We join
previous speakers in congratulating Mr. Nassir
Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, of Qatar, on his election to
preside over the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth
session. His long diplomatic experience makes us
anticipate that our deliberations will be crowned with
success. We take this opportunity to assure him our full
readiness to contribute to the success of this session,
and wish him well in the discharge of his duties.
We extend our congratulations to the President’s
predecessor, Mr. Joseph Deiss of the Swiss
Confederation, on his commitment, pragmatism and
dynamism in the conduct of the work of the sixty-fifth
session.
We also congratulate Mr. Ban Ki-moon on his
reappointment to the post of Secretary-General, which
demonstrates the recognition of Member States, and of
the international community as a whole, of his
commitment to the pursuit and consolidation of peace,
security and international development. We are
encouraged that, thanks to his full commitment, we
will continue to work together, under the aegis of the
United Nations, to find appropriate solutions to
common problems facing humanity.
We welcome the newest Member of the United
Nations, the Republic of South Sudan. With this sister
country, we celebrated its independence and at that
time expressed our congratulations on this important
milestone.
This session takes place at a critical stage of
human history, characterized in particular by the
impact of the ongoing global financial and economic
crisis; the rising prices of food and oil; the resurgence
of hotbeds of tension and political instability,
particularly in North Africa and the Middle East; the
prevalence of pandemics such as malaria, tuberculosis
and HIV/AIDS; and the increasing occurrence of
natural disasters. These challenges require a
multilateral approach in order to find consensual,
effective and sustainable responses.
Indeed, the negative impact of these complex
phenomena, especially in developing countries, is a
potential factor of political and social instability. It is
therefore necessary to focus on democratic principles
grounded on dialogue, inclusive governance,
accountability and transparency and respect for human
rights.
9 11-50847
In this context, we commend the choice of theme
for the session: the role and importance of mediation
for the prevention of violent conflicts, for the pursuit
of peaceful solutions and for the strengthening and
consolidation of mutual trust. Those are key factors for
building a solid and lasting peace.
We all yearn for a better world in which peace
and security, harmony and concord reign, a world in
which everyone’s concern is to combat poverty, fight
against epidemics and promote the welfare and
prosperity of humankind.
The proliferation of crises and the perpetuation of
dissonant positions, rather than a search for solutions
to the many problems that affect all humanity, make
this dream become increasingly difficult to achieve.
Therefore, strengthening multilateralism and global
governance by the United Nations is of critical
importance.
This session takes place in the year in which the
United Nations family recalls the fiftieth anniversary
of the physical disappearance of Secretary-General
Dag Hammarskjöld. It is also 25 years since the
assassination, by apartheid, of our late President
Samora Moisés Machel. Those two personalities were
lovers and defenders of peace, and they lost their lives
when seeking peace for countries of our Mother Africa.
In honour of those great names and all those who gave
their lives to mediation and preventive diplomacy as a
means for the peaceful settlement of disputes, let us all
reaffirm our commitment to peace, and redouble our
commitment in support of initiatives aimed at building
a world free of conflict.
Mediation should be seen as an opportunity to
bring together the parties to a dispute, reduce their
differences and appeal to conscience so that together
they can move towards mutually acceptable peaceful
solutions. Mediation cannot be started with the
assumption that we have all the answers; the mediation
process should be conducted in an objective, impartial
and neutral manner, ensuring the involvement of
stakeholders at all stages and their ownership of the
process. These are basic principles that ensure the
continuity and consolidation of the process of national
reconciliation and reconstruction, and, more important,
the building of mutual trust.
Aware of these principles, Mozambique is proud
to be part of some positive experiences in different
mediation processes in southern Africa and the African
continent as a whole. We have thus contributed to
helping other countries to return to the path leading to
social and economic development. We therefore appeal
for appreciation of the mediation role of the United
Nations and regional and subregional organizations.
The universality of the United Nations gives it a
key role in promoting international peace and security
by resorting to peaceful means to settle disputes. In
this sense, the Organization is once again called upon
to assume the responsibility entrusted to it in the
Charter as a facilitator of mediation within the concert
of nations, through its organs, in particular the Security
Council and the General Assembly, as well as through
the Peacebuilding Commission.
We praise the progress made by the United
Nations, whose impact on prevention, mitigation and
mediation of internal and inter-State conflicts has been
positive. These achievements can be consolidated by
strengthening the relationship between the principal
organs of the United Nations with a mandate to
safeguard international peace and security, as well as
their relationship with regional and subregional
organizations.
We reaffirm our recognition of the role of the
regional and subregional organizations as pillars in the
promotion and maintenance of peace, security and
stability through the use of preventive diplomacy and
early warning systems.
The African experience has proved that the
various regional and subregional mediation initiatives
have been effective in preventing and managing
conflicts and tensions, and in maintaining regional
peace and stability. In this context, we salute the
signature of the political road map leading to the return
to constitutional order in Madagascar, the culmination
of a negotiating process, mediated by the Southern
African Development Community, which started in
August 2009.
The United Nations remains the appropriate
forum for addressing current challenges, including the
peaceful resolution of disputes. However, in order to
assume its role effectively, our Organization must
complete the ongoing reforms.
In this sense, we reiterate the commitment of the
Republic of Mozambique to continue to provide
relevant input to the reform process, which helps the
United Nations to become more proactive and effective
11-50847 10
in dealing with global issues, thus contributing to the
consolidation of its credibility and legitimacy, in the
interests of the peoples of the world. In this regard, we
reiterate our interest in seeing the conclusion of the
process of revitalization of the role and authority of the
General Assembly as a more representative and
legitimate body of the United Nations.
It is in this Assembly, where we are all
represented and where every vote counts, that the most
important decisions on the international agenda,
including the peaceful and negotiated settlement of
disputes, should be taken and evaluated. Only a strong
General Assembly, endowed with the necessary
authority and competence and adequate resources,
would be up to these responsibilities and current
challenges.
Another important component of reform that
continues to deserve our attention is the Security
Council. This body should, in a transparent, inclusive
and democratic manner, follow the evolution and
dynamics of contemporary global challenges and
assume its vital role in building the credibility of the
United Nations as a universal entity. We are confident
that these reforms will allow greater dialogue and
cooperation between the General Assembly and the
Security Council, strengthening the relationship with
each other and with relevant regional and subregional
organizations.
We have been following with due attention the
social and political developments in North Africa and
the Middle East. We recognize that these developments
pose a challenge for the countries and regions
concerned and also for the international community.
We are hopeful that the processes in progress will
capitalize on opportunities to promote peace, expand
freedoms, promote development and improve living
conditions. We call upon all relevant actors to engage
in constructive dialogue and work for peaceful
solutions to ensure peace and stability.
From those developments we have learned the
lesson that internal dialogue, regional cooperation, and
fairness in the interventions of the United Nations
should be privileged.
We note with concern the lack of progress in the
Israeli-Arab peace process. In this context, we urge the
parties to commit themselves to relaunching
negotiations that are translated into concrete actions
with a view to a lasting, comprehensive and fair
conflict solution. We reiterate our unequivocal support
for the cause of the Palestinian people, who have been
denied the inalienable right to self-determination.
We reaffirm our support for the principle of the
creation of two States, Palestine and Israel, coexisting
peacefully and in accordance with the 1967 borders.
We also reiterate our support for the commitment of
the international community to finding a sustainable
solution in favour of the people of Western Sahara. We
also reiterate our support for their legitimate right to
self-determination.
We take this opportunity to express our solidarity
with the brotherly peoples of Somalia, Ethiopia and
Kenya, plagued by severe drought and famine. We
praise the efforts that the international community has
made so far to alleviate the suffering and loss of life.
Finally, we reaffirm the continued engagement
and commitment of the Republic of Mozambique to
peace, security and stability.