Making the United Nations Relevant to all People– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly
18 July 2019
Mr. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres,
Your Excellency, Ms Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, Minister of Tourism of South Africa,
Excellencies,
Honoured Guests,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an honour to welcome you to this informal meeting to mark Nelson Mandela International Day. We are joined by Ms. Gay McDougall, Vice Chair of the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, our keynote speaker, and our traditional partners the City of New York, represented here by Mr. Phil Thompson, Deputy Mayor for New York, and other dignitaries.
A decade ago, the General Assembly declared that 18 July – Mandela’s birthday – would be dedicated to his unparalleled service to humanity: from fighting racism, apartheid, poverty and inequality; to promoting human rights, democracy, social justice and peace.
In 2015, the Assembly adopted Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the “Nelson Mandela Rules”, and extended the scope of the Day to promote humane conditions of imprisonment, to raise awareness of prisoners as a continuous part of society, and to value the work of prison staff.
In keeping with a life spent “walking the talk”, Mandela Day is marked not by grand words or gestures, but by action taken by individuals in their communities. Later today, I – and members of my team – will be volunteering at the Brownsville Community Culinary Center, helping to prepare and serve meals. For so many people in this city, the UN can feel like something distant, so I am delighted that we can do something tangible to serve people in Brooklyn, as we strive to serve the whole of humanity.
Dear friends,
In 2002, I had the privilege of meeting President Mandela during the Rio+10 Summit in Johannesburg. I was struck by how his profound respect for human dignity was evident in every interaction with those around him.
Last September, I convened the Nelson Mandela Summit to mark the centenary of his birth. Almost a year later, when principled, far-sighted leadership is in short supply, we feel his loss more than ever. But we can channel his spirit and honour him by carrying forward his legacy.
We must increase our efforts to combat racism and hate speech. The Special Rapporteurs on racism and religious freedom have reported an alarming surge in racist propaganda and attacks on religious communities. Let us strengthen our resolve to fight this scourge, using tools such as the Durban Programme of Action, and the UN strategy on hate speech, recently launched by the Secretary – General.
We must do more to address the lasting impacts of colonialism and slavery. As we enter the fourth year of the Decade for People of African Descent, we must recognise the many levels of discrimination – and violence and abuse – that they continue to face, as well as the structural inequalities that persist. These must be part of our strategy to leave no one behind.
Mandela described overcoming poverty as an act of justice, not charity.
Madiba also declared that freedom cannot be achieved unless women have been emancipated. I firmly believe that empowering women and girls is as close as it gets to a “magic formula” for building more peaceful, inclusive and sustainable societies. It is in this spirit, and in acknowledgment that our destinies are bound together, for good or for ill, that we must move forward. Ultimately, it is by delivering the SDGs that we can live up to the ideals that Mandela lived for; the ideals he was prepared to die for. The ideals of our United Nations.
Those ideals demand that we do more to build a culture of peace – through conflict prevention and mediation, through peacebuilding and sustaining peace, through arms control and disarmament, and through dialogue. Now, more than ever, we must follow Mandela’s example and talk – and listen – to each other, to those we don’t normally speak to, to those who are ignored and marginalized – across borders, sectors and generations.
A decade ago, the General Assembly declared that 18 July – Mandela’s birthday – would be dedicated to his unparalleled service to humanity: from fighting racism, apartheid, poverty and inequality; to promoting human rights, democracy, social justice and peace.
Excellencies,
This coming year is our chance to make concrete progress on building the future we want – and the multilateral system we need to achieve it. This is our chance to make the UN more effective, transparent, accountable and relevant to the people it serves. From High-Level Week this September to the UN’s 75th anniversary in September 2020, and key events in between – such as Beijing plus 25, we need to demonstrate greater trust, cooperation, and shared responsibilities in order to address the multiple crises we face, including climate, conflict, violence, poverty, inequality. There can be no better tribute to Mandela than being each other’s keepers and stewards of the planet.
As we contend with challenges old and new, let Madiba’s legacy inspire us to act in a way that matches the ambition of our resolutions.
Thank you.
