Madam President, Burkina Faso is pleased to
see you presiding over the General Assembly at its
sixty-first session. Please be assured of the full
cooperation of my delegation, which will spare no
effort to help your noble mission succeed. I would also
like to express our gratitude to Mr. Jan Eliasson,
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, who
successfully guided the work of the Assembly at the
sixtieth session.
This session is being held at a time when peace
and security are seeing their foundations severely
shaken in several regions of the world. Areas of tension
persist in Africa, despite recent efforts to dispel them.
That is the case, for example, in the Sudan, Somalia
and Côte d’Ivoire. Fortunately, fighting has ceased in
several countries, thus opening up real opportunities
for progress and development.
In Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and
Burundi, democracy and building the rule of law have
now become a reality. That is proof that nothing,
absolutely nothing, can replace the political will of
people to engage fully in inclusive and constructive
dialogue. We very much hope that the democratic
process which is under way in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo will be successfully pursued.
Likewise, we welcome the progress made in the inter-
Togolese political dialogue. Having had the privilege
of following that process as a facilitator, President
Blaise Compaore has been able to sense fully the
degree of determination of the Togolese political
leaders. That is why we reiterate the appeal he made to
Togo’s partners to provide the support necessary for
the economic revitalization of Togo.
The crisis in Côte d’Ivoire is at a decisive turning
point. We are convinced that with the firm and sincere
commitment of all parties and the support of the
international community a lasting solution can be
found very quickly.
In the Middle East, we have watched a disturbing
escalation in the violence in recent months. Since the
causes of that conflict are sufficiently known to all,
there is no reason to go into them here. While
welcoming the adoption of Security Council resolution
1701 (2006) and the deployment of an expanded
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),
Burkina Faso strongly hopes that negotiations will
continue and intensify at all levels in order to achieve a
global and lasting peace in that region, a peace that
will restore the sovereignty of Lebanon, provide
freedom for the Palestinian people and ensure Israel’s
security.
The question of free and fair international trade
remains on the table. The collapse of the Doha
Development Round is proof of this, and it has shown
us the need to search for the best way to ensure that the
rules of the multilateral trading system set by the
World Trade Organization are strictly observed. For
Burkina Faso, which has thrown its full weight behind
the interests of African cotton producers, this
requirement is more imperative than ever. Sustainable
development, the reduction of poverty and the
elimination of hunger and precariousness in the world
still constitute challenges that must be faced.
Over and above what has been done to reduce
debt and find innovative financing mechanisms, which
we welcome, the international community must work
to forge a true North-South partnership that will
guarantee fair treatment of the questions of concern to
all the regions and countries in the world. The midterm
review of the implementation of the Brussels
Programme of Action for the Least Developed
Countries, held several days ago, and its conclusions
suggest that we are moving in the right direction.
The sheer scale of international migration in
recent years, together with the daily tragedies
experienced by thousands of young people who risk
their lives, presents a new challenge caused by
accelerated globalization. To deal with the problem, the
countries of origin, transit and destination must find
more imaginative solutions that go to its root causes, as
neither barriers, nor borders, nor interdiction, nor
forced repatriation can be an adequate, much less a
sustainable, response. That is why we welcome the
results of the Euro-Africa Conference on Migration
and Development, held on 10 and 11 July 2006 in
Rabat, the initiatives taken by the African Union to
prepare a joint African policy on migration and the
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conclusions of the High-level Dialogue on
International Migration and Development, held
recently in New York at the margins of the current
session.
The unprecedented rise in the price of a barrel of
oil and the resulting energy crisis have hit our
countries hard. The economies of African countries that
do not export oil, such as Burkina Faso, will take a
long time to recover. This crisis means that we must
find not only innovative forms of international
solidarity but also alternatives to fossil fuels. With this
reality in mind, Burkina Faso has already decided to
make the development of biogas from the waste of
plant crops, such as cotton, one of its priorities.
The question of nuclear energy has been on the
agenda of most of our meetings for some time. Burkina
Faso reiterates its firm condemnation of the arms race
in general and the proliferation of nuclear weapons in
particular. It is now imperative that we give full force
to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons. However, we must do so without prejudice to
the rights of all States to develop, produce and use
nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
In the name of democracy and justice, we have all
sought to create a new United Nations, a symbol of
modern governance and efficiency in its management
of world affairs. That is why we have undertaken to
ensure deep-rooted reform of the Organization and its
working methods. Africa in particular is dedicated to
that cause because we are convinced that it is the only
way to put right an unjustice that has festered over
decades.
Change was launched with the creation of the
Peacebuilding Commission and the Central Emergency
Response Fund, the conversion of the Commission on
Human Rights into the Human Rights Council, and the
adoption of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We
must now all work together to ensure that
multilateralism and universalism triumph over
unilateralism. To that end, we need a strong and
democratic United Nations that is open to all peoples
who seek peace and justice.
That spirit of openness and universalization in the
Organization must be a component of a genuine and
irreversible democratic movement. That is why we
must do justice by the 23 million Taiwanese whose
only aspiration has always been to play an active role
in our common endeavour to build a better world.
In that respect, Burkina Faso is very pleased to
welcome Montenegro as the 192nd Member of the
United Nations.
On behalf of my country, Burkina Faso, I wish
now to pay special tribute to Secretary-General Kofi
Annan, who, with commitment, tact, selflessness and
unprecedented efficiency has breathed new dynamism
into the Organization over the past 10 years and
rejuvenated the founding elements of the new United
Nations that we have dreamed of for decades. As he
prepares to move on from this important chapter in his
life, we wish him every success in his future activities.
The aspirations of our peoples are vast. Just as we
must strive to optimize governance globally, we must
also work to entrench local governance, democracy and
freedom. That is the only way we will be able to satisfy
those legitimate aspirations and to bequeath to future
generations a world of peace that is reconciled to itself.