YouSaid · the spoken record

Isselkou Ould Ahmed Izid Bih

lines on the record: 27
first: 2016-09-24
most recent: 2017-09-24
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

““There is no doubt that the establishment of justice and the spreading of a culture of peace and tolerance among people and the renouncing of terrorism, extremism and violence would encourage and help establish peace and security and realize sustainable development in the world. “The Islamic Republic of Mauritania calls upon all Member States to work together for a world that enjoys multilateralism and respects the principles of the United Nations with a view to establishing peace, stability and security in which people live peacefully together.””
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“for our efforts in that regard, as one of the few African countries using renewable energy sources, “Mauritania hosts the headquarters of the Great Green Wall, an ambitious project over 7,000 kilometres long and 15 kilometres wide, connecting the Atlantic coast of West Africa to the Red Sea in the East, benefiting 11 countries of the region. We also welcomed the historic 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change and hope that all parties will uphold their commitments. “The reform of the United Nations and the adaptation of its bodies to deal with new challenges — particularly the Security Council, which is responsible for international peace and security — have become an urgent necessity. We support every effort in that regard.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“With regard to Libya, we call upon all parties concerned to redouble their efforts to stand up to armed groups and restore stability and security to that country. We also urge all parties concerned to make every effort to reach a settlement to the Syrian crisis. “Climate change is a great challenge facing us all in terms of sustainable development, particularly in the Sahel and Sahara area. We have experienced the phenomenon of the migration of sand dunes, which has destroyed huge agricultural areas and grazing lands. We have prepared appropriate policies to deal with that problem and have invested in the use of renewable sources of energy. We have been commended.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We have also participated positively in solving the crisis in The Gambia, and we strive continuously to assist other countries in overcoming their crises. We presided over the League of Arab States in 2016, organizing the summit meeting in Nouakchott for the first time. “With regard to the Palestinian cause, Mauritania calls upon the Assembly to work for the establishment of an independent Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative, the Madrid principles and other relevant international resolutions. “We also call for the settlement of the crisis in Yemen by supporting the legitimacy represented by President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, and we welcome every effort by the United Nations in that crisis.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“This has allowed Mauritania to rank high among 26 African countries in this field, according to a study prepared by the International Monetary Fund. “In view of our important strategic position, we have striven to follow an economic investment policy that guarantees the rights of the investor, with a view to attracting foreign investment. We were awarded 16 points in Doing Business, prepared by the World Bank for 2016-2017, and are among the five countries in the world experiencing the highest rate of improvement. “Crowning the credibility of the country at the regional and continental level has been our chairing of the African Union (AU), following our chairing the AU Peace and Security Council. During our mandates we have striven to participate in reaching peaceful solutions to the crises in Côte d’Ivoire, Libya, Mali and Burundi.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Mauritanian women have acquired great importance in the country and have been the subject of several initiatives to enable them to be present in all sectors and compete freely in fields that were previously monopolized by men, as well as participate adequately in political and social life. We have worked to enable Mauritanian women to join regional and international organizations by proposing their candidatures, and we have had considerable success in becoming a member of certain important United Nations committees. “With a view to establishing justice and equality for all people, we have introduced major reforms in our legal codes to guarantee the independence of the judiciary, to fight corruption and bribery and to promote transparency.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“In accordance with the relevant documents of the United Nations, we established a social security agency that deals with the issue and assists all those who have suffered from it across the country. “We have also resolved the issues that Mauritanian refugees face regarding repatriation and marginalization, making it possible for them to have a decent life and reintegrate into society, as well as providing them with them employment opportunities and enjoyment of their rights. “The large majority of the countries participating in the Universal Periodic Review of human rights have commended Mauritania and its policies.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We host the secretariat of this regional organization, where together we coordinate our actions in the areas of security and development. The organization has set out many joint programmes and projects that have gained great interest from our international partners. The five members of the Group have also established a Joint Force and have coordinated their military and security operations with the headquarters located in Mali. “The issue of human rights holds great importance in our national policy. Since 2012, slavery has been criminalized, and our legal codes have been strengthened to deal with the vestiges of slavery throughout the country. We have also set out a road map that includes 29 recommendations on fighting terrorism.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
““Our efforts have helped us achieve a high standing in the ranking by Australia’s Institute for Economics and Peace, and we have succeeded in fighting drug-trafficking, being, on a list of 12 States prepared by the United States State Department, the only one that has succeeded in dealing with the issue. We have also succeeded in dealing with illegal migration. According to the statistics of the International Organization on Migration, we reduced the number of illegal migrants from 36,000 in 2006 to zero in 2014. We have hosted more than 60,000 refugees so far and have been commended for our efforts in that regard. “Mauritania has played a leading role in the establishment of the Group of Five for the Sahel, which also includes Mali, the Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We have also promoted good governance and comprehensive dialogue with the opposition, civil society and independent persons, and since September and October 2016 we have succeeded in further establishing our democracy, the rule of law and the organization of public resources. “Our region faces grave dangers in terms of climate change, terrorism, organized crime, drugs, illegal weapons and illegal migration. Mauritania has improved its legal framework in accordance with international rights and standards, established 14 agreements and protocols relating to terrorism, and created an open dialogue with Salafists and religious extremists in order to rehabilitate and reintegrate them into society.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“That has been achieved by adopting a policy of sustainable development. Reporters Without Borders noted improvement over three successive years of continuous progress at the Arab and regional levels. We have also established a policy of dialogue, while ensuring the freedoms of expression, demonstration and organization, as well as human rights, after the so-called Arab Spring that swept over certain Arab countries. “We have succeeded in establishing a political dialogue with the majority and the opposition since 2011 and introduced substantive legislative and organizational reforms, thereby empowering Mauritanian women and establishing the value of citizenship and goodwill for all.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
““The theme of our session, “Focusing on people: Striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet”, is a appropriate choice in a world witnessing great challenges. In that regard, Mauritania plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of international peace and security in the Sahel and the Sahara regions through a comprehensive approach based on openness, dialogue, professionalism and firmness. Our efforts have been crowned with success against terrorist groups after fierce battles in 2010 and 2011. “In spite of an extremely complex regional situation, experts have noted that Mauritania has succeeded in dealing with terrorism and extremism. We have developed our security and defence capabilities in record time, with due attention to individual and collective rights and with extreme care for the least fortunate of society.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“It gives me pleasure to read out the statement of His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Azia, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, on the occasion of the convening of the seventy-second session of the General Assembly. “First, I would like to express our sincere congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Miroslav Lajčák and to his friendly country, Slovakia, on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session. I would also like to express my deep appreciation for Mr. Peter Thompson and his valuable efforts during his presidency of the seventy-first session. I would also like to greatly commend the tireless and noble efforts of His Excellency the Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, in leading our Organization and in the service of international peace and security.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Mauritania aspires to the full implementation of an inclusive and ambitious work plan for cities and urban spaces that will flesh out the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Goals and its 169 targets. The modernization of our cities and towns will provide decent living standards for inhabitants and will ensure that social inclusion is tailored to the requirements of each individual and each setting. It is important to ensure that social development planning meets the need for dignity and decent living standards in urban spaces. We hope that Habitat III, to be held in October in Quito, will be a success and fully reflect the aspirations and hopes of our people. Our desire is to be able to achieve a holistic and comprehensive solution that strikes a balance between urban and rural living conditions.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Thanks to our efforts and to the sponsorship of the President of the Republic of Mauritania, we have engaged in a tree-planting programme throughout the country to reverse the process of desertification. Our natural resources have also been included in an effective protection mechanism. Mauritania was chosen to host the Panafrican Agency of the Great Green Wall, an ambitious project of the African Union Commission that covers approximately 7,000 kilometres from west to east, linking the Atlantic coast with the Red Sea, in the fight against environmental degradation. We have also been carefully protecting our fish stocks for future generations. We look favourably on the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and it is our cherished hope that all parties will respect their commitments under it.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Any national legislation that runs counter to international law, particularly as concers the judicial immunity of States, will undermine the efforts by the international community to tackle the aforementioned scourges. Climate change is also a major threat to sustainable development, particularly in the regions of the Sahel and the Sahara. Mauritania, as is the case for many countries in the subregion, must face that problem squarely. Since the desert sands of the Sahara cover much of our country’s surface, environmental issues must necessarily cut across all aspects of our national policies, particularly those relating to economic development, if we are to pursue sustainable development. We have been able to limit the phenomenon of desertification.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We would like to address all the parties to the bloody conflicts in countries such as Yemen, Libya and Syria, our brother Arab nations. We ask them to choose the path of wisdom with the best interests of their people at heart. We live in a global village where it is no longer possible to end conflict by military means, however strong an army might be. The principle of the judicial immunity of States is a cornerstone of our international system, yet terrorism and violent extremism, together with drug trafficking, pose major challenges to international peace, security and order. Hence, States must develop synergies and join forces to tackle those challenges and overcome them together.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“This very well-organized Summit produced some excellent resolutions, and we believe it sent a strong message, received in many countries, to all who seek to hold Arab brotherhood responsible for the propagation of unacceptable messages and for wreaking havoc. We feel that we bear responsibility towards the greater Arab nation. That is why we attach a great deal of importance to the rights of the Palestinian people and their right to enjoy dignity and sovereignty as a State. The Palestines have a right to an independent State with East Jerusalem as its capital. It is our belief that the ongoing violations of human rights in Palestine and in other Arab territories occupied by Israel serve only to increase instability and further provoke the spread of violent extremism and terrorism throughout the world.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We have developed various programmes and initiatives, which have drawn the favourable attention of our international partners. Mauritania warmly welcomed the opportunity to host the latest Arab Summit. Despite the short notice and the complex set of circumstances currently faced by the Arab region, we were nonetheless glad to take on that responsibility. We are convinced that, whatever the differences may be among our countries, each Arab Summit provides a valuable opportunity to bring about reconciliation between our countries and to brainstorm about our present and our future together.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We have deployed contingents in Côte d’Ivoire and the Central African Republic, and the leaders of those missions have all spoken warmly of the professionalism and ethical behaviour of the Mauritanian troops. Furthermore, it gives me pleasure to say that members of the Mauritanian gendarmerie units deployed in the Central African Republic were awarded medals today by the United Nations. Mauritania took the lead in organizing the Group of Five for the Sahel, with Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Mauritania as members, and we are honoured to currently occupy the post of Secretary-General of the Group. It is our responsibility to coordinate the actions of these five countries in matters of security and good governance, while focusing in particular on the needs of the most remote and least populated areas.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“I am sure the Assembly recalls the courageous act of our President himself when he landed in Kidal, Mali, in a helicopter in 2014 during a period when the town was ravaged by conflict. Such a courageous act paved the way to the renewal of direct negotiations between the parties to the conflict. Furthermore, Mauritania is home to more than 60,000 Malian refugees in the Mbera camp in the east of the country. Despite our scarcity of material and human resources as well as of natural resources, and notwithstanding the sensitivity of our geopolitical situation, we have contributed to many peacekeeping operations upon the request of the United Nations.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We have adopted a neutral policy by way of response to the various conflicts in our region and with regard to the conflict in Western Sahara. It has always been our desire to remain neutral and support the efforts of the United Nations to find a permanent solution to the Western Sahara conflict. It is a conflict that is holding back integration and development in our region, and there is an urgent need to solve it. Our credibility on a continental level was reflected during our presidency of the African Union in 2014. We also presided over the African Union Peace and Security Council in 2014, when we led and participated in many intiatives, especially in seeking to resolve the crises in Côte d’Ivoire, Libya, Mali and Burundi, to name but a few places.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Infrastructure, roads, ports, hospitals and universities have undergone major construction programmes, and there have been improvements in electricity production thanks to our use of both traditional and renewable energy resources. We have also increased the number of homes with direct access to safe drinking water, particularly for families that have been living in shanty towns for more than 50 years. Mauritania straddles the Arab Mahgreb world and the Saharan world, with a long Atlantic coastline on one border and the Sahara desert on another. Because of our geographical location, we are a key player in the security and economic panorama of West Africa. It is our desire to create harmony and understanding between the subregions to which we belong — the Mahgreb and sub-Saharan Africa — through a policy of good neighbourliness.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“That has allowed us to undertake profound regulatory and legislative reforms, particularly regarding the empowerment of Mauritanian women and the strengthening of the values of citizenship, respect for others and social harmony. It is our belief that security and development are intrinsically linked, which is why we have adopted a very robust policy to tackle corruption, particularly with regard to public expenditure and procurement. We have also set in motion a series of initiatives to root out corruption in the private sector. That has allowed us to raise the necessary funds to increase our security and also create youth employment opportunities. That rational and judicious policy has led to unprecedented progress and development in many economic sectors.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We have continued to focus our full attention on sustainable development and the needs of those who are most vulnerable within society. According to Reporters Without Borders, Mauritania has been ranked first among all Arab nations in terms of freedom of expression and freedom of the press for three years now. Furthermore, according to a recent United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report, Mauritania is the leading country in the subregion in the UNDP Human Development Index. We have succeeded in guaranteeing and ensuring freedom of expression and the right to protest, demonstrate and assemble, meaning that we escaped unscathed from the so-called Arab Spring, which afflicted so many of our Arab brothers. We have maintained open channels of dialogue between the majority Government and the opposition since the elections in 2011.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Mauritania, under President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, is playing a crucial role in the maintenance of peace and security in the Sahel and Sahara regions through an approach based on openness, dialogue and professionalism. Despite a complex regional backdrop, our efforts have been successful, in particular in the fight against several terrorist groups and organizations, following lengthy struggles throughout 2010 and 2011. Experts agree nonetheless that Mauritania represents an exception in terms of its success in fighting terrorism and extremist violence. Having managed to quash these effectively since 2011, we have also reinforced our security and defence capabilities without undermining individual or collective liberties and freedoms.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It is a great honour for me to begin by congratulating Mr. Peter Thomson on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session. I wish him every success in the noble task that has been conferred upon him. I would like to express our gratitude to Mr. Mogens Lykketoft for all the hard work he undertook during his presidency at the seventieth session of the General Assembly. I also with to take this opportunity to underscore the tireless work undertaken by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the service of peace and security. His skills, leadership and ability to keep a close eye on the major problems facing our planet and to react accordingly have enabled us to foster a spirit of tolerance, mutual understanding and cooperation at the international level.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)