Secretary-General's press conference before departing Gabon

I want to begin by thanking President Ali Bongo Ondimba, his government, and the people of Gabon, for your generous hospitality. I have had an extremely rewarding visit to Gabon.

I am here just a few weeks before you celebrate 50 years of independence. Let me congratulate you in advance on what you have achieved.

This is my third trip to Africa in the past six weeks. Everywhere I have been, I have sensed new progress, optimism and hope.

Gabon was an obvious destination for me. As a beacon of stability in the sub-region and a long-standing African peacemaker, Gabon leads by example and is now serving a crucial global role at the United Nations as a member of the Security Council.

In September, I will convene a summit meeting of the Millennium Development Goals –the targets agreed by world leaders to reduce poverty and hunger and improve health and education for millions of the world's poorest people, by 2015.

Gabon, like many countries, has made good progress and is on track to meet most of the goals. But progress is uneven and there is a lot more to do, especially on maternal and child health.

Healthy mothers mean a healthy society, and no society can look forward when children are weak and endangered.

I have come to Africa to spread this message and to see what is being achieved.

This afternoon, I visited the child protection centre at Angondjé. The community and the government are working with the United Nations and other international partners. The results are truly impressive, and very moving.

We must build on successes like these.

I know development issues will feature prominently in the upcoming African Union Summit meeting in Kampala. A strong message of support for the MDGs and the September Summit in New York will send an important and timely signal to the world.

Ladies and gentlemen of the media.

I have held productive meetings today, first with President Bongo. I welcomed progress on fighting corruption, helping industry and protecting the environment. I urged the Government to continue to maintain constructive relations with the opposition in the run-up to next year's elections. .

We discussed the situation in the Central African Republic, where Gabon is facilitating the peace process. I encouraged Gabon's further engagement with the UN, in particular, over the border dispute with Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon's contribution to the UN's peacekeeping.

I also just met with Gabon's political parties and civil society organizations. I also called on them to maintain a political dialogue, and to resolve differences in a peaceful and responsible way, in the run-up to next year's vote.

Inclusive, free, fair and transparent elections are in everyone's interests.

Elections are just one part of the democratic process. There can be no democracy without good governance and respect for the rule of law.

I urge Gabon to continue on the path of reform and social development.

The United Nations is your unwavering partner, working with the Government and people of Gabon for the Millennium Development Goals? for democracy and human rights? and to protect your beautiful natural environment.

Thank you. I am now ready to take your questions.

DÉCLARATION DU SECRÉTAIRE GÉNÉRAL À LA PRESSE

Libreville, le 1er juillet 2010

Mesdames et Messieurs, bonjour.

Tout d'abord, je tiens à remercier le Président Ali Bongo Ondimba, son gouvernement et la population gabonaise de leur chaleureux accueil. Ma visite au Gabon a été extrêmement fructueuse.

Dans quelques semaines à peine, vous célébrerez le cinquantième anniversaire de l'indépendance de votre pays.

Je vous adresse, par avance, toutes mes félicitations pour ce que vous avez accompli.

C'est la troisième fois en six semaines que je me rends en Afrique.

Partout où je suis allé, j'ai perçu une nouvelle vague de progrès, d'optimisme et d'espoir.

Ce voyage au Gabon s'est imposé à moi comme une évidence. Modèle de stabilité dans la sous-région et pacificateur de longue date en Afrique, le Gabon montre l'exemple et joue aujourd'hui un rôle essentiel à l'échelle mondiale en siégeant au Conseil de sécurité de l'ONU.

En septembre, j'organise une réunion au sommet sur les objectifs du Millénaire pour le développement –les objectifs fixés par les dirigeants politiques du monde entier pour réduire la pauvreté et la faim et faire progresser la santé et l'éducation, d'ici à 2015, pour les millions de personnes les plus défavorisées de la planète.

Le Gabon, comme de nombreux autres pays, a beaucoup progressé sur cette voie et est en passe d'atteindre la plupart de ces objectifs. Toutefois, ses progrès sont inégaux et il reste beaucoup à faire, en particulier dans le domaine de la santé maternelle et infantile.

Qui dit mères en bonne santé dit société en bonne santé, et aucune société ne peut se projeter dans l'avenir quand ses enfants sont faibles et en danger.

Je suis venu en Afrique pour diffuser ce message et pour voir ce qui est fait.

Cet après-midi, j'ai visité le centre de protection des enfants à Angondjé. La population et les pouvoirs publics travaillent ensemble avec les organismes des Nations Unies et d'autres partenaires internationaux. Les résultats sont vraiment impressionnants et très émouvants.

Nous devons nous inspirer de succès comme celui-ci.

Je sais que les questions de développement seront au c?ur des discussions du prochain sommet de l'Union africaine qui se tiendra à Kampala. Il est important et urgent de bien montrer au monde que nous soutenons sans réserve les objectifs du Millénaire pour le développement et le sommet de septembre à New York.

Mesdames et Messieurs,

J'ai eu des entretiens constructifs aujourd'hui. Avec le Président Bongo, j'ai salué les progrès faits en matière de lutte contre la corruption, pour assister les entreprises et aussi pour préserver l'environnement. J'ai demandé au Gouvernement de continuer à maintenir ses relations avec l'opposition alors que se prépare des élections l'année prochaine.

Nous avons discuté de la situation en République centrafricaine, ou le Gabon facilite le processus de paix. J'ai de plus encouragé le Gabon à maintenir son engagement avec les Nations Unies, en particulier sur la question du différend frontalier avec la Guinée équatoriale, ainsi qu'en ce qui concerne sa contribution au maintien de la paix.

Je viens également de rencontrer des représentants de partis politiques et d'organisations de la société civile du Gabon. À l'approche des élections législatives qui doivent avoir lieu l'année prochaine, je les ai engagés à avoir des échanges politiques constructifs et à surmonter leurs divergences de manière pacifique et responsable.

Il est dans l'intérêt de tous que ces élections soient libres, régulières et transparentes, et qu'elles n'excluent personne. Les élections ne constituent qu'un maillon du processus démocratique. Il ne peut y avoir de démocratie sans une bonne gestion des affaires publiques et sans respect de l'état de droit.

J'invite instamment le Gabon à poursuivre sur la voie des réformes et du développement social.

Partenaire indéfectible du Gabon, l'Organisation des Nations Unies ?uvre aux côtés du Gouvernement et du peuple gabonais au service des objectifs du Millénaire pour le développement, de la démocratie et des droits de l'homme, et de la protection de votre magnifique milieu naturel.

Je vous remercie. Je vous invite à présent à poser vos questions.

Q: [translated from French] You said in your speech that the Millennium Development Goals were within Gabon's reach. You also stressed the political will needed to achieve these Goals. Is it your impression that Gabon has the will needed to achieve the MDGs?

SG: Allow me to answer in English. As the Secretary-General of the United Nations, I am committed and interested in realizing the Millennium Development Goals for all the countries in the world by 2015. Unfortunately, as of now, the score card is uneven, depending on regions and countries. Mostly, it is the case in Africa. Now, with regard to Gabon, Gabon has good prospects to realize some of the pillars of the MDGs. Gabon has made some progress in maternal health and child health, education, abject poverty, hunger issues. But there is still more to do. It is not only Gabon; most of the African countries have to do much more, much more. I have asked President Bongo two things. While I command the progress in maternal and child health, when he goes to the African Union Summit meeting in July in Kampala, all African leaders must come out with [...] one voice and come to the United Nations Summit meeting so that they represent their views in a collective manner. This message has been conveyed to most of the African leaders whenever, whenever I met African leaders -- yesterday in the DRC and a few days ago in South Africa, on the occasion of the World Cup, and during my bilateral visits to Africa. Believing that Africa's challenge is the most important priority challenge, I have now visited Africa three times in a month. If industrialized countries deliver on what they have promised, and if developing countries place [the] highest political priority on good governance, I think MDGs can be achievable.

Q: [translate from French] Recently at the France-Africa Summit, Africans asked unanimously for one or even two permanent seats at the Security Council. Is this achievable or does Africa still have to wait? Second question: you have talked about the dispute with Equatorial Guinea. The UN is the referee in that and I was wondering if you could tell me where the situation is at.

SG: First, on the question of Security Council reform, I am aware of the strong aspirations of African countries to be properly represented at the Security Council. The question of a Security Council reform is now being discussed and negotiated at the United Nations among the Member States. For the first time, they are now negotiating on the basis of a text on the reform. I sincerely hope that African leaders will closely coordinate with other Member States so that these Security Council reform measures can be adopted by the Members States of the United Nations as soon as possible.

On the United Nations' mediation on [the] Gabon-Equatorial Guinea relationship, I have discussed [this] in depth with President Bongo as well as with the President of the Constitutional Court, who is the head of the mediation team for Gabon. The mediation process has made much progress and I sincerely hope that, with my Special Adviser on this issue, both parties can find good points of agreement so that this long-standing issue can be resolved with the help of the International Court of Justice. We agreed to continue our consultation on the matter. Thank you.

Q: [translated from French] We know that the world is threatened by climate change. Some countries, including in Africa, like Gabon, are making big efforts to protect the environment, and especially forests. [inaudible] What are you doing to make progress in this area?

SG: Climate change is the most important priority issue for the international community at this time. After the Copenhagen [Conference], we have seen increasing support on the Copenhagen Accord: more than 130 have associated [themselves] or supported the document. As we are preparing for another meeting in Cancun, Mexico, in late November and [early] December, I have been intensifying my involvement with world leaders so that we can make good progress and build upon the Copenhagen Accord in Cancun. I have established a High-Level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing, whose co-chair is Prime Minister Meles of Ethiopia and Prime Minister Stoltenberg of Norway. They are working very hard with the world high senior officials [on] how to provide 100 billion dollars a year for developing countries for their mitigation and adaptation activities. They are also working very hard to provide, for the time being until 2012, 10 billion dollars each year -- that means 30 billion dollars until 2012 for developing countries. I am also going to establish a High-Level Panel on global sustainability to address climate change issues in a broader and comprehensive manner, [...] as part of global sustainable economic development.

Q: [translated from French] How do you explain the little interest of the UN concerning the situation in Somalia?

SG: As you know, the United Nations, and I as Secretary-General, have been exhorting all possible efforts on the Somali situation. In April last year and May this year, I have convened an international conference - a high level conference - on Somalia, mobilizing necessary financial support and generating political support for the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia. At the same time, we have been mobilizing all possible efforts to eradicate piracy off [the coasts] of Somalia. I appreciate the Governments of Kenya, Tanzania and Seychelles [...] who took care of arrested pirates and their judicial treatment. First and foremost, we must ensure peace and security on the ground in Somalia. We have to strengthen the national capacities of Somalia, national forces and their national police. We have to provide socio-economic assistance so that [...] young people will have jobs and have something to do rather than [...] engaging in piracy. Recently, I appointed a Special Representative -a very distinguished and experienced diplomat- as a new leader there. Thank you.