At
the beginning of this week, at the opening of the
general debate, the international community strongly
condemned the heinous attacks that have once again
struck Kenya. That situation should lead us to reflect
on our ability to prevent, manage and settle conflicts.
Kenya’s tragedy is to be situated near the territory of
Somalia, which for too long has been left to terrorist
groups. The lesson is to avoid the creation of any
vacuum that could serve as fertile ground for subversive
movements. That is why in Central Africa the member
States of the subregional community have reacted
quickly to the risk of the “Somalization” of the Central
African Republic ever since the beginning of the crisis
there, despite our limited resources.
The dialogue on the humanitarian crisis in the
Central African Republic that we, the partners of
that ravaged country, held recently in New York, on
25 September, clearly indicated that the international
community has taken stock of the challenge and
has decided to resolutely provide assistance to the
Central African Republic on the political, security,
humanitarian, economic and financial levels, and to
ensure that it has a successful transition, like that of
Mali, a country which we commend and which deserves
all our attention and solidarity today as it did yesterday.
Therefore, beyond the humanitarian emergency,
the Central African Republic must be given all the
resources necessary to restore the authority of the
State, enable its Administration to operate, revive the
economy and prepare for elections. An international
support mission in the Central African Republic
is being established under African leadership. We
encourage the Security Council to swiftly adopt a
resolution supporting that initiative, which is aimed at
creating the necessary conditions to restore peace and
security, which would ensure the much-needed stability
and the effective implementation of the transition
road map. As a mediator and as chair of the follow-
up committee of the Economic Community of Central
African States on the situation in the Central African
Republic monitoring that crisis, the Congo can only
welcome that very encouraging development.
Also in the context of my country’s neighbourhood,
by participating in the signing of the Peace, Security
and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic
Republic of the Congo and the Region, which took
place on 24 February, President Denis Sassou Nguesso
reaffirmed his commitment to a foreign policy aimed at
peace and security in the world in general and in Africa,
particularly in Central Africa and the Great Lakes
Region. In doing so, he favoured the quest for peaceful
solutions and showed his willingness to continue along
that path. The various consultations he has initiated in
the context of the implementation of the Framework
agreement and the appeals directed to him demonstrate
his approach.
In that spirit, the Congo is pleased with the
conclusions of the Second Meeting of States Parties
to the Framework Agreement, which was held in New
York on 23 September. We commend the leadership of
the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, while we call
for those efforts to culminate in talks in Kampala.
Just two years ago, we welcomed the wave of
popular uprisings — the so-called Arab Spring, which
led to the fall of some political regimes in the Arab
world, sometimes by force of arms. We welcomed
those movements, just as we welcomed the enormous
changes that transformed the European landscape after
the fall of the Berlin wall, in 1989. Today, in view of
the developments in some of those countries, whose
populations aspired and still legitimately aspire to
freedom, democracy and social justice, I cannot fail
to recall the remarks that I made from this rostrum
during the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly
(see A/66/PV.27). I called then for greater caution and
prudence, convinced that the overthrow of a political
regime does not necessarily bring freedom and
democracy, since they must be won and nurtured by
other victories that cannot be imposed from the outside.
The situations we have just mentioned are replete
with lessons, not just because of the internal instability
that may result from them, but also and above all because
of their unpredictable negative impact on regional and
international peace and security.
It that regard, I shall mention other challenges to
international peace and security, particularly those
of the Syrian tragedy, which is unfolding relentlessly
before our eyes, and the untenable Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, which has consumed so many human lives and
so much energy and time.
With regard to the situation in Syria, my delegation
strongly condemns the use of chemical weapons and
welcomes the Syrian Government’s adherence to
the Chemical Weapons Convention and its decision
to place its stockpile of chemical weapons under
international control for destruction. Nevertheless, we
believe that only a political solution can put an end to
the martyrdom of the Syrian people and the fratricidal
war that has already killed more than 100,000 people.
That is why the Congo welcomes the United States-
Russian agreement and the discussions under way in
the Security Council on the adoption of a resolution
that would mark the first steps in a process that will,
we hope, in the near future, bring together the Syrian
actors and all parties involved around a table in the
framework of a conference for peace in Syria. In that
regard, once again, we believe that the focus must be
placed on finding a peaceful solution.
At the same time as Syria is agreeing to
eliminate its stockpile of chemical weapons, it is
appropriate to recall one of the most serious threats to
humankind — the nuclear danger. It is indeed urgent
for the nuclear-weapon States, as well as for those that
have other weapons of mass destruction, including
biological weapons, to implement concrete measures
enabling the elimination of those arsenals and making
progress towards real disarmament, while ensuring
respect for the prohibition of nuclear proliferation for
military purposes. This is also the moment to commend
the overtures made here by Iran concerning its nuclear
programme.
Last year, the Congo supported the General
Assembly’s historic decision to confer United Nations
non-Member observer State status on Palestine. It was
a symbolic act that the Assembly welcomed almost
unanimously. The new American initiative designed
to relaunch the Israeli-Palestinian talks also deserves
the support of the entire international community. Here
too, the Congo encourages dialogue and rejects any
recourse to force or violence.
Given the current series of political crises and in
the spirit of peace and justice, how can we fail to ask
that the embargo unjustly imposed on the Cuban people
for five decades be lifted? That unilateral decision is
contrary to the principles and values of the Charter of
the United Nations and to international order, based
on non-interference in a State’s internal affairs and
peaceful cooperation.
The damage done by the economic and financial
crisis that recently shook the world is far from being
repaired; even if here and there we can see some signs
of recovery, they are unfortunately not capable of
relaunching sustained growth. The progress that about
40 developing countries have made has definitely led to
some rebalancing of power, as the Human Development
Report 2013 of the United Nations Development
Programme indicates. However, the fruits of that growth
are unequally distributed. Similarly, the disparities both
within countries and between rich and poor countries
once again raises the problem of inequality and social
justice, which often causes social unrest. Between now
and 2015 there will be numerous African countries
that will not meet the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs).
For my own country, there has been significant
progress in achieving the MDGs, especially those
relating to education and maternal and child health,
thanks to my Government’s efforts and initiatives in
areas such as abolishing school fees, providing free
textbooks, recruiting teachers and providing free
Caesarean sections, vaccinations and antiretroviral
treatments. However, progress has been somewhat
slow in fighting poverty and promoting decent jobs.
Nonetheless, combating poverty remains a major
concern to which my Government accords high priority
through investment programmes in health, education,
professional training, infrastructure, agricultural
production, forestry and mining.
We have reasons to hope for progress between
now and 2015. The national context is being prepared.
The Republic of the Congo enjoys reassuring stability
and a favourable economic environment. Lasting
peace has been established. We are consolidating the
democratic process, which is strengthened by a regular
dialogue between the Government and the opposition
on organizing peaceful elections. My country has also
built a harmonious overall framework for implementing
its development policy, focused on modernizing and
industrializing the country on the basis of our national
development plan for 2012-2016.
The favourable rise in the price of petroleum
products and other natural resources such as wood has
enabled my country to register significant increases
in its economic growth rate, now over 5 per cent per
year since 2010, allowing for inflation. That economic
improvement has notably benefited State revenues,
which have been going up steadily. The Republic of the
Congo has also benefited from substantial debt relief
after reaching the completion point for the Heavily
Indebted Poor Countries Initiative in January 2010 and
will from now on have more resources available for
national development programmes, particularly in the
social sectors.
Structural reforms undertaken through the Extended
Credit Facility of the International Monetary Fund have
enabled us to make essential progress in managing the
public finances and macroeconomic stabilization. The
business climate continues to improve. Other measures
have been taken to enable the Congo to speed up its
achievement of the MDGs between now and 2015.
The 2012 United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development (Rio+20) outlined for us
“The future we want”. Ambassador Ashe, who was one
of the co-facilitators of the Rio+20 process and is now
the President of the General Assembly, is therefore well
placed to help us to set the stage that will enable us
to reach the horizon that is the future we want. “The
post-2015 development agenda: setting the stage” is the
theme of the current session. It invites us to establish the
foundations for another vision of development, focused
on poverty eradication and human development.
My delegation agrees with the President that what is
needed is an ambitious, bold programme that takes new
and emerging development challenges into account
and that better integrates the economic, social and
environmental aspects of sustainable development.
The Congo, a country in the forested Congo
basin, can only concur with that view. The Congo’s
commitment to sustainable development at the national
level, as well as at the regional and international
levels, has been unflagging. It is in that context that,
after having spoken for Africa throughout the Rio+20
process, the Congo has continued its active commitment
within the framework of the Open Working Group on
Sustainable Development Goals. Once those sustainable
development goals have been defined, there remains the
vital issue of how to finance sustainable development,
which will be tackled by establishing a committee of
experts on the issue.
It is regrettable that the issue of climate change,
which affects all humankind, is still suffering from a
lack of consensus. Permit me to revisit a subject of deep
concern for developing countries such as ours, namely,
the issue of financing the fight against climate change,
which should be a central element in our negotiations.
For our part, we affirm the importance of supporting
developing countries in establishing low-carbon
regimes that can adapt to climate change in order to
tackle the worldwide problem that humankind is facing.
In regard to the programme entitled “Reducing
Deforestation and Forest Degradation and Enhancing
Environmental Services in Tropical Forests”,
established by the International Tropical Timber
Council, the Congo welcomes the consensus on the
importance of participation by all countries, according
to their capacity and national context, in the fight
against deforestation, forest degradation and of
increasing stocks of forest carbon, which is responsible
for almost 20 per cent of total greenhouse-gas
emissions. Our interest in conserving nature and
protecting wildlife has impelled us to launch a fierce
fight against poaching. In that context, next year the
Congo is organizing a major international meeting
on combating that scourge. Participants will include
political and technical stakeholders involved in wildlife
management, countries that buy wildlife products, and
international organizations.
The world has changed, and we must deal with the
new geopolitical challenges that have helped new forces
to emerge onto the international scene. Every living
organism must evolve. The United Nations, which we
would like to see become more transparent, dynamic
and democratic, cannot avoid that law of nature.
As President John F. Kennedy noted as early as in
1963, at the eighteenth session of the General Assembly,
“The United Nations cannot survive as a static
Organization. Its obligations are increasing as well
as its size. Its Charter must be changed as well as its
customs. The authors of that Charter did not intend
that it be frozen in perpetuity.” (A/PV.1209, p. 7)
We are therefore at the heart of an important and timely
debate.
United Nations reform is therefore urgent
and possible. It must be based on the principles of
democracy, justice and equality. In that regard, the cycle
of the intergovernmental negotiations on the question
of equitable representation on and increase in the
membership of the Security Council and other matters
related to the Council should lead, through a consensual
framework, to concrete results. That reform is part of
the will of the Member States to make the Organization
an institution that expresses the values of modernity
and is open to the future, a sanctuary for builders of the
future of the world, a world where planetary challenges
require concerted global solutions, a world that is being
built on the bedrock of solidarity, unity, mutual respect
and tolerance.