I would like
first to extend my hearty congratulations to you, Sir, on
your unanimous election as President of the General
Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. With your rich
experience in international affairs, we believe you will
succeed in your task. I would also like to pay tribute to
your predecessor, Mr. Ali Abdussalem Treki, for his
commitment and skill in discharging his challenging
functions during the previous session, and I convey to
him my special thanks.
I also wish to thank Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon and his aides for their untiring efforts in the
service of peace and development throughout the
world, particularly in the least developed countries.
As the first decade of the twenty-first century
draws to a close, it is certainly worthwhile to review
the ground covered since we proclaimed, some
10 years ago in this very Hall, our common resolve to
cut poverty in half by 2015, worldwide. We all recall
the enthusiasm engendered by that solemn
commitment.
Today, we are forced to note that we are still
quite far off the track. More than one billion people are
still living in extreme poverty. The development gap
between the countries of the North and those of the
South continues to widen instead of narrowing.
International assistance is stagnating and remains
below the level of commitment made by developed
countries to devote 0.7 per cent of their gross national
product to it. The results in the eight priority areas of
the Millennium Development Goals are disappointing,
even unsatisfactory, while the deadline of 2015 is just
around the corner.
So what happened? The economic crisis caused
by the recent upheavals in financial markets is
certainly to blame. The slowdown in activity
worldwide — and, in some cases, recession —
monopolized the attention of the countries of the
North. They gave priority to reviving their own
economies and solving their own social problems.
However, even though we can understand that, it does
not explain everything.
In fact, the awareness shown at the turn of the
century of the disastrous consequences of deepening
poverty in the third world seems to have waned
significantly. Yet the situation has not only failed to
improve, it continues to deteriorate. On several
occasions, from this rostrum and elsewhere, I have
drawn the attention of the international community to
the problem posed by the growth in poverty worldwide.
I have pointed out that, for ethical reasons, it behooves
us all to express solidarity with the most
underprivileged. I have further indicated that this is, of
course, in everyone’s interests, for the ever-widening
gap between the rich and the poor can only exacerbate
tensions and jeopardize international peace and
security.
I will be pardoned, I am sure, if I dwell a little on
the case of Africa. It is undeniably the continent most
affected by extreme poverty, which is generally
accompanied by food shortages, epidemics, population
movements and insecurity. Is it any wonder, then, that
such profound misery sometimes explodes, as was the
case two years ago during what were dubbed the food
riots? The international community cannot remain
indifferent to such a threat, which could undermine our
efforts to advance democracy and ensure our
development.
Let me make myself clear. It is not a matter of
engaging in recriminations for the sake of any
ideology, of ascribing motives to this or that country or
group of countries, or of sermonizing. I am the first to
acknowledge that the United Nations and its agencies
have provided assistance and guidance to our continent
since independence; that most countries of the North
have, through their cooperation, financial assistance
and debt cancellation, lent and continue to lend
irreplaceable support to Africa; and that emerging
countries have taken over. We are, of course, grateful
to all of them.
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However, that obviously is not enough. I am not
trying to apportion blame for this state of affairs. I
merely want to say that the solutions applied were
perhaps not the best. I would add that from the African
perspective, we have been burdened with too many
historical handicaps — slavery, colonization, economic
dependence and internal and external conflicts — and,
of course, that we have lacked toughness and
steadiness of mind.
For reasons of mutual interest mentioned earlier, I
think we should review the issue thoroughly, without
ulterior ideological motives or political or economic
prejudices. No matter what is said, Africa has changed
significantly over the past 50 years and seems to me to
be ready for a wide-ranging ideological debate on the
issue, provided that it is conducted in a true spirit of
partnership. Through this approach we can realize the
famous Marshall Plan for Africa, which is often
mentioned but has yet to see the light of day.
That concern led Cameroon to organize an
international conference — Africa 21 — in Yaoundé on
the occasion of the celebration of the fiftieth
anniversary of its achieving sovereignty. At that
conference the 50 years of African independence were
objectively assessed and the future opportunities for
our continent were evaluated. The conference was
attended by several Heads of State and Government,
former Prime Ministers, high-level representatives of
international organizations, experts of world renown,
major corporate executives and Nobel Peace Prize
winners.
The final declaration of the conference, which my
delegation has made available, can serve as a kind of
guide for the rehabilitation of Africa, with regard to
both its economic recovery and its participation in
international life. That is what it is all about —
ensuring that our continent does not remain forever
aid-dependent and that it plays its rightful role in
international affairs.
Allow me, in this Hall, to emphasize the second
point. How can we today explain why Africa is the
only continent without a permanent member on the
Security Council? How can we explain that Africa is
unable to make its voice heard when its problems are
examined in global economic and financial bodies
while the decisions made there will be imposed on it?
At a time when emerging countries are rightly calling
for a seat on the Security Council commensurate with
their economic and political weight, Africa as a whole
should not be forgotten.
For a long time our continent has been treated, I
dare say, as an object of international relations. Yet, it
is directly affected by most of the major problems
confronting humanity today, be they migratory flows,
global warming, economic and financial regulation,
terrorism, et cetera. In short, it is sometimes the victim
of phenomena for which it is not responsible. From
that standpoint also, there is a need to get out of the rut
in which major negotiations appear to be bogged down.
Africans seek more understanding and sympathy
in the true sense of the words. The delayed
development from which they suffer cannot be reduced
to the Millennium Goals. Admittedly, they want to be
less poor and to eat their fill, but above all, to be
protected from fear and want, to be freer and to
imagine a future without anxiety. In short, they want to
live in a society that guarantees them those minimum
conditions for existence and well-being.
Most African countries have embarked on this
path. For its part, over the last decades Cameroon has
set up representative institutions, established the rule
of law and ensured respect for human rights. On the
economic and social front, significant progress has
been made in the areas of public finance, education and
health. Should this trend continue, our country can
expect, in the medium term, to attain the status of an
emerging country.
That to me seems to be the mindset of most
African countries. Certainly, the international
community has a role to play in supporting them in
their effort to join the global society. To that end, the
international community needs to show more
understanding, solidarity and, of course, more
fraternity.