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18 July 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Excellencies,<\/p>\n Distinguished Delegates,<\/p>\n Ladies and Gentlemen,<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I thank you for joining the annual celebration of Nelson Mandela International Day, honoring the life and legacy of His Excellency Nelson Mandela.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to the Government of South Africa, particularly His Excellency Mondli Gungubele, Minister in the Presidency of South Africa, as well as the Nelson Mandela Foundation, for their support organizing today\u2019s event.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I would also like to thank New York City Mayor Eric Adams and his Office for organizing this afternoon\u2019s community service event. Giving back to our communities aligns with everything that Mandela stood for, and we appreciate this opportunity.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n In the same spirit, I welcome to the General Assembly Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and thank them for their consistent advocacy around public service.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Finally, allow me to recognize the incredible contributions of the 2020 Mandela Prize Laureates, Mrs. Marianna Vardinoyannis of Greece, and His Excellency Dr. Morissanda Kouyat\u00e9 of Guinea.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n These esteemed individuals have chosen to live their lives in service to humanity, as Madiba would have wanted, and that is to be celebrated.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Friends,<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n We are gathered here not only to celebrate the memory of a man who devoted his life to the pursuit of equality and freedom for all, but to follow in his footsteps and honor his legacy by emulating his lifelong service to humanity.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Today, we pay tribute to Madiba\u2019s legacy by recognizing how far our world has come since he began his life 104 years ago \u2013 remembering the innumerable battles fought and won in the name of justice and peace.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Madiba\u2019s fight against\u00a0apartheid, was in fact a fight for a better world, in which the freedom, justice and dignity of all were respected.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n He called for peace, social justice, equality and human understanding throughout his life.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNo one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion,\u201d Madiba said in his book Long Walk to Freedom.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n He fought for the rightful dignity and equality of every person. And he advocated for engagement and solidarity across borders.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n In times of turmoil, Madiba\u2019s life teaches us to choose dignity over humiliation, to speak up during injustice, and to forgive rather than hate.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n He once said, \u201cTo be free is not merely to cast off one\u2019s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Madiba\u2019s life is a testament that sustainable conflict resolution requires more than an end to violence; it depends on justice and compassion.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This was amply reflected in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which was formed in South Africa to promote reconciliation and forgiveness among both the perpetrators and the victims of apartheid.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Commission worked on the basis that in this human encounter of good and evil, the perpetrator\u2019s evil would be laid bare before the community and the dignity of the victim would prevail.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Dear Friends,<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Madiba\u2019s legacy as an outspoken and untiring advocate for democracy, freedom and equality has been and continues to be an inspiration.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n He saw democracy as a system based on equality and respect for human dignity, a leadership based on humility and a citizenry based on active participation.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Madiba recognized, early on in his Presidency, that no major achievement is possible without gender equality.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n In 1994, at the opening of the first parliament, Madiba declared, \u201cFreedom cannot be achieved unless women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Madiba was of the view that as long as women are bound by poverty and as long as they are looked down upon, human rights will lack substance.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Overseeing the drafting of the South African constitution, Madiba called for imprinting firm principles upholding the rights of women in the supreme law of the land, firm principles.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s indeed an ode to Madiba that today 46.5% of South African parliamentarians are women.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Dear Friends,<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Mandela believed that youth are the rock on which the future is built.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n He believed that children have a right to be whatever they want to be, and that they can achieve this only if they are given the space to dream and live out their dreams.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n He also believed that the youth can use the power of education to change the world.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n He called upon the youth of the world to be \u201cscript writers of their own destinies and feature themselves as stars that showed the way\u00a0towards a brighter future\u201d.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n He founded the \u201cNelson Mandela Institute for Rural Development and Education\u201d in Eastern Cape to improve access to quality education in rural areas through teacher and leadership development, community mobilization and through building strong and lasting public institutions.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Dear Friends,<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Madiba was also an environmentalist.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n His vision of the world was one where all people were able to live a fully dignified life, with clean air to breathe and clean water to drink.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n At a personal level, he was also deeply connected to the earth.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Commenting on the small patch of vegetable garden that he was allowed to grow in prison, Madiba said that the sense of being the custodian of this small patch of earth offered a small taste of freedom.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Elders, a cross-cultural group of leaders that he had years later founded to forge human rights-based solutions to worldwide problems had identified climate justice as one of its top priorities.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n At a time when we are still fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, it is useful to recollect the fight against AIDS that Madiba had launched through his Foundation\u2019s 4664 initiative and the series of AIDS benefit concerts.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Dear Friends,<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n From conflict to climate change, <\/strong>humanity is confronted with great challenges, which, if left unanswered, could threaten the very planet we wish to leave to our children, and to their own.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n At this very moment we are witnessing a war and conflict unseen in generations; a continued global pandemic; global food security crisis; rising costs of living and rampant inequality; and the ever-present danger of a climate crisis.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Any one of these challenges is disconcerting; taken together, it is like a critical mass, spreading anxiety, frustration, and despair.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n But, my friends, this is not the time for despair.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n No matter the challenges and obstacles, we must persevere with conviction, with determination, and with hope. This is what Madiba would have wanted, what he himself fought for.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Madiba once remarked, even if the task seems impossible, do not give into fatalism or despair; otherwise, you’ll do nothing, and there will be no chance of positive social change.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n To fully honor him today, we must channel his perseverance.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n We must turn to each other for comfort; we must find solace in our peers, in our sisters and brothers across the globe; we must have faith in science, in innovation, in human solidarity; and we must believe that together, we can overcome these challenges.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Madiba once said, \u201cPeace is not just the absence of conflict; peace is the creation of an environment where all can flourish, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, class, caste, or any other social markers of difference.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Excellencies,<\/p>\n Ladies and gentlemen,<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n As we prepare for this afternoon\u2019s community service event, let us recall the wise words of Madiba: \u201cIt is in your hands, to make a better world for all who live in it.”<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Today, and every day, let us come together today to honor Madiba\u2019s memory in the spirit of his legacy: through service, for all of humanity.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I thank you all.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" UN General Assembly, New York<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":362,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" Excellencies, colleagues,<\/p> I welcome you all to our second meeting and our first interaction following the resumed part of the session.<\/p> Before I begin, I would like to recognize the loss of our dear friend and esteemed colleague, Ms. Gail Farngalo.<\/p> A Liberian national, Gail was my Team Leader for Human Rights and was active on gender during both the 75th<\/sup> and 76th<\/sup> sessions. She leaves behind a legacy of achievements and a groundswell of respect and affection from across the UN and diplomatic communities. Her presence is certainly felt here today.<\/p> Colleagues,<\/p> When I took on this Presidency of Hope, I pledged to make gender equality a priority area for the 76th<\/sup> session. I continue to look to the board for its wisdom and expertise, as I endeavour to fulfil that pledge.<\/p> In this regard, I have already benefited from the board\u2019s advice, from when we met on October 28th<\/sup> last year.<\/p> Acting on that advice, I committed to ensuring that all my five rays of hope, and all my major initiatives, are approached with a gender lens.<\/p> I made sure that the composition of my office is gender-balanced.<\/p> I have committed to participating only in panels that have equal gender representation.<\/p> Throughout my official interactions and travels, I have endeavoured to meet with women, including heads of states and governments, scientists, civil society representatives, and youth.<\/p> And I am proud to inform you that five young women have been recruited into the Fellowship for HOPE<\/em> that my office recently launched. The Fellowship as you are well aware is targeted at benefiting young diplomats from underrepresented countries, pursuing careers in diplomacy or public service.<\/p> Colleagues,<\/p> While recognizing that we have a long way to go in the battle for gender-equality, I am proud of what my team has been able to accomplish within the past few months.<\/p> Our work continues.<\/p> We will continue to raise our voices on issues disproportionately impacting women, such as domestic violence and work place harassment. We will continue to push the importance of gender-equal work spaces.<\/p> And we will continue to find new paths to empower young women with ambitious professional aspirations.<\/p> Now is not the time to rest on our laurels.<\/p> With the board\u2019s guidance and support, we must use the many opportunities over the coming months to further empower women and girls, and dismantle discriminatory practices against them.<\/p> There are several upcoming events that will provide us such opportunities. I look forward to the board\u2019s suggestions on how we can best utilize them.<\/p> As an example, the International Day of Women and Girls in science is fast approaching. We must recognize that women\u2019s contributions in science and technology have helped us cure diseases; discover new horizons in space; and develop technologies that have vastly improved our quality of life.<\/p> As we celebrate their achievements, we must also open pathways for young girls who aspire to follow in the footsteps of pioneers in science and technology.<\/p> Colleagues,<\/p> Let us also reflect that the theme chosen by the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women for this year is on \u201cachieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes\u201d.<\/p> As we strive to meet our obligations to the planet, let us recognize the important work done by women and girls at the forefront of the climate crisis, and whose humanitarian work in disaster-stricken areas has helped save lives and rebuild communities. We owe it to them to not only celebrate their work but to support them.<\/p> Colleagues,<\/p> Our programme of work for the months ahead has been circulated to members prior to the meeting, for consideration and feedback. Please note that the events we have planned are not exhaustive. I welcome further suggestions from the board on the content and format of future events and activities.<\/p> Colleagues,<\/p> We have made much progress within a short while. And with the board\u2019s support and guidance, I am sure that we can keep up this strong momentum.<\/p> I look forward to working alongside all of you to achieve our vision of a gender-equal world.<\/p> Thank you.<\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[550,556,553],"committee-meeting":[],"class_list":["post-269595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-speeches","tag-ga","tag-pga","tag-shahid","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n