Lesotho

For the past 78 years, the world’s leaders have gathered together in this Assembly Hall in September every year because of their deep- rooted conviction that the nations of the world can. and should, cooperate to resolve conflicts peacefully and to change people’s lives for the better. That vision of our forebears, that of a united, peaceful and prosperous world, continues to resonate with us and will indeed transcend countless future generations. That is so because the strides of the United Nations are too glaring to deny. From preventing third world war to buttressing the foundations of global security, as well as advancing global economic development, the United Nations has left an indelible mark in the annals of history. Despite those remarkable achievements, the United Nations path towards the full realization of its aspirations has always been beset by numerous challenges. The world is currently in a state of turbulence, with intersecting crises growing in scale and severity. With the conflicts and insurgency in the Sahel, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mozambique and Ukraine, and the rising global tensions among nuclear- weapon States, the capacity of the United Nations to maintain global peace and security is put to the test. Climate change, poverty, hunger, diseases, lack of employment, mainly for the youth, and abuse of human rights threaten to overwhelm the international system. As if that is not enough, unconstitutional changes of Government have resurfaced again, while unilateralism and terrorism continue unabated. That state of affairs has given rise to perceptions that the multilateral system is no longer fit for purpose. The question now is how does one restore the confidence to the world population that the United Nations is still as relevant today as it was in 1945. when it was formed. The answer to that question squarely rests on us as the current leadership of the world. It is up to us to make this decade a turning point or a decade in which multilateralism lost its way. It is in that context that we hail as most appropriate the theme chosen for our general debate “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all”. At the heart of our problems lies the challenge of an uneven and uncertain economic outlook. The report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization (A/78/1) aptly captures the fact that the promotion of sustained economic growth and sustainable development has remained a major challenge during the reporting period. It clearly indicates that progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has not only stalled, but reversed in terms of poverty, employment, health, education and other areas. Small and landlocked developing economies, such as Lesotho, bear the biggest brunt, as they are yet to fully integrate into the global markets. Reversing the current economic trajectory requires us to be intentional about multilateral cooperation and to remain true to the principles underpinning the formation of the United Nations. We need to be purposeful in working towards levelling the playing field with regard to the global financing architecture and thus speak with one voice in calling for the democratization and reform of the Bretton Woods institutions. Moreover. Lesotho continues to fully support the proposal of the Secretary-General on the SDG stimulus. At the same time, we would like to add our voice to the call for the Group of 20 (G20) countries to provide the SDG stimulus to the tune of at least $500 billion per year, to be delivered through a combination of grants and concessional and non-concessional finance. The international commitments undertaken must be fulfilled. We also welcome the recent G20 decision to accredit the African Union as its official member. Despite our challenges as least developed countries, we are not sitting back as spectators in the process of achieving the SDGs. Some of our efforts at the country level include the hosting of a high-level event on nutrition and food security by His Majesty King Letsie III in Lesotho in March this year. The aim of the event was to promote strong political momentum to mobilize commitments and investment in the fight against hunger and malnutrition on the continent. We are also making concerted efforts to sponsor the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals through our national fiscal allocations and actions. Two months ago. in collaboration with the United Nations country office in Lesotho. I launched the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, which is aimed at the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. While we hail the United Nations for that gesture, we wish to indicate that significant resource gaps still exist. We therefore call on our development partners to make more resources available towards that endeavour. Climate change is also one of the formidable challenges of our time. That is evidenced by the changing weather patterns, hurricanes, storms and catastrophes that we endure every year. The recent earthquake in Morocco and the floods in Libya are a case in point. Allow me at this point to convey our sincere condolences to the families that lost their loved ones in those disasters. We also express solidarity and support to those sisterly African countries and their peoples as they recover and rebuild. In the midst of the climate change crisis, we believe that there is a silver lining on the horizon that may enable us to turn around the fortunes of our people. In Lesotho, we have water, sunlight and wind in abundance, which provide opportunities for innovation and partnerships in renewable energy generation and the creation of jobs. In that regard. I wish to announce that on 12 and 13 October this year. Lesotho will host an international water and hydrogen conference and exposition that will showcase the steps that we are undertaking towards becoming the world’s first sustainable digital hydro nation. We are open to investments in that sector. I therefore take this opportunity to invite Member States and the private sector in their respective countries to attend that ground-breaking event. Our aim is to generate clean energy for domestic use and for export to the neighbouring countries. At the same time, we urge developed countries to meet their financial commitments to providing $100 billion a year to developing States for the implementation of the Paris Agreement. We need to work for implementation that puts people with disability, the youth, women and other vulnerable groups at the centre. We believe that the inclusion of all stakeholders in a programmatic and results-oriented action will bring about fundamental changes in the livelihoods and well-being of our societies. We live in a digital age that compels our countries to ensure broad access to digital tools. The coronavirus disease has taught us that technology is key to fighting diseases and pandemics. The challenges besieging our health systems require improvement in the use of telemedicine and technology. Global cooperation is key in that area. Even as we cooperate in that area, we need to ensure that access to health and medicine must continue to be a priority and adequately funded. We are gratified to share that in Lesotho, digital access has raised awareness among the youth, especially girls, and among women of their rights. That is evident in increased civic engagement and the expression of ideas and opinions by most Basotho women and girls in various sectors. That notwithstanding, full access to digital tools remains a challenge for our rural communities due to the lack of infrastructure and affordability, further perpetuating inequalities that we strive to eradicate. That is one area that needs close collaboration and cooperation with Member States. Even as we hail and support technological innovations, such as artificial intelligence and social media. I must however add that we should not lose sight of the need to address clear threats to people’s rights to safety and privacy. In our quest to achieve our development aspirations, we are also taking initiatives to stimulate medium, small and micro enterprises. That will help to accelerate trade and industrialization, as well as address the prevailing gender imbalances. Lesotho has also embarked on a comprehensive constitutional and legislative reforms process. While not being a one-stop solution for all problems, reforms nevertheless provide the hope that people’s lives will improve due to a new order of public resources management, improved checks and balances, political stability and a focus on the development agenda. As we transition to the implementation of the reforms, we will continue to bank on the support of the United Nations and the international community. The consolidation of peace will continue to be a prerequisite to development. While access to small arms and light weapons, which kill our people on a daily basis, remains unfettered, peace will continue to elude us. While a lack of political will to rid the world of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, including biological and chemical weapons, still exists, global peace and security will forever remain fragile. We call for the implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent. Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects and for the total elimination of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, in line with the international commitments and obligations undertaken. As part of the global community. Lesotho will continue to play a role in fostering global peace, including peace in our region. We are grateful to report to this Assembly that our troops in Mozambique, under the umbrella of the Southern African Development Community, have made commendable strides in thwarting the threat of the deadly insurrection in that country. As we continue to ponder the most pressing issues and challenges facing the international community today, we should not forget the plight of the Sahrawi and the Palestinian people, who continue to live under oppression. Both the General Assembly and the Security Council have recognized their rights to self-determination and independence. Western Sahara should determine its own destiny and live in peace side by side with the Kingdom of Morocco. Equally, the solution to the Palestine question is the implementation of the two-State solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace, security and harmony. It would be remiss of me not to call for the lifting of the economic embargo against the Republic of Cuba, as well as the remaining sanctions against the Republic of Zimbabwe. At the same time, we call for the reform of the Security Council along the lines of the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration. We deserve a Council that is more transparent, representative and democratic. We have learned a lesson from exclusion, intolerance and war that selfishness in world relations is suicidal. We have also learned a lesson about the value of collective decision-making and inclusive development. As I conclude my statement, allow me to note that although the world may have changed since 1945. the United Nations remains the only universal intergovernmental institution that unites us in a global community of States. Yes. the Organization may have shortcomings, but it remains a beacon of hope for humankind. The responsibility to make the United Nations function optimally falls on all of us and must be discharged with a great sense of responsibility.