of State or Government of the countries of Central Africa, Defence and Interior Ministers of the countries members of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa, meeting in Libreville from 28 to 30 April 1998, re-examined the plan for the establishment of an early-warning mechanism as an instrument for the prevention of crises and conflicts. Gabon, which now holds the chairmanship of the Committee, is doing everything in its power to meet the logistics needs to allow Libreville to be the headquarters of that mechanism. Along the same lines, also concerning the logic of prevention, the Committee held from 18 to 21 May 1998 in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, the first conference on the question of relationships between democratic institutions and peace in Central Africa. That conference brought together members of Governments, representatives of opposition political parties, high-ranking officials of the forces of law and order, representatives of civil society and experts on matters of political freedoms, the press and human rights. The participants? main recommendation was the establishment of a subregional parliament of Central Africa, which would be charged with dealing with questions of common interest, with a view to strengthening measures for confidence-building and subregional peace, while serving as a forum for harmonization of views and the promotion of values related to the democratic experiences of member States. In general, we can say that the action of the Committee is a needed extension of the Organization of African Unity?s Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution. All these preventive measures would be in vain if the international community made no further disarmament efforts. My country supports the high priority given by the United Nations to the question of disarmament in general and to the elimination of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in particular. Even if the harm they can cause is less, we are also concerned about the proliferation of conventional weapons, which are also tools of death and destruction. We therefore commend the statement by the President of the Security Council on the occasion of the ministerial meeting on Africa held on 24 September 1998, in which the Council asked the ad hoc Working Group to elaborate further concrete recommendations on the need to stem illicit arms flows to and in Africa. Apart from these concerns, we have certain grounds for satisfaction. Disarmament took a step forward very recently with the adoption of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, which I personally signed on behalf of Gabon on 4 December 1997 in Ottawa, and which has just entered into force with the deposit of the fortieth instrument of ratification by an African country, Burkina Faso. Other significant instruments, such as the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Comprehensive Nuclear- Test-Ban Treaty, have become a reality. Gabon, convinced of the prominent role of disarmament in the maintenance of international peace and security, is a signatory of these important instruments. My country invites all States Members of the United Nations to work towards complete and general disarmament in the twenty- first century, the guarantor of a lasting peace. We must make the quest for peace a cardinal point of reference. However, that peace will remain in jeopardy as long as the basic needs of peoples are not met. The persistence of conflicts, non-respect for the human person, hatred and the rejection of democratic values all have serious repercussions on the economic health of States. Likewise, the phenomenon of refugees and displaced persons, epidemics and the cost of reconstruction in the wake of war all are burdens that affect already fragile economies and aggravate difficult social situations. The situation at this end of century makes it imperative for the international community to deal with development and social issues if we wish to prevent our world from self-destructing. The content of the 1998 Human Development Report, published by the United Nations Development Programme a few weeks ago, strengthens this conviction. The conclusions of the 1995 Copenhagen summit therefore remain valid, and the United Nations must again take the initiative. Statements of intention no longer suffice. We need concrete action and realistic programmes that take into account the phenomenon of globalization. These 27 programmes must ensure that no one is excluded and that each of our nations, by making the necessary efforts to adapt, can become integrated in the most harmonious way possible. That is why Gabon believes it necessary to relaunch the idea of a new partnership based on fairness in order to respond to the legitimate aspirations of people — mainly, to eliminate poverty and to promote well-being. With globalization, States? autonomy and room for manoeuvre has been greatly reduced. The power of Governments is offset by the power of the markets. Openness and freedom, however, must not come to mean free rein to establish the law of the jungle, in which we, the small and the weak, will inevitably be crushed and destroyed. In this context, it seemed necessary to the Government of Gabon not to abdicate but to refocus the role of the State. A new direction has been reflected, inter alia, through an ambitious programme of liberalization of economic activities on the one hand and on the other by the privatization of large sectoral public enterprises. As for the structure of the economy of Gabon, let me say that our country remains dependent on the sale of three principal raw materials: oil, wood and manganese. The prices of these products have been on the decline for several months now. If we factor in the fluctuations in the United States dollar, which is also on the decline, we can see that the result is a decrease in the income of the State, which puts the country?s investment and development capacities in considerable jeopardy. This fact is not the only handicap to my country?s development. The debt and its servicing absorb almost 45 per cent of our budgetary resources. This is truly intolerable. All of this notwithstanding, the international financial institutions continue to classify Gabon as an upper middle- income country, thus preventing its access to financing on flexible terms. Gabon is the only sub-Saharan African country in this situation, which is simply unjust. Gabon, a developing country just like any other, asks that international financial institutions apply new assessment criteria and, above all, that they give more appropriate consideration to our debt burden in order further to unleash our productive capabilities. This would benefit not only the people of Gabon but also our partners abroad. Other major problems must also mobilize the international community, inter alia, the drug problem, terrorism, major pandemics, human rights and the environment. The General Assembly held its twentieth special session on the fight against drugs last June. Gabon is pleased that on that occasion our Organization enshrined the criminal nature of the traffic in drugs and broadened the options for solutions to this scourge at the global level. That session gave political impetus to the international efforts of States in the fight against drug trafficking, which now spares no country. The Government of Gabon invites the United Nations and its specialized agencies to further support the efforts made in this respect at the regional level. As for the scourge of terrorism, and bearing in mind the horrible attacks in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam, I must first of all pay a tribute of compassion and respect to the memory of the Kenyan, Tanzanian and American citizens who lost their lives there. I express my deepest sympathy to all of those persons who were wounded. Above all, the Government of Gabon most forcefully reaffirms its condemnation of acts of terrorism in all their manifestations, wherever they may occur. We believe that no cause can justify resorting to such acts. But I also denounce certain retaliatory measures that they inspire, in particular the placing of countries that are suspected of involvement under embargo. This type of response is neither appropriate nor efficient. In most cases, those types of measures affect mainly innocent civilian populations. We believe, therefore, that under the auspices of the United Nations, urgent dialogue must be undertaken to explore ways and means of preventing and combating terrorism. In the field of human rights, Gabon welcomes the creation of an International Criminal Court, as established by the Statute adopted at Rome on 17 July last. The same applies to the Organization of African Unity Protocol, which created, at the organization?s thirty-fourth summit, a Pan-African Court of Justice. Because of industrial development, environmental questions have become an increasingly pressing concern for the international community. The awareness to which the Rio Summit gave rise unfortunately was not followed up by the concrete measures that were expected. Commitments have not been fulfilled, and as time goes 28 by, the Rio consensus must lead us more than ever towards a necessary commitment if we wish to avoid its remaining a dead letter. I should like also to take this opportunity to express my delegation?s satisfaction with, and its support for, the efforts made by the International Seabed Authority, the guarantor of a common heritage of humankind, in the consideration of a draft code on the mining, exploration and exploitation of the seabed. We must make sincere and tireless efforts on all of these major issues. I very much appreciate the work of our Organization, which, through its executing bodies, its specialized agencies and with the support of other organizations, is making every effort to achieve these noble objectives. As I already said last year, Gabon supports the idea that the United Nations system needs rational and consistent renewal, in keeping with today?s realities. The proposals of the Secretary-General on the reform of the budgetary, administrative, social and economic sectors reflect a spirit of innovation that will make it possible to face the challenges of the new millennium. More specifically, as regards the thorny question of the expansion of the Security Council, Gabon is, of course, in favour of it. We believe Africa should have two permanent seats — I repeat, two permanent seats — which would be occupied on a rotational basis by all African countries — I repeat, all African countries — in accordance with modalities to be determined by them. Before concluding, allow me to commend the achievements of Secretary-General Kofi Annan. We know his task is immense and difficult. He has already accomplished a great deal, with courage and skill. I have already mentioned the promising views he shared with the Security Council on the eradication of conflicts and the promotion of lasting peace in Africa. For Africa, and for the entire international community, we must encourage and support him.