Allow me, Sir, to
congratulate you on your well-deserved election to the
office of President at the sixty-fifth session of the
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General Assembly. Your career as a leader and
diplomat speaks for itself. I assure you of my
delegation’s support during your tenure of office. I
should also commend your predecessor, His Excellency
Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, for a job well done.
The choice of theme for this session of the
General Assembly, namely, reaffirming the central role
of the United Nations in global governance, is not only
apt but inspired. The founding of the United Nations
was propelled by the determination to save future
generations from the scourge of war. It was driven by
the desire to reaffirm faith in fundamental human
rights, the rule of law and, not least, to promote social
progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.
For the past 65 years, this Assembly of nations
has been convening here every year in pursuit of the
lofty ideals of the United Nations. Yet for 65 years, the
achievement of these ideals has eluded us.
Unilateralism and war remain the order of the day.
Disrespect for international law, vast economic
inequities, injustice and suppression of basic freedoms
are the challenges we face today, just as we did 65
years ago. In addition, we have climate change,
financial and economic crises, terrorism and religious
intolerance to contend with. Needless to mention, such
challenges have heightened threats to world stability
and international peace and security.
Let the events of the first decade of this
millennium be a lesson for all of us to learn and
treasure. We have learned a lesson in the futility of
unilateralism, intolerance and war; that selfishness in
world relations is suicidal. We have learned a lesson in
the value of collective decision-making and inclusive
development, if our planet and its inhabitants are to
survive. These lessons say to us that mankind must turn
away from the path of self-destruction. The route to
peace and stability is clear to all of us, yet we continue
to lose ourselves in the wilderness of instability and
poverty, because we are blinded by ulterior motives.
If we value the lessons of the past decade, we
must accept that war is brutal, destructive and
unacceptable. The founding fathers of the United
Nations were right when they affirmed the centrality of
the United Nations in global decision-making and
governance. We must admit that great injustices are
being committed during our times and that human
rights are being trampled upon as we stand by silently.
In this regard, for decades now, the people of
Western Sahara, Cuba and Palestine have been calling
on this august body for help in reversing the injustices,
humiliation and atrocities that are visited upon them by
colonialism, unilateral economic blockades and brutal
occupation. Even today, the people of these territories
are still calling. They are calling to you. Will you listen
and respond, or will you look or walk away? Surely we
cannot condone injustice and yet hope for peace.
Sustainable peace can only be based on justice and the
protection of basic freedoms for all.
By the same token, Zimbabwe must be freed from
unilateral sanctions, as her people work together under
the unity Government to determine their own future
under the leadership of their own choice. In addition,
external interests must not be allowed to take
precedence over the desire of the people of Madagascar
for democracy and stability in their country.
Somalia is a festering wound on the African
continent. Let us rise to the appeal that was made by
the President of the Transitional Federal Government
of Somalia to the Assembly a few days ago. He urged
us to assist the people of Somalia to join the
international movement for the achievement of peace,
the rule of law and the Millennium Development Goals
(see ).
Planet Earth is the only world in which we can
live in shared prosperity and peace. In the wake of the
devastating effects of climate change, we all converged
in Copenhagen with optimism, but left with mixed
feelings following lack of international consensus and
the necessary political will. In the meantime, climate
change continues to wreak havoc, particularly in those
vulnerable developing countries that do not have the
means to adapt to or mitigate the impacts of global
warming. Lesotho signed the Copenhagen Accord
because we believed that it represented a step forward,
even though it did not fully satisfy our aspirations. It is
our hope that, the forthcoming Conference in Cancún,
Mexico, will achieve international consensus, leading
to a legally binding regime on the management of
climate change.
The just-ended High-level Meeting on the
Millennium Development Goals confirmed to us that
the recent economic and financial downturn has
disrupted our strategies for achieving the Millennium
Development Goals by 2015. Despite this fact, we
appeal to our development partners to fulfil their
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official development assistance commitments to help
accelerate our progress in the achievement of the
Millennium Development Goals.
The world is still grappling with terrorism. For as
long as this menace exists, there will not be peace on
Earth. Terrorism knows no boundaries and does not
respect human life. There is neither a country nor an
individual who can claim immunity from terrorism.
Terrorist groups are benefiting from globalization by
decentralizing their operations, building new
partnerships with armed groups, and using advanced
technology to further their cause. This menace will not
be eradicated until we address the root causes, not the
symptoms, of terrorism.
Religious intolerance is closely related to
terrorism. We must acknowledge that religious
tolerance is a prerequisite to international peace and
stability, and that the world’s diversity of cultures and
religions must be respected and tolerated, as it
represents the strength and collective heritage of
humankind. Cultivation of the culture of religious
tolerance must be inscribed high on the agenda of the
international community.
One of the fundamental conditions for
maintaining international peace and security is our
commitment to the disarmament and non-proliferation
agenda. More than six decades after the founding of the
United Nations, disarmament sadly remains a major
challenge for the international community. Today we
see a steadily growing list of de facto nuclear-weapon
States. Proliferation of the weapons of mass
destruction must stop. So must the development of new
generations of nuclear weapons by nuclear-capable
States. We must strive for a nuclear-weapon-free
world. It is the responsibility of those States to stop
threatening the use of nuclear weapons as an option in
the pursuit of their foreign policy interests. Lesotho
will continue to join hands with all peace-loving
nations to support international disarmament and
non-proliferation regimes.
While the international community has registered
some successes in consolidating peace in some parts of
the world, a significantly large number of conflicts
remain unresolved. Some of these conflicts are in
Africa. As African leaders, we purposefully declared
2010 as the Year of Peace and Security in Africa. We
resolved to find African solutions to African problems.
However, we have acknowledged our shortcomings in
terms of capacity in peacekeeping and peacebuilding.
Consequently, we look to the international community
to complement our efforts and resources in this regard.
Conflict-affected countries must also have the
necessary political will to accommodate and facilitate
legitimate external intervention that is intended to
resolve conflict. At the same time, they must not
abandon their primary responsibility as Governments
to protect all their citizens.
In conclusion, it is my considered view that all
these challenges can be overcome, if we accept that the
United Nations is a place where a better and more
secure life for humankind must be championed. But its
structures should be reformed to efficiently fulfil this
noble mandate. Multilateral diplomacy should supplant
the traditional unilateral path in the resolution of
disputes. The United Nations must not be held hostage
to the desires of any single country or group of States.
Its actions should reflect as wide a consensus of
Member States as possible.
Let us continue to reaffirm the central role of the
United Nations in global governance. Let us remember
that might can never be right and can never defeat
collective resolve. It is only then that collectively we
shall be able to promote progress and better standards
of life in larger freedom.