I should like, on behalf of my delegation, to
say how delighted we are to see you, Madam, the
representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain, a friendly
country, presiding over the General Assembly at its
sixty-first session. I would like to assure you of our
sincere wishes for your success. You can rest assured
that my delegation will fully cooperate with you.
I would also like to pay tribute to the Kingdom of
Sweden, a friendly country whose Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Mr. Jan Eliasson, presided over the General
Assembly at its sixtieth session in such an outstanding
manner. Major progress was made during that session.
Finally, I should like to extend to Montenegro a
warm welcome to the family of the peoples of the
United Nations.
This session of the General Assembly is taking
place at a time when the world is once again facing
major challenges. I am thinking in particular of the
upsurge of terrorism, which threatens the security of
States and our collective security. I am also thinking of
the persistence of underdevelopment and the almost
endemic poverty in the countries of the South. I am
thinking, too, of pandemics of all kinds, including
HIV/AIDS. Finally, I am thinking of cross-border
organized crime.
Our world and our Organization need more
generosity, more solidarity, more ethical behaviour and
more tolerance, but also more courage and more
imagination to tackle these challenges, which require a
global approach in the multilateral context in which the
United Nations is the forum par excellence.
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Opinions are being expressed in various quarters
deploring the inability of the Organization to respond
adequately to the fundamental aspirations of the
world’s people, while some also believe that the
Organization has become obsolete. Cameroon would
like to reaffirm that it believes that, despite the
inevitable shortcomings inherent in an organization of
such size, the United Nations is today, more than ever
before, the only institution that can bring about
consensus in an effort to ease tension and find
solutions. Very simply put, there is no substitute for the
United Nations in managing in a coherent manner the
problems to which I have referred.
In that regard, I would like to pay special tribute
to the work of Secretary-General Kofi Annan. I also
wish to convey to him the gratitude of my country and
my personal regard and appreciation for his efforts.
Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, he has
reinvigorated multilateralism in an especially difficult
international environment. Cameroon is proud to have
contributed to the election of this noble son of Africa
following its assumption of the chairmanship of the
Organization of Africa Unity. Today, while peace to
many seems to be but a myth, Africa is truly honoured
that Mr. Kofi Annan has taken his place among the
world’s great peacemakers. In that regard, the Noble
Peace Prize awarded to him was richly deserved.
In an international environment characterized by
difficulties in ensuring that the rule of law prevails
over the use of force, the Secretary-General was
courageously able to promote the voice of reason. In an
environment of heated passions, he succeeded in
delivering a message of peace and brotherhood. Allow
me, by way example in that regard, to refer to his
unequivocal commitment to Cameroon and Nigeria —
two brotherly countries linked by history and
geography — in the peaceful and consensual
implementation of the International Court of Justice
(ICJ) ruling of 10 October 2002 finally resolving the
border dispute between our two countries.
The Greentree Agreement of 12 June 2006,
implemented following the withdrawal of all Nigerian
troops on 14 August 2006, is a credit both to the United
Nations and the personal commitment of the Secretary-
General. I would like to take this opportunity to thank
friendly countries, including the Federal Republic of
Germany, the United States of America, France and the
United Kingdom. Along with the United Nations, those
countries agreed to provide their moral and political
support to the Greentree Agreement, which defined the
modalities for the implementation of the ICJ ruling of
10 October 2002 on the Bakassi Peninsula. More
importantly, they agreed to help us to implement it.
I would also like to reaffirm here and now
Cameroon’s solemn commitment to continue to fulfil in
good faith all its obligations emanating from the
International Court of Justice decision and the
Greentree Agreement. In particular, I would like to
affirm that Nigerian nationals living in Bakassi
desiring to remain there will be treated in the same way
as the 4.5 million Nigerians living in Cameroon, who
are able to live their lives in peace and harmony with
Cameroonians.
That process has taught us that true lasting peace
can never be imposed; it can only be established
through patience and a spirit of compromise. In short,
real lasting peace can only come from genuine joint
political will.
Allow me to highlight some of the many
initiatives undertaken by the United Nations that
reflect the geopolitical developments under way and
the aspirations of people around the world. In that
regard, I would specifically like to refer to the
Millennium Declaration, which is a genuine charter of
international solidarity binding on all of us as an urgent
obligation. In addition, the Organization’s ongoing
attention to Africa is prominently reflected in the
Secretary-General’s report on sustainable development
and the causes of conflict in Africa, a document that
will be an ongoing source of encouragement to our
countries.
I also wish to recall that the Secretary-General
laid the foundations for the reform of the Organization,
which was made necessary in the light of the changes
that have taken place in the world’s balance of power
since the founding of United Nations. I should
therefore now like to say a few words about what has
come to be known as United Nations reform.
The Organization stands no chance of
maintaining its place in world affairs unless it
safeguards its legitimacy. In other words, it must
ensure that its representative character is beyond
reproach. The reform we seek should therefore take
into account the development of the international
system in the course of recent decades. Likewise, it
will no doubt be necessary to modify the role played
by some organs of the United Nations system. In that
19 06-53958
connection, I am thinking in particular of the role of
the International Court of Justice. It is in everyone’s
interest that the reform be properly carried out while
taking into account today’s realities. But however
reform is carried out, I believe that Africa should have
permanent representation in the Security Council. That
is not just a matter of justice, but also one of common
sense.
In order to retain its credibility, the Organization
should resolutely continue to pursue its efforts with
regard to major issues related to peace and
development in the developing world. On the political
level, special attention should be paid to the Middle
East, Darfur and the issue of nuclear proliferation.
With regard to development, the Millennium
Development Goals should be attained within a
reasonable time frame.
In order to avert doubts as to the positive aspects
of trade globalization, the United Nations likewise has
a responsibility to maintain a balance between the
countries of the North and the South in such major
trade negotiations as the now-suspended Doha Round.
Failure in that regard would have disastrous
consequences for Africa.
Finally, our Organization must continue to
safeguard the cultural identity of the various peoples of
the world and to promote a dialogue among cultures
and religions. The sharing of experiences and the
knowledge gained through such an honest and
respectful dialogue will be the best antidote to the
clash of civilizations that some predict as well as a sure
alternative to terrorism and violence.
Over the years, the United Nations has become a
crucial stakeholder in the international arena. I believe
we should all welcome that development because, first
of all, this parliament of nations is the only forum in
which virtually all peoples are represented and where a
blueprint for international democracy is gradually
being drafted. We should welcome it also because —
and this is an important point — the systematic
consideration by our Organization of crises or tensions
gives negotiation a chance and makes the use of force
less likely. True, it has not just been success stories,
but I think that, broadly speaking, the balance sheet is
quite positive. This should prompt us not to begrudge
the United Nations our trust and to give it means
commensurate with its ambitions, its responsibilities
and the expectations we have of it.
For its part, Cameroon will continue to support
all the initiatives of our Organization aimed at
maintaining peace and solidarity among peoples. I need
hardly say that the human person must remain
paramount among our concerns. This, inter alia, will be
the task facing the new Human Rights Council, of
which my country is honoured to be a member.
Our Organization cannot remain indifferent to the
tragedy of the massive migration flows that we have
been witnessing for some time. Clearly this situation
poses a challenge not only to our States but also to the
entire international community, and we must all work
together to strengthen cooperation in this area between
the countries of the North and the countries of the
South.
I believe that, appearances to the contrary — and
although many hotbeds of tension and threat still
remain — the international community seems to be
moving towards greater stability. Credit, to a large
extent, goes to the work done by the United Nations,
its various organs and its staff, who are carrying out
their responsibilities in conditions that are often
difficult, even dangerous.
That is the substance of the message of Mr. Paul
Biya, President of the Republic of Cameroon, to the
General Assembly at its sixty-first session.