His Excellency Mr. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Togolese Republic

Tribute to the memory of His Excellency Mr. Gnassingbé Eyadema, President of the Togolese Republic

We extend our condolences to the family of President Eyadema and to the Togolese people.

The Togolese team had left on Sunday, two days after the attack on the team bus.

We sincerely hope that the Togolese will take every measure possible to preserve stability and security within their country.

The Co Chairperson (Sweden) The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Togolese Republic.

A number of flash appeals were also issued, for example, to address the situations in Djibouti and Benin, as a result of the Togolese refugee crisis.

As a consequence of the violence that followed the Togo April 2005 presidential elections, more than 38,000 Togolese nationals fled to neighbouring Benin and Ghana, where they receive international protection and assistance.

In the areas of employment, poverty and hunger, the Government of Togo has taken several steps by which young people will become the most important stakeholders in the building of the Togolese economy.

The lawyer Isabelle Améganvi of the ANC in Togo has officially stated that the Togolese women had decided to observe a sex strike from Monday on to compel men to push for changes in Togo.

On behalf of the General Assembly, I request the representative of Togo to convey our condolences to the Government and the people of the Togolese Republic and to the bereaved family of His Excellency Mr. Gnassingbé Eyadema.

Ms. Bahemuka (Kenya) I wish on behalf of the Group of African States to express our profound sadness following the death of the President of the Togolese Republic, His Excellency Mr. Gnassingbé Eyadema, on 5 February 2005.

The two infantry companies, from Bangladesh and Ghana, which were redeployed from the zone of confidence to Abidjan during the November 2004 crisis as a temporary measure, continued to operate in Abidjan, reinforcing the small Togolese contingent.

The President (spoke in French) This morning, it is our sad duty to pay tribute to the memory of the late President of the Togolese Republic, His Excellency Mr. Gnassingbé Eyadema, who passed away on Saturday, 5 February 2005.

The Centre shared information on disarmament matters and provided technical expertise to several civil society organizations working in the areas of peace, security and disarmament in and outside Togo, including women's groups such as the Association of Togolese Business Women.

In memory of the late President Eyadema, the African Group appeals to the authorities in Togo to respect the legislation on succession in conformity with the constitution and to return the country to constitutional rule, in the interest of the Togolese people.

To promote mainstreaming gender in peace and disarmament, the Centre initiated, in collaboration with the Togolese Association of Business Women, a dialogue process between women's groups and the Government in the search for common solutions to peace and security in the country.

The detailed curriculum vitae of the candidate, as submitted by the Togolese Government, including further information, may be consulted on the website of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (http www.ohchr.org english bodies cerd SPmeeting.htm) or in the files of the secretariat.

The Government of Togo is determined to pursue the institutional reforms already under way, in particular those related to justice, to restoring public confidence in the institutions of the Republic and to creating suitable conditions for responsible and effective political dialogue embracing all elements of Togolese society.

President Gnassingbé (spoke in French) Allow me at the outset to extend once again to the Government and the people of the United States the deepest condolences and sympathy of the Government and the people of the Togolese Republic in connection with Hurricane Katrina, which caused great damage to that country.

First of all, we wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the President of the General Assembly, to the Secretary General and to all Member States for their sincere expressions of condolence and their sympathy upon the cruel loss that struck the Togolese people with the passing of President Eyadema on 5 February 2005.

Mr. Almansoor (Bahrain) (spoke in Arabic) On behalf of the Group of Asian States, which I have the honour to chair this month, I would like to convey our most heartfelt condolences to the family and to the people on the much lamented death of the President of the Togolese Republic, Gnassingbé Eyadema, who passed away on 5 February 2005.