Gambia

It is indeed a great honour and privilege for me to stand here and speak on behalf of the Gambia and the President of the Republic of the Gambia, His Excellency Al Hadji Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh. First of all, I thank Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, for the opportunity of this moment, as we gather here to deliberate on ways to foster peaceful cooperation and development across the world. On behalf of my delegation and the Government and the people of the Gambia, I wish to thank the General Assembly for the warm welcome my delegation and I have received since our arrival. I also wish to offer deep congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, for his courage and for the outstanding and efficient leadership he demonstrated during the sixty-fourth session of the General Assembly. We welcome His Excellency Mr. Joseph Deiss of Switzerland as Mr. Treki’s successor as the President of the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. We would assure Mr. Deiss of the Gambia’s support for his presidency. My delegation would also like to thank the Secretary- 10-55128 40 General for his tireless efforts in leading and managing the affairs of this highly complex Organization. Finally, I convey to all participants the good wishes of the Government and the people of the Republic of the Gambia. It is clear that the recent upheavals and crises in the global arena have put into sharp focus what the United Nations can and must do as the springboard for coordinating global responses and solutions to global issues. For this reason, the theme that the President has chosen for the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly, namely, “Reaffirming the central role of the United Nations in global governance”, is very apt and timely. Any reaffirmation of the pivotal role of the United Nations must start with respect for the purposes and principles of its Charter. In the same vein, the Organization must continue to implement the set of reforms that were introduced at the 2005 World Summit and other related United Nations summits and conferences. Without reform, the United Nations cannot be of relevance in the twenty-first century. One of the major reforms that we all agreed on is that the size, composition and working methods of the Security Council should be improved. In the absence of action to implement the reform, the legitimacy of the actions of that body will be open to question. Africa’s demand for greater representation in all categories of Council membership is rooted in the need for justice and for an end to its marginalization. It is therefore high time to stop consigning Africa to the fate of second-class membership within the United Nations through its perpetual exclusion from the important decision-making that takes place in the Security Council. For many years, I have called for a greater voice for developing countries in international and financial economic matters, and today I renew that call with a deep sense of urgency. As developing countries, we believe that the Economic and Social Council should be the leading platform for the discussion and formulation of global policies in the economic and social fields. The achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) remains a major priority of my Government. Through various interventions, policies and programmes, we are poised to achieve and even surpass some of the Goals. However, as we run the last stretch before 2015, the critical need for greater international solidarity and partnership cannot be overemphasized. I am confident that the Gambia will attain all the Goals by 2015, as we are already on course to do so. We should remind ourselves that the United Nations was created to unify the world, and not to divide it. The Organization should be seen to provide the most potent avenue for allaying fears and restoring hopes and aspirations, fighting for the rights of oppressed and desperate people the world over, and, above all, restraining bullies who seek to skew international politics, growth and development, most often using might and tyranny as weapons. International criminal law and its institutions have a crucial role to play in global governance and hence the need to avoid selective prosecution and the politicization of court processes. In the world today, there is ample evidence to suggest the existence of the widespread abuse of power, oppression and violation of human rights through illegitimate wars and other forms of excessive intervention. There are times when strong nations attack and trample upon the sovereignty of the weak, while the United Nations and the world watch helplessly, doing nothing, except for a few who raise their voices in isolation. This will not deter us or discourage us from highlighting the injustices that the International Criminal Court is supposed to set right. If that institution gives way to undue pressure or demonstrates weakness, its cracks may undermine the credibility of the international judicial system. We know that there are leaders, past and present, who deserve to be dragged into the International Criminal Court for prosecution but they go about their business as if they were above the law. I ask whether this is acceptable. As a consequence of all this, global governance, from the perspective of the United Nations, has to go beyond political systems aimed at exposing and neutralizing the strategies employed to subdue fragile States. Good governance, as the West prefers to refer to it, needs to permeate the finance structures — of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, for example — in order to render them more effective in offsetting the imbalances created through exploitation, control and protectionism. Indeed, these international financial powerhouses should be transformed into 41 10-55128 conduits for mitigating the effects of underdevelopment and poverty the world over. It is lamentable that the assessment criteria for providing assistance to needy people or nations in distress are tied to political affiliations cloaked in inexplicable, good governance issues. The Security Council has contributed to the unfair imposition of sanctions that have direct consequences for the lives of civilians. Such measures, often taken to bring down Governments, continue to expose this Organization and the ploys it subtly executes at the behest of powerful nations. We condemn such sanctions and recommend that thorough consultations and sounder procedures precede any sanctions that may have direct, negative impact on innocent lives. Similarly, we condemn indiscriminate use of banned weapons with impunity while the Security Council does nothing to punish the culprits. Combatants should legitimately engage enemy combatants, and reckless attacks on defenceless people must not be condoned. There are regional structures in almost every corner of the globe. The United Nations must recognize those structures and work closely with them to quell unrest wherever it erupts. To illustrate this point, let me observe that the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union (AU) have demonstrated ability, if adequately supported, to handle unrest on the African continent. I wish to call on the United Nations to intensify its collaboration with those groupings in crucial State and inter-State interventions. The African Union and the subregional organizations in Africa have opened up many avenues for cooperation with the United Nations, especially in the area of preventive diplomacy. We would like to see greater support for the activities of the United Nations Office for West Africa. It is an open secret that West Africa is suffering an onslaught of drug traffickers. We are committed to the fight against illegal narcotics, not only in the Gambia, but also in the whole of Africa, as illegal narcotics traffickers are holding some West African States hostage. The dangers of narcotics transcend boundaries, as they provide a lot of money to dangerous criminals, including terrorists, who have no regard for human life. Given the enormous challenges that lie ahead of us in this battle, our security forces are alert and ready to cooperate with our neighbours and all those who share our concerns. We are determined more than ever to turn West Africa into a living hell for terrorists, drug traffickers as well as organized criminal gangs and human traffickers. This is a battle we must win, and win right. Let me turn to the phenomenon of Islamophobia. It is important to note that the message of Islam is universal peace and progress, love for humanity and total submission to the will of Allah. History teaches us that Islamic civilization, which has flourished for 1,400 years, has always exhibited its unique capacity for peaceful coexistence, tolerance and compassion among global religions, manifested in the vast expanse of its dominions, cutting across parts of Europe, Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, among other regions. Islamic teachings condemn terrorism in all its manifestations and view such acts as not only savage but also criminal. Islam regards human life as sacred and condemns the killing of innocents. The world, and in particular the West, should therefore be wary of the actions of a small few, including those who abuse the Holy Koran and even threaten to burn it, thereby fuelling tensions and insecurity. Their actions constitute manipulations to judge Islam and its followers in the wrong way. We must not allow bigots, racists and evil entities in the West that are masquerading as nationalists and far right elements to spread a global war of religion. If this were to happen, the entire human race would suffer. Therefore, Western Governments should do more to stop these real terrorists who are on the rampage. We maintain that the United Nations should play a lead role in combating terrorism through means approved by the General Assembly. Noting that terrorism is a global challenge, no unilateral action based on any form of doctrine should be taken by any nation against another, nor must the United Nations succumb to external pressure from any single nation in pursuit of national gains or interests. Conversely, we support the use of multilateral diplomacy and cooperation to complement internal measures where a particular nation is the target of terrorism. My delegation’s position on the issues raised in this statement is to see to it that the United Nations reviews its governance structures in order to become 10-55128 42 more democratic. This would require that the representation quotas for various regions, particularly Africa and Asia, be redefined on the basis of the principles of fair play and justice, and not on the basis of sheer economic or military might. We recommend that the laws and procedures governing the issue of arrest warrants, prosecution procedures and legal representation at the International Criminal Court also be reviewed objectively, in order to avoid politicization and the selective targeting of individuals. We also urge that all sovereign States that have a legitimate Government based on the will and consent of their people be admitted to the United Nations, and this applies in particular to the Republic of China on Taiwan. We commend the countries on both sides of the Strait for their continuous progress in pursuing peace and shelving disputes over the past two years. While both States deserve special recognition and more encouragement, the United Nations also needs to be cognizant of the efforts by Taiwan in this peaceful process. It is important to note that Taiwan’s invitation to participate in the World Health Assembly as an observer in 2009 and 2010 not only enhanced international health and medical care networks, but also set a positive example for Taiwan’s participation. We therefore urge all Member States to ensure that other specialized agencies are opened up to Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the work of the United Nations. Taiwan is contributing immensely to the international community through trade, investment, air transport, finance, telecommunications technology and environmental protection in the spirit of international cooperation. Therefore, we call upon the United Nations to find a proper way to accept Taiwan’s participation in all its specialized agencies, notably the International Civil Aviation Organization and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The international community needs to recognize that Taiwan has adopted and pursued a pragmatic, moderate and steady foreign policy, and we therefore encourage United Nations specialized agencies to be open-minded with regard to Taiwan’s participation in their activities. It is our collective responsibility to enable the 23 million people of Taiwan to participate more visibly and make them able to function within the international system. The United States embargo against Cuba is one of the longest running political disputes that this Assembly has needed to address for almost two decades. It is embarrassing that such a cruel and outmoded form of settling scores in international relations is still in place. The embargo has no legitimacy or appeal, and it is time for those that imposed it to show genuine leadership by ending it. It is worth noting that the development of the African Union has shown that African leadership on African issues is the key to finding solutions to the problems that continue to plague the continent. From climate change to the undemocratic change of Governments, from peacekeeping to peacemaking, from development to regional integration, Africa has shown that it is ready to chart its destiny with dignity. That is what we are committed to, and all we ask of the international community is fulfilment of the pledges made to Africa. We are willing to cooperate with those that are willing to do so respecting the dignity of our countries, without humiliating conditionalities. The Gambia’s commitment to peace and stability across Africa has been manifested not only in troop contributions, but also in our readiness at all times to find peaceful solutions to conflicts plaguing the African continent. We call on the international community to lend its full support to the efforts of the African Union and the United Nations to consolidate peace and stability across the Sudan. As for Somalia, we recognize the need to empower the Government of Somalia, so that it can assert its authority over its territory, achieve lasting peace and, thus, address the problem of piracy. Supporting one faction against another is not a worthy solution to the Somali problem. A major development in the evolution of the United Nations this year has been the creation of UN Women. As a firm believer in gender equality and women’s empowerment, my Government will do all in its power to support that entity. We wish the new board well and urge them to assign centre stage to gender issues and policies without politics. Finally, we believe that there is no substitute for the United Nations, a body whose role in global governance we consider critical. The missing link has 43 10-55128 been the absence of a global governance framework to embrace universality and representation.