Allow me at
the outset to convey the regrets of His Excellency
Mr. Amadou Toumani Touré, President of the Republic
of Mali, who, owing to a particularly busy national
schedule at this time, was unable to attend the current
session of the General Assembly. However, he asked
me to convey his most cordial greetings and sincere
wishes for the success of our work.
The Mali delegation is particularly pleased to
convey to Mr. Al-Nasser its heartfelt congratulations
on his election to the presidency of the General
Assembly at its sixty-sixth session. His election is not
only a just recognition of his exceptional qualities as a
seasoned diplomat, but also a tremendous tribute to his
country, Qatar, with which Mali enjoys excellent
relations. I therefore assure him of the support and full
cooperation of my delegation in discharging his
mission. Allow me also to express my great
appreciation to his predecessor, Mr. Joseph Deiss, for
the superb manner in which he presided over the sixty-
fifth session, which has just ended, to the satisfaction
of all Member States.
Finally, I should like to congratulate Secretary-
General Ban Ki-moon on his outstanding re-election as
the head of the Organization. I remain fully convinced
that his unswerving commitment to upholding the
principles and ideals of the Organization and to the
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals
will help to strengthen further the role of the United
Nations on the international scene.
The current global context is marked by profound
political upheavals that gravely threaten international
peace and security. This situation makes the theme
chosen for the general debate — “The role of
mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes” — all
the more pertinent. I should therefore like first to stress
the important role of mediation and the urgency of
renewed collective efforts to prevent and resolve
conflicts and, above all, to put a halt to violence, the
untold suffering inflicted on civilian populations, and
the massive destruction of socio-economic
infrastructure.
5 11-51197
My country remains convinced that the
prevention of conflicts and their resolution through
mediation are undoubtedly guarantees of peace and
lasting security. In that regard, Mali will continue to
encourage and support all initiatives and mediation
efforts under way with a view to combating the root
causes of conflicts and paving the way to a lasting
political solution able to guarantee peace, stability and
security, without which there can be no socio-economic
development. Part of this process are the promotion of
good-neighbourly relations and peaceful coexistence,
the non-use of force in dispute settlement,
understanding and mutual respect, the bolstering of
international cooperation, and the culture of peace and
dialogue among religions and civilizations.
The events under way in the world are of concern
to us in that they clearly demonstrate that the quest for
peace and security remains the most pressing
challenge. In Africa, while outstanding progress has
been made in promoting peace, security and stability,
the fact remains that the situation in the Horn of Africa
and in North Africa, particularly in Libya, remains a
source of major concern. Today more than ever,
weapons and deadly confrontations must give way to
the imperative of dialogue and national reconciliation,
which are required to establish lasting peace,
consolidate national unity and maintain territorial
integrity.
In the Middle East, the Palestinian question is
and remains a source of major concern to the
international community, which must encourage the
Israelis and Palestinians to take the steps necessary to
establish a climate of trust and launch direct
negotiations towards a comprehensive peace
underpinned, inter alia, on the relevant resolutions of
the General Assembly and the Security Council. While
reiterating its active solidarity and total support to the
Palestinian people in their just, legitimate struggle,
Mali will continue to support all initiatives towards the
creation of an independent, sovereign and viable
Palestinian State living side by side and in peace with
Israel within secure, internationally recognized
borders.
International peace and security continue to be
threatened by other phenomena, such as international
terrorism, cross-border organized crime, and the traffic
in weapons, drugs and human beings. The attacks
perpetrated throughout the world are stark reminders
that no country is safe from terrorism, and that no
cause, howsoever just, can justify the deliberate use of
violence against innocent civilians.
In that regard, I note the security challenges in
the vast Sahelo-Saharan strip that Mali shares with
several brother countries in the region. Our subregion
faces today the proliferation of small arms and light
weapons and the trafficking of drugs and human beings
fuelled by organized crime networks in collusion with
terrorist groups. The events in Libya and their
collateral effects could further aggravate this already
worrisome situation.
Aware of the threats posed by these phenomena to
the stability and harmonious development of the
region, the Governments of the countries concerned
have worked to establish joint operational mechanisms
to combat our common enemies effectively. For its
part, the Government of Mali reaffirms its full support
for all initiatives of the States of the subregion seeking
to better coordinate and harmonize our efforts to meet
the multiple common challenges. Parallel to efforts at
the subregional level, our Government is intensifying
its efforts to implement the Special Programme for
Peace, Security and Development in Northern Mali.
The year 2012 will be an important one for Mali.
After almost 20 years of democratic institutional
practices, the President of the Republic, who will not
stand for re-election, saw fit to revise the 1992
Constitution, following broad national consultations, in
order to consolidate democracy, good governance and
the rule of law in our country.
A participative, inclusive process has already
been opened with all stakeholders — the Government,
political parties, national deputies and civil society —
to guarantee the transparency and credibility of future
referendums and future. I reiterate the commitment of
the Government to do its utmost to smoothly
implement the envisaged reforms and meet the
challenge of holding successful elections in 2012. I
remain confident of success as our democracy has
matured over the past four elections. This progress has
been inspired from Malian culture based on dialogue,
tolerance and sharing.
The people of Mali share the ambition of the
Government to build a strong, united Mali — a
democratic and stable Mali resolutely committed to
peace, dialogue and international cooperation. They
also share the determination of the Government to
create the conditions for true prosperity in order to
11-51197 6
make Mali an emerging economy in the medium term.
That is why I solemnly call from this rostrum on the
international community and development partners to
support the electoral process under way and our efforts
to meet the challenge of organizing a constitutional
referendum and free, transparent and democratic
elections.
As a Sahelo-Saharan country facing the
phenomenon of desertification and unpredictable
rainfall, Mali considers climate change to be one of the
major challenges affecting the survival and
development of humankind. That is why we are present
at all meetings on this issue, as borne out by our recent
participation at the High-level Meeting on the theme
“Addressing desertification, land degradation and
drought in the context of sustainable development and
poverty eradication”. I reaffirm Mali’s commitment to
continuing to step up its actions to preserve and
conserve the soils, forests and fauna, in step with the
national and international commitments of our country.
The sessions of the General Assembly also offer
us a chance to take stock of the severity of other
challenges facing the world. I think in particular of the
struggle against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and
non-communicable diseases, which were the subject of
High-level Meetings on 19 and 20 September. In
addition to the challenges they pose to public health,
these scourges have become a real problem for
development. The international community must, we
believe, redouble its efforts and its vigilance to contain
these illnesses. It will also have to deliver on its
commitments to the developing countries in order to
allow them to achieve the Millennium Development
Goals.
It is also important to give sustained attention to
the issue of reform and democratization of the United
Nations by giving a greater role to women in decision-
making in political, economic and security forums. It is
also important to democratize the international
financial institutions, bearing in mind the huge changes
that have taken place in the world and the need for
better representation for all regions.
The global economic situation certainly remains
fragile, but the financial crisis should not become a
pretext for reducing official development assistance
(ODA). The implementation of the Programme of
Action for the achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals must remain a priority. The
international community must revive its collective will
to put into practice and even go beyond commitments
undertaken in the field of ODA in order to combat
poverty and all forms of injustice that breed violence
and insecurity throughout the world.
Similarly, the implementation of the Istanbul
Political Declaration and Programme of Action for the
least developed countries (LDCs) for the decade 2011-
2020 will allow the LDCs to marshal the necessary
financial resources to ensure the lasting growth and
development that guarantee peace and stability in the
world. In that regard, Mali will continue to support all
innovative initiatives in development financing, trade,
the alleviation of foreign debt, and technology transfer
to developing countries in general and LDCS in
particular.
In our quest for a safer and more just, prosperous
and peaceful world, the best way to guarantee our
common future is to strengthen cooperation and
international solidarity. Let us engage collectively to
find lasting solutions to the challenges and complex
problems facing humankind. It is in the interest of us
all and in the interest of our collective survival.