OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Address by

H.E. Mr. IAIA DJALO

MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND

THE COMMUNITIES

Allow me first to warmly congratulate you for your election to the Presidency of this General Assembly and to reiterate the confidence we have in your capacity to steer the works of the present session.

The Delegation of Guinea-Bissau, which I have the privilege to lead, assures you of its full cooperation

Our congratulations are extensive to your predecessor, Mr. Theo Ben Gurirab, who fulfilled his mandate in a constructive way having thus, provided Assembly with an important contribution.

We also wish to express our trust and appreciation to Secretary-General Kofi Annan for the important steps, undertaken under his initiative, in the direction of a substantive reform of the United Nations and to the reinforcement of its international credibility.

The universal scope of the United Nations gains in significance whenever new Member States are admitted. We wish to refer to Tuvalu, that by joining the U.N. affirms, vis-a the international community, the responsibility of full exercise of its sovereignty and reinforces the representativity of this world forum.

Excellencies, in this third Millennium, with the eyes facing a new century, mankind wades through a historic period from which new and meaningful events point out to new hopes in the universal scenario.

This diagnosis, however, encompasses both hopes and skepticism, which demonstrates that the period of transition we live in carries both the factors of integration and desegregation.

If from one part, the end of the bipolarism, that dominated the international relations, diminished the ideological antagonisms This process without precedent also, by undoing old political and strategic balances has promoted democratic impulses, freed in the energy of the States and created latitude for a new international order more in line with our time.

On the other side, the appearance of nationalists aspirations, supported by yearnings for the right to free evolution, had the effect to trigger old conflicts, some of them already forgotten by time. This phenomenon gave origin to an exponential growth of conflict that menace the internal cohesion of States as well as international peace and security.

There was also the legitimate forecast that the international economy would be able to take advantage of the "peace dividend", that would have resulted from the end of arms race. It was expected that those resources would be invested in the poorest countries and, thus, would give a contribution to the acceleration of the global economic growth and development. Our perception, however is that due to the present state of international economic relations, those optimistic expectations were not brought to fruition.

As the international balance of power changed; the relative position that placed different countries in the international, political and economic pecking order also changed. The very nature of the relations among States was also transformed. However, the rules and practices that would structure a new international order are yet to be defined.

Our perception is that this is the main unresolved issue. It calls for the community of nations through our common institutions to put our wills together in order to bring the present transition to a successful end.

In order to do so, it is essential to empower the of collective security as embodied in the United Nations. In particular, we give great importance to the revitalization of the General Assembly and the rationalization of its agenda. We also feel the need to reform the Security Council, so that organ which holds special responsibilities would be capable to fulfill its original mission and be reborn as the main political instrument of action of the United Nations.

Expectations without precedent fall upon the United Nations. We all should strive to give a solution to the present structural and financial crises faced by the organization.

It will be necessary to reactivate its dynamism in a way to implement "The Agenda for Peace" and to make its "Agenda for Development" a reality.

Mr. President,

It is widely known that Guinea-Bissau has just surpassed the most grave crisis experimented the country in its recent history. We are still convalescent from the terrible effects of an absurd and disastrous war.

In addition to irreparable losses in human lives, the Guinean society was deeply traumatized by a conflict that also destroyed the totality of the existed infra-structure.

Guinea-Bissau was made more impoverished and vulnerable. Its reconstruction supported by such fragile foundations will be much difficult because every simple task took the aspect of an urgent priority.

The urgency and the sheer volume of the effort needed to rebuild the country surpasses the meager possibility of a government almost exhausted. In order to succeed, that effort will need to be supplemented by the effective participation of every partner of Guinea-Bissau.

In this new period in which democratic legality was restored, the Guinean people elected its new Government within the framework of a pluralist democracy. The new National Popular Assembly approved a general program of action prepared by the government which defines an strategy for sustainable development aimed to implement the priorities defined in cooperation with the partners of Guinea-Bissau.

The program of action, the project of building a new society and that are required by the evolution of the situation in Guinea-Bissau were defined by a new president of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau who was freely elected by the people. Aware of the sacred responsibility that falls upon his person, President Kumba Yala has engaged himself to uphold the program of action.

As in other occasions, when we have received the timely and precious solidarity given by the international community, we are hopeful that the political, economic and social progress of Guinea-Bissau will be further supported and maintained.

Mr. President,

Amilcar Cabral, the founder of our nation, considered himself and the others Guinean freedom fighters also to be combatants for the noble causes upheld by the United Nations.

Today, after the heroic struggle that lead and the conquest of our independence, and also because of the support received from the international community and the United Nations Guinea-Bissau takes part in the highest world diplomatic fora with serenity and determination in a constant search to improve the heritage we receive from our forebears.

Therefore, acting with responsibility and accordingly with its specificity, Guinea-Bissau has undertaken its own initiatives as well as presented proposals aimed both to the defense of its interests and to contribute for the advancement of the causes of peace and international cooperation.

We recognize that, in a present international situation full of conflicts and contradictions, the United Nations remains, without doubt, the necessary forum for the development of those activities undertaken by our government for the affirmation of the international presence of Guinea-Bissau.

The five African countries of official Portuguese expression (PALOPS) joined by Brazil, Portugal and Timor Lorosae (the latter still being an observer) to form a community of Portuguese speaking countries. This Lusophonic community is characterized by solidarity and tolerance and based upon a community of sentiments of shared perceptions that stem from a melting of cultures that in a particular way expresses the experience of each one of our peoples.

We would like to salute the development of the processes of democratization of Government structures that is occurring in Sao Tome and Principe, Mozambique and Cape Verde, as it happened in Guinea-Bissau. This will allow our Governments to better respond to the legitimate aspirations of our peoples.

We wish to express our solidarity to the Angolan government and people which have experienced the nightmare of almost forty years of war. We support the efforts in search for peace and national reconciliation. We strongly favor the implementation, by the United Nations, of the Lusaka Protocol and the full implementation of the sanctions established by the Security Council.

In our West African sub-region, Guinea-Bissau has tried, and in a certain way has attained, in coinciding its will of integration with a political commitment aimed to the improvement of the relation with the neighboring countries, so to promote the cause of peace.

In this spirit, we recognize that in its essence the conflict of Casamance constitutes an internal issue of Senegal. In being so, we also perceive it negative consequences on the neighboring States.

Our country is ready to work in the search of a just solution to the peaceful resolution of that conflict. We fell however that we are not a part to the problem nor its source of origin.

The constructive actions undertaken by Presidents Kumba Yala of Guinea-Bissau and Maitre Wade of Senegal, with the support of Dr. Yaya Jammeh of the Gambia, allow us to face with optimism the future evolution of that issue.

We deeply deplore the tragedy that befell upon Sierra Leone, a country of our subregion. The increased violence in that country has resulted in a humanitarian disaster. We urge the belligerent factions and the Government of Sierra Leone to cooperate with the international community in order to find a definitive solution to a fratricidal conflict

The situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the region of the Great Lakes continues to represent a source of preoccupation for Guinea-Bissau. It is necessary to summon the political will of the countries of the region to diminish the tension and to continue to search for a just solution.

The Lusaka Agreements are the result of the perseverance of the parties involved and should be implemented in a fast and integral way. They are the necessary frame-work for the resolution of the conflict. The implementation of Security Council resolution 1291, which established MONUC, is the way for peace, we are convinced.

In the Horn of Africa, Guinea-Bissau welcomes the acceptance by Ethiopia and Eritrea of OAU Peace Plan. We encourage both parties to persist in the way of dialog and negotiation and to continue to cooperate with our continental organization.

In the immediate vicinity of our continent, the Middle East Peace Process enters a decisive period. This process should be accelerated and as well the quest for equanimity, in order to allow a durable and just peace that respects the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to an independent state of its own, as well as the right of all states of the region, including Israel, to national independence.

Far from the African continent, Guinea-Bissau continues to pay especial attention to the issue of East Timor. We are linked to that territory by special historic and cultural bonds. So, we follow with attention the administration of the United Nations and the recent set up of a transitional Government. We hope that the process it will culminate with the full independence of Timor Lorosae and with its admission as a full member of the United Nations.

Finally, we believe that the situations created by the establishment of the embargos against certain countries, in which sanctions affect the poorer sectors of the populations and specially women and children, should be dealt with dialogue and negotiation with a view to find a definitive solution.

Mr. President;

In the age of globalization we should not lose sight of the Human Being and its vital needs. If it is legitimate that all parties have the right to expect profit from progress, it is also correct that we should seek for economic growth with social equity.

Mankind faces many challenges. Reaching integral development is without doubt the most important one. Because the lack of development is the main source of the conflicts in crisis that afflict our planet. Therefore, if we wish that globalization will keep its promises, we should learn to work better, and to act together in order to correct its negative effects.

It is urgently necessary to give momentum to the North-South dialogue on the basis of equality, and at the same time, develop a wide network of South-South cooperation with a view to minimize the risks caused by globalization.

That effort must be fully supported by the international community with a view to a true partnership for development. Such partnership, in our view, should enable us to find the modalities of a coherent international action towards sustainable economic growth inscribed in the perspective of true development

The Structural Adjustment Policies adopted by the majority of African countries are, per se, a clear proof of the willingness to improve the management of the national economies.

Nevertheless, in most of the cases, the response of our development partners have not been in line with the sacrifices demanded and the urgency of the problems identified.

From our point of view, it is necessary to identify the mechanisms needed to promote a true SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT having the Human Being as its main reference.

In this context, the collective challenge we face is to put in evidence a dynamic image of the international solidarity, which is translated into effective actions of socialeconomic cooperation in favor of developing countries.

Mr. President,

Our gathering here at the General Assembly of the United Nations presents itself as the best opportunity to correct the distortions which destabilize the global process. We need to muster the determination of all our countries in order to raise the relations among States to the high ground of dignity required by our shared future.

Thank you very much, Mr. President.