FULL TRANSCRIPT Of President Jonathan's 38 Paragraph Speech At The UN General Assembly
President
Goodluck Jonathan, Tuesday, in New York made a strong case for Nigeria’s
election to the United Nations Security Council, just as South African
President, Jacob Zuma backed the Nigerian president’s call for democratization
of the UN Security Council.
Addressing
the world leaders and other delegates at the opening of the 68th session of the
General Assembly of the United Nations, President Jonathan declared that
Nigeria’s commendable performance on previous occasions when it held a
non-permanent seat on the security council, should assure the global community
that the country deserved to be elected to the council again for the 2014-2015
session.
The President of the 68th Session of the General Assembly;
Heads of State and Government;
The Secretary-General;
Distinguished Delegates;
Ladies and Gentlemen
Mr President,
1. On behalf of the Government and People of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, I salute you as you preside over the 68th Session of the
United Nations General Assembly. I assure you of the full support and
cooperation of the Nigerian delegation.
2. I also wish to extend our commendation to the
Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and place on record, Nigeria’s appreciation
for his focused and committed leadership of the United Nations system.
3. This Session is coming at a particularly trying period
when our world faces a number of critical challenges which make it imperative
for us to work within the Charter of the United Nations to meaningfully address
them.
4. It is therefore apt that the theme, Post 2015
Development Agenda: Setting the Stage, signposts our desire and
determination to actively cooperate for the improvement of the overall welfare
and well-being of the most vulnerable citizens of the member-states of our
Organisation.
5. Nigeria appreciates the consultative nature of
designing the Post-2015 development agenda. Earlier in the year, we supported
this global outreach through inclusive consultations and surveys of a number of
Nigerians who have expressed their aspirations with respect to the world they
expect beyond 2015.
6. A major highlight of this process, which has increased
national ownership of the agenda, is the emphasis on the eradication of poverty
as the overarching principle in the formulation of the successor framework.
7. Indeed, tomorrow, we will be hosting a side event on
the implementation of the MDGs, in collaboration with the UN, a number of
African countries, and our development partners.
8. As I had cause to say to this Assembly last Session,
2015 is not a destination but only a milestone to a better, safer, healthier
and more compassionate world. Let us therefore renew our commitment to
the processes that will develop the post-MDGs framework.
Mr. President,
9. This objective is of particular resonance to us in Africa
where the challenges of poverty, illiteracy, food insecurity, and climate
change continue to engage the attention of the political leadership.
10. The good news however, is that in the last decade, a
sustained democratization process across the continent has made significant
difference in governance processes, institutions and structures. Today,
we have a renascent Africa that has moved away from the era of dictatorship to
a new dawn where the ideals of good governance and an emphasis on human rights
and justice are beginning to drive state-society relations. This is the present
reality of Africa that must replace the old prejudices and assumptions about
the continent.
11. We are firm in our conviction that democracy is
fundamental to achieving the requisite stability that will enable the
realization of a sustainable post-2015 development agenda in Africa.
12. This emergent Africa will require the continued
support and partnership of the international community. An Africa that is
no longer merely a destination for aid but one that is involved in
constructive, multi-sectoral exchanges on the global stage. Our continent
stands ready to continue to engage the rest of the world as a partner in
formulating a global development agenda that will guarantee peace, security and
stability.
13. I wish to express my appreciation for Nigeria’s
selection as co-Chair of the Expert Committee on Financing Sustainable
Development.
14. The importance of this Committee’s assignment cannot
be overstated. For the post-2015 development agenda to be realistic, it must be
backed by a robust financing framework which I hope will receive the strong
backing of our Organisation’s more endowed members.
Mr. President,
15. Nigeria’s commitment to sustainable peace and security
propels the country to action along with member states of our sub-regional and
continental organisations, whenever stability is threatened in our
continent. In recent years, Africa has had its share of conflicts notably
in Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic
and Somalia.
16. It is noteworthy that African leaders, with the
support of the international community, have demonstrated the capacity to work
in concert and decisively in pursuit of long-term solutions in the affected
States. While a lot more still needs to be done, we are convinced that progress
is being made.
17. The recent Presidential elections in Mali herald a new
beginning that should translate into peace and prosperity for its people and
provide a stronger basis for stability within the sub-region. I
congratulate President Boubacar Keita. Similarly, the political transition
process in Guinea Bissau holds much promise. Among African leaders, there is a
greater determination and focus on the transformation of the continent. This is
the required impetus for the achievement of development objectives
that will benefit the people, and rebrand the continent even more positively.
18. Although our world has not witnessed a global war
since the establishment of the United Nations, there have been several
conflicts with devastating consequences and impact in virtually all regions of
the world. As global citizens, we have a sacred duty to free our world of
wars, rivalries, ethnic conflicts, and religious divisions. Our
collective effort in our drive for a better world will continue to bind us
together.
Mr. President,
19. Nigeria continues to support the efforts of the United
Nations in addressing the global initiative to combat the menace of the illicit
trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons. We have redoubled efforts to address
this onerous challenge within our borders and across the West African
sub-region.
20. In doing so, we also recognize the need for a broad-based
global partnership in the on-going battle against trans-border crimes,
including terrorism and acts of piracy. It is regrettable that these scourges
are sustained by unfettered access by non-state actors to illicit small arms
and light weapons with which they foster insecurity and instability across our
continent. For us in Africa, these are the ‘weapons of mass destruction’!
21. It is therefore, in the light of our collective
obligation and unceasing struggle to end this nightmare, that I congratulate
Member-States on the adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) in April this
year. Our hope is that upon its entry into force, the ATT would herald an
era of accountable trade in conventional arms which is critical to the security
of nations.
22. In line with our continued commitment to this project,
Nigeria has signed and ratified the Treaty. We will continue to engage
other Member-States for its successful implementation.
Mr. President,
23. Terrorism constitutes a major threat to global peace and
security, and undermines the capacity for sustained development. In
Nigeria, the threat of terrorism in a few States in the North Eastern part of
our country has proven to be a challenge to national stability. We will
spare no effort in addressing this menace. We are therefore confronting
it with every resource at our disposal with due regard for fundamental human
rights and the rule of law.
24. Nigeria will like to place on record its appreciation
to the international community for its support in this regard. The reign
of terror anywhere in the world is an assault on our collective humanity.
Three days ago, the stark reality of this menace was again brought to the fore
by the dastardly terrorist attack in Nairobi, Kenya. We must stand together to
win this war together.
Mr. President,
25. Piracy, like terrorism, is another menace that has
attained worrisome proportions, especially in Africa’s coastal waters. At the
bilateral and multilateral levels, Nigeria has promoted cooperation to mitigate
its impact and consequences on the security and economies of the affected
coastal states.
26. Indeed, in June this year, the leaders of the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Economic Community of Central
African States (ECCAS) and the Gulf of Guinea Commission met in Yaounde,
Cameroon, and came up with practical steps to collectively confront the menace
of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. This effort will, no doubt, require
reinforcement and wider support and collaborative action on the part of our
international partners.
Mr. President,
27. The situation in the Middle East remains volatile.
The reported use of chemical weapons in the Syrian crisis, is
unacceptable. Nigeria condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the use
of chemical weapons that are prohibited by International Conventions.
28. We applaud the current diplomatic efforts to avert
further escalation of the crisis. We urge all parties involved to end the
violence and seek a negotiated solution, including the instrumentality of the
United Nations.
29. The threat which nuclear weapons pose to the survival
of the human race is to be understood not just in the context of aspirational
nations but also the nations already in possession of such weapons. Nuclear
weapons are as unsafe in the hands of small powers as they are in the hands of
the major powers. It is our collective responsibility to urge the international
community to respond to the clarion call for a peaceful universe in an age of
uncertainty.
30. We can attain this objective if we adopt measures and
policies that will promote nuclear disarmament, protect and renew our
environment, and push towards an international system that is based on trust, mutual
respect and shared goals.
Mr. President,
31. I believe that I express the concern of many about the
slow pace of effort and apparent lack of progress in the reform of the United
Nations, especially the Security Council. We believe strongly, that the
call for democratization worldwide should not be for States only, but also, for
International Organizations such as the UN. That is why we call for the
democratization of the Security Council.
32. This is desirable for the enthronement of justice,
equity, and fairness; and also for the promotion of a sense of inclusiveness
and balance in our world.
33. Our support for the United Nations Security Council in
its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and
security has been total and unwavering. We have, in previous membership
of the Council, demonstrated both the political will and capacity to engage in
key Council responsibilities. Nigeria has therefore decided to seek
election for the 2014-2015 Non-Permanent Seat of the UNSC.
34. I am pleased to state that Nigeria has received the
endorsement of the Economic Community of West African States and the African
Union. We urge this august Assembly to endorse Nigeria’s candidature.
Mr. President,
35. Our world continues to be confronted by pressing problems
and threats. No statement that will be made during this Session can
exhaust the extent of these problems. The world looks to us, as leaders,
to provide hope in the midst of crisis, to provide guidance through difficult
socio-political divisions, and to ensure that we live in a better world.
36. We have obligations to the present generation, but we
have a greater obligation to generations yet unborn who should one day inherit
a world of sufficiency irrespective of the circumstances of their birth or
where they reside on the globe. We must work to make that world a reality
in recognition of our common heritage.
37. We must strive to eradicate poverty, hunger, disease
and human misery; we must eliminate the scourge of nuclear, chemical,
biological, as well as small arms and light weapons. We must dedicate ourselves
to working together to address global, regional and national challenges and
deliver a more peaceful, equitable and prosperous world for all. It is
our duty. We must not fail.
38. I thank you.
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