MAURITIUS
STATEMENT BY
H.E. Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH, Prime Minister
13 SEPTEMBER 2002, NEW YORK
Mr. President,
It
gives me immense pleasure to address the Fifty-Seventh Session of the United
Nations General Assembly under your able leadership. Allow me, on behalf of my delegation, to extend to you our wholehearted
congratulations on your election as the President of the present session of
the General Assembly. I wish to assure you of the support and cooperation of
my delegation throughout your tenure of office.
I also wish to
convey my thanks to H.E. Dr. Han Seung Soo of the Republic of Korea for the
remarkable manner in which he conducted the work of the Fifty-Sixth Session
of the General Assembly. H.E. Mr. Kofi
Annan, the United Nations Secretary-General also deserves our gratitude for
his inspiring and commendable initiatives in furthering the objects of our organization.
Mr. President,
We are happy that the Swiss Confederation and East Timor have joined the United Nations as the newest members of the UN family. East Timor stands out as a shining accomplishment of the United Nations system to uphold the right to independence of a nation in adverse conditions.
Mr. President,
The terrorist atrocities of September
11 will never fade from our collective consciousness and the agony and the pain
of the day are still with us. The sophisticated infrastructure of the terrorist
organizations that was utilized to inflict that monstrosity must be dismantled
at any costs. We owe it to ourselves
and to the generations that will come after us that we should mobilize all our
energies and efforts to never let that happen again anywhere.
Mauritius is committed
to remain fully engaged in the global coalition against terrorism and we shall
continue to work together with other states to take all measures, nationally,
regionally and internationally, so that the scourge of terrorism is never visited
upon unsuspecting civilians and countries. We are alive to the chilling reality that no
country is or ever will be safe until the war against terrorism is finally and
completely won.
We condemn cross border infiltration
which must stop and must be made to
stop.
Mr. President,
The threats posed
by international terrorism have heightened the need for collective action to
preserve world peace and security. While
we combine our efforts to wage a war on terrorism, we should, at the same time,
continue to work towards global disarmament and a complete elimination of weapons
of mass destruction within a specified time-frame. My delegation reiterates its appeal for the
early convening of a conference on nuclear disarmament.
Mr. President,
The term of Mauritius as an elected non-permanent of the Security
Council will end in December this year. During its tenure on the Council, Mauritius was instrumental in
the establishment of an ad hoc working group on conflict prevention and resolution
in Africa. It has made positive and constructive recommendations which have
been endorsed by the Security Council.
Mr. President,
In contrast to
previous years when the General Assembly listened to a litany of horror stories
out of Africa, I am happy to note that there are substantial and positive developments
taking place on the continent. There
is a new dawn in Africa and the stark realization that, without enduring peace
and stability there will be no sustainable development.
We congratulate
the African leaders who have spared no efforts in the search for African solutions
to the African conflicts and crises. The Pretoria Agreement between Presidents
Kabila and Kagame represents a major breakthrough for the peace process in the
Great Lakes region . We are aware that the implementation will be difficult.
We are, however, confident that the international community will provide all
necessary assistance to the leaders in the region for a smooth implementation.
With the positive
developments in Angola, the successful general elections in Sierra Leone, the
settlement of the boundary problem between Eritrea and Ethiopia, the progress
made in the implementation of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement
with regard to Burundi, are clear signals that some of the major conflicts in
Africa are being successfully resolved.
As Africa embarks
on the road of peace, we wish to underscore the crucial role played by IGAD,
ECOWAS and SADC in their relentless search for negotiated settlement of the
conflicts in our respective sub-regions. There
is cause for optimism and it is gratifying that the days of doom and gloom for
Africa are on their way to extinction.
Our region, the
Indian Ocean, which has witnessed some turbulent times recently, is again poised
for stability and development. We applaud
the return to constitutional rule in the Comoros and the consolidation of democratic
Institutions in the country. We also welcome the formation of a government
of national reconciliation in Madagascar and the efforts underway to undo the
damage of the recent crisis there. Mauritius
will be closely associated with the countries of our region to further enhance
regional cooperation.
Mr. President,
The launching of the African
Union in Durban, South Africa, on 9th July this year was indeed a
historic and emotionally charged occasion. The birth of the African Union heralds
a new era of political, economic and social transformation for our continent.
The Continent is more than ever determined to shape its destiny, to tackle
comprehensively the burning problems of poverty, hunger, disease and underdevelopment
that have debilitated millions of Africans over the years.
The African Union has raised expectations which we as Leaders are committed
to honour. The African Union will be
able to respond in a positive manner to the challenges confronting it as well
as maximizing the opportunities for the improvement of the lives of peoples
of the continent. In this context the decision of African countries to take
responsibility for peacekeeping on the continent needs to be encouraged.
Since the burden of peacekeeping has to be equitably
shared, I am pleased to announce that Mauritius will contribute to the
United Nations Civilian Police for post-conflict peacekeeping operations.
Mr. President,
Along with the launching of
the African Union, the African homegrown New Partnership for Africa’s Development
(NEPAD) is another chapter in the unfolding of the success story of the African
Continent. NEPAD commits Africa to
building a strong and enduring culture of democracy, respect for human rights
and accountability for the continent.
Indeed, the African Peer Review
Mechanism is a credible mechanism to promote the prospects of internationally
recognized norms and standards of good governance.
Mr. President,
The establishment of the International Criminal Court marks a watershed
in the quest of mankind to put an end to impunity and bring those responsible
for crimes against humanity, genocide and international crimes to justice. The ICC is the single most important institution
of this millennium and it is the duty of the international community to fully
support it.
Mr. President,
In May this year during the
Special Session on Children, Mauritius had the opportunity to join the international
efforts to pave the way for an effective protection for every child in every
part of the world. The children who addressed the gathering uttered words of
great significance which no one can or should ever forget. The future is theirs and it is for them that
we ought to ensure the sustainable development of our one and only planet. My country will ensure that the principles,
goals and actions discussed at the Summit are integrated in our various child
welfare programmes.
Mr. President,
The
Middle East is still not at peace. The
death toll rises every day but we are encouraged by the signals being sent both
by the Israelis and the Palestinian leadership. Our vision of the Middle East
is to see the early establishment of a Palestinian State living side by side
with Israel on the basis of agreed and secure boundaries. The Palestinians also need to have state machinery
which observes the fundamental norms of a democratic system, with responsibility
and accountability on the part of the leaders. They alone have the absolute right to elect
their leaders when elections are held on 20 January 2003.
We appeal
to the Iraqi authorities to comply fully and unconditionally with the Security
Council Resolutions with respect to allowing the arms inspectors to fulfill
their mandate.
Mr. President,
Small Island Developing
States are a particularly vulnerable group of countries by virtue of their inherent
natural and structural constraints. The World Bank, the Commonwealth, the UN Conference on Financing
for Development in Monterrey, Mexico as well as the World Summit on Sustainable
Development held recently in Johannesburg, South Africa have all recognized
that these constraints, if not addressed effectively, could undermine the trade
and development prospects of these countries leading to their further marginalisation.
We look forward to specific and concrete recommendations for action in
this regard at the Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference scheduled for September
next year in Mexico.
The World Summit
on Sustainable Development addressed the fundamental question of the kind of
world we want for ourselves and for generations that are yet unborn. The recent devastating floods in Europe and
Asia as well as the droughts in many parts of Africa, particularly Southern
Africa, where there are more than thirteen (13) million people in danger of
famine, are a stark reminder of the fragility of the ecosystem of our planet.
The WSSD has made the whole world become conscious of the havoc which
nature can cause unless drastic measures are taken immediately to redress the
ecological imbalance.
Monsieur Le Président,
Le neuvième
Sommet de la Francophonie, que le Liban accueillera le mois prochain et qui
se tiendra sous le theme du “dialogue des cultures” permettra sans nul
doute à la communauté francophone de favoriser le partage entre différentes
cultures dans le but de maintenir la paix, la sécurité et la démocratie.
Mr. President,
Mauritius
reiterates its legitimate sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago including
the Island of Diego Garcia which was detached by the United Kingdom from the
territory of Mauritius prior to our independence. We renew our call to the former colonial power, the United Kingdom,
to accelerate discussions with us for an early settlement of this issue.
The persons
of Mauritian origin who were displaced from the Chagos Archipelago continue
to claim redress for the serious human rights violations they endured.
We support their efforts to seek redress.
We also
call on the French Government to work towards the resolution of the Tromelin
Island over which Mauritius has sovereignty.
Mr. President,
In conclusion,
Mauritius reiterates its conviction that the United Nations system remains the
best guarantee for international peace and security. The framework within which the United Nations
organizes the collective security of states may not be perfect but it is at
least one that is tested and has served us relatively well for more than fifty
years. Working on the basis of the neutrality
of rules and principles is far preferable to the haphazardness of expediency.
We also should not be unmindful of the linkages which exist between different
situations and this is why we urge that the international community should observe
the principle of equality of treatment in all cases.
I thank
you for your attention.