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| President Adama Barrow at his first UN General Assembly |
STATEMENT
BY
HIS
EXCELLENCY ADAMA BARROW
THE
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA
AT THE 72ND SESSION
OF
THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
NEW
YORK
19TH
SEPTEMBER 2017
Mr. President,
Mr.
Secretary General,
Your
Majesties,
Your
Excellencies – Heads of State and Government,
Distinguished
Ladies and Gentlemen,
With warm greetings to you all from the
New Gambia, we thank the Almighty God for making this great gathering of global
leaders possible once again this year.
Allow me to formally congratulate the President of the General Assembly and
the Secretary General of our organization for their leadership and commitment
to the values of the United Nations.
After more than seventy years of
existence, the United Nations undoubtedly remains the ultimate international platform for finding solutions to global
challenges, as we in The Gambia know all too well. Today, being my maiden appearance at this
great forum of world leaders, let me take this opportunity to re-affirm The
Gambia’s firm commitment to the Charter of the United Nations. My Government fully appreciates the UN’s
central role in the pursuit of preventive diplomacy to avert crises around the world.
Mr.
President, The recent political crisis that took
place in my country created a new democratic beginning and the experience taught
us useful lessons that Gambians will not easily forget. We learnt that will power and national unity,
decisive regional intervention as well as undivided and clear support of the
international community could produce positive outcomes. Also of importance,
was the coordinated international action inspired by our common values of
solidarity, democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law which was
critical in sending the right message to the former President to respect the
will of the people and leave without bloodshed.
During those difficult times, we knew we
had friends, ones who came to our aid and who have since kept faith with
us. We therefore would like to seize
this great opportunity to thank the leaders of ECOWAS for their timely and firm
intervention in bringing peace to The Gambia.
We also thank all our regional and international friends who stood by us
in our critical hour of need. Thanks to
your collective efforts, The Gambia is now on a solid path to peace and good
governance and ready to take over our traditional role among the champions of
human rights and democracy. Gambians
have made an irreversible choice to close a dark chapter in our history and today,
our national agenda is one of reform and transformation.
Like any restored democracy, we are facing
enormous challenges in the revival of our economy, a comprehensive reform of our laws, our administrative and judicial institutions. The modernization of our security sector, consolidation of the rule
of law and human rights are
part of our reform programme. It is only by overcoming these challenges
that we can reinforce our democratic gains and my Government is committed to
delivering a New Gambia that is fit for our children to be proud of.
Indeed, young people were all along at the
forefront of our democratic transition and addressing youth unemployment, which
is a top priority of my government, will no doubt create enormous opportunities.
Mr.
President, We also recognize the crucial role of
Gambians in the Diaspora in contributing to the transformation of our
motherland. Let me seize this
opportunity to sincerely thank our development partners and friends for the
invaluable budget and policy support they are providing to the Government to
help address the challenges of job creation and youth irregular migration. My Government is committed to using such
resources wisely for sustainable socio-economic development.
Mr.
President, We may be a small country but one with
huge needs. As a matter of urgent
priority, we have developed a New National Development Plan in line with the
transformative agenda of the new Government.
This development blueprint is designed to put
the country back on track to economic growth and prosperity following two decades
of mismanagement, corruption and widespread human rights violations. This new plan is built on sound macro-economic
and fiscal policies that will lead to stability and economic growth over the
medium and long term. It has also
incorporated the Sustainable Development Goals and other commitments contained
in Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
The Paris agreement is critically
relevant for The Gambia because climate change means a lot more in our
situation. When land productivity declines and water shortage intensifies,
young people from rural areas are often sent away to ease the burden on the
family and to find new sources of income. This sadly explains why many young
Gambians have been forced to make the long and dangerous journey to Europe.
The journey is so risky
that many perish at high seas and never reach their final destination.
Countless others disappear into immigration detention centers or vanish in the
sands of the Sahara desert.
Those who are able to
complete the journey are often dismissed as economic migrants and sent back
home. This sense of hopelessness and frustration also provides fertile ground
for smugglers and extremist groups to recruit innocent youths into the criminal
underworld.
Young people do not
deserve this experience, they deserve the chance to enjoy a safe and prosperous
future, at home. Creating new employment opportunities that provide young
people with sustainable incomes and connect them to a revitalized land, healthy
and productive environment is an investment in the future of the nation. This
is a key priority in our National Development Plan.
Over the last decade, we lost many of our
friends and development partners through wrong policy choices, but since the
restoration of democracy and good governance, many of our long-standing partners
are all coming back to work with us. We are in the process of rejoining the Commonwealth
and the International Criminal Court. We
are also committed to be part of the African Peer Review Mechanism.
We are finalizing plans for a roundtable
donors’ conference to mobilize resources for the long-term development of the
country. Your continued support,
solidarity and partnership will be critical to the success of that conference.
Mr.
President, The Gambia did not go through
armed conflict, the political crisis that we experienced came as a result of decades
of bad governance, weak state institutions, rule of fear, and growing
intolerance. We were on the brink of
political violence and armed conflict.
We therefore express our deep appreciation
to the United Nations Office for West Africa, United Nations Peace Building
Commission and the Peace Building Support Office for the initial critical
support that they have rendered to my country.
Your continued support in the areas of
transitional justice and security sector reform will certainly go a long way
towards entrenching peace, justice and democracy in The Gambia.
Mr.
President, There is neither a
shortage of ideas nor that of resources to fix the major problems facing the
human race. What has always been scarce
is the political will and unless adequate resources are invested, the pace of
development will remain slow and minimal impact achieved.
It is against that
backdrop that I am calling on the private sector to emulate philanthropists for
their generosity towards the most isolated, marginalized and deprived sections
of the world, providing safe drinking water, roads, power, health care and
education, key to regaining human dignity.
Mr.
President, The pursuit of peace and security in
Africa and the world will always be a major foreign policy goal for The
Gambia. We will pursue good
neighborliness and cooperation with the sister Republic of Senegal and the
countries of ECOWAS will remain strategic partners. West Africa is on the march towards the
consolidation of its democratic gains but as a region we are facing serious
threats to our peace and security.
Terrorism, extremism, religious intolerance, organized crime and
drug-trafficking are seriously undermining our development efforts. Recent attacks in Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote
d’lvoire and the Sahel in general underscore the urgent need for greater
regional and international cooperation in addressing these challenges.
Mr.
President, The indifference, the injustices,
and the indignities in isolated parts of the world create real threats to
global peace, prosperity and democracy. We need to take bigger and bolder steps
to close the gap between the North and South as the world is too imbalanced.
Mr.
President, We remain deeply concerned that the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict still defies resolution. My Government firmly subscribes to the idea
of a two-state solution; for the two peoples to live side by side in peace and
harmony. We therefore call on the UN Secretary-General to vigorously pursue
this formula in the interest of lasting peace.
Mr.
President, In our foreign policy and as part of our
historic friendship, we fully recognize the one-China policy. The People’s
Republic of China is the sole representative of the Chinese people and a true
friend of The Gambia. Our two countries
continue to strengthen cooperation on the basis of a win-win approach built on
mutual trust and respect within the framework of the Forum for China-Africa
Cooperation.
Mr.
President, An organization like the United Nations,
by virtue of its functions, would always require some level of reform of its
management systems.
The inter-governmental character
of the mandates entrusted to the Secretariat requires the existence of trust
and accountability between member states and the Secretariat. As you embark on your proposed reforms, we stand
ready to give you our full support in the interest of an effective and more
relevant world body.
Lastly but not the least, one of the long-standing
issues is the pending question of Security Council reform. Former Secretary-General Kofi Annan once said
that “No reform of the United Nations is complete without reform of the
Security Council”. That remains true
today. Africa will not give up its legitimate and historic quest for true
representation on the Council and The Gambia fully supports the African Union’s
demand for the long overdue reform of the Security Council.
Mr.
President, I want to conclude by
reaffirming my optimism and confidence in our collective ability to uplift
mankind from the clutches of poverty; to institute a global order of peace,
firmly held together by justice; loving, caring and tolerating each other. In
tune with our National Anthem, we
pledge our firm allegiance to these values we hold ever true.
With best wishes from the
people of The Gambia – The Smiling Coast of Africa, I wish you all a successful
72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
God bless the world, thank you.
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**This speech was checked against delivery
