YouSaid · the spoken record

Jean PING

lines on the record: 115
first: 1999-09-24
most recent: 2007-09-24
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

“Unfortunately, however, and despite its long history, it has not been able to fully bring about the profound aspirations of liberty, equality and peace and justice, as expressed by the peoples of the world. The ongoing reforms need to be continued in order to enable the United Nations to be the mirror of diversity and human values.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“It is in this spirit of renewed international solidarity and in effective partnership that we will be able to build a better world that respects the rights and dignity of the individual. This vision of the founding fathers of our Organization is also shared by my country and its President, El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba, who has always been able to work for the protection and promote human rights. In keeping with these values, the Government of Gabon recently decided to abolish the death penalty and was a sponsor of the draft resolution on establishing a moratorium on the death penalty. The United Nations has existed now for sixty-two years. From the cold war to the collapse of the Berlin Wall, it has been able to stand, together with the society of nations, the test of time.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“To that end, the implementation of the Doha programme is an imperative for developing countries and will particularly enable countries in Africa to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Similarly, we need to continue our brainstorming in order to identify and launch innovative sources for development financing. That is a priority objective for our countries, particularly since our resources are limited because of debt reimbursement, and this prevents us from responding effectively to development needs. Here, I would like to pay tribute to the Paris Club, which has agreed to the principle of Gabon’s buying back its debt. This agreement is key for Gabon in its legitimate quest for economic prosperity and social well-being.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“More than a year ago, our Organization gave itself a peacebuilding mechanism. Here, I would like to reiterate my appreciation of the work already done by the Peacebuilding Commission under the presidency of Angola, as well as by all of the members of the Commission for their efforts to devise an effective strategy bringing together all the national and international players involved in the processes of reconstruction in Burundi and Sierra Leone. These countries, like all developing countries, need ongoing support from the international community, in accordance with the decisions taken under the Monterrey Consensus and reaffirmed at the 2005 World Summit. From this standpoint, the donor countries need to meet their pledges for assistance to developing countries, particularly in the areas of debt relief and opening their markets.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“On the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which severely affects many African countries, we need to act proportionately to the seriousness of this scourge. Furthermore, as was underscored in the political declaration on HIV/AIDS adopted in New York on 2 June 2006 as the outcome of the high-level meeting on that pandemic, the African countries are already allocating considerable financial resources to counter this scourge. Despite these efforts, our countries continue to face a shortfall of the resources necessary to achieving universal access to prevention, care and treatment by 2010. From this standpoint, Gabon welcomes the commitment taken by Group of Eight (G-8) in Germany, granting to Africa under development assistance the amount of $60 billion to fight malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“While politically that is praiseworthy progress, nevertheless in legal terms we need to accelerate current negotiations in order to adopt a general counter-terrorism convention. In the twenty-first century, threats to international peace and security are not limited solely to terrorism, war and international conflicts. Organized crime, civil violence, poverty, infectious diseases, natural disasters and weapons of mass destruction are also phenomena that can undermine the survival and foundations of the State as the basic element of the international system. With respect to weapons of mass destruction, we need urgently to end the stalemate in the multilateral talks and to again place disarmament and non- proliferation issues at the forefront of the concerns of the international community. Our collective security depends on it.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“With respect to the situation in the Middle East, more specifically, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, only concerted and sustained efforts based on the principle of two States, Israel and Palestine, coexisting in peace and security within secure and internationally recognized borders, can bring about a lasting and just settlement of this conflict. My country endorses the idea of holding an international conference under the auspices of the Quartet, in order to relaunch the process of direct and constructive negotiations. With respect to Lebanon, Gabon reaffirms its support for implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006). With respect to the issue of international terrorism, I would like to commend the General Assembly’s adoption on 8 September 2006 of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Furthermore, Gabon, which has for many years played a major role in the many negotiations on national reconciliation in Africa, supports the efforts undertaken by the European Union, particularly in protecting civilians and providing humanitarian assistance in Chad and the Central African Republic. Specifically with regard to Chad, Gabon is currently facilitating peace and reconciliation talks among factions in that country. The instability in Somalia for the past 15 years has negated any possibility of development. However, we need to mention the praiseworthy decision of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union in authorizing the deployment of a peacekeeping mission in that country.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The geography of the conflicts puts the spotlight on Africa and the Middle East. In Africa, the situation in Darfur continues to be of concern. However, I would like to praise the efforts of the Sudanese Government, which has undertaken to participate in comprehensive peace talks on 27 October 2007 in Tripoli and to accept the principle of a ceasefire. Gabon, for its part, will continue to firmly support the national peace and reconciliation process in the Sudan. To this end, it welcomes the adoption by the Security Council of resolution 1769 (2007), authorizing the deployment of an Africa Union-United Nations hybrid force in the Sudan.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The intensive activities of the General Assembly in recent years clearly attests to its central role as the principal representative organ and deliberative body responsible for setting the policies of the Organization. I have no doubt that you, Sir, will continue your efforts to strengthen the authority and primary role of the General Assembly. Similarly, one of the key measures that our Organization needs to bring about to improve the implementation and ensure the legitimacy of its decisions is reform of the Security Council. We will need to reach agreement in order to carry out this reform that is so important for the future of the United Nations. This session is beginning in a complex and unstable international context that is marked by deep crises and many kinds of threats.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The General Assembly is the appropriate forum to discuss the major challenges that our world is facing. That was the strong message reaffirmed by the world’s leaders when they assembled here for the September 2005 world summit. I welcome the fact that the major decisions taken at that time continue to drive the reform of our Organization. The report of the High-level Panel on United Nations System-wide Coherence indicates the scope of the changes to be made to ensure greater effectiveness in implementation of the Organization’s programmes. Here, I would like to pay a well-deserved tribute to the President of the Assembly at its sixty-first session for having launched intergovernmental consultations on this important issue.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Recently, Lopé park was named as a new UNESCO world heritage site, and Gabon is prepared to go much further, because protection of the environment is an important pillar in the fight against poverty and an essential condition to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). As is evident, then, Gabon has undertaken considerable efforts in order to bring about greater protection of nature and of ecosystems. As a result, Gabon, together with other African countries, deserves to benefit from compensatory measures from industrialized countries, the main emitters of carbon dioxide. From this standpoint, we urge the establishment of a stabilization fund to compensate for existing forest carbon stocks. We also would like to ensure that our forests are included in the carbon market mechanisms.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Africa, which contributes least of all to the worsening of this phenomenon, is unfairly undergoing the serious consequences of it. Therefore, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities needs to be applied. For its part, Gabon, whose forest is one of the essential components of the major Congo Basin, the second ecological lung of the planet after the Amazon, has unreservedly acceded to the Convention on Biological Diversity and has joined up in the fight against climate change. Moreover, it has decided to devote 11 per cent of its territory to humankind, particularly by establishing 13 national parks.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The selection of this very theme by the Secretary-General as the framework for the discussion during the high- level debate that was just held is additional evidence of this. The Kyoto Protocol entered into force in 2005 and was a major historical milestone in the process of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With respect to trends in this phenomenon, every one can note that the goals set forth in the Protocol have yet to be fully achieved. We, therefore, need to do our utmost so that the Bali meeting in Indonesia, slated for December 2007, will be an opportunity to reach agreement on a common, global strategy in order to carry out more robust, collective action to mitigate significantly the negative effects of global warming.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa, for the dedication, wisdom and skill with which she steered our deliberations, and particularly for her having led the necessary negotiations with respect to consideration and implementation of the important recommendations of the 2005 World Summit, which included reform of the Economic and Social Council and the Security Council. To the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, I would like to express my full encouragement as he carries out his functions at the head of the United Nations. The major reform that he has initiated in order to adapt the Organization to the needs of a world in constant change deserves everyone’s support. The theme for the general debate, climate change, which you have proposed for this year, is one of the primary concerns of the international community.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“At the beginning of my statement, I would like to convey my sincere congratulations to you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty- second session. Your election, Mr. President, constitutes undoubtedly significant recognition of your country for its prioritized and resolute actions with respect to implementation of the goals of the United Nations. But it is also, in personal terms, the successful outcome of a long and fruitful career as a diplomat and professor of international relations. In addition, in warmly congratulating you, I would like to assure you of the support my country, and of my own support, as you carry out your challenging and noble mission. Allow me also to pay a well-deserved tribute to the President of the General Assembly at its sixty-first session, Her Excellency Ms.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“As you are aware, Madam President, we have a particularly heavy programme of work. I am certain that, under your able guidance, the General Assembly will make progress in the various areas of its agenda. We will therefore need to continue to work with a heightened sense of our collective interest. The very credibility of our Organization depends on it.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“One of the major trials facing our Organization is the continuation and completion of negotiations on Security Council reform, in accordance with the recommendation made by heads of State or Government at the September 2005 World Summit. We also need to implement the resolutions regarding the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly, the most recent of which was adopted on 8 September 2006 as resolution 60/286. At the same time, major negotiations in the Assembly over the past two sessions have demonstrated, if such demonstration were needed, how crucial a vitalized Assembly is for our Organization. We also need to take the appropriate measures to ensure greater transparency and consistency in the functioning of the United Nations system, ensuring improved implementation of its missions.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“We achieved a major breakthrough in 2001 with the adoption of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eliminate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. We regret, however, that the June and July 2006 review conference for the Programme of Action ended in failure. Despite this, we need to pursue the implementation of the Programme, as well as the adoption of an international instrument on the marking and tracing of these weapons. We also need to move forward with consultations in order to begin negotiations leading to the adoption of an instrument on brokering. Similarly, we have the moral duty and shared responsibility to renew disarmament negotiations, particularly in the nuclear sphere.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“I take this opportunity to congratulate Ambassador Ismael Gaspar Martins of Angola on his election as Chairman of the Commission’s Organizational Committee. I welcome the fact that two African countries, Burundi and Sierra Leone — which have experienced many years of war — have been chosen as the first countries to benefit from the Commission’s attention. However, if our efforts to strengthen international peace and security are to be effective, they must also focus in particular on the area of conflict prevention. The excellent report of the Secretary-General on the prevention of armed conflict (A/60/891) offers us a good foundation for our work as we consider this important issue.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Its support, together with that of EUFOR, has thus far made it possible to hold smooth general elections in that country, particularly the first round of the presidential election, which took place on 30 July 2006. It is now essential that all Congolese political actors continue, in a spirit of patriotic fervour, to consolidate the gains of the democratic transition process in an atmosphere of peace and harmony. In order to do that, they will also need the active support and sustained commitment of the international community to ensure that the enormous sacrifices made by all do not come to naught for lack of follow-up. In that regard, the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission is an appropriate institutional response to the many needs of countries emerging from conflict.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Here, I should like to pay a well-deserved tribute to the international community, and in particular the African Union, for their tireless efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Darfur crisis. 06-53329 10 The situation in Côte d’Ivoire also continues to be a source of concern for Africa and the rest of the international community. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a historic and crucial phase has begun with the holding of general elections in that brotherly country. Here, I wish to pay tribute to the international community, particularly the European Union — whose EUFOR peacekeeping troops are stationed in Gabon — and to the United Nations.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“With specific regard to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, only collective and sustained efforts based on the principle of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security can make it possible to achieve a just, lasting and equitable settlement of that conflict. Gabon, for its part, endorses the idea of urgently holding an international conference on the Middle East. In Africa, many hot spots of tension also remain worrisome. While we should welcome the Darfur Peace Agreement, signed at Abuja in May 2006, we must acknowledge that the overall situation remains fragile. The persistent divisions between certain parties to the conflict even threaten to jeopardize the Agreement, which was reached at considerable effort.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“While NEPAD’s main goal is development, we are fully aware that there can be no development without a framework that fosters peace, security and respect for human dignity. Our world continues to be characterized by tension and deep crises that aggravate the prevailing instability and insecurity. Old and new conflicts continue to threaten the peace and security of a number of nations, and their effects have strong repercussions at the regional and international levels. The violent conflict that has once again shaken the Middle East — a conflict that has claimed hundreds of innocent human lives and caused enormous material damage — has shown how essential it is to do everything possible to establish a lasting peace in that part of the world.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba, are personally involved in that initiative. Aware of the threat that the pandemic poses to human development and security, we should advocate more courageous measures aimed in particular at increasing the contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, strengthening prevention methods and improving access to treatment for infected persons. However, the many challenges facing African States are not inevitable. That is the strong conviction that led African heads of State or Government to launch the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), a comprehensive vision in which African countries have pledged, through good economic and political governance, to take control of the social, economic and political destiny of their respective nations.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“It also addresses the many constraints hampering the developing countries, in particular the impact of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other infectious diseases on their populations and economies. Therefore, I cannot fail to welcome the fact that, in the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS (resolution 60/262), adopted on 2 June 2006 at the end of the High-level Meeting devoted to follow-up on the implementation of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, the international community stressed the special situation of sub-Saharan Africa and recognized the efforts made by African Governments to fight the pandemic. Gabon, for its part, has undertaken ambitious initiatives ranging from awareness raising to the implementation of action plans such as the multisectoral strategic plan to fight AIDS. The Gabonese head of State and his spouse, Ms.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“For example, we must intensify our efforts to conclude the negotiations aimed at adopting a comprehensive convention against international terrorism and at reforming the Secretariat, the Economic and Social Council and the Security Council. The theme you proposed for this year’s general debate, Madam President, “Implementing a global partnership for development”, is very timely. That theme, which echoes Goal 8 of the Millennium Development Goals, will undoubtedly make it possible to follow up and implement the decisions emanating from the Monterrey Consensus and reaffirmed at the September 2005 World Summit. It is extremely urgent that all development partners honour all their commitments. Our appeal to them takes fully into account the primary responsibility of all States to plan and carry out their own development.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Indeed, following the difficult negotiations, the sixtieth session of the General Assembly established two important bodies — the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council — both of which, as we know, have been operational since June. In addition, the Central Emergency Response Fund was established, and a number of major resolutions were adopted. I am thinking in particular about resolution 9 06-53329 60/42, on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel; the resolution on development; and, most recently, resolution 60/288, on the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. During the present session, bolstered by that major progress, we must continue our efforts to complete the reform process.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“At a time when his tenure as Secretary-General is coming to an end and many observers will be reviewing and assessing his accomplishments, I should like, for may part, to pay a well-deserved tribute to him for having provided us with a clear vision of the work of the United Nations in terms of the three pillars of international peace and security, development and the promotion of human rights worldwide. The consensus adoption of the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document (resolution 60/1) was an unequivocal recognition by our leaders of the General Assembly’s central role as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations. I welcome the fact that since the Summit, most of the important recommendations of the Outcome Document have already been implemented as part of the United Nations reform process.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“I should like in particular to acknowledge him for his determination in leading the negotiations that achieved considerable progress in implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the 2005 World Summit. Lastly, I should like to convey to the Secretary- General, Mr. Kofi Annan, our deep admiration for the wisdom and courage he has consistently shown in discharging his difficult mandate, and in particular for the ambitious measures he initiated throughout his two terms of office to adapt the United Nations to current realities.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Madam President, I should like at the outset sincerely to congratulate you on your well-deserved election to preside over the General Assembly at its sixty-first session. Your election represents not only a mark of considerable recognition for the Kingdom of Bahrain, which has tirelessly worked to promote the purposes and principles of the United Nations, but also, in personal terms, the culmination of your long legal and diplomatic career. Above and beyond the usual courtesies, I should like to encourage you, Madam, and to assure you of our full readiness to cooperate to ensure the success of your lofty mission. I should like also to pay tribute to Mr. Jan Eliasson for the talent, dedication and perseverance with which he guided our work throughout the sixtieth session.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“To do so, as we have stressed during the previous session, we must strengthen our Organization, particularly by restoring the role of the General Assembly and reforming the Security Council. We agree on the principle. May we thus have the courage and will to harmonize our views to attain this ideal of change and strengthen the multilateral dimension of our Organization.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We must finalize without delay the negotiations to adopt a universal convention against international terrorism in all its forms, including the issue of the acquisition of arsenals of weapons of mass destruction by terrorist groups. The positive forces that drive our world towards greater integration and solidarity are increasingly jeopardized by growing threats. Because the new challenges of our world have a global impact, we must respond collectively. Only close coordination and active multilateral cooperation will enable us to meet them. It is within the United Nations, a high-level forum for dialogue and cooperation, that we can achieve this objective.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The HIV/AIDS pandemic, which has become a development problem, also deserves our attention. The disease is now the leading cause of death among women and the young in Africa. In other words, its main victims are our nations’ hope. We welcome the 26 fact that the high-level plenary debate that took place last week at United Nations Headquarters itself reaffirmed the commitment of the international community to combat this horrifying disease. The ills that the world is facing should prompt us to identify the structural causes and find the best way to respond. This is particularly true with respect to the fight against international terrorism. One vital stage in this process is the establishment of a legal framework conducive to effective international cooperation.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Because many conflicts are rooted in poverty, any effort to resolve them must be based on the quest for efficient solutions to the problems inherent in underdevelopment. The Monterrey Consensus, reaffirmed during the Johannesburg Summit, is based on the recognition that financing for development is a crucial element for an international strategy for sustainable development. The drop in private international investment in developing countries is liable to hinder them from truly recovering. Moreover, many of these countries, in particular those known as medium-income countries like Gabon, continue to devote huge resources to repay external debt. Gabon remains convinced that only a courageous strategy to defer or cancel debt would enable the economic recovery of the countries involved.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We must assume a two-fold duty today: to strengthen our collective means of conflict prevention and, when those efforts do not obtain results, to have the capacity to react swiftly to contain armed conflicts before their escalation brings about new humanitarian disasters, as was recently the case in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia. African countries have shown their ability to manage crises on many occasions. But their will is most often impeded by the scarcity of human resources and lack of appropriate logistical means. To facilitate the prompt deployment of peacekeeping forces in these regions, should we not establish, under the auspices of the United Nation, a partnership between African countries and the developed countries that provide logistical support.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“To complement their efforts, the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, which met in Libreville in June 2003, decided to make an ad hoc contribution of 5 billion francs CFA to the Central African Republic. For its part, Gabon has always actively worked for peacekeeping and peace-building in Africa. This was recently demonstrated again in Sâo Tomé and Principe, where the good offices of President Bongo and his African peers, particularly those from the Economic Community of Central African States, contributed to the restoration of constitutional order in the country. Unfortunately, these welcome events are at variance with our inability to react promptly to some crisis situations that jeopardize collective security and cause gross violations of human rights.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the peace process has begun to be implemented with the creation in June 2003 of a Transitional Government, whose chief mission is the establishment of new democratic institutions and preparations for elections. It goes without saying that the security and stability of the country continues to depend on that of the entire Great Lakes region. This is why Gabon ardently desires the completion of the Arusha process in Burundi. After a period of uncertainty, the Central African Republic is also restoring peace, particularly thanks to specific pacification measures taken by the country’s new authorities.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Nevertheless, despite the delicate nature of the situation, the activities of the United Nations must be pursued in Iraq to assist in the reconstruction of the country. Beyond Iraq, the future of the entire Middle East region must be at the centre of all our attention. The road map remains, despite current threats to its enforcement, the sole hope to restore peace between the parties to the conflict and sustainable regional balance to the Middle East. Gabon urges the two parties to end the violence and resume their dialogue. Despite the persistence of some hotbeds of tension, the overall situation in Africa has witnessed positive changes.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“In addition, we thank the Secretary- General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for the self-sacrifice and 25 courage with which he is leading the Organization at this time of grave world turbulence. The extreme seriousness of the situation facing the world today sometimes leads the United Nations, when States are unable to carry out responsibilities that in principle devolve to them, to assume those responsibilities. As the United Nations carries out its difficult mission, its authority, unfortunately, is quite often sorely tested, and the very lives of its personnel are threatened. The tragic death of Sergio Vieira de Mello, one of the torch-bearers of the ideals of the United Nations, and other staff members in Baghdad on 19 August is a dreadful reminder of just how fragile international peace and security are.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Permit me at the outset to express to Assembly President Julian Hunte the congratulations of my country, Gabon, on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at this session. Indeed, his election has symbolic value, since, through him, Saint Lucia has become — as he himself said — the smallest country ever to have occupied that high office. Is that not a perfect illustration of the universal vocation of the Organization, which recognizes the equality and rights of all its Members, small and large, but also their common responsibility in the conduct of the world’s affairs? Gabon expresses to him its wishes for success in leading this session, and we assure him of our full cooperation. We also congratulate Mr. Jan Kavan, who preceded Mr. Hunte in his office, on the work that he accomplished.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Our collective action for development will not be truly effective unless we use dialogue and cooperation as tools for global solidarity based on the promotion of partnerships. Today or never, we must reaffirm that we all belong to the one and only human race and define the new contours of our collective destiny. We can thus draw from our shared river, the United Nations, the resources that will enable us to build, with hope and confidence, a better world for everyone.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We wish to see Africa play a more important role in the Organization, particularly in the Security Council, by being given at least one permanent seat with the same privileges as the other members with the same status. Furthermore, Africa has been recognized by the United Nations as a top priority, and we are convinced that the creation of a Secretariat office concerned exclusively with African issues would remedy the shortcomings we have seen in the implementation of previous programmes devoted to Africa, such as the United Nations Programme for the Economic Redressing and Development of Africa and the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Reform of the Organization must be based on a reaffirmation of the purposes and principles of the Charter, primary among which are international peace and security. The International Court of Justice, in a 1949 advisory opinion concerning certain expenditures of the United Nations, stated that it was natural to give top priority to international peace and security, because the other purposes could not be attained unless that fundamental condition were met. International peace and security are the preconditions for development, which in turn is a way to create the stability and well- being that are necessary to guarantee peaceful and friendly relations among nations. The United Nations is the property of humanity. It was born out of awareness of the horrors of the Second World War, in which all peoples participated, including Africans.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“That is why we welcome the launching in Johannesburg, by United States Secretary of State Colin Powell, of the initiative to preserve the flora and fauna of the countries of the Congo river basin. Positive trends in the world can be guaranteed only in an institutional environment bearing the seal of universality. The United Nations, in our view, embodies such an environment, where there must be true multilateral cooperation, based on justice, equality, solidarity and the participation of all. It is evident that, in order to be a global centre for interaction and debate, the United Nations needs reforms. Those reforms, for which we have been calling for several years, are unavoidable if we wish to see the continued existence of the United Nations, whose membership has increased constantly since its creation in 1945.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Only a few weeks ago, heads of State or Government met at Johannesburg, South Africa, for the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Despite the momentum it generated, the Summit did not reduce the risks that weigh on our environment. We think that, in view of the lack of progress in implementing the recommendations of environmental conferences organized over the past decade, it is becoming increasingly urgent that States implement Agenda 21 and the other relevant international instruments. Gabon, for its part, has just created a zone of national parks that covers 10 per cent of our national territory. Those protected areas are proof of our contribution to the process of preserving global ecological balance in general and to the management and conservation of Africa's massive tropical forest in particular.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We are pleased that the First Ladies of Africa have understood the gravity of this problem by creating, in partnership with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), an organization to combat malaria and the HIV/AIDS pandemic, called the Organization of the First Ladies of Africa against HIV/ AIDS. We are convinced that this new structure — headed by the First Lady of Gabon, Ms. Edith Lucie Bongo, whose self-sacrifice and dynamism are well known — will complement the efforts of African States in combating this scourge. We also expect strong action from the international community to accompany our efforts in the fight against the pandemic. The preservation of global ecosystems is another subject of concern for the world.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“NEPAD is a true development programme based on good governance, respect for human rights and the strengthening of democracy, peace and security, which are preconditions for the economic recovery of the continent. That programme calls on the international community for effective support. Members can easily understand why the African countries place much hope in the debate that 18 the General Assembly will devote to NEPAD tomorrow, 16 September, in which the President of Gabon will take part. Malaria and, above all, HIV/AIDS are major obstacles to Africa's development that could ultimately deprive the continent of much of its human potential.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“In fact, several developing countries, including Gabon, devote almost half of their budgetary resources to repayment of debt, while at the same time they must find solutions to the many problems that inhibit their development. We have the firm conviction that, by reducing the indebtedness of our countries to a sustainable level, we can allocate more resources to priorities such as universal education and health, housing, poverty reduction and environmental management. We hope that the promise made by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to extend the current debt relief mechanisms to other developing countries — including those with intermediate incomes, such as Gabon — will quickly become reality. In order to respond to those concerns, Africa has established the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Efforts by developing countries, particularly in the areas of consolidating democracy, the rule of law, good governance, the fight against poverty and the rational protection and management of the environment, are still not being matched by the developed countries, as attested to by the continued diminution of external resources for development and the drop in foreign investment. One must add to that the growth of conditionalities and other barriers that could keep those countries in a state of permanent economic and social stagnation. Among the elements contributing to that state of affairs is the heavy burden of debt.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)