It is my honour and pleasure at the outset of
this brief statement to welcome and congratulate the
Republic of South Sudan upon its accession to
membership in the United Nations and for its
participation for the first time in the work of the
General Assembly.
I am also happy to warmly congratulate
Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser on his election to the
presidency of the Assembly at its sixty-sixth session.
Allow me to express our full confidence in him as he
undertakes the exceptional efforts required to
strengthen the progress achieved to date in terms of
international peace and security, taking into account
the need to preserve the well-being, stability and
progress of our world. I pay tribute to the effectiveness
of Qatari diplomacy and its important role in
strengthening international peace and security.
I also pay tribute to the valuable efforts made by
Mr. Al-Nasser’s predecessor, Mr. Joseph Deiss, who
upheld the principles of dialogue and consultation in
order to reach the best solutions on international issues.
I also warmly congratulate Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon on his reappointment to head the
Organization and wish him full success. I commend his
persistent Herculean efforts to resolve many issues,
including strengthening international peace and
security, achieving the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), combating climate change and mitigating the
threats of famine and endemic disease, as well as all of
the challenges that hinder the well-being of humanity.
The sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly
is taking place at a sensitive political juncture in our
region. The popular uprisings in many Arab countries
have led to revolutions calling for democracy, justice,
freedom and decent living conditions. My country was
at the forefront of meeting these demands and
aspirations. Over the past few years, we have
experienced radical change in the form of a peaceful
and flexible transition from a totalitarian regime that
had suppressed freedoms and emptied the public
coffers to a democratic system and credible institutions
that have consolidated the rule of law and guaranteed
individual and collective freedoms and the rights of all
sectors of Mauritanian society, based on justice and the
rule of law.
Those measures have included the organization of
free, fair and transparent presidential elections that
were monitored by international observers and even
endorsed by their opponents. Our country has also
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begun enjoying a sincere political openness at all levels
of society. A few days ago, we launched a genuine
national political dialogue open to all of the country’s
political parties. In addition, media airwaves have been
freed and licences issued to 10 radio and television
stations to begin broadcasting in the near future.
In the context of good governance, my country
has enshrined transparency in its administration and its
strengthened and independent judiciary. We have
achieved remarkable levels of growth through
ambitious programmes to improve our population’s
standard of living. These programmes focus first and
foremost on the most vulnerable sectors of society —
low-income citizens and those living in poor
neighbourhoods and isolated rural areas — allowing
my country to achieve a stable domestic situation that
will in turn foster efforts in our young, effective
diplomacy.
We are a member of the African Union Peace and
Security Council and chair the Good Offices
Commission, established to bring together opposition
parties in Libya and Côte d’Ivoire. We are fully
convinced that dialogue and mediation are the best
ways to resolve conflict and address crises, as
indicated in the theme of the general debate of this
sixty-sixth session.
Since the election of His Excellency
Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz as President, we have
endeavoured to strengthen our presence within regional
and international organizations, including the United
Nations and its various specialized bodies, the Arab
Maghreb Union, the League of Arab States, the African
Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and
the Non-Aligned Movement, to name a few. We have
also joined regional African and Caribbean groups to
show support for their systems and decisions and as
part of our strategy to broaden our principled foreign
policy.
In that context, we reiterate our support for
efforts to reform the United Nations and its various
bodies, including the Security Council. We ask that
Africa be given permanent representation, as it is the
only continent that has lacked a permanent seat on the
Security Council since the establishment of the United
Nations. Our continent has 1 billion inhabitants and
hosts more than two-thirds of United Nations
peacekeeping operations. We also call for permanent
representation for the Group of Arab States, whose
population makes up more than 11 per cent of the
world’s inhabitants.
Consultations on Security Council reform have
been ongoing for many years, and we call for
continued consultations in order to achieve a
comprehensive platform, supported unanimously by
Member States, for reform of the United Nations and
its working methods and decision-making processes. In
that regard, my country believes that we should begin
with the make-up of the Security Council, the
definition of its competence and responsibilities, and
institutional relations between the Council and the
General Assembly in order to ensure the Organization’s
effectiveness and to fairly and accurately reflect, in a
balanced manner, the will of the entire international
community.
In that context, I remind the Assembly that
Mauritania is a candidate for a non-permanent seat on
the Security Council for the biennium 2012-2013,
representing the Group of African States. Support for
our candidacy was expressed by our continental
organization, the African Union, at its Addis Ababa
summit in January and Malabo summit in June. It also
supports our conviction and profound belief in the
mission and principles of the United Nations and our
sincere will to effectively contribute to the
maintenance of international peace and security, play a
positive role in the Security Council, and assume
greater responsibilities in order to attain the noble
objectives for which this Organization was created.
I note that Mauritania has adopted a policy of
peaceful coexistence and good-neighbourly relations
with the countries of its region. It is not party to any
conflict and enjoys excellent and friendly relations
with all countries of the world. I take this opportunity
to sincerely thank all of the friendly, kindred States that
have supported our candidacy.
We note with deep satisfaction the gargantuan
efforts made during the sixty-fifth session, including
the High-level Meeting on Youth and the High-level
Plenary Meeting on the MDGs and the need to
implement them. Nevertheless, we note and deplore the
fact that the populations of most States continue to live
in dire economic conditions that are not conducive to
the achievement of the MDGs.
In that context, allow me to recall the steep rise in
unemployment, especially among young people; the
increased rate of abject poverty, especially in the most
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vulnerable sectors of society; the decelerated growth in
gross domestic product; the global recession; decreased
official foreign investment, especially in Africa; the
volatility of basic commodity prices, which has had
devastating effects on the buying power of large
sectors of the populations of developing countries;
reduced net transfers to developing countries;
decreased tourist revenue; increased maternal and
newborn death rates; and the increased debt burden.
This latter issue is already a terrible economic
burden on developing countries, and leads to the
emptying of public coffers that are modest to begin
with, especially in the light of their infrastructure and
public service needs. In such economic conditions, the
economies of the least developed countries face many
enormous obstacles, making it increasingly difficult to
achieve the Millennium Development Goals. As we
approach the deadline for achieving the MDGs, many
developing countries remain far from doing so.
We call on wealthy developed States to
contribute, in accordance with their promises, to the
revival of these least developed countries so that they
can provide acceptable levels of public services and
guarantee civil peace, security and stability, and to
strengthen the social fabric of these countries, which in
turn will contribute to international peace and security.
Non-communicable diseases are another
important public health issue. The extent of the spread
of these diseases is truly catastrophic, and mortality
rates are higher than those of all other diseases.
Furthermore, their effects on health and the social and
economic fields are a further obstacle to the attainment
of the MDGs, especially Goals 4 and 5 relative to
maternal and child health, which are closely linked to
non-communicable diseases. This is especially true
because malnutrition in pregnancy and early childhood
is the source of hypertension and diabetes later in life.
This is why I note with satisfaction that my
country has risen to the challenge posed by these
diseases by establishing extensive health infrastructure
and strengthening the human resources available to
deal with such diseases. We have also built a
specialized oncology hospital with the latest
technology, a modern hospital for cardiovascular
disease, a diabetes treatment centre and over 50 dialysis
centres. All of these have been established in record
time, less than two years since the accession to power
of Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz following the
presidential elections of 18 July 2009.
Our country is closely following the situation in
the Western Sahara. We reaffirm our support for the
efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special
Representative to reach a comprehensive, lasting and
just solution that enjoys the support of both countries,
in order to strengthen peace and security in the area
and to create an Arab Maghreb that is open to progress
and development and responds to the aspirations of its
peoples. This is a strategic option for my country.
I believe that the Israeli-Arab conflict is a source
of tension and a threat to peace and security in a
sensitive and vital region of the world. My country
supports efforts for peace that will guarantee the
recovery of all the rights of the Palestinian people and
the creation of an independent Palestinian State within
the 4 June 1967 borders, with its capital in Jerusalem,
coexisting in peace and security with the State of
Israel.
This is why the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
calls on the international community to recognize
Palestine as an independent sovereign State and to
facilitate its full membership of the United Nations on
the basis of the request made last week by
Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, Executive Secretary of the
Palestine Liberation Organization and President of the
Palestinian Authority. We must be faithful to the
historic responsibilities of the international community
towards Palestine; uphold justice, credibility and
fairness with regard to this question; and ensure respect
for the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy.
We condemn the ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip
and the acts committed by the Israeli military machine,
killing civilians and destroying Palestinian facilities.
We call for concerted Arab, regional and
international efforts to assist our Libyan brothers and
sisters. We seek an end to the killings and a response to
the legitimate aspirations to reform and change of our
kindred people of Libya in order to guarantee their
sovereignty and territorial integrity. We call on the
international community to support the Libyan people
and provide for all their needs in various areas so as to
ensure the success of the transitional phase.
We also call on the international community to
intensify and accelerate the international response to
the tragic humanitarian situation resulting from the
acute drought in the Horn of Africa. Speedy assistance
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must be provided to the hundreds of thousands of
Somalis citizens who have been forced to become
refugees and are enduring tragic living and security
conditions. Although our means are modest, we have
provided assistance in the amount of $1 million to
support the efforts of the African Union on behalf of
the people of Somalia.
For many years now, our region, the African
Sahel, has been the stage for the expansion of
organized crime networks that traffic in drugs,
weapons, ammunition and human beings, and are
responsible for illegal migration flows across the area,
kidnappings, abductions and terrorism. They pose a
real threat to the peace and stability of our region.
We are convinced that there is a direct and close
relationship between peace, development and
democracy. For this reason, we believe that peace and
security are preconditions to achieving development
and democracy and to strengthening the rule of law
institutions. We have adopted laws, prepared plans and
taken steps to guarantee peace, security and safety for
our citizens and foreign citizens living legally in
Mauritania. Our security system has responded firmly
and courageously to the threats of criminal terrorist
groups against our security and that of our guests. We
have succeeded in guaranteeing peace within our
borders and security at border points, as attested to by
all. We work in full understanding and coordination
with Algeria, Mali and Niger to suppress the activities
and free movement of these criminal terrorist groups.
The culture of peace, the ideals of tolerance
among nations and civilizations, and upholding justice
and law among peoples are the best ways to advance
on the road to peace and security in our world.
However, when issues remain pending for years; when
there is a growing gap between rich and poor; when
international economic institutions are fragile and
weak; and when justice, fairness and equality are so
slow to be provided, tensions will increase and
extremism and terrorism spread. We in Mauritania
reject terrorism in every form, and we adhere to the
peaceful principles of Islam — principles of tolerance
and brotherhood that reject violence and extremism.
We believe that the international community should
consider seriously why terrorism exists and root it out
vigorously.
The international community must honour the
commitments it has made since the Organization was
established, but it can do so only if all the States and
peoples of the world are able to benefit from available
potential and resources and if development efforts in
developing countries are supported so that people can
live in dignity, freedom and equality. That is the only
way we can achieve the noble goals that this
Organization set for itself when it was created.