It is indeed a great
pleasure to see a seasoned African diplomat presiding
over the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. I
would like to express my warmest congratulations to
him on his election to that high office. I know he is
aware, as we are, that he is assuming his responsibility
at one of the most critical periods in the history of this
Organization and that of multilateralism in general.
Those of us in the East African region know him very
well as a friend and distinguished diplomat. We are
confident that he will use his wisdom and experience
to build consensus on a range of issues on the agenda
of the General Assembly at this historic session and
effectively guide its work. Let me therefore assure him
of the full support and cooperation of my delegation in
the successful discharge of his heavy responsibilities. I
also wish to commend his predecessor for the excellent
contribution he made to ensuring the success of the
sixty-eighth session of the General Assembly. Indeed,
it was a remarkable session, which laid the foundation
for the major task that lies ahead.
This session is being held at a historic time, when
we have embarked upon a major undertaking to shape
the future we want for present and future generations. If
we do what we must, it could be remembered in history
as a session that helped us turn the corner in ensuring
effective custodianship of the environment, economic
justice and social responsibility. What we agreed over
two years ago in Rio must be what galvanizes our
common effort. We said then that poverty eradication
is the greatest global challenge facing the world today
and an indispensable requirement for sustainable
development.
global warming, we are indeed playing a leading role
in terms of mitigation by scaling up our efforts in
renewable energy and promoting energy efficiency. It is
only fair and proper that that be adequately recognized
and supported.
There can be no doubt that the challenge posed
by climate change requires leadership and political
commitment at all levels. We have no choice but to
rise to that challenge by taking concrete actions to
help reduce emissions and demonstrating the necessary
political will to achieve a globally binding climate
agreement by 2015 in Paris. Failure is not an option.
What we see here at the United Nations is a
readiness on the part of States to think big and focus
on what unites us. That is what underlies the complex
negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda. In
sharp contrast to that, what we are witnessing today is
a general deterioration of the global security situation.
The world is passing through a turbulent period, and
that is not an exaggeration. The proliferation and
intensity of conflicts have significantly increased.
In our part of the world, progress made over the past
decade is being undermined by new cycles of violence
and conflict. The crisis in South Sudan is an example.
We in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development
(IGAD) region are doing everything we can to resolve
the South Sudanese crisis through peaceful means with
the support of the United Nations, the African Union
and international partners. But progress, let alone
a breakthrough, has not been easy to come by. The
situation highlights an often encountered challenge.
Progress in peacemaking can hardly be contemplated
when there is a lack of sufficient commitment to
a peaceful resolution of a crisis by the parties to the
conflict. But IGAD is determined to expend every
possible effort to find a lasting solution to the crisis
through an all-inclusive political dialogue.
In contrast with the situation in South Sudan and
with situations in many parts of the world, the situation
in Somalia has been improving over the course of the
year. Al-Shabaab may not have been entirely removed
as a threat, but it has been greatly degraded. The recent
setback it suffered is bound to speed up its demise. The
military gains made on the ground cannot, however,
be sustained without progress on the political track
through the establishment of local administrations and
the maintenance of law and order in the newly liberated
areas. In that regard, we welcome the establishment
of interim local administrations in central and south-
west Somalia in line with the provisional Federal
Constitution. We need to continue to support Somalia
in its efforts to rebuild itself and make a successful
transition by 2016.
Conflict is not an exclusively African phenomenon.
What has become obvious lately is how much the global
security situation is becoming a source of concern.
Never since the end of the cold war has the global
security situation been as fragile as it is today. The threat
of terrorism has affected ever greater and wider areas
of the world. At no time over the past many decades has
the need for effective cooperation at the international
and regional levels been as pressing and as urgent as it
is today. That the issue of foreign fighters has become
a source of major concern to many is obvious. What is
required to make progress in addressing the challenge is
a readiness to forge cooperation that brooks no double
standards. We need to be resolute in our determination
to work together.
All that means that at no time in recent memory
has multilateralism been as immensely crucial for the
future of the world as it is today. The fact that nations
are driven by the pursuit of national interests has
always been self-evident. But at this juncture in world
history and in the light of the many common challenges
that we all face, we have no more realistic option
than a commitment to enlightened national interest,
which can be promoted only within the framework of
multilateralism.
That, in our view, is the sentiment that we should
all share at the beginning of the sixty-ninth session of
the General Assembly. We cannot be oblivious to the
nexus between our sustainable development agenda and
the global situation of peace and security. “Delivering
on and implementing a transformative post-2015
development agenda”, the theme of this session,
requires a peaceful and stable global environment. It is
also in that context that the threat of the spread of the
Ebola virus should be viewed. It is both a humanitarian
and a security challenge. Containing the spread of the
deadly virus should be a matter of utmost priority.
Let me reiterate that it is critical that we collectively
address the myriad of peace and security challenges
facing our world in order to facilitate progress in the
implementation of the Millennium Development Goals
in the remaining period and to lay a solid foundation for
the realization of our transformative agenda in the post-
2015 era, as well as to achieve a meaningful climate
agreement.
I wish to conclude by stressing Ethiopia’s
commitment to multilateralism, to joining hands with
all like-minded countries in order to contribute to
regional and international peace and security and to the
successful realization of the major projects that we will
undertake in connection with the post-2015 agenda.
As a founding member of the Organization and as a
member of the League of Nations — although Ethiopia
was abandoned by the League — Ethiopia attaches
the highest priority to cooperation among peoples
and countries with a view to addressing common
challenges. It is our conviction that might does not
make right. There is no substitute for the pursuit of
mutual advantages as a guideline for a realistic and just
foreign policy. That is our guide for all the friendships
and partnerships we have and will continue to develop.