YouSaid · the spoken record

Baboucarr-Blaise Ismaila Jagne

lines on the record: 95
first: 2001-09-24
most recent: 2003-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
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

“We must devise mechanisms for follow-through into peace-building and be ready to provide the resources to progressively restore confidence and strength among those at the frontline. President Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh, the Government and people of the Gambia are fully committed to the search for peace and the resolution of conflicts everywhere, particularly in our immediate subregion. That is why we not only open our doors to our neighbours in distress, hosting many refugees, but we also work actively with them as well as with other members of the international community, including the Secretary-General and his able team to remove misunderstandings that could easily lead to a flare up of conflict. The situation in the Middle East remains a matter of grave concern to my delegation.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We must bear in mind that ending hostilities is one thing and getting the system on the right path to social and economic development of the type that would eliminate the causes of conflict is quite another. In like manner, a successful transition into a democratic dispensation does not necessarily, in and of itself, usher in peace and security. In many of the countries where conflicts have ended, political stability remains fragile, and uncertainty and instability prevail. In those countries, there is need to go beyond the immediate political requirements for consolidating peace, to address governance in its broadest sense, including its economic and financial aspects, as well as the capacities required for strengthening it. That is the emerging challenge for the international community.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We hope and pray that the process now started will finally bring that protracted conflict to an end. While we may rightly commend ourselves on those achievements, we must not rest on our oars. There are still some significant areas of uncertainty and volatility in our own West African subregion that we need to address. That requires a relentless effort. 19 In our capacity as coordinator of the Group of friends of Guinea-Bissau, here at the United Nations, we are calling on the rest of the international community to provide more assistance to that sister country. In that way, the democratization process will be consolidated and the country's economic performance enhanced.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“However, there is need to ensure that adequate resources are made available so that no peacekeeping operation is disrupted on account of lack of funds, thereby plunging the countries concerned back into a vortex of violence. Funding availability is also important to bridge the gap between peacekeeping and national reconstruction. The determination with which we have dealt with threats to peace has paid handsome dividends in the period since we last met. That is why we welcome the great efforts made to distinguish the existing conflicts in Africa, especially in Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola. With regard to the Sudan, my Government applauds the signing of the Machacos Protocol between the Government and the Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA).”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“My delegation therefore calls on all Member States to cooperate with us to address this serious state of affairs and to provide us with technical and other forms of assistance to enable all affected countries to better police their waters in order to arrest those unsustainable and harmful fishing practices. The momentum generated in Johannesburg must not be allowed to wither away. It must be recognized, however, that there can be no meaningful development without peace and stability. That is why we attach great importance to the issue of peacekeeping. In the field of peacekeeping, our Organization continues to score remarkable successes. We appreciate the efforts of the Security Council to put in place a rapid response mechanism through which a multinational force could quickly be deployed to any part of the world.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“It is our hope that all nations of the world will redouble their efforts to live up to the commitments they made in Rio and, just recently, reaffirmed in Johannesburg. Even as we search for ways of taking our people out of poverty, we should also be mindful of the need to conserve our natural environment. Of particular concern to my delegation are the destructive fishing practices in the South Atlantic. Despite the adoption of numerous international instruments to regulate fishing with a view to conserving fish stocks, unsustainable and often illegal fishing continues unabated in our coastal waters. The unbridled pursuit of profit without due regard to sustainability and long-term food security is the only reason for that undesirable situation.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“At this juncture, I would like to express my Government's most profound gratitude to our principal partners in development and to the donor community at large for their active participation at the sixth Roundtable Donors Conference for the Gambia, held in Geneva on 18 and 19 September 2002. We are confident that all the pledges made will be honoured so that together, in the true spirit of international solidarity, we will implement smoothly and successfully our national programme of action for poverty alleviation. That is all the more urgent considering the fact that, during the rainy season this year, we experienced a long dry spell initially, resulting in the poor performance of both crops and livestock.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The strategy is anchored on my Government's commitment to eradicate poverty in the long term, by increasing income through economic growth and empowering the population with the capacity for sustainable development. Our fight against poverty stands on five pillars: the creation of an enabling environment for economic growth and development, enhancing the productive capacity and social protection of the poor, improving coverage of basic services, political empowerment of civil society, and strengthened partnerships with development stakeholders. My Government is committed to relentlessly pursuing those objectives in line with the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals. In that, we shall be counting on the wholehearted support of the international community.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We cannot, however, discuss the issue of poverty alleviation without mentioning the problem of women and children. With regard to our women folk, we need to focus more on the 12 critical areas of concern laid out in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 18 including gender inequalities. As for the issues concerning children, we hope that the follow-up summit held here in New York recently will strengthen us in our resolve to achieve the noble goals that we have set for ourselves to give our children a brighter future. For our part, in the Gambia we have evolved a strong and focused policy on poverty, which we have articulated in a programme of action for poverty alleviation.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“With special reference to the plight of least developed countries, I would like to add the Gambia's voice to those of previous speakers in calling for a renewed commitment to implementing the programme of action for the least developed countries for the decade 2001-2010. In that connection, we commend the General Assembly for the decision taken to establish the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. We look forward to working closely with the High Representative. The recently held ministerial meeting of least developed countries in Cotonou was indeed timely, and we call on the rest of the international community to lend its full support to the least developed countries so that we implement fully the decisions taken.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt Initiative is, for the most part, still good only on paper, largely speaking. Protectionist policies and heavy subsidies continue to frustrate our efforts to earn a decent living through production and trade. And the promises of increased official development assistance and other forms of assistance over four United Nations Development Decades have remained largely unfulfilled. In fact, this session of the General Assembly will look into the implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, and the main conclusion will be that, by and large, the commitments made by Africa's development partners have not been met. We missed another opportunity for the multilateral system to work towards poverty eradication and social and economic development.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The scourge of poverty is insidious. It contains within itself all the elements that militate against its victim's ability to rise above his or her condition. Therefore, fighting poverty calls for conscious, deliberate interventions that only the strong can provide to help the weak. These interventions come, for the most part, in the form of resource flows. Unfortunately, these have been dwindling over the years and, in spite of the recent commitments made by the G8 countries in Kananaskis in support of the new African initiative — the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), for which we are grateful — overall, the shortfalls in the fight against poverty are still huge and growing. The international community should not lead African countries to disenchantment.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The main components of the policy framework are constitutional review and reform of electoral processes; enhancing parliamentary structures and processes; civic education; reform of legal and judicial processes and constitutional review; public sector management and administrative reform; and decentralization and reform of local Government systems. Clearly, governance constitutes an important component of our poverty reduction strategy. Halfway through the United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty, and in spite of all the commitments we have made over the years to reduce poverty and to accelerate the pace of social and economic development throughout the world, the gap between the rich and the poor is widening and the absolute number of poor people, especially in the developing world, is increasing.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“That is the only sure way that global security and development, which are at the core of our Organization's mandate, can be assured. We in the Gambia have been doing all we can to stay the course in the uphill task of nation-building under the inspired and dynamic leadership of President Al Hadji Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh. In the area of good governance, I am pleased to inform this body that, with special reference to the democratization process, following the much-acclaimed presidential elections held last October, National Assembly elections were held on 17 January and local Government elections on 25 April 2002. Mindful of the need to cultivate the culture of democracy and good governance, the Government of the Gambia has since developed and adopted a national governance policy and programme.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Through our deliberations at these meetings in the course of this year, we have recommitted ourselves to striving in a more purposeful and determined manner to spread and deepen democracy throughout the world; do better in protecting human rights, fundamental human freedoms and the rule of law; strengthen our 17 cooperation in the fight against hunger, poverty and disease; do more to protect the weak and vulnerable in our respective societies, particularly children, the aged and the handicapped; and redouble our efforts to sanitize and preserve the physical and human ecology and environment. These are some of the important pillars on which world peace and security are built and which we must consciously work to strengthen and preserve from crumbling.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The year 2002 has been a busy one for us all. First, we came here for the special session on children. Then, we went off to Monterrey for the International Conference on Financing for Development, and we just recently concluded our deliberations on sustainable development in Johannesburg, South Africa. At each of these important forums, we were offered the opportunity of rededicating ourselves to the noble objectives of our Organization, especially those that were so strongly evinced at the Millennium Summit and enshrined in the millennium development goals, which we all espoused.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Gambians were among the thousands from many nations of the world who were victims of the attack. This only goes to show that terrorism knows no national boundaries. In commemorating 11 September, President Jammeh declared a public holiday for people to stay home and pray. We must therefore harness all our efforts and cooperate effectively to address this wicked phenomenon and its root causes. Let me take this opportunity to commend the Counter-Terrorism Committee established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) for the good work that it is doing in enhancing cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism. In the course of this year, the Gambia was able to accede to all the major treaties relating to terrorism and we are currently in the process of implementing resolution 1373 (2001).”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Thanks to his leadership, our Organization has been able to cross a number of important frontiers in the year since we last met. Lastly, my delegation warmly congratulates East Timor on its full transition to democracy, its successful conduct of democratic elections, its recent accession to independence and its subsequent admission into our United Nations family. Our congratulations also go to the Government and people of Switzerland on acceding to full membership of the United Nations as the 190th and newest Member State. Our session is being convened at a time when the anniversary of the dastardly 11 September attack on the United States is being observed. We join the rest of the world, including the families of the victims, in remembering those who lost their lives and we pray that almighty God grant them eternal rest.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Let me first congratulate Mr. Kavan on his election as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and for the excellent manner in which he has been presiding over our deliberations since the beginning of the session. With the calibre of leadership he has displayed, added to his vast experience and wisdom, I have no doubt that our deliberations will be easily guided to a successful outcome. Let me also express my delegation's thanks and appreciation to his predecessor, Mr. Han Seung-soo, for his efficiency and effectiveness in conducting the business of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly. I would be remiss if I did not pay homage to our Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for another year of fine stewardship of our Organization and of humanity at large.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“But it should shine even brighter once the Security Council is reformed to reflect the realities of the twenty-first century. Unless that is done, the Security Council runs the serious risk of becoming irrelevant because it is anchored in the past. We do not want that to happen. It is too vital an organ to be sidelined, but it must adapt and adjust. It is time to move on. Let us be forward- looking. Whatever the outcome may be, Africa must be adequately represented.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Finally, experience has shown that our collective security can only be guaranteed if and when all 17 members of the comity of nations are equally guaranteed freedom from want and freedom from fear. That can be achieved only through genuine international solidarity. The tendency to look the other way when another needs a helping hand should be a thing of the past. Each time in our history when we are faced with major difficulties, we suddenly realize how much we need one another. We close our ranks and take up the challenges together. We are again at a crossroads. That is why we are all here to renew faith in multilateralism. There is no alternative to the United Nations. We are now strengthened in our conviction that our Organization is nowhere near being a “sunset” Organization. It is a “sunrise” Organization.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“In any poverty eradication programme, the most vulnerable groups, that is, women and children, should be given special attention. That is why the Government of the Gambia remains committed to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, including the further actions and initiatives that emanated from the Beijing+5 Conference held last June. The same applies to the Nairobi forward-looking strategies for the advancement of women and all other initiatives that promote the advancement of women and the girl child. In fact, His Excellency President Yahya Jammeh has now decided that all girls in the Gambia from grades 1 to 12, in virtually all parts of the country, will no longer pay school fees.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“A related issue is health. We in West Africa, particularly we in the Gambia, would like to eradicate malaria as a matter of urgency and, as a first step, our leaders have adopted the Rollback Malaria Programme. We will need the support and solidarity of the entire international community in this endeavour, especially within the context of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization. With special reference to the least developed countries, it will be recalled that the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, held recently, adopted yet another Programme of Action for the decade 2001-2010 aimed essentially at the eradication of poverty. We hope that the rest of the donor community will support that Programme fully by making available the resources necessary for its implementation.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“That Conference will provide a unique opportunity for the international community to translate into reality the global solidarity spelled out in the Millennium Declaration, especially in such vital areas as official development assistance (ODA), foreign direct investment (FDI) and debt reduction, or outright cancellation in some cases, and market access — to mention only a few. Similarly, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Rio+10), to be held in South Africa next year, will also provide a golden opportunity for stocktaking, notably for a comprehensive review of the implementation of Agenda 21. All efforts geared towards the eradication of poverty would be incomplete without addressing the issue of food security. My delegation therefore looks forward to the convening of the World Food Summit in June next year.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“It would appear for the first time, that we, the Africans, are in the driver’s seat. That is a clear demonstration of ownership and commitment. Our principal partners in development should also complement our efforts by providing the necessary resources as a matter of urgency. The Economic Commission for Africa should work closely with the various regional economic groupings to ensure proper and effective coordination. We are confident that the momentum generated by the adoption of the New African Initiative will be intensified with the convening of the International Conference on Financing for Development at the summit level in Monterrey, Mexico, next year.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“In the World Development Report 2000-2001 entitled “Attacking poverty”, the President of the World Bank in his foreword stated that “Poverty amid plenty is the world’s greatest challenge.” We are also of the view that poverty constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security, knowing that 1.2 billion people live on less than $1 a day. That is why our leaders undertook to cut by half the proportion of people living in extreme poverty by the year 2015. Of the 1.2 billion who live on less than $1 a day, 300 million are in Africa. Under these circumstances the New African Initiative is indeed a timely response. We only hope that unlike previous blueprints for Africa’s socio- economic development, the New Initiative will not be left to gather dust.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“It is exceptional and should be treated as such, quite apart from observing the principle of universality. Another country which has much to offer the international community is Cuba, ranging from medicine to sports. After more than three decades, the sanctions imposed on Cuba should now be lifted. These sanctions can no longer be justified; in fact, they are counterproductive. Prior to the tragic events of 11 September, we had already identified a number of areas for increased international cooperation within the framework of the Millennium Declaration. Foremost among these is the eradication of poverty. It is made a priority of priorities in the Millennium Declaration, if not the priority.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“We all know that the issue of ICT is among the top priorities of the United Nations and we therefore look forward to the special event on Tuesday, 20 November, when the Secretary- General will launch the United Nations Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Task Force. How will we be able to benefit from the expertise of the Republic of China on Taiwan when it is excluded from the work of the United Nations? 16 The Republic of China on Taiwan is active in other important areas as well, especially development cooperation, by providing experts and through international financial institutions, and, likewise, in the humanitarian field by providing disaster relief to countries in need. The case of the Republic of China on Taiwan is unique.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“It will be recalled that the Republic of China on Taiwan is now the world’s seventeenth largest economy in terms of gross national product (GNP) and the fifteenth most important trading nation. Considering that the Republic of China on Taiwan possesses the world’s third largest foreign reserves, in addition to its strategic position as the sixteenth largest foreign direct investor, it does not make much sense to continue to exclude it from the United Nations. Politics aside, the Republic of China on Taiwan has a lot to offer the international community. For instance, in the crucial area of information and communication technologies (ICT), the real revolution of our times, the Republic of China on Taiwan is in the vanguard.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Similarly, it is our fervent hope that one day the Republic of China on Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China will unite but, as the saying goes, let us put first things first. As clearly stated by my delegation during the meeting of the General Committee, the Government of the Gambia would like to reiterate that the exceptional situation of the Republic of China on Taiwan needs to be reconsidered by this body. Only a few days ago, the Republic of China on Taiwan was admitted to the World Trade Organization (WTO). That is no mean achievement and, therefore, my delegation would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Government and the 23 million people of the Republic of China on Taiwan. We in the Gambia have no doubt that they will make constructive contributions to the work of the WTO.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The families of the prisoners of war and missing persons have also been suffering for too long and, therefore, we call upon the Iraqi Government to respect and comply with the relevant Security Council resolutions in order to achieve peace and stability in the Gulf region. It is an irony that long after the end of the cold war, the situation in the Korean peninsula remains basically the same. We in the Gambia were, however, very much encouraged by the visit to North Korea of President Kim Dae Jung of South Korea in June last year. It is only through dialogue and the exchange of such high-level visits that the peaceful unification of the Korean peninsula will be achieved.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Seemingly, the most intractable of the lot is the situation in the Middle East, and, notably, the Palestinian problem. There can be no lasting peace in the Middle East without resolving the Palestinian question. We in the Gambia have always held the view that, while recognizing the right of Israel to exist within secure borders, we also believe that the relevant United Nations resolutions on the Arab-Israeli conflict should be implemented, culminating in the creation of an independent Palestinian state. In the situation between Kuwait and Iraq, we in the Gambia have always maintained that the international community should, as a matter of urgency, find ways of alleviating the suffering of the Iraqi people. But at the same time, the Iraqi leadership must be accountable for the Kuwaiti prisoners of war and missing persons.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Concerning the situation in Angola, my delegation continues to believe that UNITA’s ability to wage war must be further reduced through tighter sanctions. In this context we note with satisfaction the extension of the mandate of the Monitoring Mechanism. Turning to other parts of the continent, my delegation welcomes the decision of the Security Council to terminate the sanctions that were imposed on the Sudan. We are also calling on the Council to make a bold move and lift the sanctions imposed on Libya. The international community demanded that the Libyan authorities hand over the Lockerbie suspects for trial in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. The international community must now honour its obligations and stop moving the goal-posts. Outside Africa we also continue to express concern about a number of conflict situations.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“It is gratifying to note that the Security Council adopted resolution 1376 (2001) by which it gave the green light for the launching of phase III of the deployment of the United Nations Organization Mission in the 15 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). My delegation also encourages the parties concerned to pursue the inter-Congolese dialogue with renewed vigour and to cooperate with the Facilitator. We are saddened, however, by the illegal exploitation of natural resources and other forms of wealth in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There is obviously a direct link between such practices and the prolongation of the conflict. Still, in the Great Lakes region, we pay a special tribute to former President Mandela for his laudable efforts to bring peace to Burundi.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“With regard to another neighbouring country, Guinea-Bissau, the Gambia, in its capacity as coordinator of the Group of Friends of Guinea-Bissau, would like to launch an appeal to the donor community to cooperate closely with the Group with a view to convening the long overdue round-table donors’ conference. As stated in the Fall report following a mission to West Africa some time ago, certain countries in transition, such as Guinea-Bissau, need special and urgent attention. I am referring to the important report by Assistant Secretary-General Ibrahima Fall. We are not done with that report yet, for it raises such serious issues as the regional approach to conflict resolution. We are also following very closely the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“In neighbouring Sierra Leone we commend the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) for what has been achieved so far. As elections are fast approaching it becomes even more urgent to accelerate the process of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. The importance of a regional approach to conflict resolution cannot be overemphasized. We will have to sound our own trumpet by commending the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for the preponderant role that it has played in the quest for a lasting solution to the problems in the Mano River area.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The President then said: “The gesture was indeed most welcome and I would want to restate my expectation that with the elections now behind us, we would put our differences of political ideology aside and work together as members of the same family to pursue the development agenda we in this country have set for ourselves, in the best interest of our beloved people.” That indeed was the icing on the cake. It can now be proclaimed without any fear of contradiction that the Gambia, despite all the odds, is consolidating its position among the leading democracies in Africa, and indeed in the whole world. Elsewhere on the African continent, while we cannot claim that the same pattern of free and fair elections and the rule of law prevail, we can note with satisfaction that the signs are encouraging, although a lot more remains to be done.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
““Fellow Gambians, [...] I would want to enjoin you all after the celebrations to put the campaign and all the euphoria and the differences and misunderstandings of politics behind us and come together as one people to work with my Government, supporters and non-supporters alike, to further develop this country.” President Jammeh then went on to thank the principal leaders of the opposition for their courage and maturity displayed in extending their congratulations to him in a telephone conversation.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“As of right, therefore, we expect our principal partners in development, who were still sceptical in 1996, now to show the way forward by embracing the Government and people of the Gambia in a new spirit of solidarity geared towards a fresh and reinvigorated partnership. We have kept our part of the bargain as a nation. We have delivered what was expected of us — in fact, we did more and better than expected. What happened immediately after the election results were announced is ample demonstration of political maturity. Let me give a graphic illustration of what I am talking about by borrowing a paragraph or two from His Excellency President Jammeh’s victory statement.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The Gambia, where I come from, is predominantly Muslim, but we do not at all subscribe to the misleading concept that the struggle against terrorism is one between Islam and Christianity. For that reason we in the Gambia are committed to signing and ratifying all the relevant United Nations conventions against terrorism. Allow me now to dwell a little on some domestic issues. As was widely reported all over the world, the presidential elections that were held in the Gambia on 18 October 2001 received the unanimous endorsement of the entire international community as free, fair and transparent. All international observers present in the country expressed the same views. The 1996 elections were also free, fair and transparent, but we were given a mere pass. In the 2001 elections we passed with flying colours.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“However, it will serve no useful purpose to request Member States to report on measures taken in the fight against terrorism when the requisite means to do so are not available. This will be a long and difficult engagement, but at the same time it is not an impossible task. In the process, no country should be excluded. Consequently, as a first step, the Security Council should inquire of Member States what they need, at the national level, to equip them in the fight against terrorism, especially in terms of training and logistics. In our view, that is the priority 14 of priorities, because no category of countries can be considered safe unless and until all categories of countries are seen to be safe. Let me mention en passant one very important point.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“While we continue to pray and mourn, individually and collectively, we in the Gambia subscribe unreservedly to Security Council resolutions 1368 (2001) and 1373 (2001), of 12 and 28 September 2001, respectively. Similarly, we welcome the adoption of the Dakar Declaration on terrorism by the Conference of African Heads of State and Government, held in Dakar, Senegal, on 17 October 2001. Having said that, I would, however, hasten to point out that it is one thing to adopt resolutions and declarations but it is quite another to implement them fully. It goes without saying that the fight against international terrorism is neither easy nor the business of a select group of countries alone. Certainly not. This international scourge can only be dealt with effectively through concerted international effort.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Unfortunately, like so many countries present here today, we too were bereaved following the attack on the World Trade Center. I should like at this juncture to express profound gratitude to President George W. Bush for his kind remarks. The Government and people of the Gambia, as well as the families concerned, are deeply moved by the President’s thoughtfulness. All of this shows that terrorism has no boundaries and, worse still, it has no respect for the sanctity of life. It is incumbent upon all of us therefore not to offer sanctuary to any terrorists or their sponsors. In the Gambia, His Excellency the President Alhaji Dr. Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh, declared three days of national mourning and requested all mosques and churches to pray for the deceased in solidarity with the friendly people of the United States and their Government.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“As for our indefatigable Secretary-General, I add my voice to those of previous speakers in congratulating him, and the United Nations, on winning the Nobel Peace Prize. In addition to that, my delegation commends him for his effective and inspiring leadership, in turning the United Nations around in such a way that much of the hope that was lost has since been restored. Mr. Secretary-General, you deserve our respect and admiration. The circumstances in which we are meeting this time are far different from previous sessions for reasons well known to all of us. The terrorist attacks on New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania on 11 September took the whole world by surprise because of their cataclysmic proportions. Nothing can ever justify such barbaric acts.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“On behalf of my delegation, I should like to present our heartfelt condolences to the grieving families following the tragic plane accident yesterday. Let me at the outset congratulate Mr. Han Seung- soo on his unanimous election to preside over the fifty- sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly. With his wealth of experience and wisdom we have no doubt that our deliberations will always be crowned with success. He may rest assured that in carrying out the important mandate entrusted to him, he will not find the cooperation of the Gambian delegation wanting. On behalf of my delegation I should also like to pay a special tribute to his predecessor for a job well done.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)