On behalf of the Government
and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I salute
the President as he presides over the General Assembly
at its sixty-eighth session. I assure him of the full
support and cooperation of the Nigerian delegation. I
also wish to extend our commendation to Secretary-
General Ban Ki-moon and to place on record Nigeria’s
appreciation of his focused and committed leadership
of the United Nations system.
This session comes 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 address them
meaningfully. It is therefore apt that the theme for this
session, “The 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 States Members of the Organization.
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 expressed their aspirations with respect
to the world they expect beyond 2015. A major highlight
of that 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. Tomorrow, Nigeria will host
a side event on the implementation of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), in collaboration with the
United Nations, a number of African countries and our
development partners.
As I had cause to say before the Assembly at its
previous session (see A/67/PV.8), the year 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-MDG framework.
That 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. The good
news, however, is that in the past decade, a sustained
democratization process across the continent has
made significant difference in governance processes,
institutions and structures. Today, we have a renascent
Africa, which 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.
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. 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.
I wish to express my appreciation at Nigeria’s
selection as co-Chair of the Intergovernmental
Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development
Financing. The importance of the 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 the Organization’s better-
endowed Members.
Nigeria’s commitment to sustainable peace and
security propels the country to action along with
member States of our subregional and continental
organizations whenever stability is threatened in
our continent. In recent years, Africa has had its
share of conflicts, notably in Mali, Guinea-Bissau,
the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central
African Republic and Somalia. 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.
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 subregion. I congratulate
President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who is here with
us today. 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. That is the required
impetus for the achievement of development objectives
that will benefit the people, and rebrand the continent
even more positively.
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.
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 subregion. In doing so, we also recognize
the need for a broad-based global partnership in the
ongoing battle against transborder 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.
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 in April. Our hope is that, upon
its entry into force, the Treaty will herald an era of
accountable trade in conventional arms, which is critical
to the security of nations. In line with our continued
commitment to that project, Nigeria has signed and
ratified the Treaty. We will continue to engage other
Member States for its successful implementation.
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. Nigeria would like to place on record
its appreciation to the international community for its
support in that regard. The reign of terror anywhere
in the world is an assault on our collective humanity.
Three days ago, the stark reality of that menace was
again brought to the fore by the dastardly terrorist
attack in Nairobi. We must stand together to win this
war together.
Piracy, like terrorism, is another menace that has
attained worrying proportions, especially in Africa’s
coastal waters. At the bilateral and multilateral
levels, Nigeria has promoted cooperation to mitigate
piracy’s impact on and consequences for the security
and economies of affected coastal States. Indeed, in
June, the leaders of the Economic Community of West
African States, the Economic Community of Central
African States and the Gulf of Guinea Commission
met in Yaoundé and came up with practical steps to
collectively confront the menace of piracy in the Gulf of
Guinea. That effort will no doubt require reinforcement
and wider support and collaborative action on the part
of our international partners.
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
prohibited by international conventions. We applaud the
current diplomatic efforts to avert a further escalation
of the crisis. We urge all parties involved to end the
violence and seek a negotiated solution, including
through the instruments of the United Nations.
The threat that nuclear weapons pose to the
survival of the human race is to be understood not just
in the context of States that aspire to such weapons but
also of the nations already in possession of them. 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. We can attain that
objective if we adopt measures and policies that
promote nuclear disarmament, protect and renew our
environment and push towards an international system
that is based on trust, mutual respect and shared goals.
I believe that I express the concern of many when
I bring up 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 apply not only
to States but also to international organizations such
as the United Nations. That is why we call for the
Council’s democratization. It is desirable in order to
enshrine justice, equity and fairness and to promote a
sense of inclusiveness and balance in our world.
Our support for the Security Council in its primary
responsibility — the maintenance of international peace
and security — has been total and unwavering. In our
previous membership of the Council we demonstrated
both the political will and the capacity to engage in key
Council responsibilities. Nigeria has therefore decided
to seek election to a non-permanent seat on the Security
Council for the period 2014 to 2015, for which I am
pleased to be able to say we have been endorsed by the
Economic Community of West African States and the
African Union. We urge the Assembly to endorse our
candidature.
Our world continues to be confronted by pressing
problems and threats. No statement made during this
session can encompass the extent of those problems.
The world looks to us, as leaders, to provide hope in
the midst of crisis, to offer guidance through difficult
sociopolitical divisions and to ensure that we live in
a better world. We have obligations to the current
generation, but we have a greater obligation to those
yet unborn, who should one day be able to inherit a
world of sufficiency, irrespective of the circumstances
of their birth or where they stand on the globe. We must
work to make that world a reality in recognition of our
common heritage. We must strive to eradicate poverty,
hunger, disease and human misery; we must eliminate
the scourge of nuclear, chemical and biological warfare,
as well as that of small arms and light weapons. We
must dedicate ourselves to working together to address
global, regional and national challenges and to deliver a
more peaceful, equitable and prosperous world for all.
It is our duty. We must not fail.