YouSaid · the spoken record

Kolawolé Idji

lines on the record: 55
first: 1998-09-24
most recent: 2002-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“It also recognized the need to conclude a world alliance for sustainable development, by which the developed countries would make the essential effort of solidarity with the poorest. A giant step forward was taken there, but action is now required. We fervently hope today that all the measures advocated in Johannesburg will become a reality. If they do not, there will be no reduction, but an increase in poverty. We can stave off that danger, which is deadly for all of us.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The Secretary-General and each one of us must now offer every assistance to Ambassador Chowdhury and his Office in becoming fully operational and in carrying out his important mission of obtaining the resources necessary for action. To that end, it is important that every Member of the United Nations, even the poorest, make some effort, for example, by contributing to the Trust Fund to support the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action. The Government of Benin will assume all its responsibilities in that respect in due course. In Johannesburg recently, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the international community acknowledged its responsibility to the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalized as members of the great human family.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“I wish at this point to reiterate our gratification and thanks to Secretary-General Kofi Annan for the celerity with which he implemented the decision taken by the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session to establish the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. The Secretary-General nominated Ambassador Chowdhury of Bangladesh to that important post, which he has already assumed. In nominating Ambassador Chowdhury, the Secretary-General could not have made a more fortunate choice. We all know Ambassador Chowdhury and his great experience, resolve and dedication. His country, Bangladesh, has served the group of least developed countries with distinction for 20 years. I salute that work today.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“26 I believe it important to call attention to the dangerous dwindling of resources available to the operational institutions of the United Nations system — particularly the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Capital Development Fund, the United Nations Children's Fund and the World Health Organization — and to stress the crucial need to find ways and means of increasing those resources in order to strengthen these agencies' valuable efforts to combat poverty in our countries. The Cotonou ministerial meeting also recommended the establishment of a synoptic table to be used by the Economic and Social Council when it reviews and follows up the implementation of the Programme of Action by the least developed countries and their development partners.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The Cotonou conference formulated guidelines and made recommendations, contained in the important Cotonou Declaration. At the national level, the Declaration recommends the establishment of an implementation and follow-up mechanism to monitor integration of the Programme of Action into national development programmes and to promote the creation of a national forum for dialogue. It also recommends that the least developed countries design their strategic development priorities in keeping with local contexts. That is an important factor for guaranteeing rationality and national ownership of policies. At the international level, United Nations and other international agencies are called on to incorporate the Programme of Action into their work programmes and Government processes.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“These include the continuing decrease in official development assistance, the debt burden, the difficulty of gaining access to the markets of the developed countries and the lack of foreign investment. By adopting a Programme of Action and a Political Declaration at Brussels, the international community renewed its commitment to helping the least developed countries resolutely to deal with mechanisms whose operations increase poverty. Mindful of the need to mobilize energy and increase capacity in order thoroughly to implement the Brussels Programme of Action, the least developed countries took the initiative of meeting at Cotonou, from 5 to 7 August 2002, in order to consider ways and means of ensuring the implementation of the Programme.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“In January this year, 49 of the poorest countries of the world chose my country, Benin, to hold the chairmanship of the coordinating office for the least developed countries. When we accepted that prestigious post, my Government was well aware of the heavy responsibilities that we were assuming. The most important item on mankind's agenda today is sustainable development. Any progress — or any regression — must be assessed by the group of countries that Benin is now coordinating. The international community itself recognizes that many problems remain. The Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries noted with regret that previous goals had not been achieved, and it clearly identified the main obstacles to the development of the least developed countries.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We welcome the fact that the guns have now been silenced in Angola after so many years of suffering, destruction and privation. It is crucial to strengthen and consolidate the peace process that is under way in that country. That is why I urgently appeal to the international community to provide support that is commensurate with the enormous reconstruction needs of Angola. Only thus will conditions be right for the establishment of lasting peace and sustainable development. I am pleased to note, among the initiatives to promote peace in Africa, the success of negotiations on an agreement on the demarcation of the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea and the continuing dialogue to restore peace in Burundi and the Sudan.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“I want to comment in particular on Sierra Leone, which has successfully emerged from a risky and dangerous electoral process. I would like to take this opportunity to pay a well-deserved tribute to the United Nations and to the countries which, at the bilateral level, have been helping Sierra Leone to reintegrate itself into the community of nations. I hope that the positive evolution of the situation in that country will have a ripple effect within the Mano River Union. I welcome the outstanding progress that has been made in the process towards the restoration of peace and security in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In that respect, I would like to pay a well-deserved tribute to President Thabo Mbeki and to the facilitator, Sir Ketumile Masire, for their commitment and perseverance.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“25 In the context of collective efforts to consider and deal with the question of conflict prevention and resolution through a comprehensive, integrated approach that takes into account political, economic and social dimensions, my delegation recommends reinforced interaction between the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council, in particular by developing close consultations with the Ad Hoc Advisory Group of the Economic and Social Council on African countries emerging from conflict. One of the most encouraging signs for Africa in recent years — indeed in recent months — is the firm determination finally to put an end to fratricidal warfare. We must support such efforts everywhere, including in Sierra Leone, Angola, Congo, Eritrea and Ethiopia.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Africa must not be an object of condescension, as if the world did not have sufficient resources to avert catastrophe. I am sure that our collective awareness is real and sincere. That is why I welcome the timely initiative of the Security Council to establish an Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa. We hope that that initiative will demonstrate a genuine, ongoing commitment on the part of the Security Council to act to put an end to the cycle of violence in Africa, thereby according equal treatment to all humanitarian crises without exception.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“It looks forward to a concrete demonstration of the goodwill so often expressed by the international community. It looks forward to real action in the form of deeds. We expect this for the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), for example. Under the wise guidance of the President of the General Assembly, we spent an entire day debating that African Union programme. Relevant remarks were uttered, commitments undertaken and forceful statements made from this very rostrum, and I do not need to dwell further on that subject. Now is the time for action, and time is of the essence. Globalization must become synonymous with a better life for all the peoples of the world. The world cannot just stand by and watch the spectacle of an Africa that has been marginalized and ravaged by wars and disease.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“This African renaissance, by means of which Africa is determined to take control of its own destiny and find solutions to its ills, should be encouraged through support for the African Union, which was launched in Durban, South Africa, in July this year. The African Union espouses the vision of the founding fathers of the African nations and of the former Organization of African Unity. The African Union is different from the Organization of African Unity because it stresses the need for the economic integration of the continent and affirms that peace, security and stability are indispensable conditions for the creation of an environment conducive to development and that good governance must be the norm for our States. I wish to reaffirm what many earlier speakers have said: Africa is beginning to play its proper role.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“By placing Africa at the centre of its concerns for the new millennium, the United Nations has rightly focused the attention of the international community on that continent, which, despite its commendable efforts, is having difficulty finding its way towards development. The persistence of war and conflict, which repeatedly lead to great bloodshed in that part of the world, is one of the main reasons for that situation. Aware that, as it faces new challenges, our continent is at a critical stage in its development and that it is for Africa to shoulder its own responsibilities, African leaders have taken a number of political initiatives aimed at resolving conflict, rising to the great challenge of endowing Africa with new forums for dialogue and action.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Thus, pursuant to Security Council resolution 1373 (2001), adopted on 28 September 2001, Benin submitted a report on the measures we have taken to prevent and punish acts of terrorism. A constructive and effective dialogue is under way with the Security Council Committee regarding proposed measures to prevent and suppress the financing of acts of terrorism. However, the anti-terrorist campaign will be more effective and more comprehensive if it is organized on the basis of strict respect for the purposes and principles of the United Nations. We believe that there is an urgent need for a clear, precise, legal definition of international terrorism in order to prevent the haphazard character of our individual or collective initiatives from jeopardizing the effectiveness of the global coalition against the terrorist threat.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The sincere and spontaneous compassion and sympathy of the peoples of the world for the victims of the terrible attacks of 11 September prove that more than ever before we are bound by a common destiny. It is therefore vital to give real meaning to this solidarity and this shared responsibility. The United Nations must continue to play a dynamic role in the promotion of international cooperation in order to prevent and punish acts of terrorism. For Benin, nothing — no pretext whatsoever — could justify such barbaric acts, and the terrifying images that I am loath to recall today will remain etched in our collective memory throughout the twenty-first century. Benin's firm commitment to combating terrorism is unambiguous, and we intend to fight this scourge with resolve.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“I wish also to pay tribute to our Secretary- General, Kofi Annan, whose devotion and skills have enhanced the prestige of our Organization. The message that I bring the Assembly from Benin is a message of peace, which our people are experiencing, and a message of the preservation of peace in all its aspects, in keeping with the Charter of our Organization and with the Millennium Declaration, in which we pledged to build for future generations a world free from fear, hunger and ignorance. 24 The barbaric acts perpetrated a year ago, on 11 September 2001 here in New York and in other places, are still vivid in our memory, making ever more urgent the need to make greater strides in our common endeavour of civilization.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“On behalf of the delegation of the Republic of Benin, allow me to convey to Mr. Jan Kavan our heartfelt congratulations on his well-deserved election to the presidency of the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly. His skills, his extensive experience in international affairs and his dedication to the lofty causes championed by the United Nations guarantee the success of our work. I wish to assure him of my delegation's full cooperation and support in ensuring the full success of the work of this session. I should like to take this opportunity also to congratulate and to thank his predecessor, Mr. Han Seung-soo of the Republic of Korea, who presided so ably and with such dedication over the work of the fifty-sixth session of the Assembly.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Peace, security and sustainable human development are the themes that my delegation would like to see as the banner of this session of the General Assembly, the last before the year 2000: peace above all, so that the founding cry of this Organization, “never again”, may in the new millennium become a reality for all peoples and for all individuals.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“For this reason, I fervently appeal to all those of goodwill, and to all development partners eager that democracy, the rule of law and good governance should be solidly established in every one of our States and on all continents, to lend their material and financial support and their experience to the preparation, organization and convening of the Cotonou conference. We earnestly hope that the Cotonou conference will enable us to build on existing achievements in the maintenance of international peace and security.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I am convinced that the fourth International Conference of New or Restored Democracies — the first that Africa will have the honour and privilege of hosting, following the conferences held in the Philippines, Nicaragua and Romania — will be an opportunity for all the friends of Africa — indeed, all the friends of democracy — to pool their experience and to work together to consolidate a political system that, 32 unfortunately, is not yet the most widespread of phenomena. The Cotonou conference, scheduled for early December 2000, can have significance and impact only if all democrats agree to make a sincere contribution; this would enable democracy all over the world to take a crucial qualitative leap forward.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I should like to extend the recognition and gratitude of the people and Government of Benin to all its development partners, to the Powers which have realized that today poverty more than ever is a matter for all of us, wherever it may be found, and that violations of human rights involve us all wherever they may take place. I wish once again to express our thanks to all those who are assisting us in our activities aimed at making Benin, indeed Africa in general, a haven of peace, political stability and successful, integrated development. During its fifty-first session, the General Assembly accepted Benin's offer to hold the Fourth International Conference of New or Restored Democracies and encouraged it to do so, no doubt because of our efforts, which I have just outlined, to maintain peace, democracy and the constitutional rule of law.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Our young democracy has just successfully completed an electoral process culminating in the renewal of Parliament before the deadline set by the Constitution. In a few months' time we will be holding local elections to elect mayors and councillors to help entrench democracy at the grass-roots level. However, despite these significant efforts and sacrifices, we know that our political and economic structures will continue to be fragile and vulnerable so long as poverty and disease continue to lay waste to our towns and countryside, so long as HIV/AIDS is not conquered or, at least, contained at the same levels as in Europe and America, and so long as insecurity and appalling internal and regional conflicts continue to undo the work of the African peoples and enrich a few arms manufacturers and traffickers.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In keeping with those recommendations, Benin, together with several other African countries, has undertaken far-reaching political and economic reforms to improve the living and working conditions of its people, particularly those in rural areas. The measures include action to stabilize public finances, liberalize the economy, develop the private sector, stimulate economic growth, combat corruption and preserve social peace and political stability through the establishment of a State based on the rule of law that respects democratic principles and fundamental rights and freedoms. Against that background we are striving, tirelessly and resolutely, to ensure that the democratic process takes firm root in Benin.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The conference also highlighted the assets and potential of the continent: significant natural and human resources; cultural wealth; a spirit of sharing; and a sense of solidarity. Accordingly, the conference recommended another approach for Africa's development, based on the promotion of peace and security within and between States; real integration of Africa into the world economy; and the creation of an African regional observatory for globalization. It would be regrettable if these highly lucid and relevant analyses and findings came to nothing because the United Nations Development Programme itself is stifled by a lack of resources.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This implies mobilizing and pooling the efforts of the whole international community, inspired by the same vision of a common destiny and a new philosophy of sharing. That vision of development prompted the Government of Benin to host, in February 1999 in Cotonou, a conference of United Nations Development Programme Resident Representatives working in Africa to consider the problems of development in Africa in the coming millennium. The conference identified the major problems that African countries face at the close of the twentieth century: social and political upheaval; poverty; problems of access in meeting essential social needs; population pressure; the debt burden; and economic marginalization, among others.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“While we clearly reaffirm our own responsibility, we must also say that for Africa better economic performance necessarily involves a rapid and lasting solution to the problems caused by external debt; inputs of the new and additional financial resources required to meet the growing need for funding; transfers of new and appropriate technology; promotion of a genuine, open and fair system of international trade; and appropriate incentives for our efforts to diversify and modernize our 31 economies. What we need in this age of globalization is a genuine solidarity pact. This new partnership with Africa should set out to enable all African countries to enjoy the benefits of globalization.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Fortunately indeed, Africa can cease to be the continent of bad news. Today, it has the ability and the will to make it so. Throughout the decade that is now drawing to a close, the international community has repeatedly stated that Africa must be a priority. Mindful of the need for that continent to achieve economic progress, the United Nations has worked out appropriate strategies and embarked on specific development programmes. But none of those initiatives will have any impact on the development of the continent if African countries themselves, supported by their development partners, do not redouble their efforts to carry out the necessary reforms and mobilize the necessary resources.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“If we are to succeed, our vision for the twenty-first century and our prospects for the future must be clarified and strengthened by the effective implementation of the various plans and programmes of action adopted since the beginning of this decade within the framework of the United Nations system. In this context, the situation of the developing countries, the least developed countries in particular, deserves more attention from the international community, which should endeavour to create favourable conditions for those countries to develop. In this respect, we cannot evade the anguished question of the future of Africa on the threshold of the third millennium, particularly given the debt burden and the deterioration in the terms of trade. These are sad realities which are killing at least as many people as are dying from AIDS.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The example of Kosovo is there to remind us of the key importance of prompt and determined action on the part of the international community in order to restore and maintain peace. The distressing events in East Timor are another eloquent example of this. Allow me in all honesty to state here that human rights are universal and indivisible. If we wish to build a united and peaceful international community, let us not introduce into the defence, protection and promotion of human rights any conditionalities or preferences, be they geographical, cultural, geostrategic or others. In this age of rapid globalization, we must realize that the risk of marginalizing the weakest economies and the most vulnerable peoples is very real; it is a mortal danger. Fortunately, there is still time to avert it.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I have no wish to forget or to minimize the contribution of other countries, but I wish in particular to pay tribute here to the tremendous sacrifices made by the peoples of West Africa and in particular by the people of Nigeria in the context of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) to help the West African subregion to put an end to war and insecurity, which hamper development and economic progress. I wish also to welcome the bold resolutions adopted by the Heads of States at the OAU Summit in Algiers, as well as the initiatives of the subregional organizations in West Africa and in the Great Lakes region, which attest to strengthened political resolve to reverse the course of events in a positive and constructive direction. These endeavours deserve to be sustained and strengthened by international solidarity.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We are ready to continue to support the efforts of Africa itself and those of the great Powers in the context of the prevention, settlement and sustainable management of conflicts. Here I wish to pay tribute to the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and certain subregional organizations such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Southern African Development Community for their bold initiatives aimed at bringing peace and security to Africa.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“30 The international community is in a position to put an end to the atrocities and the savagery that have been on the rise recently in all continents. To this end, it is essential for the process of revitalization, restructuring and democratization in the world Organization, begun under the authority of the Secretary-General, to be continued so as to enhance its effectiveness in carrying out the urgent tasks that it will face at the beginning of the third millennium. Benin is at peace within its borders, with its neighbours and with the whole of the international community. But we are seriously disturbed by the appalling conflicts that continue to devastate and destabilize our continent.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In order to do this, we will have to promote and strengthen worldwide cooperation, in particular in tackling the serious problems that the century that is now ending will have bequeathed to the one that is now beginning. Combating poverty should, it seems to me, be one of our priorities, because poverty is a factor of destabilization and a source of conflict and war, particularly in Africa. The holding of the millennium summit in September 2000 will be a historic opportunity for us to strive to strengthen peace, security and stability, for which all peoples of the world yearn. We could hardly overemphasize the close relationship among development, peace, security, democracy and human rights, and we all share the responsibility of day by day translating these words into reality. We can overcome poverty.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This session of the General Assembly is beginning at a particularly important moment in the history of humankind, for, after a century of deeds and events fraught with all kinds of consequences, the entire international community is preparing to move forward into the first century of a new millennium. We who have been privileged to witness this twofold historical transition should not ignore the great responsibility that we have borne throughout the century that is now closing and the equal responsibility that we will have to shoulder throughout the one that is about to begin. The challenges that face us are many and range across all human areas of activity. It is our conviction that if we so desire, we can make the next century an era of peace, security, development, understanding and concord among peoples.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, for the unstinting devotion that he has demonstrated since his election and for the undeniable successes that he has achieved for the United Nations in particularly difficult circumstances. I should like here to reaffirm the full support and confidence of the Government of Benin as we pursue the lofty and legitimate goal of giving the United Nations the means of tackling the challenges that await us on the threshold of the first century of the new millennium. I should like also to congratulate and warmly welcome the three new States Members of the United Nations — the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru and the Kingdom of Tonga.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We see this felicitous and remarkable coincidence as a definite assurance of the success of the important debates we will be holding and a sign of hope that the decisions to be taken will so direct our actions as to ensure that the coming century is one of peace, progress and development, for the African continent in particular. Allow me at this stage to pay tribute to Mr. Didier Opertti, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, for the outstanding work he did in the service of the Organization throughout the fifty-third session of the General Assembly. I wish also to pay a highly deserved tribute to our brother, Mr.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In taking the floor on behalf of the delegation of the Republic of Benin, I would like first of all to express my heartiest congratulations to the entire Bureau of the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly. I would also like to express my satisfaction at seeing the Foreign Minister of Namibia, Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, presiding over the Assembly at this session, the last of the century and of the closing millennium. At a time when the United Nations more than ever is called upon to act in the interest of the peace and well- being of humankind, Benin takes pride in seeing a representative of Africa holding that important post. I would assure him of my delegation’s full cooperation and support, for it will be under his enlightened presidency that the Organization will stride forward into the twenty-first century.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The twenty-first century may become one in which a blind global economy using the most sophisticated science and technology at the same time enslaves three quarters of humanity. This must not happen. Let us act now so that the next century can become the century of civilization par excellence, the century of sharing and of solidarity, the century of culture and the century of peace. The Republic of Benin is ready to play its part in this necessary struggle.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We must continue to try to refine it and to carry out reforms. In conclusion, therefore, I would like to reaffirm that the reform of the United Nations, which was begun under the bold initiative of Mr. Kofi Annan, deserves to be 19 supported and developed so as to guarantee the necessary conditions for the harmonious pursuit of the process of democratizing international relations at the dawn of the next millennium. If we want to begin the twenty-first century with self-confidence, and if we want the efforts and sacrifices that have been made thus far on the tortuous and rugged path to development not to have been in vain, we must do our utmost to focus greater attention on the principle of world partnership and the duty of solidarity, which is what the new international order necessarily implies.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Although they may be positive and praiseworthy, initiatives to benefit Africa must henceforth meet the fundamental needs and priorities of the African countries. It is in this spirit that in several days? time Benin will be participating in the second Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD II). Our hope, which many others share, is that that Conference will go beyond the declaration that will no doubt be adopted and lead to a programme of concrete action aimed at finding solutions to the problems of the continent at the close of the twentieth century. At the beginning of my statement I referred to the spirit of tolerance and sharing. I believe that our Organization is the pre-eminent forum in which we can learn and refine this spirit. Despite all the criticism, the United Nations has, to date, proved irreplaceable.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Nevertheless, I should like to thank all of the funds, programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations whose technical and financial support in the past five years has been decisive in enabling us to pursue programmes aimed at constructing a State based on the rule of law and building a prosperous nation in which all the citizens of Benin can have a minimum of their common social requirements met. I should also like to welcome all the initiatives of the United Nations system, which have long been working for the development of Africa, as well as the actions of all our development partners, in particular Japan, which have ranked the development and economic recovery of the continent among their priorities.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In this context, I should like to reaffirm the importance that the Government of Benin attaches to the operational development activities of the United Nations system, which, we are pleased to say, are aimed at enabling the recipient countries to take control of their own development. We believe that the decline in contributions to core resources for funds and programmes such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children?s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is a dangerous handicap. The Government of Benin hopes that the donor countries will demonstrate greater solidarity by increasing the resources that they allocate to those institutions.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Even if our development partners are standing beside us, these reforms and efforts express first and foremost the desire of our States and our peoples to take charge and to emerge from underdevelopment and poverty. And we have begun to obtain results. In my country, for example, economic growth has now surpassed demographic growth. We must carry our burden even if we have to do so on our knees; we must not let it fall. I therefore call upon all those responsible for making economic decisions at the global level to support more vigorously the efforts of countries whose burden has brought them to their knees.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We cannot speak seriously about human rights, liberty or democracy in a country where the people have neither bread nor schools. My country hopes that bold and vigorous measures will be taken, particularly by the richest countries, so that those whom globalization leaves inexorably by the wayside can be given a chance to enter the twenty-first century with a little more hope. The bold measures must relate in particular to the issues of debt and the allocation of additional resources for development. Like many other countries in Africa, Asia and America, the Republic of Benin has taken control of its destiny by carrying out reforms that have often proved very difficult.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The massacre must be stopped, first and foremost by dealing with those who are primarily responsible — the producers and exporters of small arms. That is why Benin supports the conclusions of the International Conference on the Proposed Moratorium for Small Arms Transfers in West Africa, which was held in Oslo, Norway, from 1 to 2 April 1998. It has been said that a hungry man is not a free man. I have spoken at length about arms, conflicts and wars because, basically, my delegation is hopeful that by banning the former we can more easily end or at least diminish the latter. On the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is important to emphasize that the affirmation of human rights must go hand in hand with the eradication of poverty.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Humanity will continue to be under threat until the current stockpile of nuclear weapons is destroyed. The major nuclear Powers must today admit this self-evident truth. While nuclear weapons pose a permanent danger to us all, small arms in my country sow permanent insecurity and hamper our economic development efforts. Last May a group of heavily armed gangsters attacked a bank in broad daylight right in the middle of Cotonou, killing security guards and making off with tens of millions of francs. If small arms were not available, such incidents and armed conflicts would certainly be less 18 common, and outlaws would not be as terrifyingly effective as they are today in numerous countries where ill-equipped police and militias cannot resist them.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We have learned in recent days of the efforts which have been resumed so many times by the United States of America to end the stagnation of the peace process, for which Mr. Netanyahu?s Government is principally responsible. Let us hope that peace will have a better chance this time. One of the main items on our agenda is the strengthening of the non-proliferation regime and the banning of nuclear tests. In this connection, the Republic of Benin welcomes the decision by India and Pakistan to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). We have no particular lesson for those two great countries, which are our friends. But it is clear to us that the possession of atomic bombs cannot offer either of them a lasting victory; only a prosperous country and people can confer that.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Savimbi and those who support him, either covertly or overtly, refuse to see that the time for peace has come for the martyred people of Angola? With respect to all those conflicts in Africa, the Republic of Benin welcomes the report (A/52/871) presented by the Secretary-General at the request of the Security Council on the causes of conflict in Africa. The Secretary-General?s appeal deserves to be heard and supported, not only by Africans but also by all those whose political, economic or financial decisions will influence the future of the continent. If the spirit of peace, sharing and tolerance prevailed in the Middle East, the long-delayed peace would undoubtedly be established there.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“This means that all citizens of Benin, wherever they reside, must be able to feed, house, clothe, care for and educate themselves. It would be desirable for a common social minimum to be proclaimed as an essential objective on the global scale. I should like to pause here to commend the efforts and great sacrifices made by various Governments and international organizations — particularly the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), through its Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) and the United Nations itself — to restore peace to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Angola, Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Whether in Africa or the Balkans, what lasting solution can possibly be imposed by force of arms today? Why do Mr.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)