Mauritania

On behalf of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, I am pleased to extend to Mr. Eliasson my wholehearted congratulations on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixtieth session. We are convinced that his wealth of experience and immense talent will allow him to address the international and regional issues on our agenda with confidence and ensure the success of this session, which coincides with the sixtieth anniversary of our Organization. I cannot fail to seize this opportunity to pay tribute to his predecessor, Mr. Jean Ping, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Gabon, for his gifted and patient performance at the helm of the General Assembly at the fifty-ninth session and for his tireless efforts to establish the appropriate conditions for the holding of the session and the High-level Plenary Meeting that preceded it. I should also like warmly to congratulate Secretary-General Kofi Annan and his colleagues on their intense and consistent mediation and efforts to ensure the convening of this session and the achievement of the Organization’s lofty objectives. I also hail the major efforts made during the intersessional period at the high-level dialogue begun in New York in late June on financing for development and at the Economic and Social Council session on national achievements and steps towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals and to implement the outcomes of the international conferences held from 1992 to 2002. Attaining the objectives of development, security and stability hinges on how effectively we deal with the issues of violence and terrorism. The global nature of the phenomenon of terrorism requires that the question be dealt with in a global manner, through the complementarity of the cultures of nations and a rejection of confrontation and conflict. It is also important not to forget the considerable growth gap that exists between poor and rich countries, particularly since the social, scientific and technical lag is one of the major causes of tension and one that nurtures terrorism and violence in the world. In Mauritania, we condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and we view it as a phenomenon that is alien to our society and our Islamic values of tolerance. We reject violence and extremism and call for mutual understanding, dialogue and tolerance. It is clear that we must quickly begin a political dialogue, which is the only means to end the conflict in the Middle East and to restore calm there. In this context, my country believes that the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a few cities of the West Bank constitutes an important step towards the implementation of the road map and the Arab peace initiatives. Through those initiatives Arab States have proposed to Israel a comprehensive peace and normal relations in exchange for total withdrawal from all Palestinian territories and from Syrian and Lebanese territories, a return to the 4 June 1967 borders, the establishment of a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital, and a negotiated, just settlement of the problem of Palestinian refugees. We are following with interest the developments of the situation in Iraq and are anxious to preserve Iraq’s territorial unity, the unity of its people, its sovereignty, independence and non-interference in its internal problems, in order to overcome the problems and ensure security, stability and the re-construction of the State, while supporting the transitional Government. We are following with equal interest the development of the situation in the Sudan, and we give our blessing to the Agreement between the Government of Sudan and the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army. We support the commendable efforts of the Sudanese Government, in coordination with the African Union, the Arab League and the United Nations, to tackle humanitarian, security and political questions related to the Darfur crisis. Regarding Western Sahara, Mauritania supports the efforts of the United Nations and its Secretary- General to find a definitive solution to assure stability in the region, a solution that has the support of all parties. Mauritania today is on the eve of an era that began with an initiative taken by the Military Council for Justice and Democracy on 3 August 2005, which was hailed by the entire Mauritanian people. It put an end to totalitarian practices that caused suffering and led to dangerous derailments that threatened the future of the country over the last two decades. This initiative rests on the commitment of the Council to the Mauritanian people to create the right conditions for the emergence of an honest and transparent democracy and to allow civil society and all legal political actors 10 to participate in this endeavour with full freedom. The Military Council will not exercise its powers beyond the period necessary to prepare for and set up genuine democratic institutions, and that period will not extend beyond two years. The Military Council for Justice and Democracy solemnly reaffirms respect for all of Mauritania’s international commitments and instruments. In crystallizing this initiative, the Military Council for Justice and Democracy has defined the priorities of the transitional Government. It has established three ministerial committees entrusted with the task of defining the modalities to guarantee proper elections, working together with political parties and civil society organizations to establish an equitable legal system, in consultation with the national bar association. The aim of these efforts is to propose all measures necessary for the emergence of a genuine system of good governance, in which the private sector and civil society participate. In order to ensure justice and national reconciliation and to enable all people to participate freely and actively in political life, a comprehensive and absolute amnesty was proclaimed on 2 September 2005 for all Mauritanians condemned for political crimes and misdemeanours. At this point in time, no Mauritanian is being prosecuted for any political crime domestically or abroad. For the first time, the mass media are open to all political parties and civil society institutions. A constitutional law was enacted prohibiting the President and members of the Military Council for Justice and Democracy, the Prime Minister and members of the Transitional Government from standing in the forthcoming elections or supporting any political candidate or party. An independent elections committee was formed to supervise elections, seeking help from any nation willing to help. It is in this context that Mauritania presented a memorandum to the United Nations regarding provision of assistance to international observers invited by the Mauritanian Government to provide technical and logistical assistance for the elections. This is with a view to conducting a constitutional referendum, which will be organized by July 2006 at the latest, as well as legislative and presidential elections to be held before 6 August 2007. The referendums and elections would be held in accordance with the commitment made by the Military Council for Justice and Democracy with the Transitional Government, in order to provide the appropriate conditions for a transparent and open democracy and to facilitate the establishment of institutions that will be truly representative and diverse. Mauritania is eager to contribute to the development of cooperation and solidarity in the regional context. It is in that context that we would like to reaffirm our total support for the Arab Maghreb, which remains an incontrovertible strategic choice and an ambitious project for the people of the region in their aspirations to greater complementarity and solidarity. With regard to the African continent, we would like to reiterate the importance we attach to our friendship and brotherly relations with all countries of the continent. We would like to further strengthen cultural dialogue, communications and relations, which we have pledged to do within the Five-plus-Five framework and the Barcelona process, the tenth anniversary of which we shall celebrate this year. Given ongoing world changes, we would like to see the role and functions of the General Assembly enhanced and to see its decisions implemented. That holds true for other organs of the United Nations, in particular the Economic and Social Council. The Security Council needs to be strengthened, and to be made more representative by including members from Africa, Latin America and other regional groups, such as the Arab Group, as well as other industrialized States such as Germany and Japan. Finally, the working methods of the Council and its performance need to be improved so that it can achieve its mandate of maintaining international peace and security.