When I first spoke to you from this
podium, in 1997, it seemed to me that humanity faced three great
challenges.
One was to ensure that globalization
would benefit the human race as a whole, not only its more fortunate
members. Another was to heal the disorder of the post-cold-war world,
replacing it with a genuinely new world order of peace and freedom,
as envisaged in our Charter.
And the third was to protect the
rights and dignity of individuals, particularly women, which were
so widely trampled underfoot.
[...] Sadly, once again the biggest
challenge comes from Africa – from Darfur, where the continued
spectacle of men, women and children driven from their homes by
murder, rape and the burning of their villages makes a mockery of
our claim, as an international community, to shield people from
the worst abuses.
Other fundamental global challenges
that you raised include environmental degradation and climate change,
HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases, gender equality and education
for all.
Terrorists are prepared to cross any
boundaries, commit horiffic acts of violence to derail Afghanistan
from its path of success; they want the international community
to fail in its collective endeavour to help Afghanistan rebuild.
That is why they decapitate elderly women, blow up mosques full
of worshippers and kill school going children in indiscriminate
bombings of civilian areas.
Your election at unanimity to the presidency
of the General Assembly of the United Nations is, to all evidence,
more than a honoring well deserved for your professional and human
qualities. [...] But it is also a fair recognition of the ineluctable
promotion of the Arab and Muslim woman, as well as, of all women
on the stage of history.
Mme. President of the General Assembly,
Haya Rashed Al Califa, I would like to congratulate you on your
election as President of this General Assembly, since I believe
it is very significant for a woman to have taken this role, in order
to foster gender equality, a goal both of my Government and of the
United Nations.
In 61 years of United Nations you are
[H.E. Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa is] only the third woman to
preside over the General Assembly, and the first woman to do so
coming from the Arab World. While congratulating you personally
on being elected to this high position Austria also regards your
election as a signal to all women in the world: the time has come
to take their rightful place in all spheres of public life. We are
called upon to engage politically at all levels, from the community
level to the United Nations. The voices of women need to be heard
more clearly in the work of the United Nations. Women know what
holds families, communities and societies together. This age old
knowledge in all its modern variety and colour should not be left
untapped, in particular in peace processes. In UN missions, at the
negotiation table, in decision making processes, and and not only
as voices in the background. During her presidency of the European
Union, Austria in her recruitment strategy, consistently aimed at
deploying women in EU peace missions.
The Bahamas renews its commitment to
the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) and in particular our commitment
to universal education, fighting HIV/Aids, equality for women and
cutting poverty in half by 2015.
The election of Shaikha Haya as President of the
General Assembly is an honour for the Kingdom of Bahrain, she being
the third woman in the history of this International organization,
and the first Arba and Muslim woman, to hold this prominent position.
This election confirms the significant achievements of Arab and
Muslim women and the progress they have made in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The national gains multiplied and the people's particiaption
in the political, economic and social fields has been enhanced.
This has been reflected in the following areas: […]
- Enhancement of the role of women in society to assume leadership
positions in the Kingdom, including the judiciary. In addtion, a
programme to empower women, overseen by the Supreme Council of Women,
has been initiated. - Engaging and forging partnership with Non-Governmental
Organizations as was evident in the Forum for the Future, hosted
by the Kingdom of Bahrain last November. During the Forum, NGOs
worked side-by-side with governments to discuss issues concerning
human rights, fighting corruption, the rule of law and the empowerment
of women. […]
Keeping our commitment to the Millenium Declaration,
we have already achieved two MDGs by ensuring access to safe drinking
water and removing gender disparity in primary and secondary education.
Apart from these, Bangladesh has achieved remarkable
success in reduction of child and maternal mortality and malnutrition
and in improving food security.
It is my pleasure to join with the
preceding speakers in congratulating you on your election to preside
over the sixty-first session of the UN General Assembly. My sentiments
are doubly pleasurable, for in sixty-one years you are only the
third female President of the Assembly. Throughout your distinguished
career, you have championed with much determination and courage
the cause of women's rights and I am confident and courage the cause
of women's rights and I am confident that you will bring these and
other outstanding qualities to your presidency.
Five years which have passed since
11 september 2001 proved with a painful clarity that ideology and
practice of crusades do not bring peace and democracy. They lead
to the devastation of states, the destruction of a fabric of life
of entire nations, death of children, women, innocent civilians.
Please support the establishment on
a system-based approach of a Global Partnership Against Slavery
and traffciking in Human Beings. Who else than the UN should care
about dozens, hundreds and perhaps millions of victims of modern
slavery, above all women and children? […]
The effectiveness of the United Nations
is been seriously questioned. Unable to act when needed, the Security
Council is accused of being morose. World public opinion is impatient
in the face of such incomprehensible difficulties. Deaths of innocent
civilians, including women and children, are a shock to all of us.
I would like to make a note of the
fact that Bulgaria, yesterday ratified the Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention
against Corruption.
The program of the government of Burundi
has inscribed the promotion of women's rights and gender equality
as one of its priorities. We pressingly call for the United Nations
to pay particular attention to this matter during the process of
reforming the United Nations. The government would like to plead
for a specific structure which in its nature would propel women
out of their poverty to achieve true equality.
The recent Conference on Aids that
was held here at the headquarters of the United Nations at the beginning
of the month of June 2006 underlined the worrying characteristic
of this calamity at the heart of the most vulnerable population
which are women and children.
Despite the alleged delays in the implementation
of the millennium development goals, the Centralafrican Government
is firmly decided to reach them, especially the issues concerning
the objectives 3 and 4, that relate to, respectively, the promotion
of gender equality and the reduction of mortality of children under
the age of five. Indeed considerable progress have been noted in
the area of vaccine protection, and the freed distribution of impregnated
mosquito nets to pregnant women and children under the age of five.
I come before this United Nations General
Assembly as the first woman to be elected President of Chile.
The Council should continue to give
special attention to the rights of women, children, persons with
disabilities, migrant workers, ethnic minorities and other vulnerable
groups to ensure they enjoy the same level of respect as others.
What can be said on the situation in
Palestine where the same situations perdures with its large numbers
of martyrs, children and women victims of blind bombs.
I can say to you that in my homeland,
none of our citizens, man or woman, knows oppression, and that there
is not a single Costa Rican that lives in exile. I can say to you
today that mine is a nation of liberty.
CZECH
REPUBLIC
H.E. Mr. Alexandr VONDRA, Minister
for Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF CONGO
H.E. Mr. Joseph KABILA KABANGE, President
No Gender References
DEMOCRATIC
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA
H.E. Mr. Choe Su HON, Chairman of the Delegation
No Gender References
DENMARK
H.E. Dr. Per Stig MØLLER,
Minister for Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
DJIBOUTI
H.E. Mr. Ismail Omar GUELLEH, President
Statement is not available
DOMINICA
H.E. The Honourable Mr. Charles A. SAVARIN, Minister for
Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Labour
No Gender References
DOMINICAn
republic
H.E. Mr. Leonel FERNÁDEZ REYNA,
President
For me it is a great honour to extend
my most cordial congratulations to Her Excellency, Mrs. Haya Rashed
Al Khalifa, of Bahrain, for her election, as the first woman of
the Middle East, to preside over the work of this sixty-first
General Assembly of the United Nations.
We reiterate our profound commitment
to the activities and objectives of the United Nations International
Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW),
in considering these suitable for the advancement and dignity
of all the women of the world and in particular, the women of
countries such as the Dominican Republic. As the host country,
we warmly salute the support given by Member States to the INSTRAW.
ECUADOR
H.E. Mr. Alfred PALACIO, President
No Gender References
EGYPT
H.E. Mr. Ahmed ABOUL GHEIT, Minister
for Foreign Affairs
At the outset, it gives me great
pleasure to congratulate you upon your assumption of the Presidency
of the 61st session of the General Assembly. My pleasure is all
the greater since you are the first Arab woman to occupy this
high post since the establishment of the organization.
EL
SALVADOR
H.E. Mr. Elías Antonio SACA
GONZÁLEZ, President
Madam President,
I express our most sincere congratulations to your election as
president for the period of this session of the general assembly,
with the certainty that your distinguished personal and professional
qualities, will contribute to the optimal development of the working
agenda, constituting moreover the recognition of the necessary
participation of women in the process of reforming the United
Nations.
(Translated from Spanish by the Peacewomen
staff)
EQUATORIAL
GUINEA
H.E. Mr. Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO,
President
No Gender References
ERITREA
H.E. Mr. Saleh Said MEKY, Minister
of Health
No Gender References
ESTONIA
H.E. Mr. Sven JÜRGENSON, Under-Secretary
of Political Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Madam President, The Millenium Development
Goals are also intended to promote gender equality and empower
women worldwide. And that includes us in the United Nations too.
Estonia shares the vision that the role of women within the decision-making
system of the UN should be increased. As the General Assembly
is goign to approve the next Secreatay General this year, we supoort
the proposal to consider Mrs. Vaira Vike-Freiberga as a candidate
for Secretary General of the United Nations. President of Latvia
could be the first women leading the United Nations in its sixty
years of existence. Our commitments must be reflected in our decisions.
ETHIOPIA
H.E. Ambassador Negash Kebret BOTORA,
Deputy Permanent Representative
No Gender References
FIJI
H.E. The Honourable Mr. Kaliopate
TAVOLA, Minister for Foreign Affairs & External Trade
I extend to you Madame President
the congratulations and best wishes of the Government and people
of the Fiji Islands. The General Assembly is to be commended for
accepting your candidature to become the third women to assume
the post of President of this august Assembly. This recognizes
the critical role women play in the development of humanity in
our global village. we assure you, of the support of my government
during your tenure.
Fiji acknowledges the vital role
women play in development, the monitoring of the Rights of Women
contained in the Beijing Platform of Action has to be reinforced.
One effective way is to ensure that domestic policies and legislations
are in place to drive gender mainstreaming. This must be a priority
target for us all.
FINLAND
H.E. Ms. Tarja HALONEN, President
The newly established Peacebuilding
Commission brings its own and much-needed contribution to the
UN work for peace and security. The European Union will work actively
to ensure that this new body will have a strong and dynamic role
in the UN system. Gender aspect is important in this context.
FRANCE
H.E. Mr. Jacques CHIRAC, President
No Gender References
GABON
H.E. Mr. Jean PING, Minister of State,
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and the Francophonie
and Regional Integration
Former President of the 59th Session of the General Assembly
No Gender References
GAMBIA
H.E. Mr. Lamin Kabba BAJO, Secretary
of State for Foreign Affairs
My delegation extends to you, our
heartiest congratulations on your election to the presidency of
this august body. Your election signifies a most welcome re-balancing
of the General Assembly towards greater gender parity and will
certainly bring along with it a whiff of fresh air in our deliberations.
We hope also that it will help our Organisation address thoses
issues of war, conflict, oppression, deprivation and terrorism
which dog today's world, with the kind of compassion and sensitivity
known only to mothers.
In the Gambia, UN and other independent
assesments indicate that on many fronts, we are making steady
progress. […] We have already
achieved gender parity in education and by extenesion, registered
significant progress in gender equality, equity and women empowerment.[…]
We have reduced the prevalence of malaria and incidence of maternal
and under-5 mortality.
GEORGIA
H.E. Mr. Mikheil SAAKASHVILI, President
My country salutes the on-going efforts
to make the United Nations even more effective, and we welcome
the candidacy of a Secretary General whose competence and unique
perspective on gender equality issues will help advance that goal.
GERMANY
H.E. Dr. Frank-Walter STEINMEIER,
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Following 23 years of civil war,
the development of political structures is underway. […]
And what is equally important : young people can go to school
again, also girls.
GHANA
H.E. Mr. John Agyekum KUFUOR, President
No Gender References
GREECE
H.E. Mrs. Dora BAKOYANNIS, Minister
of Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
GRENADA
H.E. The Honourable Elvin NIMROD,
Minister of Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
GUATEMALA
H.E. Mr. Oscar BERGER PERDOMO, President
The State is committed to the respect
of civil, political and human rights, and promotes increasing
participation of women in our society.
GUINEA
H.E. Mr. Mamady CONDÉ, Minister
of State, Minister for Foreign Affairs
It is for me a great pleasure to
give you, Madam President, my congratulations to your brilliant
election to the Presidence our 61st session on behalf of my delegation.
In trusting you, as third woman presiding over the General Assembly,
the member states have wanted to give recognition to your talents
as experienced diplomat and pay tribute to your country for their
realisation of the noble ideals of liverty, peace and prosperity
in the world.
(Translated from French by the Peacewomen
staff)
GUINEA-BISSAU
H.E. Mr. Antonio Isaac MONTEIRO,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Communities
No Gender References
GUYANA
H.E. The Honourable Rudolph INSANALLY,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Former President of the General Assembly
I am pleased, on behalf of the Government
and the people of Guyana to convey to you our warmest congratulations
on your election to the Presidency of this august Assembly. This
distinction is a tribute not only to your own personal qualities
but also to your gender since you are only the third woman to
hold this high office in the history of the United Nations.
HAITI
H.E. Mr. Léo MÉRORÈS,
Permanent Representative
No Gender References
HOLY
SEE
H.E. Archbishop Giovanni LAJOLO,
President of the Governatorate of the Vatican City State
No Gender References
HONDURAS
H.E. Mr. José Manuel Zelaya
ROSALES, President
English translation not available
HUNGARY
H.E. Ms. Kinga GÖNCZ, Minister
of Foreign Affairs
May I first of all congratulate you
warmly as the third female President of the United Nations General
Assembly. I firmly believe that the involvement of women into
the decision-making processes at national and international level
may contribute to the better management of today's global problems.
ICELAND
H.E. Mrs. Valgerdur SVERRISDÓTTIR,
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Madame President, let me begin
by congratulating you on your lection as President of the General
Assembly. I am especially pleased to see a woman in this important
position after a break of nearly 30 years.
The global partnership rests
on the principles of transparency, accountability, good governance,
equity and commitment to poverty reduction. Iceland also places
special importance on the rights of women and children. As the
Irannian Nobel Prize winner, Shirin Ebadi, has so rightly pointed
out: "...to disregard women and bar them from active
participation in political, social, economic and cultural life
would in fact be tantamount to depriving the entire population
of every society of half its capability." We want to
see more determined efforts by development partners and UN agencies
to pursue gender equality. The work of UNIFEM must be given more
weight within the UN. Iceland has increased its support of UNIFEM
more than tenfold over the last two years, and we will increase
our support even further.
INDIA
H.E. Mr. Pranab MUKHERJEE, Defence
Minister
No Gender References
INDONESIA
H.E. Dr. N. Hassan WIRAJUDA, Minister
for Foreign Affairs
I wish to congratulate you on your
election as President of the 61st UN General Assembly. It signals
the increasing role of women, especially women from the Muslim
world, in international affairs – which is a very welcome
and positive development.
IRAN
(THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF)
H.E. Mr. Mahmoud AHMADINEJAD, President
No Gender References
IRAQ
H.E. Mr. Jalal TALABANI, President
Iraq believes that achieving a sustainable
development parallels respecting human rights, providing security,
achieving justice, fair distribution of wealth, and developement
of the agricultural, economic and services sectors. In order to
rise up to these tasks, we must respect women and their rights,
and activate thier role in the development process and the political
arena. This feeling has become a fixed principle in our pursuits,
stipulated in the Iraqi constitution, which confirmed the women’s
right to contribute in a percentage not less than 25% of the Council
of Representatives’ seats. Iraqi women are also participating
in 4 ministerial positions in the Iraqi National Unity Government.
IRELAND
H.E. Mr. Dermot AHERN, T.D. Minister
for Foreign Affairs
The suffering of the people of Darfur
shames the world. There has been human tragedy on a massive scale,
with the intimidation, rape and murder of hundreds of thousands
of innocents, and the displacement of vast numbers from their
homes.
ISRAEL
H.E. Mr. Tzipi LIVNI, Vice Minister
and Minister for Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
ITALY
H.E. Mr. Romano PRODI, Prime Minister
No Gender References
JAMAICA
H.E. Senator The Honourable Mr. Anthony
HYLTON, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade
I congratulate you on your election
as President of this Assembly. It is an added pleasure for me
today to recognize your assumption to the Presidency, being one
of only three women in the history of the General Assembly to
assume this position, and significantly, the first since 1969
- nearly 40 years.
The Secretary-General hs cited some
startling statistics in his report on the Organization to this
General Assembly. I refer to two. Ten million children die before
their 5th birthday; and women in developing countries are 45 times
more likely to die during pregnancy than women in developed countries.
Irrefutable evidence that the situation remains absolutely and
comparatively very unsatisfactory and unsustainanble in an interdependent
world.
Jamaica recognizes that there can
be no development, no poverty eradication, no lasting peace without
the advancement, equality and empowerment of women. Women's advancement
is a priority in our national policy and we support all international
initiatives towards the end.
JAPAN
H.E. Mr. Kenzo OSHIMA, Permanent
Representative
No Gender References
JORDAN
His Majesty King Abdullah II Bin
AL HUSSEIN
No Gender References
KAZAKHSTAN
H.E. Mr. Kassymzhomart Kemelevich
TOKAEV, Minister for Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
KENYA
H.E. The Honourable Mr. Raphael TUJU,
EGH, MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Madam President, Let me add my voice
of congratualtions to Madam President, on her asumption
of this driving seat that has mainly been occupied by men in the
history of the United Nations. At this August Assembly las week,
we welcomed the first African woman to become President - Her
excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia. At last, the glass
ceiling that has tended to frustrate the attempts of women to
become Presidents is surely cracking, in several places.
kiribati
H.E. Ms. Teima ONORIO, Vice-President
No Gender References
republic
of KOREA
H.E. Mr. BAN Ki-moon, Minister of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
The key lesson to be drawn from the
Korean experience over the past decades is that education is key
to development, and women and girls are the most effective agents
for change and social progress. In particular, in attaining the
MDGs, such as eliminating poverty and fighting HIV/AID, gender
mainstreaming must be made a central pillar of policy strategy.
Lasting social change cannot be realized until women are fully
incorporated into the process.
KUWAIT
H.E. Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah Al-Salem
AL-SABAH, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
KYRGYZSTAN
H.E. Mr. Kurmanbek BAKIEV, President
Translation not available
LAO
People's democratic republic
H.E. Dr. Thongloun SISOULITH, Deputy
Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Head of the Delegation
No Gender References
LATVIA
H.E. Mrs. Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA, President
As many of you are aware, I recently
announced my decision to submit my candidacy for the position
of the Secretary General of the United Nations. I highly appreciate
the confidence placed in me by the UN Secretary General Mr Kofi
Annan as he appointed me Special Envoy on UN Reform.
I am personally committed to addressing
the challenges posed by the UN reform and promoting human rights,
freedom and democracy, including gender equality. While women
represent half of the worlds population, no woman has ever been
at the helm of this organization. I believe that the time has
come for a woman to be considered a serious candidate for the
position of Secretary General.
LEBANON
H.E. General Emile LAHOUD, President
Madam President,
Today, I am honored as I congratulate you on your election as
the first Arab woman to ever preside over this austere body, and
I hope that this heralds a new era of better understanding of
women's aspirations and Arab causes.
LESOTHO
H.E. The Right Honourable Pakhalitha
Bethuel MOSISILI, Prime
Minister
No Gender References
LIBERIA
H.E. Mrs. Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF,
President
It is a great honor for me to address this
61st session of the United Nations general Assembly on behalf
of the people of Liberia, not just in my capacity as a leader,
but the heralding position as the first democratically elected
woman president of Liberia and in Africa.
Let me congratulate you on your election as president of the 61st
regular session of the General assembly, trusting that you will
bring your demonstrable experience to the work of this session.
I am proud of you because you are the first Arab Muslim woman
and the third woman to occupy this noble position. One of your
women predecessors, Angie Brooks, hailed from Liberia. I was pleased
to honor her on last Friday in a moving ceremony here in New York
for her dedicated services and pride she brought to the country.
I strongly support women and gender equality and look forward
with interest to the report of the high level panel on system-wide
coherence appointed by the secretary general earlier this year,
which is expected to submit its final recommendations on UN reform.
It is my hope that the establishment of a new, independent UN
fund or program for the empowerment of women and gender equality
will be fully supported by member states and that such fund will
have sufficient resources to support targeted programmes for women
empowerment desperately needed at the national level.
We are aware that we face awesome challenges; the challenge of
rebuilding our infrastructure, including education, health and
other institutions, addressing generations of gender imbalance,
especially as it relates to the education of the girl child and
promoting for women their rightful place in society […]
LIBYAN
ARAB JAMAHIRIYA
H.E. Mr. Abdurrahman Mohamed SHALGHAM,
Secretary of the General People’s Committee for Foreign
Liaison and International Cooperation and Head of the Libyan Delegation
No Gender References
LIECHTENSTEIN
H.E. Mrs. Rita KIEBER-BECK, Minister
of Foreign Affairs
Let me first of all express my happiness
to see you preside over the General Assembly. Your election sends
a clear signal for an ever stronger participation of women in
decision-making processes worldwide. We value your impressive
track record on women's rights in particular and will asssisit
you in every possible way in fulfilling your difficult task.
LITHUANIA
H.E. Mr. Valdas ADAMKUS, President
No Gender References
LUXEMBOURG
H.E. Mr. Jean ASSELBORN, Vice-Prime
Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration
No Gender References
MACEDONIA
H.E. Mr. Branko CRVENKOVSKI, President
No Gender References
MADAGASCAR
H.E. Mr. Marc RAVALOMANANA, President
No Gender References
MALAWI
H.E.
Dr. Bingu Wa MUTHARIKA, President
No Gender References
MALAYSIA
H.E. The Honourable Dato' Seri Abdullah
Ahmad BADAWI, Prime Minister
No Gender References
MALDIVES
H.E. Mr. Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM, President
We have also acceded to the Optional
Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of
Discrimination against Women.
In reducing poverty and in providing
primary education, the Maldives has already met the Millenium
Development Goals. We are condident that we can attain the targets
on healthcare and gender empowerment.
MALI
H.E. Mr. Moctar OUANE, Minister for
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
No Gender References
MALTA
H.E. The Honourable Dr. Michael FRENDO,
Minister for Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
THE
MARSHALL ISLANDS
H.E. The Honourable Ruben ZACKHRAS,
Vice Speaker
No Gender References
MAURITANIA
H.E. Mr. Mohamed Ould EL ABED, Prime
Minister
We would here like to underline the
resolutions and the results relevant to the organization's actions
through the summit conferences devoted to the information society,
the fight against the Aids pandemic, the meetings on the issue
of development, the fight against poverty, the protection of the
environment, the promotion of women, and the large economic and
financial forums.
This participation has manifested
itself at the level of the nature, of the volume and the substance
of the reforms, of the choices, as in the domains of constitutional
reform, reform of the administration, the justice court, the fight
against corruption and bad management, underhand dealings, but
also in the electoral processes regarding choosing members for
the national independent electoral commission, the calender electoral
expiries, the revision of electoral lists, the modes of poll and
women's participation.
(Translated from French by the Peacewomen
staff)
MAURITIUS
H.E. Dr. The Honourable Navinchandra
RAMGOOLAM, Prime Minister
No Gender References
MEXICO
H.E. Mr. Vicente FOX, President
We take pride in having enacted laws
and instituted practices against discrimination and in the fact
that today, children, women, indigenous peoples, the sick and
the people with disabilities have better conditions for their
development in our country.
MICRONESIA
(FEDERATED STATES OF)
H.E. Mr. Redley KILLION, Vice President
No Gender References
MONACO
H.E. Mr. Gilles NOGHÈS, Head
of Delegation
Madam President, very few women before
you have acceded to the presidency of the General Assembly although,
as the Chinese saying goes: "Women hold up half the sky".
The upcoming designation of H.S.H.
Princess Stephanie as a Special Representative of UNAIDS will
further reinforce Her commitment to the battle against this terrible
pandemic affecting more and more women. To face this situation,
the Government of Monaco has decided, in addition to contributions
allocated to UNAIDS, to finance, starting this year, a project
of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Africa, intended for women,
who are mainly seropositive, enduring extreme poverty and moreal
distress, by offering them a medico-psycho-social relief.
MONGOLIA
H.E. Mr. Miyegombo ENKHBOLD, Prime
Minister
No Gender References
montenegrO
H.E. Mr. Milo DJUKANOVIC, President
No Gender References
MOROCCO
H.E. Mr. Mohamed BENAISSA, Minister
for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
I would like, at the outset, to extend
my sincere congratulations to you and the brother country of the
Kingdom of Bahrain, on your election as the first Arab lady in
the history of the United NAtions Organization to preside over
the General Assembly.
MOZAMBIQUE
H. E. Mr. Armando Emilio GUEBUZA
, President
No Gender References
MYANMAR
H.E. Mr. Nyan WIN, Minister for Foreign
Affairs
No Gender References
NAMIBIA
H.E. Mr. Hifikepunye POHAMBA, President
No Gender References
NAURU
H.E. The Honourable Ludwig SCOTTY,
MP, President
No Gender References
NEPAL
H.E. The Honorable Mr. K.P. Sharma
OLI, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and
Leader of the Delegation
No Gender References
NETHERLANDS
H.E. Mr. Bernard Rudolf BOT, Minister
for Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
NEW
ZEALAND
H.E. The Right Honorable Mr. Winston
PETERS, Minister for Foreign Affairs
But increasing aid levels will not be enough. We most
become more effective. We need to make sure that every dollar
we spend makes a positive difference. That means addressing the
key threats to our success – poor governance, corruption,
gender inequality. [...]
NICARAGUA
H.E. Mr. Norman José CALDERA
CARDENAL, Minister for Foreign Affairs
In the health area, child mortality
rates (for every 1,000 born alive), was reduced from 35 in 2001
to 31 in 2006; [...] and the maternal mortality rates (per 100,000)
was reduced from 96,6 in 2003 to 83 in 2006.
(Translated from Spanish by the Peacewomen
staff)
niger
Her Excellency Mrs. Aïchatou
MINDAOUDOU, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and African
Integration
As the third women in history to
take on this role, your election is more than a title, full of
symbolism and I would like to salute in you, the tough and very
competent diplomat with assured qualities, that predict the positive
result we will accomplish under your presidency.
NIGERIA
H.E. Chief Olusegun OBASANJO, GCFR, President [as delivered
by H.E. Professor U. Joy OGWU. OFR Minister of Foreign Affairs]
On behalf of the Government and people
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I would like to extend my
sincere congratulations to you and your country, the Kingdom of
Bahrain, on your historic election as President of the Sixty-First
Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Your assumption
of this high office is a source of inspiration to all of us, particularly
to women all over the world.
NORWAY
H.E. Mr. Jens STOLTENBERG, Prime
Minister
No Gender References
OMAN
H.E. Mr. Yousef Bin Alawi Bin ABDULLAH, Minister Responsible
for Foreign Affairs
The number of societies that work
under the supervision of the competent ministry up til now is
67 societies, including 45 Omani women’s societies that
work for the advancement of Omani women, in the social, economic
and cultural fields, raising their standards and developing their
different skills.
We, in the Sultanate of Oman, are
pleased to pay special tribute to our achievements in the field
of human rights and specifically the political equality of the
sexes. This development has given Omani women a bigger chance
in holding leadership posts and participating in decision making.
Thus Omani women have becomne an increasingly bigger partner in
real development in the country.
In affirmation of the role of Omani
women in the march for comprehensive development, the Sultanate
has shown special interest in encouraging women and helping them
contribute to economic and social development. The Sultanate has
also prepared a draft national strategy for the advancement of
Omani women. The strategy is the fruit of co-operation between
governmental and non-governemental organizations and academic
institutions in the Sultanate.
PAKISTAN
H.E. General Pervez MUSHARRAF, President
I am very happy to see a sister from
fraternal Bahrain presiding over this important session of the
General Assembly. Your election symbolizes the increasingly significant
role women are playing in the Muslim world. Madam President. You
will have Pakistan's full support in fulfilling your challenging
responsibilities.
We have reformed our institutions
of governance and our economy. Democratic governance has been
introduced at the grass root level. We are focusing on the uplift
of the under privileged sections of our society — the poor,
the women and the minorities. Women are being politically and
economically empowered and protected against discrimination. Minorities
have been politically mainstreamed. We have also unshackled the
media.
PALAU
H.E. The Honorable Mr. Elias Camsek CHIN,
Vice-President
No Gender References
PALESTINE
H.E. President Mahmoud ABBAS, Chairman
of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization
and President of the Palestinian National Authority
I come to you bearing the wounds
of a people that bleed everyday. A people that seek a normal life,
where our children go safely to school, where children are born
to live, and not to die. [...] Where women give birth to their
babies in hospitals, not on the checkpoints of occupation.
PANAMA
H.E. Mr. Martín TORRIJOS,
President
I would like to express the complacency
of the government of Panama in view of your election as president
of the sixty-first sessions of the General Assembly of the United
Nations. Your remarkable professional trajectory and your extraordinary
performance in the defense of women's rights forebode an exemplary
leading of our debates.
(Translated from Spanish by the Peacewomen
staff)
PAPUA
NEW GUINEA
H.E. Sir Michael SOMARE, GCMG, CH,
MP, Prime Minister
No Gender References
PARAGUAY
H.E. Mr. Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS, President
No Gender References
PERU
H.E. Mr. José Antonio GARCÍA
BELAÚNDE, Minister of Foreign Affairs
To fulfill the Millenium objectives,
the Government of Peru has undertaken immediate actions that include,
[…] the policy in favor of women,
youth and children. […]
PHILIPPINES
H.E. Dr. Alberto G. ROMULO, Secretary
for Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
POLAND
H.E. Mr. Lech KACZYNSKI, President
No Gender References
PORTUGAL
H.E. Mr. José SOCRATES, Prime
Minister
I would like to start by extending
my warmest congratulations to Her Excellency Madam Haya Al Khalifa,
the first woman in nearly forty years to take up the position
of President of this General Assembly.
QATAR
His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad
AL-THANI, The Heir Apparent
No Gender References
REPUBLIC
OF MOLDOVA
H.E. Mr. Andrei STRATAN, Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Integration
No Gender References
ROMANIA
H.E. Mr. Mihai-Razvan UNGUREANU,
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Madam President,
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you in your position as
President of the General Assembly. The Romanian delegation looks
forward to a presidency which brings to the World Organization
excellent diplomatic skills, while increasing trust in the prospect
of a more balanced gender representation at the top.
RUSSIAN
FEDERATION
H.E. Mr. Sergey V. LAVROV, Minister
for Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
RWANDA
H.E. Paul KAGAME, President [as delivered
by H.E. Mrs. Museminali Minister of State and Cooperation]
No Gender References
SAMOA
H.E. Mr. Tuileapa Sailele MALIELEGAOI,
Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade
Similarly is the collaborative work
with our partners to support the empowerment of our women.
SAN
MARINO
H.E. Mr. Fiorenzo STOLFI, Secretary
of State for Foreign and Political Affairs and Economic Planning
On behalf of the Government and the
People of the Republic of San Marino, I wish to congratulate her
Excellency haya Rashed Al-Khalifa on her election as President
of the 61st Session of the UN General Assembly. I am confident
that her capacity and expertise will be decisive for success of
this Session. To my satisfaction on the election of a woman after
so many years, I add my best wishes for her important mandate.
As a consequence, peace building
implies a particular attention to the condition of the most disadvantaged
members of humanity, including children, young people, women and
the disabled. In this regard, my country will guarantee its active
support to the Pan-European Campaign on Violence against Women,
in particualar domestic violence, will be launched during San
Marino Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council
of Europe, in parallel with the celebration of the World Day for
Elimination of Violence against Women.
SAO
TOME AND PRINCIPE
H.E. Mr. Fradique Bandeira Melo DE
MENEZES, President
Please allow me to congratulate
you, Madame Haya Khalifa, on your election as the new President
of the General Assembly. We are fortunate to have a diplomat with
such magnificent credentials as our president. In addition, this
is a milestone for the United Nations, which makes us all proud.
My country, Sao Tome and Principe, is a firm believer in gender
equality. I am proud to say that we have a very high percentage
of girls in school. We have also had a woman as president of our
National Assembly. The head of our Supreme Court is a woman. We
have had two female Prime Ministers, and today women head half
of our government ministries. We, therefore, are delighted by
your election, and wish you every success.
Despite desperate efforts at education
and prevention, our tiny population is being laid waste by a shocking
spiral of HIV/AIDS cases. We have only one hospital, a handful
of doctors, and we are helpless in the face of this crisis, as
we cannot afford the retro-virals we need for all our sick, nor
do we have the ability to police our maritime borders to keep
out the main source of infection. Our women and children are faceless
victims, among the millions of others around the world, and without
help, we could one day face extinction.
SAUDI
ARABIA
His Royal Highness Prince Saud AL-FAISAL,
Minister of Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
SENEGAL
H.E. Mr. Abdoulaye WADE, President
No Gender References
SERBIA
H.E. Mr. Boris TADIC, President
No Gender References
SEYCHELLES
H.E. Mr. Jérémie BONNELAME,
Ambassador and Permanent Representative
English translation not available
SIERRA
LEONE
H.E. Mr. Solomon BEREWA, Vice President
No Gender References
SINGAPORE
H.E. Mr. George YEO, Minister for
Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
SLOVAKIA
H.E. Mr. Robert FICO, Prime Minister
No Gender References
SLOVENIA
H.E. Dr. Dimitrij RUPEL, Minister
of Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
SOLOMON
ISLANDS
H.E. The Honorable Mr. Manesseh SOGAVARE,
Prime Minister
No Gender References
SOMALIA
H.E. Mr. Ismael Mohamoud HURREH,
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Moreover, over 100.000 women die
each year from complications in pregnancy and childbirth.
SOUTH
AFRICA
H.E. Mr. Thabo MBEKI, President
No Gender References
SPAIN
H.E. Mr. Miguel Ángel MORATINOS,
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
Before beginning, allow me to congratulate
the President, who is the first Arab woman to lead the Assembly.
SRI
LANKA
H. E. Mr. Mahinda RAJAPAKSA, President
I am happy to note that a lady from
a sister Asian country will guide us through the current session.
Sri Lanka, being the country that elected the first woman Head
of Government in the modern world – Prime Minister Sirimavo
Bandaranaike – your assumption of this high office is of
special significance to us.
In 1970, when I was first elected
to the Parliament of Sri Lanka, a paragraph in the Preamble of
the Charter of the United Nations gave substance and direction
to my future political life. (I quote) .... "to reaffirm
faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of
the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of
nations large and small" (Unquote) Having been a human rights
campaigner at the grass roots level throughout my political life,
it was natural that my new government should be committed to carrying
the message of democracy to all corners of our multi-ethnic, multi-cultural
and multi-religious country.
We continue to maintain highest rating
on the Human Development Index in South Asia. We have already
achieved some of the Millennium Development Goal targets in primary
school enrolment, gender equality and maternal and infant mortality
rates.
ST
KITTS AND NEVIS
H.E. Dr. The Honorable Timothy HARRIS,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, Industry and
Commerce
Our women, Children, Elderly and
Disabled will remain at-risk sectors of our societies.
st
lucia
H.E. The Honourable Petrus COMPTON,
Minister for External Affairs, International Trade and Civil Aviation
No Gender References
ST
VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
H.E. The Honourable Ralph Everada
GONSALVES, Prime Minister, Minister for Finance, Planning Economic
Development, Labour, Information, Grenadines and Legal Affairs
You, Madam President, arise in this
August Assembly as a breath of fresh air and preside as an inspiration
to women, particularly in the Middle East, and to human beings
the world over who treasure the stone that the builder rejects
and which becomes the head cornerstone.
The world's people want to know,
and see the practical evidence, that the United Nations is tackling
in a purposeful way the issues of global poverty, environmental
degradation, climate change, the empowerment of women, the protection
of children, the promotion of peace and security, the HIV/AIDS
pandemic, the provision of clean water and an adequate supply
of food, among other such telling requisites.
SUDAN
H.E. Mr. Omer Hassan AL-BASHIR, President
English translation not available
SURINAME
H.E. Mr. Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN,
President
No Gender References
SWAZILAND
H.E. Mr. Phesheya Mbongeni DLAMINI,
Ambassador and Permanent Representative
No Gender References
SWEDEN
H.E. Mr. Anders LIDÉN, Ambassador
and Permanent Representative
No Gender References
THE
SWISS CONFEDERATION
H.E. Mr. Moritz LEUENBERGER, President
No Gender References
SYRIAN
ARAB REPUBLIC
H.E. Mr. Walid AL-MOUALEM,
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Madam President, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I congratulate you and and your fraternal country, Bahrain on
your election to the presidency of the 61st Session of the United
Nations General Assembly. You are the first Arab woman ever to
assume this high position. Your selection to this post is a proof
that the empowerment of women has become an integral part of the
arab experience.
TAJIKISTAN
H.E. Mr. Talbak NAZAROV, Minister
for Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
THAILAND
H.E. Khunying Laxanachantorn LAOHAPHAN,
Ambassador and Premanent Representative
At the outset, allow me to congratulate
you, Madam President, and the Kingdom of Bahrain, upon your assumption
of the office of the President of the 62st Session of the General
Assembly. As a woman myself, I welcome your election with great
pride and wish to assure you of my delegation's full support in
any possible way.
TIMOR-LESTE
H.E. Mr. José Luis GUTERRES,
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
Our people will never forget his
decisive support and we wish much success to him and to Mrs. Nane
Annan, whom we honor for her contribution to the strengthening
the role of women in the world and for the compassion shown to
those who suffer.
TOGO
H.E. Mr. Zarifou AYEVA, Minister
of State, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Integration
English translation not available
TONGA
H.E. Mr. Mahe 'Uli'Uli TUPOUNIUA, Counselor
No Gender References
TRINIDAD
AND TOBAGO
H.E. Ambassador Mr. Philip SEALY,
Permanent Representative and Head of the Trinidad and Tobago Delegation
It is indeed an honour for me to
extend to you sincere congratulations on behalf of the Government
and people of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on your election
to the presidency of the 61st Regular Session of the United Nations
General Assembly. As the third woman ever to hold this esteemed
position, your appointment is of special significance and must
be duly recognized.
TUNISIA
H.E. Mr. Abdelwaheb ABDALLAH, Minister
for Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
TURKEY
H. E. Mr. Abdullah GÜL, Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affair
I wish to start by warmly congratulating
you, Madame President. Although, the empowerment of women has
long been a priority, it has been nearly forty years since a lady
last held the presidency. Thus, we are encouraged by your appointment.
TURKMENISTAN
H.E. Mr. Rashid MEREDOV, Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
TUVALU
H.E. Mr. Enele Sosene SOPOAGA, Ambassador
and Premanent Representative
No Gender References
UGANDA
H.E. The Honourable Sam KUTESA,
Minister for Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
UKRAINE
H.E. Mr. Borys TARASYUK, Minister
for Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
UNITED
ARAB EMIRATES
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin
Zayed AL NAHYAN, Minister for Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
UNITED
KINGDOM of great britain and northern ireland
H.E. Mrs. Margaret BECKETT MP, Secretary
of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
No Gender References
UNITED
REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA
H.E. Mr. Jakaya Mrisho KIKWETE, President
Permit me to begin by congratulating
you, Madam President, on your well deserved election to the Presidency
of the 61st Session of the General Assembly. This is an important
milestone on the gender agenda at the United Nations.
UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA
H.E. Mr. George W. BUSH, President
Some of the changes in the Middle
East are happening gradually, but they are real. Algeria has held
its first competitive presidential election, and the military
remained neutral. The United Arab Emirates recently announced
that half of the seats in its Federal National Council will be
chosen
by elections. Kuwait held elections in which women were allowed
to vote and run for office for the first time.
URUGUAY
H.E. Mrs. Belela HERERRA, Vice Minister
for Foreign Affairs
Madam President, permit me to express
my personal satisfation, to see you exercise such an important
function, as I am sure your position as a woman will permit you
to dispose an additional quota of measure and mildness. In Uruguay
as in the United Nations, we believe that it is very important
to state an example and that is why the Government that I represent
has assumed among other tasks, to elevate women's postion and
to increase their participation in different areas.
(Translated from Spanish by the Peacewomen
staff)
UZBEKISTAN
H.E. Mr. Vladimir NOROV, Minister
of Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
VANUATU
H.E. The Honourable Sato KILMAN,
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs
No Gender References
VENEZUELA
(THE BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF)
H.E. Mr. Hugo CHÁVEZ FRÍAS,
President
No Gender References
VIETNAM
H.E. Mr. LE Cong PHUNG, First Deputy
Minister for Foreign Affairs
At the outset, on behalf of the Vietnamese
Delegation, may I extend our warmest congratulations to You, the
third woman in the UN history elected as President of the General
Assembly.
The United Nations
should work out, especially at the national level, measures to
further incorporate the MDGs in the implementation of global commitments
undertaken during the past decade in the areas concerning women,
children, population, development, HIV/IDS prevention, housing,
environment and social development.
YEMEN
H.E. Mr. Abubakr AL-QIRBI, Minister
for Foreign Affair
English translation not yet available
ZAMBIA
H.E. Dr. Kalombo T. MWANSA, Special
Envoy of the Government
On behalf of the Zambian delegation,
I congratulate you, on your election as president of the 61st
Regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly. It is
indeed significant to have a lady presiding over the highest office
of the general assembly, after almost three decades. This to us,
attests to the commitment of the united nations to the principle
of gender equality.
In addition, human
trefficking is on the increase world-wide. Often, innocent women
and children in search of a better life, are unwittingly being
sold for the sole purpose of engaging them in illicit activities.
ZIMBABWE
H.E. Mr. Robert Gabriel MUGABE, President
No Gender References
