YouSaid · the spoken record

Azali Assoumani

lines on the record: 159
first: 2003-09-24
most recent: 2023-09-24
sittings or episodes: 9
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 situation in Afghanistan also concerns us and I would like to renew my country’s support for the Afghan people in this crucial phase of their destiny. The recent unconstitutional changes that have taken place in many countries, in Africa and around the world, remind us of the urgent need to consider innovative and lasting solutions that are not bound by short-term geopolitical issues. In order to consolidate peace, security and stability in the world, we therefore need a strong consensus, and we should always put the emphasis in that regard on conflict prevention, along with providing constant support to efforts to resolve emerging crises. The principles and values of the United Nations are now united around the Sustainable Development Goals, which are a priority for every country.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“With regard to the Franco-Comorian territorial dispute over the issue of the Comorian island of Mayotte, in recent years we have witnessed the desire of the two parties, the Comoros and France, to capitalize on the achievements of our common past, while maintaining a frank and constructive dialogue with a view to reaching a peaceful and definitive solution that respects international law and is in the interests of both countries. I want to emphasize that we must not remain indifferent to the hotbeds of tension that undermine peace in various parts of the world and have become fertile grounds for outbreaks of international terrorism, as in the Sahel and more recently in Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We hope that they will lead to a solution that will enable our brother country to regain its autonomy and territorial integrity over that Moroccan province. My Government welcomes any initiative that will help to ensure peace in this region and strongly encourages dialogue between our brother countries of Morocco and Algeria. Also with respect to sovereignty, the Union of the Comoros reiterates its position on the necessity for the People’s Republic of China to regain its integrity where the Chinese province of Taiwan is concerned.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“On behalf of my Government and the Comorian people, I therefore want to reiterate the vital need for a rapid, just and equitable solution to the question of Palestine, a solution that will secure the Palestinian people’s right to a sovereign State with East Jerusalem as its capital, living in harmony and perfect health and security with the State of Israel. While I understand the position of certain brother countries in the Arab world that have renewed relations with the State of Israel, it is up to the State of Israel to recognize and act on those bold initiatives for the benefit of all. Furthermore, and with a view to a lasting settlement of the issue of the Moroccan Sahara, which is of great concern to my Government, I would like to express here our encouragement to the efforts undertaken by the Kingdom of Morocco.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“It is therefore an opportunity to evaluate the Organization’s performance with a view to ensuring better representation for developing countries, especially on the African continent, which, as we know, encompass zones of dynamic economic growth but also conflicts, some of them bloody, which delay the development and well-being of their peoples. As a community of nations, we have a duty to tackle problems — in particular those linked to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States — that, if unresolved, will destroy the Organization’s credibility.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“It is by integrating this reality that we will succeed in the work of this session of the Assembly and of other major international meetings, in particular the next World Food Summit, the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries. The theme of this session concerns reform of the United Nations, which represents the best we all have to offer the world in our continuing quest for lasting peace and security.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“No nation has been spared! The pandemic also revealed the extent of the technological gap between countries and showed us the importance of new information and communications technologies and the need for urgent action to reduce that gap. Likewise, the inequalities we have seen in access to vaccines underscore the importance of acting to secure our spirit of solidarity and remember the essential role of multilateralism. And the reason we need greater solidarity and an understanding of the true meaning of multilateralism is so that we can work together to rebuild the world and save our nations and peoples.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Of course, we cannot forget the sacrifices made by the thousands of women and men on the front lines in every country and in every category of health care who have risked their lives and found the courage and strength to brave the storm of this deadly enemy. I want to express our infinite gratitude and a hearty “well done” to each and every one of them. The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the economies of the world and upset the centuries-old order among States, nations and peoples. It has forced us and taught us to live differently. Since November 2019, the date of its appearance in the world, we have been living through an unprecedented crisis, a true world war. The pandemic has slowed the course of life, further widened the gap between rich and poor, accelerated inequalities and disrupted the balance of our national economies.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“It is happening at a time when all nations are deploying their best efforts to master and defeat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its variants, which have brought all the peoples of the world to their knees for nearly two years. On behalf of my delegation, I welcome the surge of salutary solidarity that has made it possible to avoid the worst. Indeed, after the shock of the first days and weeks, human solidarity established and laid the foundations for a struggle that has helped us to gradually regain control of events, little by little. In that regard, the Union of the Comoros salutes the women and men, the scientists, researchers, experts and laboratories, who have worked so effectively and invested themselves in researching and producing vaccines against the virus and have ultimately succeeded in restoring hope worldwide.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I would also like to take this opportunity to pay well-deserved tribute to his predecessor, Mr. Volkan Bozkir, for the efficiency with which he directed the work of the seventy-fifth session and fulfilled his noble duties. Finally, on behalf of my country and my delegation, I want to sincerely congratulate His Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on his reappointment to a new term, and to express our appreciation and our gratitude for his sustained investment, as well as that of his entire team, in serving the United Nations, which is facing challenges that make his work increasingly difficult but still essential. This seventy-sixth session of the General Assembly comes at a particularly crucial moment in the history of the world and of our Organization.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I would first like to express to the United States authorities our sincere thanks for the warm welcome they give us each time we arrive in the beautiful city of New York to take part in this great annual meeting. I want to express our sincere sympathy to the American people, who are commemorating the twentieth anniversary this month of the cowardly attacks of September 2001, and I join in the tribute to the victims of that barbaric act. I would also like to add my voice to those of the eminent persons who have preceded me on this rostrum in congratulating Mr. Abdullah Shahid on his brilliant election to preside over the General Assembly at its seventy-sixth session. My delegation and I believe firmly that his human and professional qualities can be put to good use for the success of our work in the context of this session.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I am counting, then, on the goodwill of the French and Comorian authorities, who must understand that it is time to find a solution to the unpleasant dispute, in the words of the late President Mitterrand, as the ties and interests that unite us make it incumbent upon us to preserve the best interests of our two peoples and of present and future Comorian, French and Franco-Comorian generations Majesties, Highnesses, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I sincerely hope that the whole world will overcome the terrible coronavirus pandemic so that we will all be able to resume our daily lives and so that the UN, our prestigious institution, which brings us together around noble values and principles, will also be able to survive myriad vicissitudes in order to pursue its mission — a role that no other institution in history has ever had to play.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Moreover, I underscore that the health crisis facing the whole world has not led us to forget our important and crucial issues, especially those related to our national sovereignty. Accordingly, Mayotte will always remain at the forefront of our foreign policy and our demands. It is a struggle that has been legitimized by the Assembly, with which every person worthy of being called a Comorian should identify. In that regard, let me recall that in July 2019, President Emmanuel Macron and I met in Paris, and our respective Ministers for Foreign Affairs signed a document enshrining the common will of both parties to move forward in the search for a just and viable solution to the thorny problem of the Comorian island of Mayotte, with a shared concern to preserve the interests of both sides.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“I also reiterate my thanks to the World Bank for having agreed to host the Conference at its Paris headquarters. Finally, I once again thank all those who, in an exemplary spirit of solidarity, accepted our invitation to attend. At the end of the Conference, we raised a significant amount of money in overall pledges, which fills us with pride, as the sum largely exceeded our expectations. In April, I established an executive secretariat to follow up on the commitments made at the Conference and to allocate the necessary resources to make the Comoros into an emerging-market country. I therefore solemnly call on our partners to honour those commitments so that we can establish the work timetables that will enable us to move forward with the work and communication tools available to us, as we await the return to a normal state to follow up.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“In that regard, the Government is working closely with the United Nations system in Moroni and all the relevant actors to implement the SDGs, and I commend the impeccable collaboration of those agencies with my Government. Honourable Audience, Ladies and Gentlemen, As everyone knows, my country held the Development Partners Conference for Comoros in Paris in 2019 to create the conditions necessary for it to meet the ambitious commitment to achieve the status of emerging-market country by 2030. The Conference was attended by hundreds of bilateral and multilateral partners and members the private sector, and the pledges made there are reflective of its success. I thank France once again for agreeing to sponsor that important event.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Rights, and particularly the right to worship, are enshrined in international instruments that are binding on our States and that must be applied at the national level. The role of the UN is crucial. The principles and values it stands for are today at the centre of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which every country has adopted as its own. For its part, the Union of the Comoros, like several other countries, presented, via a video-conference organized under the auspices of the United Nations, a report on its implementation of the SDGs, which accounted for the work accomplished in that area so as to be part of the global dynamic to ensure a better future for humankind.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The brotherly Palestinian people are an example of the latter, perfectly illustrating what oppression a people can experience. The Palestinian people have the right to live peacefully in their territory and to enjoy all their rights, just like all other citizens of the world. The Union of the Comoros therefore continues to believe that a viable and just solution must be found, which will lead to the establishment of a Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side in peace with the State of Israel. I commend what the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, responsibly said in opposing any plan seeking to annex the Palestinian territories. The situation of oppression in the world cannot be ignored.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“In the Union of the Comoros, major efforts are being made to that end. Subsequent to our accession to the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the most recent measure taken in that regard was the establishment of the High Council of Magistracy. That represents a decisive step towards realizing the goals that I set for myself — making the Comorian justice system a framework that protects the weakest individuals while safeguarding them from being arbitrarily treated. The continued violation of the inalienable rights of certain people in the world today is quite simply a disgrace in the twenty-first century.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Therefore, although our organization, the UN, is going through this health crisis, other crises call for considerable efforts on our part. That is why the debate on the reform of its main organs to reflect the reality of today’s world and better respond to the issues at stake will always remain topical and part of every one of our meetings. In that regard, let me warmly congratulate the new non-permanent Member States elected to the Security Council. I hope that the representation of the world’s continents within the Council will be effective, so that they can see themselves represented within the Organization, which must guarantee perfect inclusion. The UN must also be able to continue its fight against exclusion and contribute to prioritizing respect for human rights.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Accordingly, a teleconference connecting the Ministers of Health of the countries of the region was set up to share information concerning the pandemic situation in the region and the measures to be taken together to better safeguard their populations and effectively manage the pandemic. Majesties, Highnesses, Excellencies, Honourable Audience, The COVID-19 pandemic has entered our discussions at the national, regional, and even family levels, whereby nothing can be projected without considering this new reality beforehand. Concurrently, however, at the global and individual country levels, our collective commitments to peace, development and the protection of our environment constitute even more acute challenges that we must take up together to create the conditions necessary for a peaceful and decent life for the citizens of the world.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“At this extremely sensitive time, it would be wiser to exclusively delegate the weighty task of classifying countries to the parent organization of the WHO, based on the updated and verified data available to it. I also commend the actions taken by the entire Comorian medical corps, political and religious leaders, local leaders, the private sector, all social actors and especially the women’s and youth organizations, which continue to demonstrate to us that they are a great source of strength on which the country can depend to deal with any situation. Moreover, in its capacity as the Chair of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), the Union of the Comoros is closely following the pandemic situation in the Indian Ocean region.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Finally, in the economic, financial and banking areas, other measures were taken to support economic drivers and avoid any disruption in the delivery of fuel or shortages of basic needs. That is how we have succeeded in controlling the COVID-19 situation in our country, while we must continue to be vigilant. I would also like to take this opportunity to appeal for international solidarity and, above all, acknowledging the work of everyone involved in the daily and extremely difficult battle, which we must all wage against the invisible enemy. I find it truly regrettable that some countries are claiming the right to place others on the list of red zones affected by COVID-19, while disregarding actual data publicly in national bulletins and reports.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The unfaltering action taken by countries and institutions has benefited and enabled the Union of the Comoros to deal with the pandemic. Since the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in the sisterly island of Mayotte on 14 March 14, we have taken the measures needed to effectively respond to the disease, in particular through establishing coordination among the various national and island structures, with a view to effectively manage and monitor the pandemic. A weekly interministerial council has been set up to monitor and give the needed guidance to these different structures. Many social-distancing measures were also taken with the support of law enforcement agencies to prevent the potential spread of the disease, in addition to closing borders and banning all gatherings.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“I would like to take this opportunity to convey the most painfully heartfelt condolences of the Comorian people and Government to the countries of the world, in particular to all those who, in the Comoros like everywhere else in the world, have lost relatives, friends, brothers and sisters. The virulence that COVID-19 has raged and continues to rage upon populations has left them helpless. Of course, no country has surrendered, but we have had to rely on world solidarity, as that is our only salvation! Let me, therefore, sincerely thank our brotherly and friendly countries, the various institutions, the non-governmental organizations, the agencies and the people of good will who have realized that need and demonstrated their solidarity with our country.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Antonio Guterres, Secretary- General of the United Nations (UN), for his commitment to serving the Organization, the responsibilities and challenges of which are becoming increasingly numerous and complex. Majesties, Highnesses, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, This session, which coincides with the seventy-fifth anniversary of the founding of the UN, is taking place in the context of a serious global health crisis as a result ofCOVID-19. It has required the international community to take resolute action to address it. It has awakened the collective consciousness, which, in this difficult situation, has transcended the separation of continents, inspired unprecedented international solidarity and united the world around the same goal to contain and defeat COVID-19.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“His Excellency the President of the General Assembly, His Excellency the Secretary-General, Majesties, Highnesses and Excellencies, Distinguished Representatives of countries and institutions in your ranks and qualities, As-salamu alaykum Let me, Mr. President, warmly congratulate you on your brilliant election as the President of the General Assembly at its seventy-fifth session and assure you of the complete readiness of the Comorian Government to work for the success of your presidency. At the same time, I congratulate your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, for the efficiency with which he led the work of the previous session and for having honoured Africa and his country, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in carrying out his mandate. I pay well-deserved tribute to His Excellency Mr.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Human and financial resources are necessary. But, above all, it also needs a new breath of fresh air to address those challenges. Its main organs, in particular the Security Council, must be reformed with a view to its renewal and to the establishment of true universality in the world’s most prestigious organization, the United Nations.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The Comorian people and Government therefore welcome the progress made recently on the political situation in the Sudan and strongly hope that this brother country will soon regain its stability in the interest of the Sudanese people and of Africa as a whole. My thoughts also go to all the peoples who live under the threat of terrorism and for whom no development can be envisaged in a context of permanent attacks. Once again, I appeal to everyone to avoid the dangerous conflation of Islam and terrorism, as terrorists are neither Muslim, Catholic, Jewish or animist. Terrorists are just that, terrorists and barbarians, who defy all religions and scorns all civilizations. The United Nations is seeing its missions multiply with every new challenge that emerges in the world. The Organization must be in a position to cope with them.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Let me say that the illegal occupation of Palestine and the savage repression of the Palestinian people are fuelling extremism on all sides. It is therefore time for the General Assembly, just as it strived for the existence of Israel, to restore the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination through the creation of a Palestinian State, living in peace with the State of Israel, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Union of the Comoros would also like to reaffirm its unwavering commitment to the definitive resolution of the question of the Moroccan Sahara, under the auspices of our prestigious Organization. We trust the Security Council to expedite the resolution of the situation. The Union of the Comoros is also following with interest developments in the Sudan.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The signature, last July, during an official visit I made to Paris, of a new framework partnership agreement covering several vital areas, cements this willingness on both sides The promotion of peaceful and fair societies will only be effective if we provide the necessary means to reduce inequality in all its forms. Accordingly, in order to better tackle global problems, it is certainly necessary to harness momentum. However, taking into account the disproportions in various parties’ capacities is an essential component not to be forgotten. In that vein, I cannot close this chapter without referring to the situation in the Near and Middle East, particularly in Syria and Yemen, with particular reference to the brother people of Palestine, as well as to other peoples who remain, even today, deprived of their most basic rights.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Emmanuel Macron, for kindly sponsoring the conference and offering to host it in the French capital. Allow me also to thank, in advance, all those who, in a spirit of solidarity, will support the Union of the Comoros in this way. Also at the national level, the General Assembly has always witnessed the commitment of successive Governments of my country to find a fair solution, in accordance with international law, to the thorny problem of the Comorian island of Mayotte. Indeed, despite this unpleasant dispute between friendly countries, the two sides are fortunately united by a political will for rapprochement and a common commitment.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I remain convinced that Comorians, united and in solidarity with each other, will be able to strengthen the gains made in security and to make our country a haven of peace and a pleasant place to live. Comorians will therefore be able to build and thrive on the recent reclassification by the World Bank, whereby the status of the Union of the Comoros has gone from a least developed country to a middle-income country. In addition, while thanking our various partners for their constant support, I would like to make a solemn appeal to the entire international community to support us further, particularly in organizing the conference of funding agencies and donors for the benefit of my country to be held in Paris in December. I would like to take this opportunity to thank, once again, the President of the French Republic, His Excellency Mr.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Above and beyond the mark of political maturity of the Comorian people, the election also promoted the policy of openness that I have always advocated and led, and gender equality, which is one of the causes I continue unrelentingly to champion. Faced with the immediate and lofty task of charting the future of the Union of the Comoros, I decided to work harder than ever to strengthen national unity and social cohesion, without which efforts for harmonious development would be in vain. I have taken measures to appease social tensions, which have resulted in particular in pardons for many prisoners who had been sentenced to decades or even life in prison, most of whom had been involved in acts against State security.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“As I had announced, I shortened my term of office, and early elections were held to select the President of the Union and the governors of the islands. The Comorian people again elected me with 59 per cent of the vote, for which I sincerely thank them. For the first time in the history of the Comoros, a woman was elected to head the governorate of Ngazidja, the largest of the four islands. To complete the electoral process, we are preparing for free and transparent legislative elections in January. I therefore again call on our partners in the international community to support us in this process so that it is transparent and credible.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In this regard, youth entrepreneurship could play a role in economic development and job creation, as, today, many young people tend to view entrepreneurship as a viable and attractive option, given the lack of employment opportunities. In this way, we can prevent the vulnerable segment of the population from falling prey to predators and extremists of all kinds. Allow me now to inform the Assembly of the new developments in my country, the Union of the Comoros, since our last session, at which I apprised the Assembly, from this rostrum, of the major events that had marked a decisive turning point in our country’s socioeconomic context (see A/73/PV.11). Upon the initiative of civil society, national conferences led to a referendum and constitutional reforms.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In collaboration with various partners, we must step up preventive actions so as to protect our respective populations. In this regard, need we say that such actions must be collective, coordinated and global in scope, since we know that global challenges can be met only with global responses? The theme of our session also touches on a key issue — quality education. In future, the leaders of our countries will be only what we decide that they will be. Today’s young people — tomorrow’s leaders — are looking to us. They have the right to quality education that would ensure that they become worthy leaders of our countries. We must follow up on these recommendations in order to give meaning to the shared commitments to our young people.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“At the national level, all segments of the population, including civil servants, as well as the private sector, have shown exemplary solidarity and provided multifaceted support to the destitute. Of course, the reconstruction process will be long and difficult. We are also therefore counting on international solidarity to assist the disaster victims. Like so many others, small island developing States also face other dangerous challenges, such as maritime piracy, human trafficking at sea, drug trafficking, illegal fishing and the plundering of other resources at sea. My Government welcomes and joins all national, regional and international initiatives in the merciless fight against the barbaric acts that threaten the safety and security of our respective populations.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“My country, the Union of the Comoros, is one of those small States that is exposed to climate threats and must therefore continue to address them. In April, our islands were severely affected by Hurricane Kenneth. It devastated nearly 80 per cent of agricultural production and destroyed roads and hundreds of schools, hospitals and homes, causing the forced and improvised displacement of more than 40,000 people out of a population of approximately 800,000 inhabitants. There was considerable internal and external support to address the situation. On behalf of the people and the Government of the Comoros and on my own behalf, I again thank brotherly and friendly countries and the partner institutions of the Comoros for the exemplary solidarity shown in the days immediately following the tragedy.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is an ideal platform for our collective commitment and on which we can rely for action in the area of development. By adopting the Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations has taken into account all the dimensions of and all elements related to development, in the broadest sense, as well as to the survival of humankind. In this regard, the Union of the Comoros has taken ownership of the Sustainable Development Goals, in all their aspects. The realities of climate change must be taken seriously, as regions could simply disappear due to the harmful effects of environmental degradation. Although those issues spare no country or region, it should be underscored that the situation with regard to small island developing States is even more worrisome and deserves greater attention.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Today, it must be recognized that, beyond those initial objectives, new issues and challenges have imposed themselves on our world, which require that we, as the leaders we all are, review our policies and strategies and ensure for present and future generations what our predecessors sought to guarantee by creating the Organization. I will mention just some of the most recent strategies. The Millennium Summit, held in 2000, raised many hopes for the eradication of poverty and the advent of a better world that was safer — politically, socially and economically. At the time, the Millennium Development Goals benefited from global ownership that foreshadowed a better future for our peoples.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I would like to sincerely and acknowledge and thank His Excellency Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the various teams he leads for the efforts they make daily in service to the Organization, which is increasingly faced with challenges that make its work ever more complex. When our Organization was created, the founding fathers sought international peace and security by means of gradual disarmament, social justice and the well-being of peoples through mutual assistance among nations. Many decades have passed since then. Commitments were made and actions taken to achieve the objectives set more than 70 years ago.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Before I begin my remarks, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere condolences to the Government and the people of France following the death Mr. Jacques Chirac, former President of the French Republic, to whose memory and commitment to peace and multilateralism I pay tribute. I am pleased to warmly congratulate the President of the General Assembly on his election to preside over the Assembly at its seventy-fourth session. I firmly believe that his personal and professional qualities will contribute to the success of our work. Allow me to pay tribute to his predecessor for the efficient way in which she steered the work of the seventy-third session.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I welcome the commitment of Comorians, alongside the Government, which is making every effort to ensure that, together with France, we can resolve the current unfortunate situation on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions. To close that chapter, I trust that, together with France’s top officials, we can find a lasting solution to that very troublesome dispute between partners, which has lasted far too long for two countries that should be united by many factors, as confirmed by the late French President François Mitterrand. On that question, as on the others that are the subject of our debate here, our responsibility is to provide answers, because in the Indian Ocean, Africa and throughout the world our duty is to leave future generations with a world of peace, stability and sustainable development.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The Government is committed to engaging in dialogue with France to resolve everything that puts us at odds, or has the potential to do so. We are a peaceful country by nature, despite the many bumps that have marked our shared history. We have historical and cultural links with France. For that reason, we are determined to move forward towards a successful and just solution to that problem. From this rostrum, I would like to pay warm tribute to the people of the Comoros as a whole for the unanimity and solidarity they have shown in relation to the Government’s position in that new twist on the Mayotte issue. We have utilized active, measured and effective diplomacy to take due account of all the dimensions of the issue.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The conditions of their refoulement forced my Government to oppose that unilateral decision, especially since many of those people are adolescents who have become street children since their families were driven out of Mayotte under the same conditions that we denounce today. Since their parents’ refoulement from Mayotte without any care, those abandoned children pose a real threat today not only to the island but also to the rest of the archipelago, and even to the whole region. The misunderstanding between France and the Union of the Comoros originates from that situation, which is compounded by the shock felt by the Comorians of the other three islands at seeing the difficult conditions of detention of their fellow citizens on Mayotte.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“In full support of that reform process willed by the Comorian people, I have decided to shorten my term of office and to prepare, under the new Constitution and the established deadlines, early regional and national elections. In that connection, I solemnly appeal to our development partners and all the countries that are friends of the Comoros to support us in meeting that new challenge of the future. I remain confident that, as usual, their valuable support will be be forthcoming to ensure that future elections will be conducted in peace, harmony and transparency. With regard to the Comorian island of Mayotte, popular uprisings there in March led the authorities on that island to massively expel Comorians from the other three islands who were residing on Mayotte.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“That civil-society-driven initiative benefited not only from the support of the Government but also from the multifaceted support of development partners and many regional and international organizations, including the African Union, the League of Arab States, the International Organization of la Francophonie and the United Nations. I would like to reiterate my sincere appreciation to the Secretary-General for sending senior officials to the opening and closing of the conference. The conclusions drawn from that national forum highlighted the need to redefine and redesign a new institutional framework that would, while consolidating national unity, pave the way for the emergence of a new Comoros by 2030. A referendum was held on 30 July, and a new Constitution was adopted.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“While exacerbating the destruction of ecosystems and biodiversity, climate change is also likely to increase poverty and various diseases and lead to an upsurge in climate-related migration, thereby compromising our future and that of future generations. At the national level, major events marking a decisive turning point in the sociopolitical evolution of my country have taken place this year that merit being brought to the attention of the Assembly. As I announced in my statement at the United Nations last year (see A/72/PV.13), we held a national conference in February of this year to take stock of the 42 years of independence of the Union of the Comoros.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The global compact reiterates our commitment to addressing socioeconomic causes and determinants, including through international cooperation, as well as our obligation to protect the human rights of migrants and promote the fight against all forms of racism and discrimination against them. Among other things, the compact advocates voluntary migration and recognizes the positive contribution of migrants and diasporas to sustainable development in countries of origin, transit and destination. In order to ensure a safer world, we must also pay close attention to the ever-growing issue of climate change, particularly in small island developing States, of which my country, the Union of the Comoros, is one.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Since it is equally necessary to find prompt and urgent solutions to the many situations of injustice that persist in the world, we must give priority to exchanges and do more to prevent such situations from arising. Why should we not become more involved in finding ways and means to deal with sensitive issues, such as migration, with humanity and celerity? In that regard, the Union of the Comoros, through the coordination of the Group of African States, contributed to the negotiations on the landmark document promoting the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, the first document offering a 360-degree perspective on migration governance and the first internationally recognized normative and regulatory framework in the area of migration governance.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)