Allow me, at the outset, to commend the President of
the General Assembly and his whole team for their
election to the Bureau of the General Assembly at its
sixty-sixth session. We would like to express to his
predecessor, Mr. Joseph Deiss, our gratitude for the
excellent work he accomplished, work that has
benefited our Organization. I also congratulate Mr. Ban
Ki-moon, the Secretary-General, on the renewal of his
mandate.
Taking the floor from this rostrum has always
been for me a special moment and a happy occasion to
recall some current issues of importance to my country
and the world. This moment is all the more special as it
comes at a time when the Democratic Republic of the
Congo is preparing to hold general elections, the
second since those of 2006.
Thus, it is appropriate to grasp the full
significance of this key period for the Congo, because
it confirms a definitive break from the spiral of
violence and instability that has characterized the
country in recent decades. It is seen as a decisive phase
in that, more than ever, it commits the Congolese
people to a lasting democratic culture.
Despite multifaceted challenges punctuating the
electoral process, the National Independent Electoral
Commission, our people and their Government are
doing their utmost to hold transparent and credible
elections in a calm climate. The elections are
ultimately proof of a return to the effective peace for
which Congolese men and women have yearned.
Today, peace and security reign throughout the national
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territory. The Republic’s institutions are all in place
and operating normally.
As peace and security in my country have been
recovered, the United Nations presence merits
reconsideration. Indeed, the role of the United Nations
Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) must necessarily
adapt its vision and its action on the ground. In that
phase of consolidation, MONUSCO must increasingly
move beyond the strict format of peacekeeping
operations in order to assist the country in its efforts to
develop and to relaunch the economy.
Enormous progress has certainly been made in
the areas of peace and security. However, many other
challenges remain, and the Democratic Republic of the
Congo is determined to meet them. The mobilization
and support of all should be along those lines. I refer in
particular to the following areas of concerns:
strengthening the capacity of the security sector, the
army, the police, the judiciary and penitentiary systems
to ensure the rights and security of citizens and to
stabilize the country and the region; the increasing and
orderly return of displaced persons to their places of
origin and of refugees to their respective countries; the
ongoing demobilization and reintegration of child
soldiers leaving armed groups; effective control over
the exploitation of our natural resources; and building
good-neighbourly relations with the States around us.
In that regard, after several years of conflict the
countries in the region have reached the conclusion
that war is the worst enemy of man and his
development. It exacerbates problems rather than
resolves them. That explains their common will and
our efforts to seek peace at all costs. That is the reality
today. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is at
peace with all its neighbours. Now is the time for
reconstruction and development.
In that regard, I would like to welcome the recent
entry of the Republic of South Sudan as a Member
State of our universal Organization and to convey to its
people my most heartfelt wishes for peace, happiness
and prosperity.
Another challenge that my country must face is
that of maintaining economic growth. Despite a
difficult international climate, today the Democratic
Republic of the Congo shows a positive growth rate
above the African average, and it will continue that
momentum thanks to the efforts to harness its
economy. However, it is also true that such growth
remains dependent, to a large degree, on the global
economy.
Having spoken about the situation in my country,
I would now like to address some big issues of current
concern.
The United Nations has responded to a good
number of challenges that justified its establishment at
the end of the Second World War. In 66 years, the
world has changed greatly, and the pace of change
increases every day.
A great institution such as ours cannot remain
static while its setting constantly changes. The time has
come to envisage adapting the Organization to current
realities so as to improve its effectiveness and, above
all, to bolster confidence among Member States. To do
that, it must make substantial progress in the major
areas of a reform too long awaited, whether the
revitalization of the General Assembly, reform of the
Security Council or the role of the Economic and
Social Council, which needs to be strengthened. A
Security Council that incorporates equally the
legitimate aspirations of developing countries,
particularly those of Africa, would certainly be more
legitimate.
Furthermore, the issues of climate change and the
protection of nature demand a changed approach that
takes into account the aspirations of all peoples. That is
an area where it is prudent to demonstrate a spirit of
compromise and solidarity in the interest, of course, of
all countries.
That is also the case for the crucial goals of
disarmament and the non-proliferation of weapons of
mass destruction, which remain hostage to the policy
of double standards, such as discriminatory practices
and non-compliance with commitments made, in
particular by certain nuclear Powers.
The fight against impunity and against human
rights violations, which is subjected to a selective
approach and the partisan implementation of
international humanitarian law, gives rise to legitimate
doubts about the exploitation of these noble causes for
political ends. Our Organization must address these
issues.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo believes
that the Israeli-Palestinian question should be a major
concern for our universal Organization. The United
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Nations should unflaggingly continue its efforts to find
an equitable solution that bears in mind the legitimate
interests of two peoples, each with the right to live in
peace and security. The Middle East cannot recover
peace and stability without a fair and lasting settlement
of this question.
I would not continue my remarks without
mentioning the more active cooperation that we would
like to see between the African Union and the United
Nations in the area of conflict management. It is
advisable, in my humble opinion, that we strengthen
this cooperation and make better use of it in order to
reduce the number of hot spots on our continent. We all
stand to gain.
I have focused my remarks today on the need to
strengthen peace. That is the essential precondition for
all progress, but a peace limited to an absence of
stomping boots is not peace. Without ignoring the
successes, it must be said that in this area our
Organization still has an enormous amount to do to
ensure that each and every person is able to participate
in the progress of all of humanity.
I conclude by renewing our wishes to see the
concept and management of international affairs
modified through an effective and sincere commitment
of the entire community of nations for a renewal and
strengthening of the multilateral system.