YouSaid · the spoken record

Paul Biya

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS PAUL BIYA

lines on the record: 86
first: 1988-09-24
most recent: 2017-09-24
sittings or episodes: 7
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

“The theme of this debate aptly reminds us of the commitment of the founding fathers of the United Nations, that is, to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and ensure a decent life for all, free from want, through cooperation. This debate urges us to renew our faith in the purposes and principles of the United Nations. Let us together take up the great challenge of world peace and development. Once again, Cameroon, as it did from this very rostrum on 10 September 2000, urges the world to rally together in one great coalition for humankind, which must restore to the centre of our policies. For its sake, let us secure peace and a decent life on a sustainable planet.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Is it not high time then for the voice of poor countries, especially those of Africa, to be heard? Is it not high time that Africa’s message to the world was better taken into account? Is it not high time that we structured our Organization to give more weight to Africa’s voice within a revitalized General Assembly and a Security Council that is more receptive and more even-handed to us? A world characterized by greater solidarity is the prerequisite for peace on Earth. In conclusion, peace is our most precious asset. Without it, we cannot undertake sustainable and effective initiatives in the interest of our peoples, especially our young people.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“As we all know, they pollute less and should therefore receive resources from the rich countries, which pollute more, to enable them to effectively promote the goals of the Paris Agreement at their level. Africa has two major environmental challenges. The first is the ongoing forest degradation in Central Africa. Let us save the Congo basin, which is planet Earth’s second lung. Secondly, there is desertification, which is causing Lake Chad to disappear. That vast body of water, essential to the survival of communities and biodiversity, has already lost 90 per cent of its former surface area. Let us save Lake Chad and thereby help to preserve the planet for the greater good of humankind. The quest for peace concerns all of us. All countries must join forces to achieve peace.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The situation has been aggravated by a decline in commodity prices. Let us galvanize ourselves in a powerful surge of solidarity to roll back poverty. Let us match our words with our actions and thereby create the conditions for a decent life for our peoples. Let us therefore focus on people. We must, for present and future generations, save our planet. We therefore welcome the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which Cameroon, I would like to point out, was among the first countries to sign and ratify. We are pleased that steps are being taken to implement it effectively. I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize the legitimate and unanimous desire of developing countries.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Cameroon, which has hosted and continues to host thousands of Central African and Nigerian refugees, understands the degree to which they feel hurt, victimized and threatened in their very existence. Let us therefore mobilize, and through our policies, behaviours and actions, let us refocus on people. Peace is under threat, not only from terrorism and conflicts, but also from persistent poverty. The Security Council has rightly reiterated that poverty is a serious threat. Why, then, do we have such difficulty tackling it accordingly? The numerous declarations and resolutions, the various United Nations development decades and the plans of action and other agendas adopted by the United Nations have not really been effective, and the result is clear. Poverty persists, and the gap between rich and poor countries is continues to widen.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The fight against Boko Haram, a jihadist sect, will need more widespread mobilization if we really want to stamp it out. It is killing our peoples, our communities, our independence and our democracy. It spells death for peace. In that regard, we look forward to the forthcoming visit to the Lake Chad region of the high-level mission led by the Secretary-General and mandated by the Security Council under resolution 2349 (2017). We deplore the continuing conflicts in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, which are wreaking pain and hardship — so many dead, so many refugees and displaced persons, so many children wandering without a roof over their heads and facing uncertain, even shattered futures.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Let me cite a few examples, In August 2017, attacks took place in Barcelona and Ouagadougou; in July 2016, a Baghdad bombing left 292 dead; in October 2015, the crash of a Russian Airbus in the Sinai left 224 dead; a March 2015 attack on mosques in Sana’a left 142 dead; and in November 2015 attacks in Paris and Saint-Denis left 130 dead. Maiduguri, Kolofata and Fotokol are place names that conjure up only dead, nameless and faceless bodies. The number of victims of the Boko Haram terrorist sect in the Lake Chad basin is estimated to be 2,000. Cameroon and other neighbouring countries have been dealing with that sect, which changes its methods and tactics daily, and we appreciate the support of our partners in the fight against such barbarism.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Our debates, especially our conclusions, will be a litmus test of our commitment to the ideals of the peoples of the United Nations, who, in the Preamble to the Charter, have stated their resolve to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and to promote social progress and create better standards of living for all people. For Cameroon and most of our States, peace is the sine qua non for the survival of humankind and sustainable development. The peace we have continues to be dangerously threatened, notably by terrorism, conflicts, poverty and climate disruptions. Today we are all, I would say, supplicants for peace, and such persistent threats are of enormous concern to all of us. Today, no continent or country is spared the scourge of terrorism, whose atrocities have, unfortunately, become part and parcel of our daily lives.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“This session is being held in a global context of multiple hotbeds of tension all over the world, in which terrorism continues to claim thousands of victims, human activity is causing climate disruptions and poverty is far from declining. But it is also taking place in parallel with laudable efforts aimed at implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is designed to ensure humankind’s development in such a way that no one will be left behind. That explains the full relevance of this general debate under the theme “Focusing on people: Striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet”.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on assuming the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy- second session. I am sure that your rich experience will serve us well in successfully steering our deliberations. You can count on the full cooperation of my delegation. My congratulations also go to Ambassador Peter Тhomson, your predecessor and the architect of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, on his commendable record. Lastly, I would like, once again, to congratulate Mr. António Guterres on his unanimous election as Secretary-General of our Organization. He can count on the continuing support of Cameroon as he carries out his important and complex tasks.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“If we decide, here and now, to effectively and tangibly mobilize our immense resources and if we decide to devote them to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, then the SDGs will truly become the push to transform today’s world into a world of peace and shared prosperity.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“As underscored by one of the targets of that Goal, we should “strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime”. Cameroon wishes to thank the President for having invited us, along with the other States Members of the United Nations, to today’s debate on the implementation of the SDGs, the new universal push to transform the world. The outcomes of previous agendas and programmes have shown us the urgent need to find the wherewithal to achieve our ambitions.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“In doing so, we will be helping the SDGs to accelerate the advent of a world of peace for everyone everywhere — a world of prosperity for all. As the Assembly knows, it is no longer time for promises. It is time for commitment; time for action. Our efforts will encounter various obstacles, including persistent conflicts and increasing terrorism. My country is in a position to talk about that, having been engaged over the past three years in a veritable war against the scourge of terrorism. That new type of threat to peace and development requires, I repeat, a collective response, collective determination and collective action. Goal 16 of the Agenda for Sustainable Development, which focuses on the promotion and the advent of peaceful and inclusive societies should, in our case, help us to effectively fight Boko Haram.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“In this Hall, we have failed to honour all our commitments, especially the financial ones. We have not fulfilled all the hopes and aspirations of our peoples. Today, we need to get organized so as to ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals fare better. Since the goal is to transform our world and leave no one behind, we must find the wherewithal to realize our ambitions, which fall into three categories. First, there is the political: our political will must be constant and not wax and wane according to circumstances. Secondly, in the financial category, our contributions should be effective, certain and adequate. That will require unprecedented mobilization. Lastly, from a moral perspective, the principle of the duty of solidarity among peoples should be reaffirmed and observed.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It truly focuses on human progress, humanity’s heritage, the common well-being and security for all. It is an ambitious Agenda that requires everyone’s genuine involvement. Under the Agenda, our common goal is to eradicate poverty and to leave no one behind. That is a challenge that we have set for ourselves and that we must assume in solidarity in order to meet the expectations of our peoples and take the summons of history to heart. As everyone knows, we have in the past adopted agendas, declarations and action programmes that have raised great hopes around the world among young people, women and men, both urban and rural. They were harbingers of a new world of peace and shared prosperity. Yet the adopted actions were only partially implemented, a situation that we regretted at the time.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Finally, I must mention the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, prepared at the twenty- first Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In that context, my country welcomes the President’s decision to place his term under the banner of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We therefore welcome the convening of this debate on the Sustainable Development Goals, nine months after their adoption and entry into force. The SDGs, it should be recalled, constitute the first global agenda to consider the issue of development in all its dimensions — security, economic, social, human and environmental. The originality of the 2030 Agenda clearly lies in the fact that it transcends the conventional indicators of economic growth.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Cameroon, for its part, was honoured by his memorable visit in 2010. It welcomes the strengthening during his term of our exceptional bonds of excellent cooperation with the United Nations. This session opens at a time of turmoil in which, fortunately, we see some glimmers of hope. In a spirit of human solidarity, we have in recent years laid the foundations for a common destiny for humankind. I am particularly referring to the document significantly entitled “The future we want”, adopted at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 (resolution 66/288, annex). I would also refer to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Cameroon wishes to congratulate Mr. Thomson on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy- first session. His great experience at the national and international levels, and in the public and private sectors, and his well-known personal qualities augur well for the success of our work. I would like in that regard to assure him of the support of my country and the full cooperation of our delegation. I would also like to recognize the work accomplished by his predecessor, Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, whose term of office was characterized by successful initiatives to make the United Nations more open and transparent. Finally, I would like to pay special tribute to Mr. Ban Ki-moon for his remarkable accomplishments during his two terms in a particularly difficult international context.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“On the economic and social front, significant progress has been made in the areas of public finance, education and health. Should this trend continue, our country can expect, in the medium term, to attain the status of an emerging country. That to me seems to be the mindset of most African countries. Certainly, the international community has a role to play in supporting them in their effort to join the global society. To that end, the international community needs to show more understanding, solidarity and, of course, more fraternity.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“From that standpoint also, there is a need to get out of the rut in which major negotiations appear to be bogged down. Africans seek more understanding and sympathy in the true sense of the words. The delayed development from which they suffer cannot be reduced to the Millennium Goals. Admittedly, they want to be less poor and to eat their fill, but above all, to be protected from fear and want, to be freer and to imagine a future without anxiety. In short, they want to live in a society that guarantees them those minimum conditions for existence and well-being. Most African countries have embarked on this path. For its part, over the last decades Cameroon has set up representative institutions, established the rule of law and ensured respect for human rights.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“How can we explain that Africa is unable to make its voice heard when its problems are examined in global economic and financial bodies while the decisions made there will be imposed on it? At a time when emerging countries are rightly calling for a seat on the Security Council commensurate with their economic and political weight, Africa as a whole should not be forgotten. For a long time our continent has been treated, I dare say, as an object of international relations. Yet, it is directly affected by most of the major problems confronting humanity today, be they migratory flows, global warming, economic and financial regulation, terrorism, et cetera. In short, it is sometimes the victim of phenomena for which it is not responsible.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“The conference was attended by several Heads of State and Government, former Prime Ministers, high-level representatives of international organizations, experts of world renown, major corporate executives and Nobel Peace Prize winners. The final declaration of the conference, which my delegation has made available, can serve as a kind of guide for the rehabilitation of Africa, with regard to both its economic recovery and its participation in international life. That is what it is all about — ensuring that our continent does not remain forever aid-dependent and that it plays its rightful role in international affairs. Allow me, in this Hall, to emphasize the second point. How can we today explain why Africa is the only continent without a permanent member on the Security Council?”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“No matter what is said, Africa has changed significantly over the past 50 years and seems to me to be ready for a wide-ranging ideological debate on the issue, provided that it is conducted in a true spirit of partnership. Through this approach we can realize the famous Marshall Plan for Africa, which is often mentioned but has yet to see the light of day. That concern led Cameroon to organize an international conference — Africa 21 — in Yaoundé on the occasion of the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of its achieving sovereignty. At that conference the 50 years of African independence were objectively assessed and the future opportunities for our continent were evaluated.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“We are, of course, grateful to all of them. 10-54833 24 However, that obviously is not enough. I am not trying to apportion blame for this state of affairs. I merely want to say that the solutions applied were perhaps not the best. I would add that from the African perspective, we have been burdened with too many historical handicaps — slavery, colonization, economic dependence and internal and external conflicts — and, of course, that we have lacked toughness and steadiness of mind. For reasons of mutual interest mentioned earlier, I think we should review the issue thoroughly, without ulterior ideological motives or political or economic prejudices.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Is it any wonder, then, that such profound misery sometimes explodes, as was the case two years ago during what were dubbed the food riots? The international community cannot remain indifferent to such a threat, which could undermine our efforts to advance democracy and ensure our development. Let me make myself clear. It is not a matter of engaging in recriminations for the sake of any ideology, of ascribing motives to this or that country or group of countries, or of sermonizing. I am the first to acknowledge that the United Nations and its agencies have provided assistance and guidance to our continent since independence; that most countries of the North have, through their cooperation, financial assistance and debt cancellation, lent and continue to lend irreplaceable support to Africa; and that emerging countries have taken over.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“On several occasions, from this rostrum and elsewhere, I have drawn the attention of the international community to the problem posed by the growth in poverty worldwide. I have pointed out that, for ethical reasons, it behooves us all to express solidarity with the most underprivileged. I have further indicated that this is, of course, in everyone’s interests, for the ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor can only exacerbate tensions and jeopardize international peace and security. I will be pardoned, I am sure, if I dwell a little on the case of Africa. It is undeniably the continent most affected by extreme poverty, which is generally accompanied by food shortages, epidemics, population movements and insecurity.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“The results in the eight priority areas of the Millennium Development Goals are disappointing, even unsatisfactory, while the deadline of 2015 is just around the corner. So what happened? The economic crisis caused by the recent upheavals in financial markets is certainly to blame. The slowdown in activity worldwide — and, in some cases, recession — monopolized the attention of the countries of the North. They gave priority to reviving their own economies and solving their own social problems. However, even though we can understand that, it does not explain everything. In fact, the awareness shown at the turn of the century of the disastrous consequences of deepening poverty in the third world seems to have waned significantly. Yet the situation has not only failed to improve, it continues to deteriorate.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“As the first decade of the twenty-first century draws to a close, it is certainly worthwhile to review the ground covered since we proclaimed, some 10 years ago in this very Hall, our common resolve to cut poverty in half by 2015, worldwide. We all recall the enthusiasm engendered by that solemn commitment. Today, we are forced to note that we are still quite far off the track. More than one billion people are still living in extreme poverty. The development gap between the countries of the North and those of the South continues to widen instead of narrowing. International assistance is stagnating and remains below the level of commitment made by developed countries to devote 0.7 per cent of their gross national product to it.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“I would like first to extend my hearty congratulations to you, Sir, on your unanimous election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. With your rich experience in international affairs, we believe you will succeed in your task. I would also like to pay tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Ali Abdussalem Treki, for his commitment and skill in discharging his challenging functions during the previous session, and I convey to him my special thanks. I also wish to thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his aides for their untiring efforts in the service of peace and development throughout the world, particularly in the least developed countries.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“For only a renewed United Nations that is more democratic, more credible and more efficient will be able to inspire peoples’ hopes and trust.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“That is the dual role that the United Nations, a proving ground for multilateralism and crucible of the dialogue of civilizations, must assume if it seeks to embody the noblest and deepest aspirations of humankind and satisfy our peoples’ expectations with comprehensive and relevant solutions. But the question is, how can the United Nations fulfil this role if it does not adapt to the current trends and changes in international relations? That is the purpose of the recommendations we have been making for the reform of the Security Council, the revitalization of the General Assembly and the strengthening of the means of action of the Secretary- General. We therefore need to fast-track the overhaul of an Organization that, through its universal nature, symbolizes our common destiny and seeks to be our common abode.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“It must more clearly assert and further strengthen its role as the crucible par excellence of multilateralism, that is, a forum for the exchange of ideas, solidarity, equity and equality where all the voices and opinions of developed and developing countries alike are expressed and taken into account. These values go hand in hand with the dialogue of civilizations proposed for our consideration at this session. Such a dialogue should not ignore differences, but rather promote diversity so as to foster knowledge and mutual understanding among peoples. From this perspective, the dialogue of civilizations or cultures advocates tolerance and mutual respect and rejects all forms of fanaticism that threaten international peace and security.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Cameroon is playing an active role, including by dispatching Cameroonian contingents, in 09-52470 16 the efforts to find lasting solutions to these conflicts, which have lasted too long. In this respect, I wish to hail the role of the United Nations, which is making tireless efforts to stabilize all these situations. However, if it is to be more effective, the United Nations requires commensurate human, financial and material resources. Furthermore, the United Nations should be able to reflect the common will of all its Members, large and small, in order to ensure its effectiveness and credibility.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Furthermore, without denying the fact that the fate and future of the planet are everyone’s business, it seems legitimate, in my opinion, to ask that the peoples of Africa be duly compensated by the international community for their efforts and sacrifices. In this regard, we hope that the Copenhagen climate conference scheduled for December will provide satisfactory answers to the particular case of Africa. Regarding world peace and security, we continue to deplore the persistence of numerous conflicts or hotbeds of tension, despite significant progress towards a return to calm. I refer to the situations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Darfur and Somalia, among others.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“One thing is certain: African countries are individually and collectively pulling their full weight in the activity necessary at the national, subregional and global levels to provide concrete solutions to the challenge of climate change. Such participation is significant. In Cameroon, it has taken the form of numerous actions, including the establishment of a national environmental management plan and the adoption at the subregional level of a convergence plan for the sustainable management of the Congo basin forest which, we are all aware, is the world’s second largest. The implementation of all these measures is very costly, especially in terms of acquiring adapted technologies, and requires our people to accept huge sacrifices.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Regarding climate change in particular, Africa, like other continents, has been hard hit despite its low level of greenhouse gas emissions. Global warming, its most salient feature, affects many socio-economic sectors, including energy, health, agriculture, livestock production, ecosystems and rapid desertification. In this regard, the spectacular drying up of Lake Chad, the surface of which has shrunk from 26,000 square kilometres in the 1960s to 1,500 square kilometres today, clearly requires significant collective action of the Central African States which, in our opinion, needs strong support from the international community.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Moreover, it was in that spirit that a few years back I recommended from this rostrum the establishment within the United Nations of a global ethics committee, for it is a combination of moral drift and serious ethical deviations that is at the root of the current global financial crisis. We trust that, in the near future, we will surmount the crisis through collective awareness and mobilization. However, alongside with the financial and economic crisis, we are concerned about other important matters. The food crisis is still ravaging many developing countries. The poverty reduction struggle is far from being won. Global peace and security are still threatened worldwide, particularly in Africa. Climate change is each day becoming increasingly worrisome, with visible consequences in every country.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Accordingly, in Cameroon, we have, inter alia, strengthened the productive sectors and taken action to reduce the prices of basic commodities and improve the business climate. In the subregion, member countries of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community have agreed to adopt tax incentives and to establish a support fund for the sectors most affected by the crisis. Thus, while welcoming assistance from the international community, we are aware that it can bear fruit only if based on stringent management and good governance centred on the primacy of the public interest.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“In that connection, I welcome the fortuitous decision taken in London in April by the Group of 20 to recommend that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) support the weakest economies through more and softer loans, possibly with less conditionality. Moreover, in that context, my country, Cameroon, benefited from substantial financial support from the IMF under the Exogenous Shocks Facility. I welcome that support, and take this opportunity to thank International Monetary Fund officials. That timely support will strengthen the anticyclical measures that we have adopted at the national and subregional levels, fully aware that foreign aid is merely a buttress that should not replace our own efforts.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Without such support, our developing countries run the risk of seeing their economic activity decrease 15 09-52470 and the signs of the revival that they could reasonably hope for disappear. It is evident that, over and above development and improved living conditions, the peace and stability of our countries depend on it. That also holds true for international peace and security, inasmuch as the numerous problems confronting the world today — be it, for example, illegal immigration or trafficking of every kind — arise partly from a real lack of cooperation and solidarity, and thus call for greater justice in international relations.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Neither our efforts nor our sacrifices have been in vain, and we believe that our gains, which are the fruit of the commendable efforts of our peoples, must unquestionably be preserved and supported. The President took the Chair. That is why we believe that, faced with the harmful effects of the crisis, it is important that we all work together towards a global, coordinated and significant response for the benefit of the weakest economies. In our view, that response should lead to the provision of substantial financial resources free, as far as possible, of conditionality and aimed at mitigating or even compensating for the consequences of a crisis that we could not avert.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Among the most alarming effects, we therefore condemn the decrease in remittances to our countries; the severe drop in the prices of our products; the marked fall in investment; worsening budget deficits; and the slowdown in economic activity — all of which, among other things, also have severe social consequences, such as a rise in unemployment. Furthermore, there is reason to fear that the continuation of the crisis will only increase the debt of developing countries. We find ourselves facing new difficulties just as we are emerging from lengthy years of economic recovery efforts under rigorous structural adjustment programmes, resolutely implemented by our States in cooperation with the international financial institutions.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“In other words, if we have been able to mobilize ourselves so vigorously to contain the effects of the financial crisis, we can do the same to address the other challenges confronting us, namely the poverty and underdevelopment in which so many human beings throughout the world still live. For, while the crisis has spared no continent, there is no doubt that its effects vary depending on the country, region and level of development. Africa, in particular, which in no way contributed to the unleashing of the crisis, today, paradoxically, finds itself among the worst affected victims.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“The extraordinary mobilization that it has aroused reflects its scope and extent, as well as the gravity of the threat that it poses to the stability of the global economy. We must welcome that strong mobilization, led by the major industrialized countries. It was prompt, resolute and consistent. Without doubt, it has demonstrated the international community’s capacity to respond fully when it is driven and underpinned by real political resolve. That is certainly a good example of solidarity, the kind of international solidarity that we seek and that we would like also to see in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, in our common concern to narrow the gap between the North and the South, and in our daily struggle against poverty, hunger and pandemics.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“I would like to begin by extending my congratulations to Mr. Ali Treki on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at this sixty-fourth session and by wishing him every success in the execution of his term of office. Allow me also to pay tribute to Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon for his tireless work and for the remarkable devotion that he has demonstrated at the helm of our Organization. Like each year, we are asked during this session to look at the state of the world, to consider together the current problems and to recommend appropriate solutions to them. In that regard, as we know, the international community remains under the impact of a global financial and economic crisis that has spared no country.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Guided by a concern to improve the well-being of our people, we reaffirm from this rostrum our determination relentlessly to pursue our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. To perform that task successfully, we know that we can count on the understanding and support of the United Nations.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The delay in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals must spur us to redouble our efforts to carry out vigorous, joint and mutually supportive actions in fighting against poverty and for development. The Government of Cameroon is resolutely committed to that end. I wish to pay homage to our population for the sacrifices they have made in that respect, as well as to our bilateral and multilateral partners for the multifaceted assistance they are providing to us. That assistance is invaluable to us, particularly in our efforts to promote better management of public resources. Within that framework we have launched a fierce fight against dishonest managers, which we intend to pursue ruthlessly.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“I wish to thank in particular the States witness to the Agreement, namely, the United States of America, France, the Federal Republic of Germany and the United Kingdom. The United Nations also played a decisive role in the settlement of that matter. The tireless efforts of Secretaries-General Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon and their representatives within the Mixed Commission deserve our gratitude. Thus dawned a new era in relations between Cameroon and Nigeria, geared towards the quest for progress and development to which our two peoples aspire. It goes without saying that the two countries must henceforth do everything possible to consolidate the settlement and seize the opportunities offered to them to develop their relations in all areas. In that regard, I wish to reaffirm that Cameroon will respect all its commitments.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The historic achievement recorded in the settlement of the dispute over the Bakassi peninsula is one of the best examples of the remarkable results that can be generated by an authentic desire for peace shared by the parties, with the judicious support of the international community. The ceremony in Calabar on 14 August 2008, which marked the withdrawal of the Nigerian administration and police force from Bakassi and the transfer of authority to Cameroon, was undoubtedly the result of the commitment to peace shown by the leaders and peoples of both countries. In that regard, I wish to express my profound gratitude to friendly countries for the support they have continued to give to the implementation of the ruling of the International Court of Justice and to the Greentree Agreement.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Unfortunately, nor is our continent spared the threat of terrorism, which now has a global dimension. I am convinced that only global and resolute action will help address that issue. Cameroon will contribute its support as necessary. The international community, and in particular the United Nations, are making commendable efforts to 15 08-51851 promote peace in Africa. That is why the Organization must receive from all its Members the resources that it needs to ensure the effectiveness of its action. To that end, it should constantly express the common will and continue to be the crucible of the democratization of international relations.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)