MR. PRESIDENT,
YOUR EXCELLENCIES,
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
WE HAVE COME TO NEW
YORK NOT ONLY TO CELEBRATE BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY TO REFLECT ON OUR ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE LAST
MILLENNIUM AND TO PONDER OUR FUTURE. THIS OCCASION GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO REDEFINE
THE WORKING MECHANISMS OF A UNITED NATIONS WHICH SHOULD BE PEOPLE FOCUSED.
MR. PRESIDENT,
IT IS REGRETTABLE
THAT, SO MANY YEARS AFTER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS BODY, GLOBAL PEACE IS STILL FAR FROM
BEING ACHIEVED WHILE THE WAR ON WANT IS IN DIRE JEOPARDY AS THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE WORLD
POPULATION CONTINUES TO LIVE IN ABJECT POVERTY.
POVERTY IS NOT AN
ACCIDENT BUT A RESULT OF INEQITOUS ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL INTERACTION IN WHICH, THE WEAK
CONTINUE TO BE DEPRIVED OF RESOURCES NECESSARY FOR DEVELOPMENT.
IT IS, MR PRESIDENT,
TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE THAT IN THIS MODERN DAY AND AGE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND THE
SUPERHIGHWAY OF INFORMATION THAT SQUALOR, MISERY, DISEASE CONTINUE TO RAVAGE MILLIONS OF
OUR PEOPLE ESPECIALLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN WHO BEAR THE BRUNT OF POVERTY.
IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO SEARCH IT'S MORAL CONSCIENCE AND FOCUS ON THIS SERIOUS BLEMISH.
MEASURES TO ADDRESS THIS SITUATION ARE AS
CLEAR AS THEY ARE SELF EVIDENT. THEY INCLUDE; IMPROVED
MARKET ACCESS, DEEP AND BROADER DEBT RELIEF FOREIGN DIRECT
INVESTMENT AND OTHER CAPITAL INFLOWS, AND FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT IN THE
MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM.
THE LAUNCH OF THE
ENHANCED HIGHLY INDEBTED POOR COUNTRIES INITIATIVE (HIPC) BY THE G8 COUNTRIES HAS HAD
LITTLE IMPACT ON DEBT AND POVERTY.
THE ELIGIBILITY AND
ACCESS TO THE HPIC INITIATIVE MUST BE MORE OPEN TO BENEFIT MANY MORE COUNTRIES THAT ARE IN
DESPERATE NEED OF SUPPORT.
DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, WHO
HAVE NOT DONE SO SHOULD STRENGTHEN THEIR EFFORTS TO HONOUR THE LONGSTANDING UNDERTAKING TO
ALLOCATE 0.15 PER CENT OF THEIR GNP AS OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE TO LEAST DEVELOPED
COUNTRIES AND MORE DONORS TO MOVE TOWARDS THE 0.20 PER CENT TARGET.
THE IMPACT OF AID HAS
NOT ONLY BEEN LIMITED BY ITS DECLINING VOLUME BUT ALSO BY THE LACK OF CONCRETE ACTION TO
ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF CONCERN BY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.
MR. PRESIDENT,
THE WORLD SHARES A
COMMON HUMANITY, WHOSE ESSENCE MUST GO BEYOND MERE RHETORIC TO CONCRETE ACTION TO
ELIMINATE THE OBVIOUS IMBALANCES THAT CONTINUE TO EXERCEBATE POVERTY AND MARGINALISATION.
THE UNITED NATIONS
MUST AS A MATTER OF URGENCY GIVE POVERTY ERADICATION THE PRIORITY IT DESERVES. WE MUST
DEVELOP CLEAR, ACTION ORIENTED PROGRAMMES TO COMBAT THIS SCOURGE THAT CLAIMS MORE VICTIMS
THAN WARS. IT IS FUTILE TO CLAIM A COMMON GLOBAL HUMANITY WHILE PERPETUATING STRUCTURES OF
INJUSTICE AND INEQUALITY. GIVEN POLITICAL WILL AND DETERMINATION POVERTY CAN BE ELIMINATED
FROM THE FACE OF THE WORLD.
THE SOLUTIONS TO THIS
CRISIS TO A LARGE MEASURE DEPEND ON THE RESTRUCTURING OF THE UNITED NATIONS ITSELF.
MR. PRESIDENT,
IN ITS PRESENT FORM,
THE UNITED NATIONS LACKS THE CAPACITY TO RESPOND ADEQUATELY TO THESE PROBLEMS. IT IS FOR
THIS REASON THAT MY GOVERNMENT IS CALLING FOR THE NEED TO ENERGIZE AND REFOCUS THE
ORGANISATION AS A MATTER OF URGENCY TO ENABLE IT RESPOND TO THESE CHALLENGES. THE UN
SHOULD BE MADE MORE VIABLE TO SUPPORT TRANSPARENCY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE, IMPROVE HUMAN
RIGHTS, PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT, CONSOLIDATE DEMOCRACY AND IMPROVE THE STANDARDS OF
LIVING OF OUR PEOPLE. IT MUST BE GIVEN THE CAPACITY TO DEAL WITH THE SERIOUS CONDITIONS
AND CIRCUMSTANCES THAT CONTINUE TO AFFLICT THE GLOBE.
MR. PRESIDENT,
IT IS A CONTRADICTION
IN TERMS THAT WHILE ON THE ONE HAND WE HAVE BEEN CHAMPIONING DEMOCRATISATION ACROSS THE
GLOBE, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DEMOCRATISE THE SECURITY COUNCIL.
MR. PRESIDENT,
AS WE COMMEMORATE THE
MILLENNIUM, WE SHOULD GIVE HOPE TO THE WAR AFFLICTED PEOPLES IN MANY REGIONS OF THE WORLD
BY FINDING LASTING SOLUTIONS TO THE CAUSES OF CONFLICT.
MR.
PRESIDENT,
AFRICA
HAS BEEN HARDEST HIT BY THESE CONFLICTS. WE, THE MEMBERS OF THIS FAMILY OF NATIONS MUST
SPEED UP OUR REACTION TO SUCH CRISES. OUR SLOW RESPONSE HAS ON MANY OCCASIONS PROVED VERY
COSTLY, LEADING TO THE LOSS OF MANY LIVES.
MR.
PRESIDENT,
WE
IN AFRICA HAVE RECOGNISED THAT MILITARY AND OTHER UNCONSTITUTIONAL UPHEAVALS ARE THE MAJOR
CAUSES OF POLITICAL INSTABILITY. AS A RESULT THE ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN UNITY HAS ADOPTED
THE "RED CARD PRINCIPLE, MEANING THAT ANY OAU MEMBER STATE WHOSE GOVERNMENT COMES
INTO POWER BY UNCONSTITUTIONAL MEANS WILL IMMEDIATELY BE SUSPENDED FROM THE ORGANISATION
UNTIL SUCH A GOVERNMENT RESTORES DEMOCRATIC RULE.
MR.
PRESIDENT,
THE
UNITED NATIONS NEEDS TO ADOPT A SIMILAR DECLARATION TO ELIMINATE UNCONSTITUTIONAL REMOVAL
OF ELECTED GOVERNMENTS.
MR.
PRESIDENT,
MY
GOVERNMENT HOPES THAT THE UNITY OF PURPOSE EXPRESSED AT THIS SUMMIT WILL PROVIDE A
HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO ALL OF US TO AGREE ON A PROCESS FOR A FUNDAMENTAL REVIEW OF THE
ROLE OF AND CHALLENGES FACING THE UNITED NATIONS.
I
THANK YOU.
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