YouSaid · the spoken record

Momodou Lamin Sedat Jobe

lines on the record: 69
first: 1998-09-24
most recent: 2000-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
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 should remain optimistic, because we know that, as Professor Pierre-Henri Simon was wont to say in his lectures at the Sorbonne, life begins on the other side of despair. The United Nations was created in the midst of despair as a haven of hope, peace, progress and justice for all. It should also be, for all of us, in justice and in truth, an asylum from the cruelty and pain of the outside world.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“We will then know that they too want a Council based on mutual respect and fraternal cooperation in the service of humanity at large. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize once again that the United Nations is the best legacy that the founding fathers could have left for the peoples of the world. It has served us reasonably well for the past 55 years, nations big and small, rich and poor. It can serve us even better in the twenty-first century provided that we have the political will to strengthen the Organization so that it can carry on with the difficult but not impossible task of making this world a better place for all nations. That is the hope of my country. We are certain that all together we will be able to achieve it.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“33 Quite apart from providing the Organization with the necessary resources, there will be a need to carry out some reforms, especially of the Security Council. We must begin by making its membership more reflective of present-day realities. Any reform of the Security Council must first and foremost address the serious anomaly which excludes Africa from the present permanent membership category. This must be corrected; Africa must be given a minimum of two permanent seats if and when the Council is ever reformed. In an organization like ours, the right of veto is a rebellion against democracy. For the five permanent members of the Security Council to understand the present situation as being unfair will be a mark of their sense of equity and justice.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“These features make it a uniquely useful forum — for sharing information, conducting negotiations, elaborating norms and voicing expectations, coordinating the behaviour of States and other actors, and pursuing common plans of action.” (A/54/2000, para. 8) Regrettably, the Organization has not always been in a position to carry out its peacekeeping and other important roles effectively. This is due mainly to a dearth of financial resources. Therefore, if it is to assume the important role the founding fathers assigned it in the first place, that of meeting the needs of the world's peoples, we the Member States have to provide it with the necessary financial and other resources. The United Nations is expected to play an even greater role in the twenty-first century.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Unless that is done, the debt burden will continue to have a negative impact on the availability of adequate resources to finance Africa's economic recovery and social development. The task of peace-building and peacemaking at the national and international levels and the other tasks within the United Nations mandate are facilitated because we are fortunate to have an organization such as the United Nations to provide the framework for such efforts. As the Secretary-General aptly puts it in his “We the peoples” report, the United Nations is “the only body of its kind with universal membership and comprehensive scope, and encompassing so many areas of human endeavour.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“I must add that in addressing the specific problems of least developed countries, extra efforts should be made to tackle the excruciating debt burden across the board, rather than limiting the approach to a select number of countries as provided for under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative. We note, sadly, that the international community's effort to resolve Africa's external debt problems continues to fall short of the desired results. The adoption of the HIPC initiative by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, while complementing global efforts, also falls short of the expected target: complete cancellation of the debt stock of all developing countries is what should happen.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“In efforts to make the world a better place for humankind, we also need to adopt a fresher approach regarding economic development issues, such as the debt burden and trade access, official development assistance and financing for development, to mention only a few. As one of the least developed countries, the Gambia looks forward to the forthcoming Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, to be held in March 2001. My delegation fully supports the Secretary-General's proposal to urge industrialized countries to consider granting duty-free and quota-free access for essentially all exports from least developed countries.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“We, particularly the Gambia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and the Republic of Guinea, have been meeting at the subregional level to give effect to the World Health Organization's Roll Back Malaria strategy and to develop other preventive and curative remedies for implementation at the national level. The recent breakthrough in human science through the successful decoding of the human genome, and the bright prospects for genome science, will allow for the development of vaccines and medicines as remedies for deadly diseases all over the world. What is even more amazing about that major scientific breakthrough is its reaffirmation of our common humanity. The language of the book of life is in fact the same for all peoples, irrespective of race, religion or region.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Let me at this juncture commend the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for its generous contribution towards the delivery of vaccines in the poorest countries and for supporting research with a view to developing vaccines. Referring specifically to research in the area of malaria, I am proud to state that the Medical Research Council in the Gambia has always enjoyed the support and encouragement of my Government. The Medical Research Council has over the years accumulated a lot of experience and expertise. I am sure that the Global Alliance can make use of such experience and expertise in carrying out its own mandate. For us in West Africa, the eradication of malaria is among our highest priorities.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“We intend to address these causes within the framework of The Gambia's Vision 2020, our national blueprint for socio-economic development. The President of the Republic of The Gambia has thus reinforced the use of tractors and mechanized ploughing and modern agriculture techniques in order to increase the production of rice, groundnuts and other agricultural commodities, in an effort to achieve self-sufficiency. 32 Efforts to eradicate poverty should also include a health component. Indeed, as the World Bank rightly puts it, a major acceleration of growth is unlikely without a dramatic improvement in human capital, particularly public health. This is why my delegation finds the concept of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization very attractive indeed, especially in its strategic objectives.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Other than conflict situations in the world, poverty eradication is a matter that is close to our heart. Indeed, as we begin the twenty-first century, poverty remains our number one challenge to sustainable human development. In this connection, I would like to mention that about three weeks ago the Gambia launched the 1998 National Household Poverty Survey and the 1999-2000 Participatory Assessment National Summary reports. The poverty survey revealed that households engaged in farming and the informal sectors record the highest poverty incidence, at 80 per cent and 85 per cent respectively. Some of the causes identified were low crop yields, inaccessibility to credit, low rainfall, poor soil fertility, unemployment, insufficient food, lack of income for basic needs, poor health and lack of education.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The newly elected President of the Republic of China even went further, by expressing the hope that the leaders of the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China would respect the free choice of the people on both sides and work together to resolve the question of a future one China. While working to achieve that goal, we, the United Nations, should help the process by considering how both sides of the Taiwan Strait can participate at the same time in the United Nations. We are confident that, as was the case with the former East Germany and the former West Germany, parallel representation of divided nations in the United Nations — in addition to contributing to regional peace and security — can lead to their peaceful unification.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“It will also be useful and helpful to talk about cross-strait relations just to show that the door to dialogue is not completely shut between the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China. In fact since 1987 more than 12 million visits have been arranged and 100 million letters and phone calls exchanged. Last year alone some 2 million visits were exchanged. We note with a sense of great satisfaction that cross-strait trade totalled $27 billion. These figures speak volumes. This is why we believe that we should not only take note of, but also support, the conciliatory gestures of the Republic of China towards the People's Republic of China, especially the request for a summit to pursue cross-strait reconciliation efforts without specifying any preconditions, format or location.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The Republic of China is one of the most successful examples of economic development in the twentieth century and is now the world's nineteenth largest economy in terms of gross domestic product and the fourteenth most important trading nation. And, yes, it possesses the third largest amount of foreign reserves in the world. What is even more praiseworthy is that the Republic of China has over the years sent more than 10,000 experts to train technicians in countries all over the world, especially in developing countries. In addition, it has also been providing disaster relief around the world amounting to billions of dollars. This country continues to respond promptly and positively to United Nations appeals for emergency relief and rehabilitation for countries suffering from natural disasters and wars.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“As for the crucial sector of information and communications technology and the revolution in this field, it is an open secret that the Republic of China is in the vanguard. We will be talking a great deal about the growing digital divide. We have to bridge this divide, and it goes without saying that one of the major pillars of this bridge is the Republic of China. How, then, can this country be excluded from the United Nations family? Furthermore, in this era of globalization and liberalization, it is impossible to understand how a leading trading nation like the Republic of China could be excluded from playing its rightful role in the comity of nations.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Nearly 12.8 million people, approximately 83 per cent of all eligible voters in Taiwan, participated in the election, vigorously contested by candidates from 31 all political parties. The opposition won the election, which resulted in an unprecedented transition of power from one political party to another, in an orderly and peaceful process. After that result the country still seeks to be a part of this house. In the area of development and poverty eradication, we have witnessed on a number of occasions how the Republic of China has, through its International Economic Cooperation and Development Fund, been collaborating with such agencies as the Asian Development Bank, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to support development projects around the world.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“It is my delegation's firm belief that this historic occasion of the Millennium Summit is the time to embrace opportunities, make progress on issues that divide us, move forward and look to the future with confidence, rather than living in the past, burying our heads in the sand or turning the other way. If we look closely at the documents prepared for the Millennium Summit — whether the one introduced by the Secretary-General or the working draft prepared by the General Assembly President — it will be seen that on almost all the issues raised in these important documents the Republic of China has much to offer. Let us take human rights, democracy and good governance. It will be recalled that on 18 March this year, the Republic of China held its second presidential election.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The Republic of China has a national flag, national ceremonies and systems that are recognized all over the world. It is also one of the most advanced in the field of technology and electronics, agriculture and medicine. Here is a country relatively small in size, but in terms of social, economic, financial, cultural, technological and scientific achievements, the Republic of China on Taiwan is indeed a force to be reckoned with, a formidable powerhouse. This country has always espoused everything that our Organization stands for: its purposes and principles, its aims and objectives, its shared values and dreams. The Republic of China is not discouraged. We must in the spirit of democracy and justice allow it to hoist its flag as an independent nation in this edifice of the United Nations.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“We encourage the two brotherly countries to continue on the path of reconciliation, which we hope will lead to the eventual reunification of the two Koreas. Meanwhile, we are here yet again to reason with the Assembly about the pressing need to reconsider its position with regard to the case of the Republic of China on Taiwan. At this moment, when we the United Nations are at a crossroads, when history is in the making, when we are talking about inclusiveness, universality, globalization, democratization — and the list goes on — it defies logic that a country of 23 million people, with all that they have to offer to the rest of mankind, is continuously barred from participating in the work and activities of the United Nations.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The unjust sanctions imposed on Cuba for over 30 years should be lifted, as called for by many people of good will around the world, including some lawmakers here in the United States who believe that such sanctions are of another age and are not conducive to good- neighbourliness and international cooperation. It is our fervent hope that common sense will soon prevail so that at long last we will see the normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba, two neighbours, two great countries that have a lot to offer to their peoples and to the rest of the world. It is in this spirit that my delegation hails the thaw in relations between North and South Korea signalled by the June 2000 Summit in Pyongyang between Presidents Kim Jong Il and Kim Dae-jung.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“We also hope that the differences between the United States of America and the Republic of the Sudan over the Al-Shifa pharmaceutical plant will soon have a peaceful solution in the interests of all. We also believe that the people of the Comoros should be listening, too, so that, through the efforts they are making to resolve locally the division existing in their country they will reach a definitive solution, in the interests of the continent of Africa as well as of the international community as a whole, that will make us all proud. Let me come back to the issue of sanctions, but this time I want to talk about Cuba.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Let us be fair to the people of Kuwait. They look to the international community for the justice that they so rightly deserve. Let justice prevail everywhere. The sanctions imposed on Libya have been suspended, but what is stopping the Security Council from lifting them altogether? Libya has complied with all the conditions laid down by the Security Council. We therefore call on the Council to keep its part of the bargain. Still on the subject of Libya, the Government of the Gambia would like to congratulate President Muammar Al-Qadhafi for the preponderant role that he played to defuse the hostage crisis in the Philippines, in the spirit of goodwill and respect for human rights.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“If we unanimously agree that might is not right in one part of the world, we should apply the same principle in any other part of the world. I will refer to a number of situations. In regard to 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. The families of the prisoners of 30 war and missing persons have also been suffering for too long. Furthermore, we cannot treat lightly the issue of the Kuwaiti national archives, still in Iraqi hands. They must be returned, as must all other property removed illegally from Kuwait at the time of the invasion.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“In addition to that, the Brahimi report on United Nations peace and security activities is indeed very timely, but we will be doing justice to the report only if we implement the recommendations contained in it and do so as soon as possible. Apart from the conflicts in Africa, we are also closely monitoring conflict situations in other parts of the world, such as the Middle East, the Korean peninsula and the Taiwan Strait. In the Middle East, my delegation strongly supports the peace process and the indefatigable efforts of President Bill Clinton to help the parties concerned to reach an agreement satisfactory to all sides. We must always bear in mind, however, that the relevant Security Council resolutions, especially resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), remain the most credible basis for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“My delegation welcomes the establishment of the special court for Sierra Leone to try war crimes and other atrocities. Our only disappointment is that, unlike the case of other tribunals, funding is based on voluntary contributions. How, then, do we expect the Sierra Leone special court to function effectively and efficiently? Are we serious about the need to eradicate the culture of impunity? We also appreciate the work being done by the Security Council to ban the trade in conflict diamonds. At the national, regional and subregional levels, the Secretary-General's 1998 report (A/52/871) on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa remains a useful guide in our collective efforts to resolve conflicts around the continent and at the same time address the problem of development.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Nearer to home, the volatile situations in the brotherly countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia continue to be of great concern to us. My delegation, however, takes heart in the Security Council's decision, by its resolution 1317 (2000), to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone. This, together with the efforts being deployed by the Economic Community of West African States, will definitely bring about positive results very soon. At this point, we also want to commend the Government of the United Kingdom for stepping in with military assistance to bolster the United Nations troops there, showing courage and leadership when it was most needed. Other members of the Security Council should emulate that example and show leadership by example.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“We therefore commend President Ismail Omar Guelleh for his relentless endeavour to broker the Djibouti process that culminated in the recent election of President Abdikassim Salad Hassan. We wish President Salad Hassan all the best in his onerous task of forming a representative Government, a Government of national unity, and in the uphill task of rebuilding his war-torn country. We also appeal to all the Somali factions to put their differences aside, to put their country first and to join in the concerted effort to achieve the national unity that has eluded Somalia since 1991. We all welcome Somalia into the international community once more, as it has now started occupying its seats in international meetings.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“My delegation therefore strongly urges the belligerents, signatories of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement, to adhere to the Agreement's terms and conditions, with a view to accelerating the peace process. Regarding Ethiopia and Eritrea, we are heartened by the current adherence to the June 2000 ceasefire and strongly urge the two brotherly countries to accelerate negotiations on a comprehensive peace agreement that would hopefully lead to a definitive conclusion of the regrettable two-year-long border conflict. In this connection, my delegation strongly supports the speedy deployment of a peacekeeping mission to the disputed area. Somalia also continues to attract our attention.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“In Angola, we are concerned about the continuing civil strife and its negative impact on the well-being of the brotherly people of that country. It is an open secret that the intransigence of UNITA is largely responsible for the present state of affairs. We therefore commend the Security Council sanctions Committee on Angola, especially the work done by Ambassador Fowler and his Panel of Experts, to show the way forward on how to reduce UNITA's capacity to wage war. We hope that 29 the recommendations contained in the Panel's report will be fully and scrupulously implemented, and that this will force UNITA to return to the negotiating table. We are equally alarmed at the volatile situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its repercussions throughout the Great Lakes region.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“I am confident that, through concerted efforts, we, the servants of the people, will energize our United Nations to enable it to tackle the challenges of this century. Some of the important issues that were raised during the recently concluded Summit, such as conflict resolution, poverty eradication, accessibility to health care and debt relief, to mention only a few, have been echoed by many speakers since the general debate began. An issue that is of particular concern to the President of the Republic of the Gambia and to my delegation is that of conflict situations, particularly those in Africa. I am referring to situations such as those that currently prevail in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia and Eritrea, Sierra Leone, the Comoros, Somalia, Guinea and Liberia.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“I would also like to seize this opportunity to congratulate him for his forward-looking millennium report, entitled, “We the peoples: the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century”. May I also join previous speakers in congratulating Tuvalu on its admission as the newest Member of the United Nations. The Millennium Summit that has just ended was a historic event that brought together world leaders of the highest political echelon who rededicated themselves to the principles of the United Nations. As the Summit's political declaration and outcome document indicate, our leaders considered the various challenges faced by the United Nations, exchanged views and explored ideas on the role that the Organization is expected to play in the twenty-first century.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Allow me first of all to congratulate Mr. Holkeri on his election as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth session and to commend him for the able leadership he has shown since the beginning of our session. With his wisdom and vast experience, there is no doubt that he will guide our deliberations to a successful conclusion. In the same vein, I would also like to commend Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, the outgoing President, for the professional and efficient manner in which he conducted the affairs of this Assembly. Last but by no means least, I pay tribute to the Secretary-General for the dynamic and visionary manner in which he has been carrying out his mandate.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“These resolutions should always be in the spirit of fraternal cooperation and understanding that prevail here in this General Assembly Hall. We in the Gambia remain very optimistic, and we know we share this optimism because the General Assembly is the asylum of humanity at large against the cruelty and pain of the outer world.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Today, in this post-cold-war era in which we are confronted with localized ethnic and internal political strife, we need the United Nations more than ever before. This world body has withstood the test of time and history. There is no alternative to the United Nations; countries big and small, rich or poor, all have a vital 28 stake in strengthening the United Nations rather than weakening it. The United Nations is more relevant today than it has ever been, and we all should strive for its vitality and the respect of its decisions. We can do this only when it is clear in the minds of all that it is the common house of all the States of the world and that it should be perceived as being just and fair to all, in particular in the resolutions adopted by its Security Council.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Africa, Asia and Latin America must be given the opportunity to emerge from their devastating past into a future which guarantees for them all the benefits of democracy and peace, respect for human rights, development and the restoration of the dignity of all their peoples. This objective is realizable if we all work together, drawing inspiration from the Charter of the United Nations. North and South, rich and poor, together we can do it — if we believe in it. The United Nations provides the forum and the necessary framework to achieve the objectives that we set for ourselves on this small planet that we share. Before the United Nations was founded, the world experienced bitterly two devastating wars. When the United Nations was founded half a century ago, it helped to avoid another global war despite the cold war that ensued.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Finally, as we continue to grapple with the reform of the United Nations and its organs after 50 years of operation, so must we also continue to address the weaknesses, inequalities and inadequacies that plague the international economic and social system, global trade, finance, investment, international development, and so on. We must continue to do this so as to achieve more meaningful cooperation and partnership geared towards the promotion of socio-economic development and the preservation of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all. It therefore bears recalling that the important issues of women in development and the rights of the child should continue to be at the top of the international agenda. In this endeavour, development must be given the priority it deserves.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“No reform of the United Nations would be complete without the reform of the Security Council — the main organ responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security. While some consensus has emerged on a number of issues on the question of equitable representation and increase in the membership of the Security Council, important differences still exist on many other issues. We urge Member States to continue to negotiate constructively on the outstanding issues with a view to arriving at a compromise that is agreeable, if not satisfactory, to all.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Any such reform programme should address the need to enable the Organization to meet the challenges of modern times and preserve the sanctity and centrality of the principles of the Charter. The last session witnessed a lot of debate on this issue. It is sad to note, however, that no substantial progress has been made. As we pursue this important task, we hope that the Assembly will defeat the hostile offensive which seeks to portray it as a “house of words”. Any concrete and workable decisions that may evolve out of our deliberations on this issue will serve as the litmus test of the political will of the membership to forge ahead with genuine renewal and revitalization of the Organization.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“This idea has indeed taken hold, leading to the consideration of reform measures proposed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan in his report “Renewing the United Nations: A programme for reform”. May I take this opportunity to pay tribute to our able Secretary-General for his unswerving commitment to the reform of our Organization and his cooperation in this regard. It is our fervent hope that the success of any reform programme for the United Nations will be judged by the ability of the Organization to make a significant impact on the lives of all people, in particular those of the developing countries, as well as by real improvements in its functioning. In this context, we feel very strongly that reform measures should focus mainly on strengthening the role of the Organization in the promotion of peace and development.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“My delegation welcomes the coming into force of the Ottawa treaty banning antipersonnel landmines. With the end of the cold war, nuclear disarmament should be given priority in our efforts to ensure the safety of humankind. In this context, my delegation is encouraged by what India and Pakistan said about signing the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. We join those who call for a negotiated and phased programme for the complete elimination, by all countries, of nuclear weapons. In order for us all to enter into the new millennium with our collective vision for a better world, we will obviously need to reform and revitalize our Organization to make it more relevant and more responsive to the challenges of contemporary times.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We wish to reiterate our concern for the growing and dangerous links between terrorist groups, drugtraffickers and their paramilitary gangs, which have resorted to all types of violence, thereby undermining the democratic institutions of States and violating human rights. In addition to the drug menace, the international community is faced with another challenge: international terrorism. The Government of the Gambia condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. While we again extend our sympathy to the injured and to the families bereaved as a result of the recent bombings in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa, we call on all countries to work together to fight against the scourge of terrorism. 27 The issue of anti-personnel landmines and its attendant consequences is of concern.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We believe that all of us have a stake in this problem — big and small States alike. We must therefore join forces as a common front in our battle against this evil. The Government of the Gambia is committed to curbing the problem of drugs in its territory and will continue to cooperate with all countries in that regard. The Government of the Gambia welcomed the twentieth special session of the General Assembly on the world drug problem held in New York from 8 to 10 June 1998. We also fully support the Political Declaration, the Declaration of the Guiding Principles of Drug Demand Reduction and the action plans adopted at the special session.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“At this stage in our history, we must all strive to enter the twenty-first century as a united, peaceful family that can proudly bequeath to future generations a developed, secure world where democracy, justice and equality are guaranteed to everyone, irrespective of origin, race, religion or political persuasion. We hope that the Proclamation of the year 2000 as the International Year for the Culture of Peace, which was first suggested by the Gambia during the 1997 session, will bear fruitful results. Apart from the numerous conflicts, old and new, my delegation is also concerned about the drug menace, which threatens the very fabric of our societies. This problem has now assumed monumental proportions, leaving no society safe from its lethal and tenacious tentacles.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We urge all Afghan factions to find a political settlement to the conflict, under the auspices of the United Nations, which addresses all the interests and concerns of all the people of Afghanistan. Let me at this juncture reiterate my Government’s condemnation of the killing of Iranian diplomats in Afghanistan. We hope that the perpetrators of this heinous crime will be pursued and brought to justice. As we approach the new millennium, we are confronted with long-drawn-out conflicts and new ones that are emerging. Our world is thus far from being a peaceful and quiet place.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We encourage sincere cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross for that purpose. We also call for the return of the properties of the Government of Kuwait, including official documents removed from their national archives. My delegation is also concerned about the humanitarian situation in Iraq and the dire plight of the Iraqi people. We encourage Iraq to cooperate fully with the United Nations, which would end the present logjam and pave the way for a comprehensive review of the sanctions. All of us remain concerned about the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. We believe that there is no military solution to the conflict there.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“As we enter the new millennium, all States should be committed to shaping a better world, a world wherein all States, big or small, are equal, a world in which relations between States are based on mutual respect and strict observance of international law. The situation between Iraq and Kuwait continues to be one of the most important issues before the United Nations. We would wish to stress the need to have this matter resolved expeditiously. We hope that those who have influence on Iraq will be able to secure its compliance with its international obligations and that it will resume cooperation with the United Nations and its bodies. In this respect, we urge the release of all prisoners of war, including missing Kuwaiti nationals and third country nationals.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“This belief inspires the Gambia’s strong support for the aspirations of the 21.3 million people of the Republic of China on 26 Taiwan to exercise their right to share and participate in the activities of the United Nations. The legitimacy of their aspirations, both legal and moral, has been reinforced by similar actions and measures taken by the United Nations on the issue of parallel representation, which now stands as a useful reminder. We believe, in the same vein, that the people of Cuba have an inalienable right to determine their destiny. The practice of unilateral imposition of sanctions by one Member State against another should end with the demise of the cold war.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“This matter has to be investigated so that the international community’s conscience may be at peace. About the Middle East, we are disappointed that the peace process, which gave so much hope, has virtually collapsed. This undesirable state of affairs does not diminish our faith in the peace process. We recognize the right of all peoples to self-determination. We therefore respect the rights of the Palestinian people to emerge fully as an independent sovereign State. In this context, we welcome the adoption by the General Assembly of resolution 52/250 on the participation of Palestine in the work of the United Nations. We look forward to the day when Palestine joins the ranks of other States as a fully fledged Member of the United Nations. It is the wholehearted belief of my delegation that every people has a right to self-determination.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“One such issue for which we would want straightforward and clear answers relates to the recent bombing by the Government of the United States of a pharmaceutical complex in Khartoum. What my Government seeks to know in this respect is whether, assuming in good faith that the complex was indeed involved in the production of deadly and prohibited substances, the Government of the United States fully weighed the consequences of such a terrible strike on the innocent people of the Sudan before sanctioning the bombings. In other words, in the view of the United States Government, did the satisfaction derived from the destruction of the complex in the Sudan outweigh the value and premium placed on the lives of innocent men, women and children on the scales of their moral values?”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“However, whilst we persist in urging that Libya be associated fully in the quest for mutually acceptable conditions of transfer of the two suspects to the Netherlands and trial there, we will also insist on the need to have all the proof of their direct involvement in this tragic affair being provided to us in the first place. As soon as a reasonable and acceptable terrain d’entente is reached, the sanctions must be lifted immediately and unconditionally. The Gambia’s foreign policy is directed by its national interest and that of the continent, as well as by the quest for peace and justice in the world. As members of the Security Council, we are obliged to ask some pertinent questions when certain actions and initiatives have a devastating impact on the lives of human beings.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)