YouSaid · the spoken record

Monie Captan

lines on the record

149

first

1997-09-24

most recent

2002-09-24

sittings or episodes

5

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un-general-debate

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1. “Yet we remain resolute and true to the ideals and principles enshrined in the Charter, and we commit ourselves to working with unrelenting perseverance for the realization of peace, freedom, liberty and justice for all peoples.”

   2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

2. “Will death represent an impact sufficient to bring about some form of moral consternation and restraint? But for every day that a Liberian must face the agony of sanctions, the integrity of the United Nations is undermined and its conscience put to the test. The Liberian people consider their current suffering at the hands of the Security Council a betrayal of the dream and aspiration which inspired their forefathers to join in the formation of the United Nations. With the benefit of hindsight, the Government would have toiled in anguish as it participated in the San Francisco Conference in 1945; not in doubt of the principles we ascribed to, but in fear of the potential to distort those sacred principles.”

   2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

3. “If this is true, then it is also true that some sanctions are not intended to achieve compliance with United Nations demands, but to precipitate regime change through rebellion against internal conditions of suffering caused by sanctions. This may also explain the indifference and insensitivity to the suffering of people living in States under sanctions. In the case of Liberia, the call for a study of the potential impact of sanctions took effect only after the imposition of sanctions, which gave an appearance of some humanitarian concern for the people of Liberia. Nevertheless, after 16 months of the application of punitive sanctions against Liberia, the Security Council is still trying to determine the impact of its sanctions on our people.”

   2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

4. “It is therefore the conviction of the Liberian Government that the Republic of China should be allowed representation and participation in this world body. The Liberian Government continues to hold the view that it is the 21 Chinese people themselves, under the principles of democracy and of respect for human rights, who will one day resolve the question of Chinese reunification. Liberia encourages the continuation of the cross-straits dialogue in the interest of the greater good of the Chinese people. Some scholars are of the view that the calculated objective of some sanctions is the achievement of a threshold of domestic suffering that will cause the people to rise up and overthrow their Government.”

   2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

5. “The consistent denial of the United Nations to admit the Republic of China on Taiwan into this world body is a violation of Article 4 of the Charter, which specifically states that “Membership in the United Nations is open to all other peace-loving States which accept the obligations contained in the present Charter and, in the judgement of the Organization, are able and willing to carry out these obligations.” The 23 million peace-loving people of the Republic of China deserve to be represented in the United Nations. They have demonstrated their capacity and willingness fully to live up to the obligations of States Members of the United Nations, as they have demonstrated in other world bodies.”

   2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

6. “It is, therefore, imperative that no ambiguous signals are sent to the armed non-State actors who are currently destabilizing Liberia; otherwise, the efforts of the Mano River Union, the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone and the international community as a whole to consolidate peace and security would be futile, and would thus undermine the security of the entire region. It is, therefore, imperative that all armed non-State actors be fully disarmed as an integral part of the efforts of the international community to restore peace to the Mano River Union region.”

   2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

7. “The ongoing war waged by externally supported armed non-State actors against the democratically elected Government of Liberia is a result of the total disregard and violation of the agreements and decisions of the Mano River Union. That war must be brought to an end. The decision of the Mano River Union on the endemic problems of dissidents was antecedent to the end of the war in Sierra Leone and intended to put an end to the destabilization of the region by armed non- State actors and to create a mechanism for sustainable peace and security within the Mano River Union region.”

   2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

8. “The achievement of that objective will require that the Mano River Union member States adhere to the Non-Aggression and Security Cooperation Treaty of the Mano River Union, implement the 15th protocol to the Declaration of the Mano River Union and implement all Mano River Union decisions pursuant to the provisions of the 15th protocol and those arising from the Moroccan initiative. Fundamental among those decisions is the decision of the Joint Security Committee, taken in Conakry, Republic of Guinea, on 10 September 2001, regarding the endemic problems of dissidents. That decision called for the apprehension and repatriation to their country of origin of all individuals, armed groups and other paramilitary forces involved in the destabilization of member States.”

   2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

9. “Settlement of the internal conflict requires the cooperation of neighbouring States. The destabilization of Liberia by armed non-State actors and the resultant humanitarian crisis have been and continue to be sustained by external support, and no internal settlement can be sustained in the absence of the cooperation of the neighbouring States of the Mano River Union and ECOWAS. It is therefore important to encourage the Moroccan and ECOWAS initiatives as complementary efforts and not to perceive those efforts as working at cross purposes. The restoration of peace and security to Liberia can only be facilitated by ending the activities of armed non-State actors, who sustain their activities through external support. That would, therefore, require, as an essential beginning, the cutting off of all external support to armed non-State actors.”

   2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

10. “At the ECOWAS level, the objective of the process is the facilitation of a peace process, especially with regard to bringing an end to the activities of armed non-State actors, leading to an end to the ongoing war inside Liberia. At the Mano River Union level, the objective of the process is to build confidence among member States of the Mano River Union, the development of political will to ensure good neighbourliness and the consequent implementation of all decisions and protocols of the Mano River Union, including those decisions taken subsequent to the Moroccan initiative. His Majesty the King of Morocco, who has maintained consultations with the United Nations and major Powers, currently facilitates that process. Those parallel initiatives complement each other and are not mutually exclusive.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

11. “To that end, a national reconciliation conference has been organized by a steering committee comprised of persons representing a cross section of Liberian society. The first national plenary of the conference was launched on 24 August 2002. The conference was divided into five thematic subgroups: 20 finance and management, culture and history, good governance, education and communication, and national security. Current diplomatic initiatives undertaken to bring about peace in Liberia are proceeding at two levels, that of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and that of Mano River Union, which are parallel processes.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

12. “Sanctions are not selective when Liberians are denied income and employment opportunities, or when primeval darkness cannot become obsolete in the face of modernity ... It is time, high time, that the United Nations abandon its destruction of the Liberian nation State.” I join my compatriot in calling on the Security Council to bring an end to the suffering and victimization of Liberians by acting urgently to lift all sanctions imposed on our vulnerable country. Despite the current state of emergency and critical conditions created as a result of United Nations sanctions and the war waged by externally supported armed non-State actors, the Government of Liberia remains committed to democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights, national reconciliation and national unity.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

13. “Taking into consideration the average size of the extended family, which is 7, that brings the number of Liberians directly or indirectly impacted by the Security Council ban on Liberian diamonds to more than 700,000. A student at the University of Liberia wrote the following in an assignment paper: “The United Nations euphemism ‘selective sanctions' is a laughable oxymoron, if not a myth. The attempt to strangulate and destroy the Liberian Government can in no way provide a foolproof assurance that will guarantee the immunity of ordinary Liberians from such strangulation ... To regard the sanctions as selective, one should, firstly, bury his conscience to the plight of Liberians in their everyday living.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

14. “The education and health sectors have suffered serious disruptions since the imposition of sanctions. Over 60 per cent of the children between the ages of 5 and 14 years were in school in 2000, compared with about 45 per cent today. Infant mortality and life expectancy rates have significantly deteriorated. Infant mortality, which was 117 per 1,000 births in the year 2000, is now estimated at over 130, while life expectancy has declined from 54 to 47. Of the 16 functioning hospitals and 25 health centres that were operating in the country in 2000, only 11 hospitals and 15 health centres are still operating. At present, there are 59,370 persons per doctor. Prior to the sanctions, over 100,000 Liberians were engaged in artisanal mining of diamonds, either as operators or labourers.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

15. “That violation has not only led to impairment of the Government's capacity to defend the nation; it has also contributed to the resulting humanitarian crisis that is the cause of immense human suffering in Liberia. The combined impact of the sanctions and the ongoing war in Liberia is telling on every aspect of life in the country. The sanctions have exacerbated the problem of a fragile economy and have imposed suffering on an already vulnerable population. According to statistics of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the unemployment rate in Liberia is estimated at 85 per cent, while 80 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line. Donor assistance to United Nations specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations operating in Liberia has substantially declined since the imposition of sanctions.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

16. “The current arms embargo imposed on Liberia in the midst of a war waged against Liberia by externally supported armed non-State actors has caused the displacement of a third of the population, resulting in a humanitarian crisis in the country. The arms embargo has encouraged the war against Liberia because of the perceived weakness of the Government to effectively defend its territory. Furthermore, it should be noted that the countries providing arms and ammunition to the non-State actors operating in Liberia are in violation of the arms embargo, and the Security Council cannot ignore their actions. The arms embargo imposed on Liberia is a flagrant violation of Liberia's inherent right under Article 51 of the Charter to defend itself against armed attacks.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

17. “In its last report on Liberia, the United Nations Panel of Experts rightfully raised the moral dilemma regarding the continuance of sanctions against Liberia when the war in Sierra Leone was over. However, that moral dilemma was not a dilemma for those subjecting Liberia to unjust punitive sanctions, as morality had no place in their political consideration. 19 If regional peace and security are the objectives of the victimization of Liberia, how, then, do we explain the conspiracy of silence surrounding the prevailing war in Liberia waged by externally supported armed non-State actors? Can one reasonably expect peace to be consolidated in Sierra Leone or maintained in the Mano River Union region when aggression against Liberia is left unchecked? What accounts for that conspiracy? Is it due to double standards or to malice?”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

18. “However, the sanctions have not been lifted because the focus is not on the condition precedent for its lifting, but on the sanctions themselves, as though punitive sanctions were ends in themselves. It is illogical to suggest that the condition required for lifting the sanctions is the sanctions themselves. To assert that would suggest that one would be rewarded with a privilege if one refrained from exercising that privilege. It is therefore confusing to speak in terms of alleged violations of the sanctions as though they were indicators of compliance with the demands, when, in fact, it is compliance with the specific demands of the Security Council resolution that constitutes the only condition for lifting the sanctions.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

19. “Another 5,000 have registered for repatriation with the embassy of Sierra Leone in Monrovia and UNHCR. At present, there are 25,000 Sierra Leonean refugees still residing in Liberia under the care of UNHCR. How is it conceivable that Liberia can today continue to be punished by the Security Council on allegations of supporting a non-existent RUF in a non- existent war in Sierra Leone, while the Liberian Government provides protection for thousands of Sierra Leonean refugees in Liberia? It is conceivable because of the failure to differentiate between demands and punitive sanctions. The condition for the lifting of the sanctions, according to the resolution, is compliance with the demands.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

20. “The Government of Liberia was represented at the inauguration of the President of Sierra Leone and fully recognizes the Government of President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah as the legitimate and democratically elected Government of Sierra Leone. Liberia is host to many Sierra Leonean refugees. The policy of the Government of Liberia has been to encourage the voluntary repatriation of all Sierra Leonean refugees, in keeping with relevant international conventions. To this end, the Government of Liberia has facilitated the repatriation of Sierra Leonean refugees by the Government of Sierra Leone and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a process that is ongoing. Since February of this year, 12,500 Sierra Leonean refugees have been repatriated to Sierra Leone.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

21. “Essentially, these demands called for the cessation of support for the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), intended to lead to progress in the peace process in Sierra Leone. In order to ensure compliance with these demands, the resolution imposed several punitive sanctions on Liberia. No one can dispute the fact that peace has been restored to Sierra Leone and that the RUF no longer exists. The defunct RUF has been demobilized and disarmed by the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL). The RUF was transformed into a political party, the Revolutionary United Front Party (RUFP), which contested the elections in Sierra Leone on 14 April 2002. All Sierra Leoneans, including the RUFP, have accepted the results of the elections without any challenge to the democratically elected Government of Sierra Leone.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

22. “The Government of Liberia considers the present sanctions regime imposed on Liberia through Security Council resolutions 1343 (2001) and 1408 (2002) as punitive and unjust. Not only are the sanctions unjust, but they have also created a grave humanitarian crisis throughout the country. Although the Government of Liberia has always regarded as unjust, unjustified and punitive the imposition of United Nations sanctions on the country, it has nevertheless consistently cooperated with the Security Council, thus upholding that organ's integrity. The Government of Liberia is in full compliance with the demands contained in paragraph 2(a) to (d) of Security Council resolution 1343 (2001). These demands constitute the only conditions for the lifting of the sanctions on Liberia, as provided for in paragraph 6 of resolution 1408 (2002).”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

23. “That organ will provide the capacity for the management of African conflicts by Africans and will thus form the initial basis for Africa's contribution to collective peace and security. 18 Many African States, including Liberia, have provided peacekeepers to United Nations-mandated peacekeeping missions around the world. Africa has come of age to contribute to international peace and security, not only because Africa has the capacity to do so, but also, more importantly, because Africa is a principal stakeholder in international peace and security. Liberia therefore calls for the permanent representation of Africa on the Security Council with the right of veto. This is the resolve of all Africans.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

24. “In essence, Africa has no real voice in our world body even as it deliberates on issues affecting our very existence as a continent. This situation must change. Africa's contribution to collective security cannot be limited to participation in a debate that has no binding effect on decisions taken by the post-war Powers. Building upon the Organization of African Unity's Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, the African Union has established a Peace and Security Council to promote peace, security and stability in Africa, anticipate and prevent conflict, develop a common defence policy, and promote and implement peace-building and post- conflict reconstruction activities.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

25. “As we say in Liberia, “Let us not use fire to put out a fire.” At the formation of the United Nations 57 years ago, most of Africa was still under colonial rule and therefore Africa's participation in the creation of a global mechanism for collective security was limited to Liberia, Ethiopia, Egypt and apartheid South Africa. Today, Africa has formed itself into the African Union and represents over 25 per cent of the membership of the United Nations. Despite this fact, and considering that most of the conflicts under consideration by the Security Council are African conflicts, the continent's participation in the deliberations of the Security Council is grossly limited to non-permanent representation with no right of veto.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

26. “Recent developments in the Middle East involving Israel and the Palestinians are a cause for grave concern, requiring urgent and concrete actions to halt violence in that region. Both the Israelis and Palestinians have justified claims, which must be resolved in a manner other than the use of excessive violence. Violence cannot produce peace, neither can it be an arbiter of claims. My Government is in full support of constructive efforts that will help both sides to return to political dialogue in their search for a negotiated settlement. We therefore urge all stakeholders and facilitators of the Middle East peace process to undertake meaningful actions that will reduce the current level of antagonism and violence in the region and to avoid any further aggravation of the situation in the Middle East.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

27. “The Government of Liberia has forwarded those conventions not yet ratified to the Liberian National Legislature for ratification. The consolidated and coordinated response necessitated by terrorist attacks requires a firm commitment to ensuring the passage of comprehensive legislations to meet the new dimensions of terrorism, the adoption of strict financial control regulations to curtail funding for terrorism, the strengthening of customs and immigration controls, the strict enforcement of laws regulating arms traffic, and the liberalization of the extradition conditions for persons suspected of engaging in terrorism. In the global war against terrorism, we must further act to combat the root causes of terrorism. This means that there is a need to take concrete steps to combat deprivation, alienation, rejection, misery and poverty.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

28. “It is also a privilege for me and my Government to welcome and congratulate Switzerland on its admission to membership of the United Nations. A year ago, the world was plunged into deep sadness as a result of gruesome acts of terrorism committed right here in New York City and elsewhere in the United States of America. In the wake of these barbaric acts, we all entered a solemn collective pledge to battle terrorism wherever it may exist. Consequently, there was not only a strong condemnation of terrorism, but also firm support for the campaign against organized terrorist networks. We wish to reaffirm our support for Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and the United Nations conventions and protocols aimed at combating terrorism.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

29. “It is my pleasing duty to once again participate in this auspicious forum on behalf of Mr. Charles Ghankay Taylor, President of the Republic of Liberia, and to contribute to the debate of this General Assembly. 17 At the outset, I wish to congratulate Mr. Jan Kavan for his election as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and to assure him of the full cooperation and support of the Liberian delegation. I also seize this opportunity to commend the outgoing President, Mr. Han Seung-Soo of the Republic of Korea, for the efficient and capable manner in which he conducted the affairs of the fifty- sixth session of the General Assembly. It is my pleasing duty to congratulate the gallant people of East Timor on their relentless struggle for self-determination, leading to their independence this year.”

    2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)

30. “We too will remain focused on the objective of peace.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

31. “We are bound by a common destiny that links us inextricably to one another and is capable of withstanding ephemeral differences. I wholly agree with President Conté of Guinea when he described our quarrel as a family matter. Our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, and mothers and fathers have commenced the process of reconciliation and confidence-building in Freetown, Conakry and Monrovia. So far, a number of significant decisions have been taken at the level of ministers for foreign affairs and the Joint Security Committee. We ask for the Assembly’s support in that process. I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge the true fraternal solidarity and support of the Economic Community of West African States, which has stood the test of all of our challenges and difficulties and remains focused on the objective of peace.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

32. “Nothing in the Charter justified such a decision, yet a precedent was set that is still unsurpassed. Nevertheless, it is the conviction of the Liberian Government that the now 23 million peace-loving people of the Republic of China should be allowed representation and participation in our world body. It is also the hope of the Liberian people that the great Chinese people will one day be peacefully reunited under the principles of democracy and human rights. In conclusion, permit me to allay the anxieties of all those who are preoccupied with the existing situation between the members of the Mano River Union. The leaders of the three Mano River Union States have resolved to put all of their differences aside and not to return to the destructive process of apportioning blame. We are a single people bound by blood, culture and language.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

33. “I am impatient for the day when the United Nations will no longer be an instrument that is used to cause the suffering of innocent people. The Government of Liberia calls upon the Security Council to lift all sanctions imposed upon it and to bring to an end the suffering of the Liberian people. At the twenty-sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly, in 1971, a major decision was taken that to date has had far reaching implications. On 25 October of that year, after two decades of debate, by virtue of General Assembly resolution 2758 (XXVI) adopted by a vote of 76 in favour, 36 against and 17 abstentions) the Republic of China was expelled from the world body. By that decision, a founding Member and its population — at that time of 14 million people — were effectively prevented from associating with the rest of the world.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

34. “Among those subjected to the travel ban are the sick, invalids, businessmen, wives and ex-wives. What a frightening, alarming and dangerous precedent the Security Council has set. Liberia speaks not for itself, as it has already been victimized, but for the rest of you here, who may find similar treatment meted out against yourselves tomorrow. I await impatiently for a tomorrow when there will be redress from the injustice my country suffers, when all of you here will no longer be obliged to enforce unjust sanctions. Today, I am impatient to hear the General Assembly voice its opposition to the suffering imposed upon Liberian children, women and elderly persons. I impatiently wait for each and every member of the Security Council to respect the human rights of my people.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

35. “32) Since the imposition of sanctions by the Security Council, and despite the claim by the Council that the sanctions would not have any adverse effects on ordinary people, socio-economic indicators show that the living conditions of the Liberian people have declined dramatically. Available statistics show a direct correlation between the imposition of sanctions and the decline in the living standards of the Liberian people. The Security Council has imposed a global travel ban on more than 100 Liberians, without any rationalization. My Government has requested the Security Council to make known its criteria for the inclusion of persons subject to the travel ban. This minimal element of transparency and justice has been denied the Liberian Government.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

36. “The Liberian Government’s capacity to defend its territorial integrity has been impaired by a United Nations arms embargo, despite the right to self- defence, as expressed in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The Security Council has taken no measures to prevent the ongoing killing of innocent Liberians, especially women and children, who are the targets of atrocities committed in Lofa county by armed dissidents. 27 This country, a victim of war, poverty and disease, is today also the victim of a regime of punitive sanctions imposed by the Security Council in its resolution 1343 (2001). The representative of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs told the Security Council on 5 November 2001 that the humanitarian situation in Liberia today is “abysmal”. (S/PV.4405, p.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

37. “The prevailing causes of disabilities are alarming, with 91.5 per cent acquired due to trauma and diseases. About 21 per cent of urban dwellers and 80 per cent of rural dwellers have no access to safe drinking water. Access to adequate sanitation is unavailable to approximately 70 per cent of the population. An estimated 8 per cent of the population is reportedly infected with HIV. Since 1999, dissidents have waged war in Lofa County against the constitutionally elected Government in Liberia, further exacerbating the already vulnerable humanitarian situation in the country. Death, destruction, displacement of populations and an increase in Liberian refugees have contributed to what the United Nations agencies call a humanitarian crisis in Liberia.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

38. “Four years later, the infant Government still faces an unsympathetic international community; it has received no official development assistance, and donor assistance for United Nations agencies and the non-governmental organizations operating in Liberia has declined over the past four years. The current unemployment rate is 85 per cent, while 80 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, the illiteracy rate is estimated at 80 per cent. Half of all school-age children do not attend school. Infant mortality stands at 134 out of 1,000 live births. Disability prevalence in the population is 16.4 per cent, of which 12.7 per cent is war-related. The World Health Organization rate for a post-war country is between 7 per cent and 10 per cent.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

39. “The war also resulted in the destruction of basic infrastructure, including power-generating plants, water plants, schools, hospitals, airports, bridges and private property. Over 666,000 Liberians ended up as refugees and over a million as internally displaced persons. More alarming was the failure of the international community to assist in the reintegration of over 60,000 former combatants who remained unemployed and idle. In 1997 a constitutionally elected Government was inaugurated facing the challenges of restoring a nation that had been destroyed by war.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

40. “Africa should not miss the opportunity of the new African Union to achieve meaningful integration and cooperation within the context of building a powerful African capability that will allow Africans a say in our common world. This will require a new pragmatism, commitment, vision, cooperation and sacrifice on the part of African leaders. The United Nations can work for Africa; we should learn from the successes of the power brokers who have made the United Nations an important instrument of their foreign policy. Liberia is a small country in West Africa that suffered seven years of civil war from 1990 to 1997. During the years of the civil war most institutions were destroyed, and a major brain drain resulted, as many Liberian professionals travelled abroad to better conditions.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

41. “Individual less powerful States can hope to emerge as powerful States only through a process of integration within regional groupings where power in its entire composite is integrated into a common power capability. This would require integration of economic, military, technological, human, political and social resources into an integrated regional capacity. Only when this objective is achieved will the structure of the international political system yield to adjustment. Africa cannot, with all of its potential, continue to stand by and accept being condemned to perpetually occupy the position of the least developed continent. The African culture, heritage and value systems stand the risk of being lost in the sea of normative ethics based on Western values.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

42. “The conferral of the right 26 of veto will mark this distinction. A permanent seat will no longer be synonymous with the right of veto. For the less powerful, the struggle will not be about power, but participation by affiliation, a sort of status club. Prestige is a preoccupation of the national character, which, despite its superficiality, will be pursued by States seeking to distinguish themselves from the crowd. Hence, the focus of the less powerful will be to join the club, and not the pursuit of the more important goal of integration, which is the only answer for the conversion of the less powerful into emerging Powers that would compel adjustment through structural pressures. Debate is not the mechanism of change.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

43. “Such an attempt has provoked an outcry against the privilege of the few, and the challenge is how to admit these emerging Powers without disrupting the existing allocation of privilege. Privilege is never surrendered. It is shared only when the political structures compel inclusion. Reform will not occur within the United Nations until structural changes take place in the distribution of power and more non-traditional Powers emerge. It would therefore be an exercise in futility to expect concrete reforms in the United Nations without structural changes. And what we assume to be reform is essentially an adjustment occasioned by structural pressures. This adjustment would be limited to accommodating the newly emerging Powers, while appeasing the less powerful States through participation without power.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

44. “In terms of democratic practices, we must assume that decision-making will be reflective of the will of the majority and not of a few; that all Members will have an equal say and equal participation. Unfortunately, the contrary of these preconditions constitutes the status quo today with regard to the functioning of the United Nations. How can we assume the possibility of reform in the absence of a level playing field? Reform can be meaningful only in the context of the alteration of the spirit of the Charter. That, as I have suggested, would assume the presence of a level playing field. However, we must all admit that the concept of reform has gained currency only because of an attempt to admit emerging Powers into the elite group of permanent members of the Security Council.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

45. “In terms of transparency, we must assume a condition in which the operation of and decision- making process within the United Nations and its specialized agencies are open. The Security Council should not deliberate in secrecy, as was the case during the pre-World War II years, in which secret diplomacy and alliance formations characterized the period. In terms of freedom, we must assume that Members of the United Nations can take decisions in the absence of threats, coercion, fear and retribution. In terms of fairness, we must assume that decisions cannot be taken in contradiction to universal moral imperatives, or to the detriment of the statehood of a Member. Sanctions with adverse socio-economic and humanitarian consequences should not constitute political tools available to a few Members.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

46. “In essence, when we speak of reform, we must accept that the conditions under which our nations have come together — with a common interest to achieve a common objective — are no longer palatable and require change. The questions that many of us continue to debate regard what changes we want, and how to achieve those changes. However, I must interject a fundamental question as to whether the conditions, practices and traditions exist for a positive change, assuming we mean positive for the collective good. In bringing about any positive change for the collective good, a level playing field must exist, in which the interest of the whole will freely manifest itself in the change. A level playing field should show the following characteristics: transparency; freedom; fairness; and democratic practices.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

47. “My Government reiterates its condemnation, in the strongest terms, of the barbaric and heinous acts of terrorism perpetrated against the United States, leading to unimaginable and enormous loss of lives and massive destruction in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. My Government has made concrete offers to the United States Government and the international coalition, and has taken strong measures in keeping with Security Council resolution 1373 (2001). I wish now to proceed to issue of reform of the United Nations. I believe, like the rest of you, that reform implies change towards a more positive condition. And I presume that when we speak of the United Nations, we speak of nations that have come together with a common interest to achieve a common objective.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

48. “We must act without delay, and without unnecessary debate. We must act with determination and urgency. 25 The problem of terrorism today requires that our Organization, the United Nations, should take the lead in coordinating and consolidating international efforts to tackle the new challenges that it raises. The United Nations should serve as a catalyst for these efforts, and not another bureaucratic web of inaction and prolonged debate. The United Nations — the institution that humanity has charged with the responsibility for global peace and security — is today the subject of terrorist threats. We must match our words with deeds; we must respond to this scourge.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

49. “Kofi Annan, on his re-election as Secretary-General and for the distinguished recognition he received in being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which, without a doubt, is a result of his vision, commitment and the efficient manner in which he has led and continues to lead our organization. On 11 September 2001, not very far from this place, which is dedicated to the maintenance of international peace and security, the world was confronted with a kind of terrorism that now renders all of us vulnerable. This terrorism is not confined to any one group of people, nor is it confined to any one geographical location, or to any particular ethnic or religious group. Because of its transnational nature, the world must come together and, in a coordinated and collective manner, construct new models in answer to this scourge.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)

50. “I am honoured to participate in this historic session on behalf of His Excellency Dr. Charles Ghankay Taylor, President of the Republic of Liberia, and to share with the Assembly his contribution to this debate. I am pleased to congratulate the President on his on your election as President of the fifty-sixth General Assembly. We wish to assure His Excellency of the full cooperation of the Liberian delegation. May I also take this opportunity to acknowledge the outgoing President, Mr. Harri Holkeri of Finland, for the very able manner in which he conducted the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly. By the same token, I would like to congratulate our distinguished Secretary-General, Mr.”

    2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)