YouSaid · the spoken record

Da Silva

lines on the record: 89
first: 1997-09-25
most recent: 2020-08-10
sittings or episodes: 9
sources: un-security-council

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

“This is a unique opportunity for me too express to all present, on behalf of my country, our gratitude for their ongoing support for and solidarity with Guinea-Bissau.”
2020-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8754 (2020) · source
“At the political level, we are relying heavily on technical assistance from the United Nations in the implementation of all the structural reforms that are considered to be vital to political stability in our country. The establishment by His Excellency the President of the Republic of a technical commission for the review of the constitution set in motion the reform process in our country. It is important to recall here that this reform is envisioned by the Conakry Agreement, whose implementation has long been stalled. In closing, I should like to inform the members of the Council that my mission as the Permanent Representative of Guinea-Bissau to the United Nations has reached its conclusion.”
2020-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8754 (2020) · source
“In addition to the operations carried out on the ground by United Nations agencies, I believe that it is important to recall the importance of the Peacebuilding Fund, which has proved to be a very useful instrument in the various areas in which it has been called on to become involved, including in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Since we will be witnessing a reconfiguration of the model of the United Nations institutional presence in Guinea-Bissau, the Government of my country will be monitoring very closely the institutional design of this new presence in order to draw lessons from the past and prevent any dysfunction and, above all, to reap the greatest possible benefit from the United Nations engagement, that is, to increase its effectiveness.”
2020-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8754 (2020) · source
“It is clear that the decade devoted to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is aimed at promoting universal progress and our commitment to achieving sustainable development, will, unfortunately, be strongly impacted. The consequences of the pandemic over the next few years, initially devoted to combating poverty and reducing economic and social inequality, will be even more severe if we cannot count on the support and the assistance of the United Nations as whole and its agencies, in particular the World Health Organization.”
2020-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8754 (2020) · source
“Allow me to commend the commitment of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), our subregional organization, for having, thanks to its effective diplomacy, helped us to overcome major difficulties, putting an end to the political crisis by making the decision to close out the electoral cycle following the second round of the most recent presidential elections. I wish here to express to the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Niger our immense gratitude for the solidarity and the perseverance that ECOWAS has demonstrated under the presidency of His Excellency Mahamadou Issoufou, President of the Republic of the Niger. Like the rest of the world, Guinea-Bissau has not been spared by the global health crisis caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and its economic consequences.”
2020-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8754 (2020) · source
“UNIOGBIS has consistently sought to devise responses to numerous issues, including those relating to young people, women, civilians and military personnel, journalists, facilitators of the political dialogue and actors with opposing interests that needed to be reconciled in the framework of the Conakry Agreement on the Implementation of the Economic Community of West African States Road Map for the Resolution of the Political Crisis in Guinea-Bissau. It is true that the work of UNIOGBIS — which dates back to 1999 — has never been easy. However, we also must acknowledge that it has never lacked perseverance. I should like to take this opportunity, as we near the end of a political cycle, to express our gratitude to UNIOGBIS for its support throughout those years.”
2020-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8754 (2020) · source
“But the foregoing political synthesis also reflects the constructive role of the international community, first and foremost the United Nations, which, through its Office in our country, the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea- Bissau (UNIOGBIS), has engaged, since 1999, together with Guinea-Bissau, in, inter alia, the peace process, the rule of law, support for civil society and electoral assistance.”
2020-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8754 (2020) · source
“On the issue of drug trafficking, like many other countries, the borders of Guinea-Bissau are not exempt from this criminal activity. My country appreciates the role of international cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking, which is a transnational crime that requires the commitment of all relevant actors at the national and international levels. We therefore oppose any attempt by national political actors to politicize the fight against drug trafficking in order to derive political or partisan dividends. The political synthesis that I have just described is undoubtedly an illustration of the internal commitment of the authorities of Guinea-Bissau and the political line that His Excellency Mr. Umaro Sissoco Embaló, President of the Republic, wished to give to his presidency.”
2020-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8754 (2020) · source
“I would like to reiterate the commitment of the Bissau-Guinean authorities to respecting those rights and the principles governing the rule of law. With regard to the alleged military intervention in political life, it should be recalled that, since the general elections of 2014 — six years ago — we have not witnessed any military intervention in national political life. The democratically elected President of the Republic, proclaimed winner of the elections on several occasions by the National Electoral Commission, with the unanimous recognition by the international community of the transparency of the elections, does not need to resort to a military coup to assume his constitutional power with all its prerogatives.”
2020-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8754 (2020) · source
“All of those points, which reflect the evolution of the political situation, are no longer a secret, as they are in the public domain. To that fact, we should add that we are now witnessing a new discourse in Guinean society — one that is based on national reconciliation. The recent past, which was marked by the discourse of hatred and the social and political divide, is over; today we are clearly witnessing a decline in political and social tensions in Guinea-Bissau. The report of the Secretary-General (S/2020/755) refers to the increase in cases of human rights violations in Guinea-Bissau. While there may have been some isolated incidents, as referred to in the report, it is far from being a human rights crisis.”
2020-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8754 (2020) · source
“I welcome the presence and briefings of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Guinea- Bissau and the representative of the Chair of the Guinea-Bissau country-specific configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission. I would like to inform the Council that Guinea- Bissau has a democratically elected President of the Republic who is exercising the full range of his constitutional functions at both the national and international levels. My country has a democratically elected National Assembly that functions normally on the basis of its own rules of procedure and in accordance with the norms of good parliamentary practice. Guinea- Bissau has a legitimate Government whose programme has been adopted by a majority of the deputies sitting in the National Assembly.”
2020-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8754 (2020) · source
“Mr. Da Silva (Guinea-Bissau) (spoke in French): First and foremost, I would like to condemn yesterday’s deadly attack near Niamey and offer my condolences to the families of the victims. I would also like to reiterate my feelings of solidarity with the Niger and France in this difficult situation. I would like to begin by thanking you, Mr. President, for inviting me to take part in this meeting of the Security Council on the political situation in Guinea- Bissau. This meeting, which is being held at a moment when my country is gradually overcoming enormous difficulties that we have been facing for some time, is symbolic for me personally.”
2020-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8754 (2020) · source
“To conclude, allow me to reiterate my country's gratitude for the support it receives from the Security Council as well as from regional and subregional organizations, particularly the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries and the European Union. The meeting rose at 4.50pm.”
2019-09-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8614 (2019) · source
“This operation, known as Operation Navarra, led to the arrest of a dozen suspects, constituting a heavy blow to this criminal network. It would not have been successful without the support of our various partners, to whom I wish to pay tribute. I would also draw the Security Council's attention to the need to strengthen cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking between the Government of Guinea- Bissau and the United Nations Office Against Drugs and Crime, without prejudice to the fulfilment of the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau set out in resolution 2458 (2019). Among other things, that would bolster the capacity of the national institutions involved in this area, which, as the Council is aware, are operating in extremely precarious conditions.”
2019-09-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8614 (2019) · source
“It should be noted that this process initiated by the Government does not enjoy the unanimous approval of political actors or civil society, but we hope that with dialogue, the parties concerned will agree on the process. The current political environment is marked by the seizure on 2 September by the Judicial Police of Guinea-Bissau of an unprecedented quantity of narcotics - approximately two tons of cocaine. That fact once again illustrates the extent to which our territory remains attractive for transnational organized crime networks, due not only to our geographical vulnerability but also to the weakness of our institutions. It is also proof of the determination of the Bissau-Guinean authorities to fight tirelessly against this scourge, which has no other objective than to undermine our integrity as a sovereign State.”
2019-09-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8614 (2019) · source
“I stress the importance of the decisions taken at the most recent summit of the Economic Community of West African States, held in Abuja, to defuse the continuing crisis among national political actors. In a few days, the Government will submit its governance instruments, including its programme and budget, to the National Assembly for assessment and possible approval, which will enable the Government to implement its programme. The Government is resolutely committed to preparing for the presidential elections to be held on 24 November. To that end, in consultation with other electoral institutions, it launched a voter register correction process on 16 August.”
2019-09-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8614 (2019) · source
“Today's Council meeting is being held as Guinea- Bissau is firmly committed to completing the electoral cycle with the holding of presidential elections on 24 November. That election deadline will be an opportunity for the people of Guinea-Bissau to reaffirm the legitimacy of the institutions of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, which was already begun with parliamentary elections held on 10 March, in which 102 new Members of Parliament were elected. Following the elections and under the proposal of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cabo Verde, the majority party in the National People's Assembly, the President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau reappointed Mr. Aristides Gomes as Prime Minister on 22 June. Under the Prime Minister's proposal, a Government was formed on 3 July, comprising 11 women out ofa total of 31 members.”
2019-09-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8614 (2019) · source
“Mr. Da Silva (Guinea-Bissau) (spoke in French): At the outset, I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for inviting me to take part in today's meeting of the Security Council on Guinea-Bissau and to address members on the most recent developments in my country. Allow me to thank Ms. Bintou Keita, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, and Mr. Mauro Vieira, Chair of the Guinea-Bissau configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission. I also welcome the recent appointment of Ms. Rosine Sori-Coulibaly as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Guinea- Bissau and Head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau, whom we wish every success in conducting her mission in this phase of transition for the Office in the country.”
2019-09-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8614 (2019) · source
“It should be recalled that in a context of persistent instability, no other reform will be successful - neither defence and security sector reform, justice sector reform, nor the economic reform necessary to operationalize the Sustainable Development Goals. I take this opportunity to thank all those present for their patience and solidarity and to wish a merry Christmas and a successful New Year to their respective countries, as well as health and well-being to their families.”
2018-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8438 (2018) · source
“The result achieved demonstrates the wisdom of the President of the Republic's decision to not rush the issuance of a new decree to fix the date of the parliamentary elections. After extensive consultations with all political actors, the President of the Republic issued adecree yesterday, 20 December, setting 10 March 2019 as the date to hold the parliamentary elections. The upcoming parliamentary elections are extremely important, but it would be an exaggeration to believe that simply holding free, fair and transparent elections would automatically establish a resilient and stable political order at the institutional level. To that end, allow me to refer to the Conakry Agreement, which calls for political reform that will give our national democratic institutions greater resilience and hinder the re-emergence of political instability.”
2018-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8438 (2018) · source
“However, delays in mobilizing funds from our partners and technical difficulties related to electoral kits and their delivery to Bissau, compounded by the rainy season, made it impossible to meet the deadline initially planned for the electoral census, which could only effectively begin on 19 September, one month later. Given that observation and the difficulties facing the process, the President of the Republic decided not to issue a new decree to set the date of the parliamentary elections in order to give the census a chance to register a large majority of the citizen voters. It should be noted here that, to date, more than 95 per cent of voters have been registered.”
2018-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8438 (2018) · source
“Mr. Da Silva (Guinea-Bissau) (spoke in French): I thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity to participate in this meeting of the Security Council and to address you in my capacity as the Permanent Representative of my country. The members of the Council will recall that in April, at the Extraordinary Summit of the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS), held in Lome, which focused on the situation in Guinea-Bissau, Bissau-Guinean political actors adopted a road map to end the crisis, which persisted despite the Agreement signed in Conakry in October 2016. The road map provided, among other things, for the organization of parliamentary elections on 18 November 2018.”
2018-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8438 (2018) · source
“Most important for us is that fact that now we can build up our central public institutions and, finally, move towards a recovered constitutional order through the re-established political dialogue. I would like to take this opportunity to wish every success to the Special Representative of the Secretary- General in my country, Mr. Jose Viegas Filho. The appointment of a Brazilian national to that post is a renewed source of hope for us. In conclusion, I can assure those present that they have our gratitude. The meeting rose at 4.45 pm.”
2018-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8261 (2018) · source
“Guinea-Bissau needs the support of the Council to conduct universal, participatory, transparent, free and fair elections. In spite of our domestic financial efforts, which have, and will continue, to come from the State budget, the Government will need financial assistance to cover the inherent costs, including sound technical preparation of the elections. In that regard, I would point to the urgency of updating the voter registration rules, especially regarding the registration of new voters, namely, the thousands of young people who have reached voting age since the last elections, in 2014. In the new political framework, we will continue to count on the patience and solidarity of the members of the Council.”
2018-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8261 (2018) · source
“It is not enough to just conduct successful elections to automatically consolidate the institutional stability of our democratic rule of law. To give Council members a more accurate picture of our lengthy institutional crisis, I wish to recall here that over the past 24 years of our pluralistic democracy, Guinea-Bissau has had five legislative elections, suffered a civil war and was shaken by two coups d'etat. The current Prime Minister, Aristides Gomes, is the twentieth person to occupy that post. All that clearly demonstrates that it is not enough to hold successful elections to consolidate democratic institutions. To achieve all the goals enshrined in the Conakry Agreement, the inclusive Government and Parliament will need the participation of the international community - for example, in the area of technical assistance.”
2018-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8261 (2018) · source
“Mr. Da Silva (Guinea-Bissau) (spoke in French): I thank you, Madam President, for inviting me to the Security Council and for giving me the floor. Eighteen months after the signing of the Conakry Agreement, my country finally has a consensual Prime Minister. Since 25 April, Guinea-Bissau now has an inclusive Government. I have the great pleasure of thanking all of the Council members for their patience, efforts and solidarity. I would like to express my gratitude to the Security Council, the Economic Community of West African States and Ambassador Mauro Vieira. Our inclusive Government has the great challenge of preparing the upcoming legislative elections, scheduled for 18 November. The Conakry Agreement also requires that a number of institutional reforms be carried out. Why?”
2018-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8261 (2018) · source
“If we do not have a good season this year because of the lack of rain, we will have even worse results in the future. Let me conclude by saying that we save lives by saving livelihoods. It is very important to protect livelihoods in areas where people live if we want to prevent the situation from becoming worse in the near future.”
2017-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7999 (2017) · source
“FAQ is particularly worried about the collapse in veterinary services, which in turn is increasing the number of high-impact diseases in the area - ovine rinderpest, brucellosis, goat pox and foot-and-mouth disease, to mention but a few that are transmissible to human beings. Unless we take steps to address the conflict now, we will never truly eradicate hunger in Yemen. By way of conclusion, we would like to highlight two main points. First, we all have limited funding and, worse, limited assets. We simply cannot act where we are most needed. Secondly, if we do not address the capacity of those in rural areas, who, more or less, account for 70 per cent of the country's population, there will be no prospects for a better future.”
2017-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7999 (2017) · source
“Crop production last year fell by approximately 40 per cent of what was produced in those areas before the conflict. Because of poor rains, we expect that the harvest will be even lower this year. The prospect for this summer season's production is still very low, owing to the combination of the poor rains and the reduced access to farmlands - as farmers can simply not access their lands. In addition, water scarcity is currently one of the main challenges in Yemen. Moreover, the lack of proper sanitation is leading to an increased risk of disease, not only among human beings but also herds.”
2017-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7999 (2017) · source
“Ofthe 17 million who fall into phases 3 and 4, 7 million - about 40 per cent - are in phase 4, very close to famine. We have also reported that people are already dying of hunger in many of the areas of Abyan, Taiz, Shabwa and Haj jah governorates, which represent three quarters of the 7 million that are bordering on famine. The prospects are not good because, unless they receive food aid immediately or cash, those people will experience famine-like conditions - phase 5. Secondly, I would like to give a broad overview of what is happening in the field. We are seeing ongoing conflict in many important food-producing areas, which makes the movement of food supplies to local markets even more difficult, leading to scarcity and spiralling prices.”
2017-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7999 (2017) · source
“Mr. Da Silva: I am thankful for this opportunity to brief the Security Council on the work of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAQ) on Yemen for the period under review. I will address two specific situations. The first is hunger and the second involves our work in the field with agricultural and livestock issues. With regard to hunger, as was already mentioned, 17 million people are estimated to be severely food insecure in Yemen, according to an assessment in March, an increase of 20 per cent over the previous assessment in June of last year. We believe that the number has greatly increased since the most recent assessment, in March. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification systems categorizes the level of food insecurity into five phases, with phase 5 being famine.”
2017-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7999 (2017) · source
“We welcome the initiative of the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in July in making $5 million available to the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau, which has enabled it to undertake some pre-electoral activities. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate my thanks to the members of the Security Council for their commitment to finding solutions to the situation that Guinea-Bissau finds itself in.”
2013-11-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7070 (2013) · source
“In that context, I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to all our international partners to continue to support Guinea-Bissau in this phase. Guinea-Bissau is currently facing a social crisis of unprecedented proportions owing to the sanctions imposed by our main partners following the break in the constitutional order that was the result of the 12 April coup. We understand those measures, but it should be recalled that the sanctions' effects go beyond political considerations and should rather be looked at from a humanitarian perspective, in regard to which we call on Guinea-Bissau's partner organizations to lift the sanctions in order to minimize the consequences of the crisis that the country is currently undergoing.”
2013-11-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7070 (2013) · source
“In the post-election period, we will very much need the support of the international community, as recommended by the Secretary-General's report of 6 May (S/2013/262), as the challenges we face are numerous and often complex in the our current political, social and economic contributionext. Reform in the defence and security sectors remains at the top of the hierarchy of priorities for our country. However, beyond that imperative, other equally important challenges also lie ahead. They include the fight against drug trafficking, ensuring the effective functioning of the judiciary, creating conditions conducive to the promotion of human rights and building the capacity of the public administration to ensure good governance, so that our country can also aspire to develop in the manner our people so desire.”
2013-11-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7070 (2013) · source
“Given those conditions, and in the spirit of resolution 2048 (2012), the Transitional President issued a decree setting a new date for the general elections - 16 March 2014. Voter registration must therefore begin in the coming days, that is, on 1 December. As the Council is aware, elections in Guinea-Bissau will be but a first step in a process that should naturally begin with the restoration of the constitutional order, with a View to providing our country with legitimate institutions so that, in collaboration with all our partners, it will lead the country to peace and enable it to face the challenges that are before us. We are fully aware of the magnitude, and at times the complexity, of our challenges. But our belief that Guinea-Bissau is a viable country where everyone can live in peace remains unassailable.”
2013-11-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7070 (2013) · source
“Guinea-Bissau duly appreciates the intentions expressed by other bilateral partners to support the electoral process, as that will allow us to achieve the restoration of constitutional order in accordance with the requirements of the international community, in general, and particularly the desire of the people of Guinea-Bissau. I would like to take this opportunity to express the deep gratitude of my country vis-a-Vis a brother country that has made the decision to engage with the people and the authorities of Guinea-Bissau at a particularly time difficult. The Republic of Timor-Leste, a CPLP member State, has taken full responsibility for the entire process of voter registration. This is the second time in the history of our democracy that this process has reached out to the diaspora.”
2013-11-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7070 (2013) · source
“I speak before the Security Council at a time when my country is heading towards the end of the transition period started after the coup d'e'tat of April 2012. Despite efforts by our authorities, the timeline initially established by ECOWAS, and approved by the transitional authorities of my country, could not be met, resulting in the postponement of the general elections that were scheduled for 24 November. In that context, we would like to pay tribute to ECOWAS, whose member States were able to provide a large part of the budget required for the elections at the latest summit held in Dakar, on 25 October. I also wish to express our sincere thanks to People's Republic of China for its invaluable support, as well as to the European Union for its financial contribution to the process.”
2013-11-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7070 (2013) · source
“Jose' Ramos-Horta, for the new impetus he has brought to the transition process in my country. We hope that we will be able to continue to count on his long experience in support of our peacebuilding process. I thank Ambassador Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, Permanent Representative of Brazil and President of Guinea-Bissau configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission; Ambassador Youssoufou Bamba, Permanent Representative of cote d'Ivoire and Chair of the Economic Community of African States (ECOWAS); and Ambassador Antenio Gumende, Permanent Representative of Mozambique and Chair of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP), for their respective commitment to the transition process under way in my country.”
2013-11-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7070 (2013) · source
“Mr. Da Silva (Guinea-Bissau) (spoke in French): Allow me to congratulate you, Sir, on behalf of Guinea- Bissau, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month, as well as to convey to you my sincere wishes for the success of your work. I also wish to extend to the members of the Council our deep gratitude for having devoted particular attention in recent years to the situation in my country. I would like to thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his enlightening report (S/2013/681) of the reality on the ground in my country, which has just been introduced, as well as to thank him for his tireless commitment to the cause of Guinea-Bissau. We pay well-deserved tribute to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Guinea- Bissau, Mr.”
2013-11-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7070 (2013) · source
“We are deeply convinced that our country is now regaining peace and stability for the long term, decreasing crime and better respecting human rights. Today, there are no political prisoners or arbitrary detentions. We have the longest-lasting Government since 1997. We have armed forces and security forces that are beginning to believe in the reform of their sectors. We have a population that believes in a Guinea-Bissau that is being reborn and blossoming. I thank members for their solidarity and for their affection for Guinea-Bissau. We believe in a brilliant future. Together, let us move forward.”
2011-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6569 (2011) · source
“I cannot conclude my statement without expressing thanks to ECOWAS and UNIOGBIS for the work carried out by their special representatives in Guinea-Bissau, Hamet Sidibe and Joseph Mutaboba, respectively, as well as to Ambassador Maria Luiza Viotti, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations and Chair of the Guinea-Bissau configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their outstanding work and their commitment to Guinea-Bissau. We are open to advice and guidance that adds value to the efforts that we are undertaking to help our country emerge from the recurring instability that we have had in the recent past. I know that there may be sceptics among those present here. However, I would invite them to share our relative optimism.”
2011-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6569 (2011) · source
“We expect to hold a donors' conference in that regard by the end of this year With respect to the whole host of defence and security sector reform programmes, it is worth mentioning that, during consultations held in Brussels, our Prime Minister announced that 10 per cent of the overall cost of the reform throughout the years of its implementation, including with regard to the pension fund, would be included in the national budget. The Government's contribution to the pension fund is $4,596,480.”
2011-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6569 (2011) · source
“In the spirit of our national strategic poverty reduction document, the Government is focusing its attention on reforms to the security, defence and justice sectors and the modernization of the State. We are also focusing on putting in place policies to improve access to basic social services and optimize sectors with high potential for growth - such as agriculture, agro-industry, fishing, tourism and mining - as well as other promising sectors when it comes to infrastructure and investment. To do this, in addition to domestic efforts, Guinea-Bissau needs strong support from the international community. We count on such support as we define a comprehensive development policy that takes into account all of these reforms in the context of our second national poverty reduction strategy document over the next five years.”
2011-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6569 (2011) · source
“I could refer to other important measures, although I want to conclude and avoid speaking at length. For example, Parliament has adopted a fiercely debated law banning the practice of female genital mutilation, which represents an important step in respect for human rights. The Government has also adopted and submitted to Parliament a host of laws, including on freedom of the press, social media, the status of journalists and the right of reply. Finally, it is important to highlight the very committed efforts by the Parliament and other national institutions in the process of national reconciliation - with regard to the army, the security forces and Guinea-Bissau's diaspora- in particular the meetings held in Dakar and Lisbon for our nationals living in Africa and Europe.”
2011-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6569 (2011) · source
“With an economic growth rate in Guinea-Bissau of 3.5 per cent in 2010, the IMF and the Government predict an increase to 4.3 per cent for this year. That is thanks to the increase in the production of and sale price of cashew nuts, as well as the reconstruction of infrastructure. The immediate goals are to raise growth to 4.5 per cent by the end of the programme, decrease annual inflation and maintain the budgetary deficit consistent with available financing. My Government has also established a business training centre in order to create an environment conducive to fostering and improving economic activity. Preparations are also under way to conclude the electoral cycle, in particular with Parliament's adoption of a draft law for municipalities that gives added value to the process of decentralization.”
2011-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6569 (2011) · source
“This approach aims to improve the administrative management of human resources in the army and to ensure transparency of the payroll. All these reform efforts are in the context of the IMF's latest assessment that the role played by the Government in the framework of the three-year agreement under the Extended Credit Facility had been satisfactory. Having reached the completion point of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, and given the successful outcome of the Paris Club meeting, which forgave 90 per cent of the external debt of Guinea-Bissau - a step later followed by Brazil, Portugal and Angola - we can affirm that there is new momentum in the pace of economic reform. The Government is now establishing measures to increase revenue and improve the management of public finances and structural reforms.”
2011-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6569 (2011) · source
“Reform is under way in the public administration with the establishment of a single payroll, which is something new that makes it possible to monitor the State's salary spending, as well as the setting up of a database and an integrated human resources management centre for the civil service. This system followed a biometric census of civil servants, which revealed the existence of about 4,000 bogus civil servants. That enabled the State to reduce current spending by 12 per cent. Only the armed forces are currently not part of the payroll. However, following a meeting in May with the latest mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a commitment was undertaken by the Government to begin payments to personnel present beginning in July, followed by the integration of army staff under a single payroll.”
2011-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6569 (2011) · source
“In the short term, however, the Ministry has already been given a legal decree on the activities of the Government and the armed forces in the productive sector that provides for the establishment of a military production centre with agricultural, agro-industrial, manufacturing, military engineering and sanitation units, aimed at maximizing the enormous potential of the resources made available to the army by the Government. In addition, early this month we put in place a new mechanism for distributing supplies to the army that aims at improving the quality of services and access to resources. Before I conclude, allow me to report on other important progress in the area of consolidating the rule of law and improving the macroeconomic business environment in our country.”
2011-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6569 (2011) · source
“I would like to take this opportunity to express my Government's desire that the international community consider holding the high-level meeting on the priority reform programmes that was postponed indefinitely owing to the events of 1 April 2010. With respect to the staff of a reconfigured army- whose number should not exceed 4,000 and who must undergo training and certification similar to that now being provided to the police forces - only 30 per cent will be permanent. The others will form the army's non-permanent ranks. The reform for this sector accordingly provides a broad range of projects for these men.”
2011-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6569 (2011) · source
“Those between 40 and 59 years of age will therefore gradually be prepared for retirement, while those between 18 and 49 years will receive training to enable them to reach higher ranks in the army. At the same time, measures for redeployment are planned for general and higher officers for posts such as ambassadors, defence attaches, military advisers and international civil servants, based on the level of each. Given that the pension amounts they are to receive may not encourage them to retire, it will be crucial to set up a reintegration programme for volunteers and those who depart early. This could be done by first using funds already available under the road map and the Peacebuilding Priority Plan.”
2011-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6569 (2011) · source