YouSaid · the spoken record

Agba Otikpo Mezode

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29
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2001-09-24
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2002-09-24
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2
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un-general-debate

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  1. “My country's situation requires me to call attention to the words of the Algerian writer Kateb Yassin: “Our blood must become enflamed and we must catch fire in order to move the spectators. May the world open its eyes not to our mortal remains, but to the wounds of the survivors.” The sustainable development we all dream of will become a reality only if, here and now, we inject solidarity into international relations.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

  2. “How else is one to understand the silence of the international community and the international financial institutions in the face of calls for intervention and of Security Council resolutions following on the reports of the Secretary-General since the notorious date of 20 May 2000, and despite the appeals of the Organization of African Unity — now the African Union — the Community of Sahel-Saharan States and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community? And yet, our country has come a very long way with respect to good governance — that fetishistic word! — in politics, economics and finance. As of early 2002, the reduction of corruption is no longer a figment of the imagination, as evinced by the action undertaken in our financial offices.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

  3. “In the context of its own regional and subregional sphere, the Central African Republic highly appreciates the latest developments in the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in particular the signing of the Pretoria peace agreement with Rwanda and the disengagement agreement signed with Uganda. In conclusion, I am compelled to note that my country, the Central African Republic, is the victim of international ostracism and of indifference that borders on contempt.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

  4. “The many challenges defined at the Millennium Summit in terms of goals to be attained, along with the new plan for African development, will have no chance of success unless they are fostered in an environment of peace, security and stability. However, current conditions do not give much cause for optimism, although we note the occasional positive movement towards the settlement of a few conflicts. Regional crises remain, however, that are no less threatening to peace. Faithful to its doctrine, the Central African Republic believes that the situation in the Middle East 22 can be settled only through the strict implementation of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations on this subject. It deplores the escalation of violence in that region.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

  5. “That fringe of humanity calls merely for the solidarity that will allow it to live in conditions worthy of our civilization. In the face of the drying up of official development assistance, and with respect to the failure of certain development initiatives, the African countries have felt that we need to develop some sort of partnership with the countries of the North. They have therefore proposed an original plan for the development of Africa through the New Partnership for Africa's Development. The delegation of the Central African Republic fervently calls for the worldwide support of the international community for the implementation of the plan.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

  6. “This subject was eloquently analysed at the Summit on Sustainable Development, held recently in Johannesburg. My delegation has no doubt that international solidarity can here too be of help to safeguard nature. We should like on this occasion to express our gratitude for the American initiative, supported by the international community, for the protection of the Congo basin, of which the Central African Republic is a member. There is one threat, which does not need to be named because it is so obvious, and that is poverty, which — far from declining — has grown over the years. The Declaration talks about reducing poverty, but must we not first stop manufacturing it? Famine, endemic disease, HIV/AIDS and malaria are the daily lot of the two thirds of humankind living on barely $1 a day. How can we fail to be moved by this?”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

  7. “This diffuse form of organized trans-border crime that foils armies, however powerful they may be, cannot be tolerated. The reaction of the international community to this new form of aggression must be sustained by adhering to resolutions firmly condemning such actions, and by observing a certain attitude towards the countries and institutions that tolerate their authors. Thus, all together, through solidarity and multilateral cooperation, we shall conquer terrorism, whether committed by a State or a small group. The destruction of the environment, which threatens our future, is also a real threat. We should strive for the sustainable preservation of forests, fauna and biodiversity for the benefit of present and future generations.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

  8. “The revolution in information and communications, the progress of science and technology, the liberalization of trade and the disappearance of State frontiers, while accentuating the phenomenon of globalization, have at the same time led the world into an uncertain and unforeseeable future, to the point where the world today is threatened in the short term with imbalance. States should fully explore all the potential offered by multilateral cooperation within the framework of the United Nations, particularly to put a stop to such threats. These threats, according to our delegation, are essentially of four kinds. The first of these, as you can expect, is the threat that changed the world in one hour. It is called terrorism.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

  9. “The findings we made at the Millennium Summit on the state of the world at that time showed serious shortcomings with regard to our will to fulfil collectively the ideals bequeathed to us by the founding fathers of our Organization. However, through that same will, we undertook, in the Millennium Declaration, to re-examine these issues so as to set a course for the world that corresponds to the aspirations and expectations of the people. However, this is far from what has happened.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

  10. “Two years ago, 189 Member States met in this very hall. They set objectives for development for the Millennium, such as the reduction of extreme poverty, education for all, promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women, reduction of child mortality, improvement of maternal health, fight against HIV/AIDS and other diseases, such as malaria and tuberculosis, preservation of a sustainable environment and the establishment of a world partnership for development. All States unanimously pledged, through multilateral cooperation, to implement what is called the Millennium Declaration in order to achieve those objectives within 15 years.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

  11. “The determination with which the Secretary- General of our Organization, Mr. Kofi Annan, is working, under all circumstances, to make the principles and ideals of the United Nations prevail, once more elicits our admiration. The President of the Republic, the people and the Government of the Central African Republic, want hereby to assure you of their support and reiterate their deep gratitude for all the objective reports on the situation in the Central African Republic. Moreover, the entry of the Swiss Confederation to the United Nations, and soon the entry of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, are evidence of the resolute march of our Organization towards universality. The Central African Republic wishes to welcome Switzerland and hopes to cooperate closely 21 with that country within the framework of the United Nations.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

  12. “Our work is starting within a particular context in the history of international relations, because never has humanity been so conscious of the need to confirm its cohesion in order to ensure a world of concord, solidarity and peace. Before expanding on those facts, Mr. President, I would like to express to Mr. Jan Kavan and the members of the Bureau our warm congratulations on his election to the presidency of this session. His rich experience, as a great statesman and diplomat, will ensure the success of our work. That work will benefit from the full cooperation of the delegation of the Central African Republic. I take this opportunity also to express our admiration for his eminent predecessor, Mr. Han Seung-soo, for the skill and competence with which he carried out his responsibilities.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

  13. “The fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly is being held one year after the terrible terrorist attack of 11 September 2001. The delegation of the Central African Republic still intimately feels the strong emotion caused by that attack against liberty and democracy. The President of the Republic, the head of State, His Excellency Ange-Félix Patassé, leading the delegation of the Central African Republic to the commemoration, wanted to reiterate his friendly sympathy towards the American Government and people, and to reassert the firm determination of his country to do everything that is necessary in order to contribute effectively to the legitimate international crusade against all forms of terrorism.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

  14. “This cooperation should also allow us to find the necessary means of meeting the common challenge of terrorism, which is more apparent today than ever before.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

  15. “We therefore hope that the United Nations will advocate even more energetically the cause of our country before the various international financial institutions with a view to securing greater assistance for us, because the repercussions of the series of events that began in 1996 will require significant financial resources to ensure the recovery of the country, the total collapse of which would have an impact throughout our subregion, if not beyond. We are called upon at this session to consider the manner in which States should implement the Millennium Declaration through their conduct. It is only through cooperation and solidarity that we can achieve this and thus ensure for the world the fulfilment of the objectives set out in the United Nations Charter.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

  16. “We also wish here to express our gratitude to the Security Council, which has always shown great interest in the situation in our country. We further wish to make special mention here of Gabon, France and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, as well as the friends of the Central African Republic represented here, for their firm involvement at the side of the Central African Republic. We hope that they will not despair over these repeated crises because, in spite of everything, we in the Central African Republic are truly determined to overcome our problems.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

  17. “This situation has been clearly grasped by the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which, on 2 August, reminded its member States, for their information and possible action, of the decision on the situation in the Central African Republic, adopted at the seventy-fourth ordinary session of the Council of Ministers in Lusaka, which “Appeals to Member States and the rest of the international community to provide the necessary economic and financial assistance for the reconstruction of the Central African Republic and in particular calls on the countries which have promised to provide funds at the Pledging Conference in favour of the Central African Republic in New York in May 2000 to honour their commitments.” (CM/Dec.602 (LXXIV), para. 4) The Central African Republic thanks the OAU for that decision.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

  18. “That march has been made even more difficult by the nation’s extreme poverty and fragility, which, because of enormous financial hardships, is unable to cover the costs of sovereignty, creating a veritable breeding ground of instability. The attempted coup on 28 May exacerbated the country’s situation by plunging it into tragic destitution.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

  19. “Just recently, having refused to present himself to the commission of judicial inquiry that had been established specifically to determine the consequences of the attempted coup of 28 May, the former army Chief of Staff organized resistance that threatened to turn into a rebellion and almost plunged the country into renewed tragedy. The rapid reaction of the Organization of African Unity, the Community of Sahelo-Saharan States and neighbouring brotherly countries has certainly helped to calm the situation for the moment. All these events, sorely trying to men of good will, have again highlighted the question of the march of democracy in the Central African Republic.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

  20. “Thus, a number of appropriate measures have been taken, including the creation of a joint judicial inquiry commission; the establishment of contacts among the various social sectors and with the chancelleries, organizations and accredited institutions in the Central African Republic at the governmental and presidential levels; and diplomatic activity with the countries of the subregion and the region, which are being pursued. However, beyond the attempted coup of 28 May, the entire situation in the Central African Republic must be assessed as a whole.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

  21. “Fortunately, the world has spoken out in condemnation of the most recent coup attempt, and we 11 would like to take this opportunity, from this rostrum, to thank the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the Community of Sahel Saharan States, as well as brotherly and friendly countries, which responded immediately, calling for the re-establishment of constitutional legality. Any coup, be it failed or successful, always gives rise to actions to undermine freedom, human rights, the rights of society and national rights. The Central African Republic did not want to play that game.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

  22. “Contrary to all expectations, the same groups that have repeatedly subjected the people of the Central African Republic to acts of terrorism for five years committed an act whose foreseeable and tragic consequences are well known. When condemned by both the national and international community, those groups rushed to hide behind claims of genocidal practices in an attempt to justify the unjustifiable, thus creating ethnic division in various parts of the country. This recurrence of violent crises raises questions about justice in our young States, which are trying to establish the rule of law, but where amnesties are granted in lieu of justice, allowing impunity to prevail and thus encouraging recidivism.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

  23. “While noting certain shortcomings, the Council recognized the efforts of the Government and asked it, along with representatives of all parts of society in the Central African Republic, to continue down the path towards the consolidation of democracy and the preservation of peace. To help in that task, the mandate of the United Nations Peace-building Support Office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA) has been extended because, with the assistance of others, it is doing remarkable and productive work. Despite everything, the Central African Republic is determined to continue resolutely to be a small haven of relative stability in a region torn apart by war, as one eminent personality put it recently. The social and political tension has, indeed, begun to diminish. Since May 2001, there has been an international presence.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

  24. “We often forget that the deep-seated sources of such conflicts are the lack of a culture of democracy in our societies and extreme poverty. That is why our partners should support our efforts to achieve democratization and contribute to consolidating the foundations of our young democracies, above all by paying priority attention to the economic aspect, which, unfortunately, is not always the case. In the case of the Central African Republic, for example, on 28 May last an attempted coup took place with the aim of ending the march of democracy in the country. That was the fourth such attempt in the five years since 1996. We would like briefly to shed some light on those events. At its 4261st meeting, on 23 January 2001, the Security Council considered the situation in the Central African Republic.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

  25. “The Central African Republic, which endorsed the Millennium Declaration, urges the countries of the North to establish a true partnership with Africa, at both the public and private level, so as to support the developmental efforts of the continent. This will require a degree of political will, since, given the conflicts that are taking place today between, and often within, States, our partners sometimes give in to despair and indifference when confronted with slow progress, or occasionally allow themselves to be swayed by emotions incited by certain people who wish to discourage initiatives by abusively manipulating ideas that promote genocide and ethnic cleansing — phenomena that some countries have recently endured, but that can gain no foothold today in a country such as the Central African Republic.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

  26. “Such cooperation must first of all aim to eradicate the causes of certain frustrating problems in the world, by, for example, achieving a just and lasting settlement of the question of the Middle East. Likewise, my delegation urges the parties concerned to implement the provisions of the Lusaka Agreement so that the Democratic Republic of the Congo can regain its territorial integrity and unity and establish a lasting peace, which will be of benefit to the Central African Republic. Furthermore, States should cooperate in support of Africa, which is currently burdened by the weight of numerous challenges. The Millennium Summit rightly committed the international community to a campaign for development cooperation so as to make the right to development, like human rights, a reality for all.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

  27. “He can continue to count upon the cooperation of the Central African Republic in the fulfilment of his extremely difficult 10 mission, in the wake of last year’s adoption by Member States of the Millennium Declaration, which establishes a new framework for cooperation between States. Indeed, the Millennium Declaration must be viewed as a strategy within which States should work so as to be able meet the many challenges facing the world today, which include poverty, conflict, intolerance, terrorism, debt, marginalization, endemic disease and HIV/AIDS. These growing challenges, the persistence of which leads to global imbalance, can be dealt with only through multilateral cooperation, above all in the framework of the United Nations.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

  28. “His expertise in international affairs, together with his wisdom, will guarantee the success of our work, and the delegation of the Central African Republic would like to assure him of its cooperation. My delegation greatly appreciated the skilful way in which his predecessor conducted the work of the Millennium Assembly. We would also like to address, on behalf of the Central African Republic, our warmest congratulations to Mr. Kofi Annan on his re-election as Secretary- General. He has been honoured for his commitment to the cause of the Organization by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize, which is a tribute both to him and to the United Nations as a whole.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

  29. “The delegation of the Central African Republic would like first of all to fulfil the task entrusted to it by His Excellency Mr. Ange-Félix Patassé, President of the Republic and head of State, of expressing the solidarity of the Central African Republic with the American people, as well as its resolute condemnation of the heinous acts committed against freedom, democracy and peace on 11 September. We will certainly make our contribution to the process of reflection that the international community will undertake together throughout this session to elaborate measures aimed at the eradication of terrorism. Before proceeding, I should like warmly to congratulate Mr. Han on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at this session, as well as the other members of the Bureau.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)