YouSaid · the spoken record

Amara Essy

lines on the record: 116
first: 1996-09-24
most recent: 1999-09-24
sittings or episodes: 4
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

“33 The millennium summit will afford world leaders an opportunity to reiterate their commitment to the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter, which urges us to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples, because the principles set forth in the Charter — dignity, the value of the individual, equality including gender equality and equality between nations — are immutable. They cannot be changed. They are absolute. It is up to us to act, and we must do so, for action is the very essence of politics. Let us therefore work together to make real these noble objectives of a better future for us all.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“For Africa can continue to exist only if the African Union becomes a true Power. Côte d'Ivoire, keeping faith with this commitment, has started taking action to strengthen the existing subregional integration machinery, within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Within WAEMU we have already established policies to harmonize tax rates, price statistics, with a regional stock market and transferable securities. All these actions by Côte d'Ivoire, instigated by President Henri Konan Bédié, have no other purpose than to contribute to internal peace, peace in Africa and peace between Africa and the rest of the world. They are designed to buttress greater solidarity and to seek a more just world, with progress and happiness for each and every one of us.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“During the OAU summit in Algiers, Heads of State and Government proclaimed their faith in the integration of the continent enshrined in instruments such as the Lagos Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Monrovian Strategy for the Economic Development of Africa, the Final Act of Lagos and the Abuja Treaty established by the African Economic Community. Africa now realizes that time is not on its side; it is faced with rapid globalization, whose effects do not always seem to be in Africa's favour. With this awareness, the fourth special Summit of OAU Heads of State and Government, meeting on 9 September 1999 in Sirte, Libya, decided to create an African Union and a Pan-African Parliament. Next year, another special session will be held, also in Sirte, to adopt the text establishing the Union.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In particular, we must never lose sight of the fact that violence is born of poverty. Anything that can help to eradicate the latter is a source of hope to millions of men and women. An Africa in peace and committed to the path of development is the best guarantee of a better world. This Africa must be united and free of small arms, trafficking and rivalry. It must be united. An Africa at peace and on the road of development, is the best guarantee for a better world. Such an Africa must be united and free from arms — particularly small arms — trafficking and greed. Above all, it must be united.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The actions undertaken by President Henri Konan Bédié, especially to protect and manage forests, develop and manage coastal areas, improve the water supply and adopt a water code demonstrate our concern to preserve human health and to protect the environment. For several years now and in the context of more sustained economic growth, most African States have opted for political pluralism and the consolidation of the rule of law. These are the counterparts of improved economic and financial management through internationally recognized criteria of good governance. Much remains to be done and the situation varies from one region to another and even from one country to another. But the progress that has been achieved should be taken into account in major international negotiations.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The campaigns against these pandemics, especially that of HIV/AIDS, and endemic diseases, as well as the struggle against narcotics and drugs, are designed to end these two scourges, which directly threaten the individual and upset social stability. At the International Conference on HIV-AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from 7 to 11 December 1997, Côte d’Ivoire and France proposed the establishment of a solidarity fund to mobilize the international community. At the suggestion of Côte d’Ivoire, this proposal was taken up by the OAU last June in Ouagadougou.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I would make a solemn appeal to all donor countries to reverse the current trend and to increase their contributions to the United Nations system in general, and to UNDP in particular, so as to enable them to pursue their activities on behalf of our countries. I would ask these donors to base their actions not on short-term economic interests, but on solidarity. By reiterating the validity of the principles of the Charter at the dawn of the new millennium, we commit ourselves to restoring dignity to every human being, because nothing is lasting if it is not based on mankind. I wish here to express my Government’s satisfaction with the activities of the United Nations and its two specialized Programmes, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, in our countries.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria, and President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa to negotiate with creditors with a view to achieving a total cancellation of African debt. We hope that this mission, led by a head of State, will soon achieve success. 32 At the dawn of the new millennium, it is urgent that we define a global development assistance strategy and guarantee its financing. We therefore support the convening of a world conference on development financing to set precise objectives and emphasize support for education and social projects without, however, neglecting the industrial and agricultural sectors.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The multilateral framework will also offer the advantage of avoiding direct dealings between a given country and aid providers, which experience has often shown to be a source of misunderstandings that may hamper the smooth functioning of national economies. However, decisions taken by the richest countries for reducing debt are likely to create disparities among the countries concerned, depending on what category they belong to. The definition of these categories may rely on economic criteria that, by definition, are extremely inflexible. The question of debt is of grave concern to African countries, which, at the Fourth Extraordinary Summit of the OAU in Syrte, instructed the current OAU Chairman, Mr.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“But this satisfaction cannot calm the anxiety provoked by the continued decline of official development assistance, which the statistics of the past decade show to be precipitous. Official development assistance has now fallen to below 0.2 per cent of gross national product. We welcome the initiatives taken last June in Cologne at the summit of the G-8. These attest to a desire to increase assistance to developing countries, especially through significant debt alleviation. The cancellation of part of the debt of the developing countries, against the prospect of the opportunity for these countries to relaunch their investment policies, should allow for harmonization and coordination of the activities of the major international financial institutions.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I welcome the efforts of the Secretariat to strengthen the resources available for development and to harmonize the activities of various United Nations agencies. It was to that end that a development group was established to bring together the various operational bodies, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund and the United Nations Population Fund. The result has been improved streamlining of activities, more consistent management of aid and simplified procedures for funding projects. This represents progress that we can only welcome by paying a heartfelt tribute to the coordination of the assistance provided by UNDP, particularly by its resident representatives.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The promotion of the regional approach to collective security should in no way serve as a pretext for the Security Council’s lack of involvement. By reiterating the validity of the principles of the Charter at the dawn of a new millennium, we commit ourselves to establishing better living conditions for future generations, including all the children of Africa. Africa, of course, has little weight in world economic statistics, but it does have a potential on which the future of humankind will largely depend. It must participate fully in efforts to build a new world financial architecture. It is also important that, on the eve of major trade negotiations under the aegis of the World Trade Organization, the interests of the developing countries not be sacrificed on the altar of globalization.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Certainly, political prerequisites, especially in the form of ceasefire agreements, are necessary for the deployment of peacekeeping forces, but they are not insurmountable when the Security Council makes use of all the resources offered by the Charter. The breathing of new life into the principle of peacekeeping operations through the provision of credible deterrent elements and resources should not absolve us of reviewing or of clarifying Chapter VIII on cooperation between the United Nations and regional arrangements. Too many uncertainties remain on the scope and modalities of such cooperation and the role that falls to the Security Council in this regard. The Kosovo crisis and military intervention under the auspices of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have only increased our doubts and questions in this connection.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“But we should take care that this hope not be dashed, thereby strengthening the feeling, widely held in African public opinion, that our continent is subject to discriminatory treatment as compared with other regions of the world. What was possible in Kosovo should also be possible in Angola, Congo and Sierra Leone. The reference to the values of democracy and human rights that served as a catalyst for the large-scale action in Kosovo is equally applicable to African populations. I am fully aware of the reluctance of the great Powers to become involved in complex conflicts whose local protagonists are often difficult to identify and tend to compete with one another, at very great humanitarian cost.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I would be remiss if I did not mention all that has been done to strengthen cooperation in peacekeeping with the OAU, as well as with the Economic Community of West African States and the Southern African Development Community. We must welcome the fact that the United Nations seems gradually to be overcoming the Somalia syndrome that led it to reduce its commitments. 31 The prospect of the Organization’s soon deploying a peacekeeping force of 20,000 for the implementation of the Lusaka agreement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is certainly a harbinger of an increased effort of the international community to restore peace and security in Africa.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Even though it is more complex in terms of the many issues in its subregion, the work of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) is also praiseworthy. It has made it possible to build a momentum for dialogue that will ultimately prevail over the passions and divisiveness that have long been a source of conflict: this is no mean achievement. Côte d’Ivoire welcomes developments in the situation in the Middle East, including recent steps taken by the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Ehud Barak, and by President Yasser Arafat with a view to implementing a just and fair peace that would protect the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and Israel’s right to existence within secure and recognized boundaries.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“To help our continent escape the spiral of violence, the United Nations has acted at every stage of crises, combining its efforts with those of the OAU and of other regional and subregional organizations. Based on its success in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the United Nations has experimented in the Central African Republic with a preventive peacekeeping mission, which has thus far been achieving its objectives. The Organization has thus prevented that country from beginning a descent into the hell that the repeated mutinies of 1996 and 1997 seemed to prefigure and the political and social tension that followed. I am particularly pleased to say this because my country has sent a 235-member contingent consisting of a medical unit, an armoured squadron and members of the general staff.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Let me recall the establishment in my own country, at Zambakro, of a military training centre specializing in peacekeeping techniques, which is open to all African States. Nor can I fail to mention the initiatives taken by the United Nations where the scourge of war is at its horrific worst, such as in Sierra Leone, or where it wantonly flays its victims, such as in Guinea-Bissau or in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Ceasefire Agreement for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, signed at Lusaka on 10 July 1999, to which all the factions of the Congolese Rally for Democracy have now subscribed, owes a great deal to the perseverance of the Secretary-General and to the persuasive labours of his Special Envoy.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Convinced that war is not inevitable and that the keys to peace are at hand so long as the political will exists, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) has unanimously declared the restoration of peace on the continent to be its priority activity for the years to come. But let us not delude ourselves: that goal will be met only if the international community, as embodied by the United Nations, is mobilized and if it firmly supports Africa’s efforts. It is not my intention to disregard all that has been done by friendly countries — the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada, to name but a few — to explore new ways to promote peace and security in Africa and to strengthen Africa’s capacity in that regard.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“By reiterating the validity of the principles of the Charter at the dawn of a new millennium, we commit ourselves to guaranteeing international peace and security for succeeding generations. For the past two years the Organization has been paying particular attention to the conflicts besetting Africa. In his report to the Security Council of 13 April 1998 (S/1998/318), the Secretary-General identified the many causes of these conflicts. He reviewed the ways to promote peace, the most important of which is a development policy that can eradicate the seeds of violence. For their part, African States are making every effort to acquire machinery enabling them to avert conflict situations or, if necessary, to act.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“30 There can be no doubt that by increasing the number of both permanent and non-permanent members, among which Africa will have to have its rightful place, we will also be remedying the lack of political visibility from which the Council has been suffering. The Kosovo crisis revealed the necessity of reaffirming the primacy of the Security Council and hence that of the United Nations. Confirming the authority of the Security Council must by no means imply a reduced role for the General Assembly. This body, whose representative nature lends it great legitimacy, must be at the heart of the system, with all that this implies for its ability to set the overall course of the United Nations. But such institutional reform can be effective only if all States meet their financial obligations.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“For a number of years the Organization has been engaged in renewal. Working groups have been established to reform the main structures of the United Nations and adapt them better to the new international context. The Secretary-General himself is involved in this effort, in part by initiating reforms within his areas of responsibility. It is now up to us, the Member States, to work together to complete the process in the months to come. We hope that the Millennium Summit planned for September 2000 will launch the United Nations into the twenty-first century. It is therefore of great urgency that the plan to enlarge the Security Council be completed.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Nearly 10 years after the euphoria born of the end of ideological confrontation, we have yet to put in place machinery for political, economic and financial controls that could lead to the peaceful world evoked by the 1945 Charter. On the threshold of the twenty-first century, we are obliged to say that might continues to prevail over right, that hotbeds of war continue to proliferate, that individual rights are often flouted, and that a large part of mankind has only a remote idea of social progress. Yet the 1945 Charter remains timely; all that is lacking is the full implementation of the great principles it articulates. The faith of peoples in the United Nations remains intact. This obliges us to make a sustained effort to increase its credibility and strengthen its capacity to meet the challenges it faces.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Didier Opertti of Uruguay, our thanks for the quality of the work carried out under his presidency. I pay heartfelt tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, and reaffirm the appreciation of Côte d’Ivoire for the unflagging and able way in which he is fulfilling the mandate entrusted to him. My delegation welcomes the three new Members of the Organization: the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru and the Kingdom of Tonga. On the eve of the new millennium, the Organization must adapt to the new shape of international relations in order to increase its effectiveness in all areas, including that of the maintenance of international peace and security. Every passing day reveals the dysfunction of international society.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I wish to convey to my friend Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab how proud and happy I am to see a son of Africa leading the General Assembly into the new millennium. I congratulate him warmly. I am certain that his experience, gained as the representative of the South-West Africa People’s Organization to the United Nations and in the course of a long diplomatic career, will help him resolve the complex issues facing the Assembly at this session. This is an honour for him and for the African continent. I wish also to convey my congratulations to the other officers of the General Assembly. The President may rest assured that my delegation is ready to work with him for the success of the work of the Assembly at this session. I wish also to convey to the President of the Assembly at its fifty-third session, His Excellency Mr.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I hope that the present session of the General Assembly will enable us to enrich our thinking on reform and finally move on to action in this sphere.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In conclusion, I would like briefly to mention the veritable â€œsea serpentâ€ of the process of reforming the United Nations and the United Nations system and to express a certain disappointment at the very limited results we have achieved after several years of effort. The question of restructuring the Security Council seems to be at a standstill, even though, in almost ritual fashion, at one session after another we renew the mandate of the Working Group charged with reaching an agreement acceptable to all Member States. As for the excellent reform programme that the Secretary-General presented to us last year, it has certainly been very positively received, but we have postponed certain decisions that are ours alone to make with regard to certain of his suggestions and recommendations.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In this connection, we would like to note and hail the complementarity and harmony of efforts made, within the context of the United Nations, by the Non-Aligned Movement, the OAU and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in order to put an end to the new crisis besetting the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Their combined forces have secured the return to stability of several West African countries. Here, I would like to salute in particular the action of ECOWAS and its military component, ECOMOG, and invite the international community to provide them with every possible support necessary for the accomplishment of their mission. This interaction between the world Organization and regional organizations must be further strengthened in the future.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Let me stress that in Africa the principle of the inviolability of borders is of capital importance, as the OAU has emphasized since its establishment. The upheavals in the Great Lakes region must be settled in accordance with this principle. Secondly, it is necessary to discourage and ban from international society those regimes which violate the most elementary principles of democracy. Finally, it is vital to enhance international peace by a clear delineation of the responsibilities of the United Nations and regional organizations.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Assuring collective security in the context of credible international cooperation and guaranteeing fair, sustainable development is an ongoing challenge to the United Nations; it must urgently provide appropriate, concrete answers. In this regard, I believe that our action must be conducted on three very distinct fronts. In the first place, we must firmly recall, whenever necessary, the fundamental principles proclaimed by the San Francisco Charter concerning relations between States, and in particular the independence and territorial integrity of Member States of the United Nations. Since the end of the cold war, conflicts between States have almost entirely disappeared, and that fully reflects the legal force of the principles I have just mentioned.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The implementation of the mechanism will depend above all upon the political will of member States. For its part, CÃ´te dâIvoire will be involved, as it was in the quest for peace in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and as it is now in the case of mediation to bring peace back to Guinea-Bissau. I should like to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate the Governments of the United States of America, France and Great Britain for deciding to harmonize their various initiatives to assist our armies in order to enhance our peacekeeping capabilities. In this connection, I am happy that we are commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the first peacekeeping operation in 1948, and I pay tribute to the memory of all the men and women who have given their lives in the service of the United Nations.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“It will cover all aspects of security, including natural disasters. Political considerations cannot be forgotten, for experience has shown that conflicts may well lead to the decay of governmental institutions, the economy and social and political institutions. 37 Under these circumstances, any intervention strategy is designed first and foremost to deal with disarmament, demobilization and the reintegration of combatants or displaced persons, as well as the rehabilitation of infrastructures and above all the reconstruction of society, with democracy as the key word. All in all, member States believed that it was precisely because it was conceived for development and economic integration that ECOWAS was particularly suited to undertake peace-building in the region.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“West Africa has plenty of experience in this connection, since in recent years it has had to mobilize twice in order to settle two bloody conflicts in Liberia, followed by Sierra Leone, and has thus acquired considerable resources under the flag of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). The success of the organization in carrying out such interventions prompted it to institutionalize ECOMOG as its armed mechanism, which is mainly preventive. This is a big step forward for ECOWAS, originally created as a specialized subregional organization with the goal of promoting economic cooperation and eventually the integration of its member States. This subregional mechanism will of course become part of the general system of the United Nations Charter and the regional system of OAU.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Regrettably, this is the picture which we see in an Africa torn apart by conflicts whose scope and gravity the international community does not always grasp. These are the realities which were in the minds of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence, the Interior and Security of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) when they met recently in Yamoussoukro, CÃ´te dâIvoire, and then in Banjul, Gambia, to lay the foundations of a mechanism for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts and for the maintenance of peace and security. The resulting text, reached by consensus at the level of experts, will soon be submitted for adoption by the conference of heads of State and Government scheduled for the end of October in Abuja.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“It is in this spirit, and always taking care to refer first to the Security Council, that the system of regional security has always functioned, be it in Africa or in Europe, even though with the involvement of the Atlantic Alliance in the former Yugoslavia the situation was somewhat different. The end of the cold war, with a backdrop of change in the general international security situation and an increasing will by the great Powers to limit themselves to interventions in the context of the United Nations, has undoubtedly contributed to the reactivation of regional security. What was at stake, we must agree, was the very survival of certain regions of the world, prey to violent upheavals and mostly abandoned to their own fate.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The original idea, it should be remembered, was that in the modern world, any conflict, whether regional or local, could affect the whole of international society, and that through alliances and interventions it could well spread, with all the devastating consequences imaginable. It is in order to guard against these situations and to provide every means to react to them that the 1945 Charter, in Chapter VII, takes account of the regional character of collective security. The regional mechanism is intended to provide continuity and to strengthen the action of the international community in the maintenance of peace, without in any way challenging the primary role of the Security Council, which, duly informed of the initiatives undertaken by States bound by regional agreements, is the only body which can authorize the use of force.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In response to this Security Council request, the Secretary-General prepared an excellent report entitled â€œThe causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africaâ€ (S/1998/318), which gives a straightforward assessment of the political and economic situation in Africa and makes objective recommendations, while indicating the mistakes made by African leaders and the shortcomings in international cooperation in this area. The report essentially always takes us back to the primary mission of our Organization: the maintenance of peace, and the principal instrument for this, which is collective security. The latter remains at the heart of the United Nations Charter.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“36 Moreover, CÃ´te dâIvoire organized a regional meeting, attended by the Presidents of Benin and Ghana, to promote public awareness of, and the struggle against, Buruliâs ulcer, a little-known but degrading and destructive illness. The multiplicity of conflict situations in Africa has become a real subject of concern for the entire international community. Hence the Security Council met on 25 September 1997 at Foreign Minister level to consider the need for concerted international action to promote peace and security in Africa. At the end of that meeting, the Council asked the Secretary-General to submit to it by February 1998 a report containing concrete recommendations regarding the sources of conflict in Africa, way to prevent and address them, and how to lay the foundation for durable peace and economic growth.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Several important recent events prove this commitment: the participation of President Henri Konan BÃ©diÃ© as the representative of our continent at the fiftieth anniversary of the World Health Organization (WHO); the adoption by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) last June of two resolutions proposed by CÃ´te dâIvoire, one relating to the African fund to combat AIDS and the other on the African initiative to fight against malaria; and the launching of the initiative on anti-retrovirus treatments, for which CÃ´te dâIvoire has been selected as one of the countries participating in the experimental phase. In order to better mark our commitment to the success of this programme, we have decided to allocate the sum of $1 million to it.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Action in the field of health, as the Assembly knows, contributes effectively to the fight against poverty. CÃ´te dâIvoire has therefore made this an absolute priority for several decades. Aware that our world has become a global village, we have tirelessly pursued these efforts within our country, while putting more and more effort into the promotion of health at the international level.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We wish here to welcome the initiative of the Government of the United States on partnership and economic growth in Africa which aims particularly to allow a number of American products access to the American market. We wish also to express our gratitude to the Government of Japan for its continuing commitment to the development of Africa, as evidenced by the upcoming International Conference on African Development (TICAD II), set to take place in Tokyo in October. We also wish to congratulate and thank all the Governments of the donor countries that have forgiven debts to the African countries, especially the least developed ones. On the social level, I wish to take a moment to mention some points relating to health, a vital element in socio-economic development.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“That rate, I would underscore, is higher than the demographic rate of growth of 3.8 per cent. Inflation was controlled at 5 per cent in 1997, whereas the rate of investment was 15 per cent of the gross national product, 70 per cent of which was private investment. It is noteworthy that the management of the Alliance for Africaâs Industrialization, which held its first meeting on 17 and 18 September last in Abidjan, reaffirmed that industrialization is a necessity for the economic progress of Africa and is the only means of transforming its economy in order to integrate it positively into the current context of globalization. Africa will continue to rely for its industrial development on its partners from friendly countries.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“At the political level, the cabinet reshuffle that took place on 11 August last resulted in greater openness and in new political blood. At the institutional level, several measures were adopted aimed at broadening and deepening the regionalization and decentralization process. Moreover, constitutional reform is being undertaken in order to establish the rule of law, to consolidate State structures and strengthen representative democracy. The latter has given rise to the creation of a Senate, which will help us to strengthen the democratic debate and give us a more balanced representation of the regions. At the economic level, let me stress that in 1997 â€” and for the third consecutive year â€” the rate of growth of our countryâs gross national product was 7 per cent.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The time has come, as was stated at the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Durban, to convene an international conference dealing with all aspects of terrorism that would lead to a convention allowing us to eradicate this scourge. To strengthen cooperation for development and promote democratization and pluralism are the two focal points for the action which the international community should take in order to allow peace and security to progress, which is the fundamental mission of our Organization. This concern falls in line perfectly with the objectives of the Government of CÃ´te dâIvoire, which, under the leadership of our President, Henri Konan BÃ©diÃ©, is committed to relaunching strong, sound and lasting economic growth and to forge, in a spirit of solidarity, a more united, homogenous society based on participatory, peaceful democracy.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Another concern for my Government is the scourge of terrorism, a true hydra-headed menace that is blindly 35 attacking in places where we least expect it. It is no longer enough to forcefully condemn this evil; we must try to extirpate its roots as it stems, with rare exceptions, from injustice or the intolerable humiliation of peoples. The fight against terrorism is first and foremost a fight against injustice in all its forms. CÃ´te dâIvoire reiterates its sympathy for those States that have fallen victim to bomb attacks. It reasserts its commitment to work in the context of cooperation with all States to eradicate these crimes, which cannot be justified regardless of their motivation.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Global progress on the ethical level is evident also in the adoption in July 1998 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court, thus enshrining the progress begun by the international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda. In this respect, the first judgments, handed down on 2 September last, have a dual significance. Fifty years after its adoption by the General Assembly, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide has now seen a concrete continuance: the appalling crime of genocide, repeatedly carried out since 1945, will no longer go unpunished. The second positive element of the judgments rendered by the Arusha Tribunal is the recognition that sexual violence committed systematically and on a broad scale in the context of conflicts meets the definition of the crime of genocide.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Buttressed by the non-governmental organizations, Governments have decided to ban barbaric weapons such as anti-personnel landmines, whose principal victims are civilians, especially children. The broad and massive support given by the international community to the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, which has been signed by 128 States and which will enter into force after the deposit by the fortieth State of its instrument of ratification, allows us to hope for success in the efforts undertaken to fight against another scourge â€” small arms and small-calibre weapons â€” which affects mainly civilians and foster criminality and insecurity.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“During the past decade, we have witnessed spectacular progress, in almost all countries, with respect to the positive values that cement solidarity between peoples. Almost all societies are now open and receptive to pluralism. Every day I see that the peoples of the African continent are hungering for participation. They wish to have their say in national matters and to take their future into their own hands. Throughout the world, civil society is making its claims and aspirations felt. Everywhere Governments, to varying degrees, are becoming aware of this extraordinary change and, in the context of diverse political formulas and variable schedules, they are acceding to the demands of the people with respect to democratization. This new global focus on human rights and pluralism is reflected increasingly in the international order.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Because it is based on fraternity, dignity and equality between peoples and States, solidarity needs to be the cardinal value in the new world that is emerging from the ideological battlefields of the past. Progress in communications technology has today brought people closer than ever. Stepping outside of their own cultures, men and women can experience the same events at the very same moment. They are upset and shocked by the pictures and consequences of a natural disaster or a terrorist attack. They are impassioned by the same sports events and are reduced to tears by exceptional events such as the liberation of Nelson Mandela or the fall of the Berlin Wall, which give true ethical significance to the evolution of humankind.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Conflicts frequently have social and economic roots, and this dimension should be fully integrated into the approaches devised by the international community in the areas of conflict prevention, peacekeeping and post-conflict peace-building. I wish to reiterate, and express the support of CÃ´te dâIvoire for, the proposal made by the Secretary-General in paragraph 30 of his report on the work of the Organization to better use the possibilities of Article 65 of the Charter of the United Nations, which provides that the Economic and Social Council may furnish information to the Security Council upon a request from the latter. With the exception of very limited applications in 1949 and 1959, this provision of the Charter has not been invoked.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)