First of all, I would
like to congratulate the President on his election to the
presidency of the sixty-second session of the General
Assembly. His great attributes will contribute greatly to
the success of our work. I would like to assure him of
the constant support of the delegation of Guinea-Bissau
in the realization of his noble mission.
I would also like to extend my warm
congratulations to the President’s predecessor, Sheikha
Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa of Bahrain, for the talent and
competence she displayed during her tenure.
I would also like to take this opportunity to
extend my congratulations to Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon for the excellent work he has done since his
election. We fully agree with the contents of his report
and with his analysis of the international situation. We
endorse the measures he has recommended.
The prevention and peaceful resolution of
conflicts and the maintenance of international peace
and security occupy a central position in the Charter of
the United Nations. It is therefore the duty of all
Member States to make efforts to achieve those noble
objectives. We believe that the establishment of an
international coalition for peace, international security
and the promotion and defence of human rights is the
ideal way to promote efforts towards the resolution of
conflict.
Terrorism and drug trafficking are scourges that
threaten all of us and can even gravely affect the
stability of a country. Guinea-Bissau, like many other
countries in West Africa, is confronting the
phenomenon of drug trafficking. The weakened
infrastructure of the State and the problems we face in
controlling our borders in particular our waters
have made it possible for drug traffickers and other
organized crime elements to flourish in our country.
That has resulted in many sorts of difficulties for our
authorities, to the point of damaging Guinea-Bissau’s
image and putting at risk our relations with the
international community.
Despite the Government’s political will and
determination to combat drug trafficking, we have not
been able to put an end to this scourge. Its eradication
will only be possible through international cooperation.
The emergency plan to combat drug trafficking
developed by my Government illustrates my country’s
determination to make the fight against the trafficking
of drugs and organized crime a national objective.
Unfortunately, however, we do not have the trained
human resources or the material and financial means
needed to carry it out.
I am pleased that an international conference on
drug trafficking in West Africa will take place soon.
We would like to thank the Portuguese Government for
its willingness to host it in Lisbon. Likewise, a regional
conference to be held in Dakar will seek to promote
better coordination between the countries of the
subregion.
I would like to launch an appeal to all countries
able to share their experience and technology relating
to drug trafficking and organized crime to assist us in
the fight against those criminal activities, which
jeopardize the internal security and stability of our
countries and pose a great danger to our young people.
In that regard, I welcome the efforts of the United
Nations system to establish a genuine international
network to eradicate this scourge.
The Government of Guinea-Bissau has decided to
launch programme to address problems in the financial
sector that will serve as an adjustment instrument
vis-à-vis international financial institutions. That step
will certainly allow us to re-establish and strengthen
the framework for interaction and external partnerships
of cooperation for development. The approval of a
post-conflict programme by the Executive Board of the
International Monetary Fund will be an important step
towards achieving the country’s economic recovery
and stabilization.
We are aware of our responsibilities to manage
transparently the meagre resources at our disposal and
to combat corruption through good governance based
on true democracy.
The disbursement of pledges made during the
donors’ conference for Guinea-Bissau in Geneva last
November is much-needed in the political and
institutional stabilization of our country. It goes
without saying that without the firm support of the
international community, it will be difficult for us to
put in place the conditions necessary for the
consolidation of stability and for the promotion of true
national political reconciliation, which is essential if
we are to preserve peace and achieve sustainable
development in Guinea-Bissau.
Allow me to pay tribute to subregional
organizations such as the Economic Community of
West African States and the West African Economic
and Monetary Union for their constant support and
solidarity, from which we have benefited in our efforts
to confront the enormous political, economic and
financial difficulties we face. I would also like to
welcome the important contribution made by the
International Contact Group on Guinea-Bissau to
improve dialogue between international development
partners and to mobilize external assistance for my
country at a particularly difficult moment in our recent
history.
It is also important to emphasize the role played
by the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Guinea-Bissau of
the Economic and Social Council.
I wish to express our thanks for the contribution
of the United Nations system in general, as well as that
of the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in
Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS) in particular, in the
process of establishing peace and political stability in
our country.
The relationship between the Community of
Portuguese-speaking Countries and the United Nations
has been developing in a steady and satisfactory
manner. We draw attention to the progress already
made in consolidating democracy and the rule of law
as well as in promoting respect for human rights in the
Community. This constitutes a marked change in the
life of the peoples of its member States. Indeed, our
eight countries Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-
Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe
and Timor-Leste are committed to pooling together
their affinities and their cultural identities in order to
establish a forum for exchange, in a spirit of constant
and active solidarity. My country, Guinea-Bissau, has
benefited from the support of these sister countries in
tackling the many difficulties I have outlined. On
behalf of the people of Guinea-Bissau, I warmly
commend the leaders present here, and thank them,
reiterating our determination to strengthen the
historical ties of friendship and cooperation among our
peoples.
Allow me also to reaffirm our determination to
contribute to strengthening the role of the United
Nations in attaining peace, international stability and
development. We support the peaceful settlement of
disputes and the promotion of dialogue in all
circumstances and situations. History teaches us that
change, because it is inescapable, cannot be hindered
indefinitely.
China is one nation, one people. The People’s
Republic of China’s contribution to the maintenance of
international peace and security and its partnership,
especially with regard to cooperation for development,
are exemplary. The People’s Republic of China is the
sole, legitimate and true representative of the Chinese
people.
We are aware of the problems and the difficulties
which we confront in the world in general, and in
Africa in particular, where conflict situations and
humanitarian crises persist, as in Darfur and in
Somalia. We hope that a new spirit of cooperation will
prevail within the international community so that a
lasting solution and peace can be found in the Middle
East.
We therefore need an effective Organization that
represents the geographical, cultural and religious
diversity of the world, an Organization that takes into
consideration and defends with equal commitment and
determination the legitimate aspirations of a large
number of countries for just representation and
participation in the deliberations and decision-making
of the Security Council.