I would first like to
congratulate President Kutesa on his well-deserved
election to the presidency of the General Assembly
at its sixty-ninth session. His distinguished career
as a diplomat and leader assures us of a successful
session. I would also like to commend his predecessor,
Ambassador John Ashe, for his remarkable leadership
during the previous session.
Over the 69 years of its existence, the United Nations
has witnessed several changes in the configuration of
international relations. Some were traumatic, others
benign. The survival of the Organization through
all those tribulations testifies to its resilience and
the enduring validity of its mission. Today it is still
confronted by serious challenges. The continuous
eruption of armed conflicts throughout the world,
terrorism, climate change, disease and the lingering
effects of the economic and financial crises are only
some of the challenges that have remained in the
foreground of international relations and preoccupied
the international community.
From the Horn of Africa and across the Sahel
region, to the Republic of Kenya and the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, the continent of Africa is facing
a rise in terrorism. The Nigeria-based Boko Haram,
Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and Al-Shabaab in
Somalia continue to pose serious threats to the peace
and security of the continent. The emergence in the
Middle East and elsewhere of new extremist groups and
terrorist entities, such as the Islamic State in Iraq and
Syria, has not only further compounded the problem
but is a stark reminder that we must act collectively
to discharge the moral responsibility resting on us to
ensure that people everywhere enjoy the right to peace,
development and the sanctity of life.
The use of military force alone as a strategy for
combating terrorism is no longer a panacea for that
menace. Terrorism requires a holistic approach that
addresses the root causes of the scourge. The resolution
of international disputes based on dialogue, justice and
the equality of all States must be at the heart of that
strategy if it is to succeed.
The recurring bloody conflict between Israel and
Palestine continues to weigh heavily on the conscience
of all humankind. Recent developments in that region
have cast a shadow on the future that had seemed
to hold out the promise of a negotiated settlement.
Unprecedented impunity and the disproportionate
use of force by the parties involved call into question
our very claim to be a civilization. Turning United
Nations shelters into combat zones and killing the
innocent children, men and women who take refuge in
them is a shameful act that must be condemned in the
strongest terms possible. Lesotho endorses the recent
Human Rights Council resolution S-21/1, demanding
that the massacres of innocent Palestinian civilians be
investigated by an independent commission and that
those responsible be held accountable.
Let us not forget that in 2005 we unanimously
adopted the principle of the responsibility to protect
(see resolution 60/1, paragraphs 138-140) in order
to safeguard innocent civilians from war crimes,
genocide, mass atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Indeed,
the Security Council has reaffirmed that principle in
several conflicts around the world and in some instances
has authorized military intervention.
Unfortunately, in the case of the slaughter of
thousands of Palestinian civilians, the Council has
shied away from invoking the principle of responsibility
to protect. Instead, it took comfort in issuing a
presidential statement that glaringly fails to reiterate
accountability for the war crimes committed. Civilians
in Gaza deserve the protection that Israelis in Tel
Aviv are afforded under international law. We call on
Israel — as we have always done in the past — to fully
comply with its obligations under the relevant Security
Council and General Assembly resolutions. That is the
only plausible route to lasting peace.
The world has long come to terms with the dangers
to humanity posed by the possession of weapons of
mass destruction. That is why Lesotho continues to
advocate for total abolition and destruction of all
nuclear weapons. Those weapons have no place in
modern-day civilized society, hence the call for a
convention to ban them all. While working towards
that goal, we must emphasize that full compliance with
the provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation
of Nuclear Weapons is critical. By the same token,
we call for the establishment of a Middle East zone
free of nuclear weapons, in accordance with the 2010
Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
It is unacceptable that the United Nations of today
still reflects the 1945 architecture of the world as seen
by the victors of the Second World War. The reform of
the United Nations, including the Security Council, can
no longer be delayed. A reformed, transparent and more
democratic United Nations is necessary for preserving
international peace and security and for confronting
the challenges of development. All Member States need
to garner the necessary political will to advance the
intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council
reform. Let us make the sixth-ninth session one for
decisive action.
The representatives who gathered in San Francisco
to finalize the Charter of the United Nations dreamed of
a world of peace and shared prosperity. They renounced
a vision of a world in which some unilaterally imposed
economic sanctions and financial blockades against
others, or one in which peoples were denied their right
to self-determination or were subjected to occupation,
as is the case in Cuba, Palestine and Western Sahara.
We have to remove those dark spots on the history of
our time by allowing the letter and spirit of the Charter
to guide our actions.
The theme chosen for our general debate,
“Delivering on and implementing a transformative
post-2015 development agenda”, could not be more
relevant at the current international juncture. The
road towards the achievement of all the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) has been rough, with some
countries reporting relative success in reducing poverty
and hunger, markedly increasing school enrolment,
reducing child mortality, improving maternal health
and combating HIV/AIDS. However, the challenges
remain most daunting in the least developed countries,
landlocked developing countries, some small island
developing States and countries in, or emerging from,
conflict.
For our part, in Lesotho we have made some
progress towards achieving at least two of the eight
MDGs, namely, universal primary education, and
promoting gender equality and empowering women.
We still face a long and uphill journey to reach a life
of dignity for all. HIV and AIDS still pose a serious
threat to us. The untold miseries brought about by that
scourge are known to all of us. Africa is more vulnerable
to that threat because of the worsening poverty and
unemployment. Sadly, new, incurable pandemics such
as Ebola have emerged, wreaking havoc in sister African
countries and overwhelming their health systems. The
world must mobilize resources and energy to help the
affected countries of West Africa fight the pandemic
and to abolish it in the long term.
Our quest to pursue a sustainable future for
all must never wane as we step into the new era and
embark on the road map of the post-2015 development
agenda. We need to formulate a new set of universal
sustainable development goals that are concise and
strong with regard to the means of implementation. It is
important to emphasize national ownership and respect
for national conditions in each Member State and to
take advantage of global diversity so that we can attain
our development aspirations.
As we continue with intergovernmental discussions
leading up to the Third International Conference
on Financing for Development, which will be held
in Addis Ababa in July 2015, we must be guided by
the spirit of frankness and mutual understanding,
without the acrimony that often characterizes
our intergovernmental deliberations. It is equally
important to emphasize that advancing the rule of law
at the national and international levels is essential for
realizing sustainable development, eradicating poverty
and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Lesotho is by no means an exception in that regard.
A few days ago, the Climate Summit provided
us with an opportunity once again to reaffirm our
collective resolve to implement measures that can
significantly address climate change. We disagreed for
far too long, until we were confronted by the glaring and
compelling scientific evidence that the link between
global warming and human activity is indisputable.
Sadly, catastrophes have begun to hit, mostly affecting
the poorest and most vulnerable countries.
My country is one of the worst affected by climate
change. In recent years, Lesotho has faced unsettling
development challenges due to the effects of climate
change. The effects of increasing extreme weather
patterns such as early frost, droughts, desertification
and degradation of arable land compound the challenges
that we are already facing. Livelihoods of societies are
stifled, and economies and ways of life are negatively
affected.
While we appreciate that there are resources aimed
at helping developing countries to mitigate and adapt
to the impacts of climate change, we are concerned
that such funds are difficult to access. The global
climate-finance architecture is complex, with variable
structures of governance and modalities. Some finance
is channelled through multilateral agencies, sometimes
even outside the funding mechanisms of the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,
and some flows through bilateral development-
assistance institutions, thereby making coordination
very difficult. Lesotho calls on the international
community and our development partners to simplify
the accessibility of funds earmarked for climate change
initiatives if we are to make an impact on the ground.
In conclusion, let me point out that the regime of the
Charter of the United Nations has so far done its part in
preventing a third world war, thereby fulfilling one of
the dreams of the architects of our beloved Organization.
The continued success and the relevance of the United
Nations in the new millennium will depend, in large
measure, on its capacity for self-renewal in readiness to
meet modern-day challenges.
We, the United Nations, should continue to be
the voice of the voiceless and the best hope for all
humankind. Now is the time for leaders everywhere to
join the race for transformative action that can drive
peace, democracy, respect for human rights and the rule
of law, human dignity, economic competitiveness and
sustainable prosperity for all. Lesotho will and must
continue to be a persistent and resilient part of that
initiative.