Cameroon

First, on behalf of His Excellency Mr. Paul Biya, President of the Republic and Head of State of Cameroon, and on behalf of the delegation that I have the honour to lead at the current session, I warmly congratulate the President on his unanimous election to preside over the Assembly at its sixty-sixth session. To Mr. Joseph Deiss, his predecessor, we wish to say how much his work as President of the Assembly at its sixty-fifth session was appreciated, just as Cameroon appreciated his visit to Yaoundé in January during his African visit. We also once again sincerely congratulate Mr. Ban Ki-moon on the extension of his mandate as Secretary-General for a further five years. His determination and commitment to the United Nations during his first term of office contributed to the initiatives and important actions of the United Nations to promote peace and social and economic development throughout the world. He will have our best wishes and constant support during his second term, when we hope that he will successfully continue his work in every area within the framework of the United Nations agenda, particularly in terms of aligning and harmonizing the points of view of the various Member States. This year a new Member, the Republic of South Sudan, joined the Organization. We had the opportunity to solemnly, but joyfully, welcome it on 14 July, following its declaration of independence a few days earlier. The arrival of this new State allows a dark chapter to be closed: decades of war, with a litany of woes, death, displaced persons, tears, human tragedy and suffering among the people of that land on our African continent. Cameroon takes the opportunity to join in paying a well-deserved tribute to the leaders of the Sudan and of South Sudan, as well as to the United Nations and the African Union, for their tireless work in supporting the negotiations before the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed in 2005, as well as during its subsequent implementation. The United Nations Mission in the Sudan and the recent creation of the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan, whose task it is to support the new State in the process of consolidating its institutions and democracy, show the unique, decisive role played by the United Nations, fully in line with the fundamental purposes and principles of its founding Charter. Cameroon welcomes the role that the United Nations has played in that regard. In more general terms, we believe that its role in conflict management should be played in a fully transparent way and in line with the principles, purposes and ideals of the Charter, which calls for the peaceful settlement of international disputes and for respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States. That is where the theme selected for this sixty- sixth session — “The role of mediation in the settlement of disputes through peaceful means” — takes on its importance, reminding us that the Charter states that the Organization’s primary purpose is “To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace”. The Charter also calls upon Members of the United Nations to 11-51378 16 “refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.” International disputes, and a fortiori internal conflicts, should be settled peacefully in line with our Charter, through negotiation and mediation, rather than by recourse to force. That is the position that the African Union, the continental organization of African States, ceaselessly advocates and defends. Cameroon agrees with the African Union that any lasting solution to an internal political crisis must take into account the State’s national political institutions and the legitimate aspirations of the people concerned, but also the maintenance of the country’s unity and territorial integrity. It considers that priority must be given to measures that guarantee the maintenance of peace, the promotion of national reconciliation and the consolidation of a democratic culture and ownership of the rule of law by Governments and citizens. With regard to some current burning questions in this area, and particularly with regard to management of the Libyan issue, Cameroon noted the General Assembly decision on 19 September approving the mandate of the Libyan delegation established by the National Transitional Council, as well as the statement made here by the Chairperson of the African Union Council on 21 September, which was preceded by the 19 September press release. Fully in line with our external policy, Cameroon will respect the decision and statement in the context of its bilateral relations with the Libyan State, and within various international institutions. It is the international community’s duty to support States and their peoples in the management of their national affairs, and in seeking to ensure that they control their own fate. Governments, for their part, must seek to respond to the legitimate aspirations and the many and varied expectations of their peoples in all areas. In Cameroon the Government is seeking to implement the reforms that began a few years ago to consolidate national political institutions and modernize our democracy. At the same time, it has established policies to create an environment favourable to development and revenue-generating activities and to improve the living conditions of its people, in a context of repeated international economic and financial crises, which have disturbing effects on the national programmes of States. In economic terms, my country has had since 2009 a real moral compass for national players, both public and private, and for our external partners: the Growth and Employment Strategy document. The document is part of a comprehensive shared vision of development for Cameroon up to 2035, called Vision 2035. It emphasises seeking increased growth, job creation, poverty reduction and a tangible improvement in the living conditions of our people. The strategy will be implemented by, in particular, large-scale, labour- intensive building projects throughout the country, with particular emphasis on the energy sectors, mining and the creation of human capital. In political terms, and with regard to elections, our independent electoral institution — Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) — set up in 2006 and made responsible for the entire electoral process, from the electoral register to the organization of the ballot, the oversight of elections and referendums, has become fully operational, and has a number of local offices. Giving the right to vote to Cameroonians living abroad is part of the law that was promulgated this year. The electoral register has been updated by ELECAM, and incentives, such as free national identity cards, were given to encourage a large turn-out at the elections. Furthermore, legal provisions have been established to ensure the transparency, freedom, honesty and credibility of the elections in a context of consensual democracy. In that regard, there is a deadline of importance to the Cameroonian people in the short term. On 9 October they will have the right to elect their leader and determine their future, as is the case in all democracies. I am referring to the presidential election. With all of the provisions that I have just mentioned, made with the technical assistance of United Nations specialized agencies, we believe that the conditions now exist to ensure that the election takes place peacefully. Independent national and foreign observers will be authorized to monitor the presidential election. I wish to highlight with pride the political maturity demonstrated by the people of Cameroon. They have always been able to make the best choice in order to ensure that we preserve national achievements, 17 11-51378 particularly with regard to peace and national unity, and the people have been able to work together in a spirit of patriotism, and with a high sense of a citizen’s responsibilities when required to meet the various challenges, both external and internal, that they encounter and have encountered throughout their history. I reiterate Cameroon’s commitment to peace through mediation, as well as its commitment to democracy and good governance, both internally and internationally. I close by emphasizing my country’s commitment to the ideals of the Charter, and to those set out in the Constitutive Act of the African Union. My country wishes to see enhanced cooperation between those two international institutions, as they deal with issues affecting African countries, in line with the spirit and letter of those two international instruments. This has been, on behalf of the President of the Republic of Cameroon, His Excellency Mr. Paul Biya, Head of State and head of Cameroonian diplomacy, our contribution to the general debate at the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which is our common international Organization with global competence.