At the outset, allow me to
congratulate, on behalf of Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel
Aziz, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania,
and on my own behalf, His Excellency Mr. Joseph
Deiss on his election as President of the General
Assembly at its sixty-fifth session and to wish him
every success in his new duties. I have great
confidence that his diligent efforts will have a positive
impact on our Organization, as did those of his
predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki,
whose praiseworthy labours strengthened the ties of
cooperation, the bonds of brotherhood, and the
universal principles of peace and dialogue within the
General Assembly.
It also gives me great pleasure to express my
thanks and appreciation to His Excellency Secretary-
General Ban Ki-moon for his serious efforts to achieve
33 10-55103
the objectives of the Organization and to strengthen the
pillars of peace, security and prosperity in the world.
Mauritania fulfilled its constitutional obligation
by selecting Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz as
President of the Republic through elections in which
the Mauritanian people expressed their will freely,
impartially and maturely. Today, for the first time in its
history, my country has taken a comprehensive
qualitative leap forward into a new era — which we
call “the era of serious work” — to improve the living
conditions of Mauritanian citizens, consolidate
democracy and build a State that is on good terms with
its citizens and its neighbours on the basis of justice,
equality and the values of the Republic.
In this new era, there are no political prisoners in
Mauritania and the pluralistic Parliament plays its full
role in legislating and in supervising the Government.
The press exercises its freedom without censorship or
constraint, as do political parties, unions and civil
society institutions.
Inspired by the electoral platform of President
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, the Government of
Mauritania has devoted itself to implementing an
ambitious development policy with clearly visible
goals, including the elimination of corruption and its
consequences; the promotion and use of the country’s
resources in a rational, responsible and transparent
manner; ensuring respect for the rule of law and the
country’s prestige; providing security throughout
society; offering basic services, and constructing
essential infrastructure needed for the country’s
development.
This policy has earned the confidence and
support of Mauritania’s brothers, friends and
development partners, who, at their round table
meeting in Brussels in June, blessed our ambitious
development programme and pledged financial support
totalling $3.2 billion over three years. In this regard,
we thank them sincerely for having made every effort
to ensure the success of the round table and for all their
support for our development programmes.
In the course of implementing these programmes,
Mauritania became a hub of activity as roads and
health and education facilities were built and integrated
projects established for the purpose of empowering
women and youth in order to contribute to the socio-
economic development of the country and to improve
conditions for the poor and the marginalized, who
rejoiced at the election of our President and have
granted him the nickname “President of the poor” for
his great devotion to and care for the people.
Mauritania, like other countries, is confronted
with terrorism and transnational organized crime.
Terrorism is a global phenomenon that is not tied to a
particular country, continent, religion or society. Any
attempt to conflate Islam with this phenomenon is
rejected, unacceptable and illogical. Those most
affected by terrorism are, after all, the Muslims and the
Islamic world.
We believe that the fight against terrorism
requires progress in social justice, the training of
young people and their integration into an active life.
This will give them hope so that they do not become
easy recruiting targets for terrorists and extremist
organizations.
My country is making diligent efforts on all these
fronts and promoting the role of our prominent
scholars to debate in the best possible manner and to
provide the correct image of Islam, which is a religion
of tolerance, virtue and acceptance of others and one
that rejects excess and extremism. Moreover,
Mauritania, far from being at war with anyone, as His
Excellency the President of the Republic has
repeatedly said, will spare no effort to maintain peace
and security for its citizens and ensure the necessary
conditions for the development of the country in
security and stability.
The establishment of a united Arab Maghreb is a
strategic option for the peoples of the region, and
failure to maintain such unity will reflect negatively on
the future of that vital region of the world. There is no
doubt that finding a timely solution to the issue of
Western Sahara and obtaining the consent of the parties
concerned would contribute to accelerating the pace of
integration of the united Maghreb and enable it to play
its full role as an indispensable and effective regional
partner.
On the other hand, conscious of the importance of
the United Nations as an irreplaceable forum for the
voices of Member States and other members of the
international community, big and small, powerful and
weak, as well as for resolving difficult international
issues and coordinating and supporting development
efforts, Mauritania supports efforts to reform the
Organization and its organs, especially the Security
Council.
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We call for the expansion of the Council to
include permanent representation for the African
continent and the Arab Group, because democracy is an
international requirement and not only a national
practice or objective. Given their cultural, human and
strategic significance, it is neither logical nor
acceptable not to grant permanent seats on the Security
Council to the African continent and the Arab world.
The Arab-Israeli conflict remains a source of
tension and a threat to international peace and security
in an extremely sensitive and vital area of the world.
That region will know no stability until a definitive
solution to the conflict is found. Such a solution must
be just and permanent and in accordance with
resolutions of international legitimacy. It must allow
the brotherly Palestinian people to exercise their full
right to establish their independent and viable State in
Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital. It must
also ensure the restoration of all occupied Arab
territories, including the Syrian Golan Heights and the
Lebanese Shab’a farms.
Mauritania hopes that the direct negotiations
between the Palestinians and the Israelis, sponsored by
the United States, will conclude in tangible results and
an acceptable time frame. There is no people in the
Middle East that needs peace more than the Palestinian
people. My country has called for the lifting of the
unjust siege on Gaza and for an end to its collective
and inhumane punishment. Restoring rights and justice
to their owners and between nations and cultures is the
best means to achieve peace and security in the world.
Before concluding, allow me to reiterate what I
stated a few days ago — the development challenges
before us all will be exacerbated unless we all assume
our responsibilities and fulfil our commitments.
Developing countries require the urgent attention of the
international community if they are to achieve the
stability, development and progress that will enable
them to integrate into the global economic system.