President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the
United Nations to ensure a peaceful resolution of the North Korea nuclear
crisis.
In his speech to the ongoing 72nd United Nations General Assembly in New
York, Mr. Buhari also urged the government of Myammar to halt what he said
“from all indications is a state-backed programme of brutal depopulation of the
Rohingya inhabited areas in Myanmar on the bases of ethnicity and religion.”
The
president praised the world’s “exemplary solidarity” in dealing with Boko
Haram, but generally offered few remarks on Nigeria.
Read his full speech below:
STATEMENT DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY MUHAMMADU BUHARI,
PRESIDENT OF
THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE GENERAL DEBATE OF THE 72ND SESSION OF
UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN NEW YORK,
ON TUESDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER 2017
·
Mr.
President,
·
Fellow Heads of State and Government,
·
Mr.
Secretary-General,
·
Distinguished
Delegates,
·
Ladies and
Gentlemen,
On behalf of
my country, Nigeria, I congratulate you Mr. President on your election and Mr.
Gutteres on his first General Assembly outing as our Secretary-General. I
assure you both of my country’s solidarity and cooperation. You will indeed
need the cooperation of all member States as we are meeting during
extra-ordinarily troubled and dangerous times. Let me also thank former
Secretary-General Mr. Ban ki Moon for his service to the United Nations and wish
him peaceful retirement.
Mr. President,
2. The
previous year has witnessed many far-reaching developments. Some of the most
significant events include the Iran Nuclear Deal, the Paris Climate Change
Agreement and, of grave concern, the North Korean nuclear crisis.
3. Mr.
President, I must also commend the UN’s role in helping to settle thousands of
innocent civilians caught in the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. In
particular, we must collectively thank the Government of the Federal Republic
of Germany under the commendable leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel and the
Governments of Italy, Greece and Turkey for assisting hundreds of thousands of
refugees.
4. In an
exemplary show of solidarity, the international community came together within
my own region to assist the countries and communities in the Sahel and the Lake
Chad regions to contain the threats posed by Al Qaida and Boko Haram.
5. We thank
the Security Council for visiting the countries of the Lake Chad Basin to
assess the security situation and humanitarian needs, and for pledging
assistance to rebuild lives and livelihoods. Indeed, in Nigeria we are
providing relief and humanitarian assistance to millions in camps and those
afflicted by terrorism, drought, floods and other natural disasters.
6. In the
last year, the international community came together to focus on the need for
gender equality, youth empowerment, social inclusion, and the promotion of
education, creativity and innovation. The frontiers of good governance,
democracy including holding free and fair elections, and enthronement of the
rule of law are expanding everywhere, especially in Africa.
7. Our faith
in democracy remains firm and unshaken. Our regional organisation ECOWAS came
together to uphold democratic principles in The Gambia – as we had done
previously in Cote D’Ivoire.
8. Through
our individual national efforts, state institutions are being strengthened to
promote accountability, and to combat corruption and asset recovery. These can
only be achieved through the international community cooperating and providing
critical assistance and material support. We shall also cooperate in addressing
the growing transnational crimes such as forced labour, modern day slavery,
human trafficking and cybercrime.
Mr. President,
9. These
cooperative efforts should be sustained. We must collectively devise strategies
and mobilise the required responses to stop fleeing ISIS fighters from mutating
and infiltrating into the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, where there are
insufficient resources and response capacity is weak.
10. This
will require strong UN cooperation with regional organisations, such as the
African Union, in conflict prevention and management. The UN should continue to
take primary leadership of the maintenance of international peace and security
by providing, in a predictable and sustainable manner, adequate funding and
other enablers to regional initiatives and peacekeeping operations authorized
by the Security Council.
11. Mr.
President, New conflicts should not make us lose focus on ongoing unresolved
old conflicts. For example, several UN Security Council Resolutions from 1967
on the Middle East crisis remain unimplemented. Meanwhile, the suffering of the
Palestinian people and the blockade of Gaza continue.
12. Additionally,
we are now confronted by the desperate human rights and humanitarian situations
in Yemen and most tragically in the Rakhine State of Myanmar. The Myanmar
crisis is very reminiscent of what happened in Bosnia in 1995 and in Rwanda in
1994.
13. The
international community cannot remain silent and not condemn the horrendous
suffering caused by what, from all indications is a state-backed programme of
brutal depopulation of the Rohingya inhabited areas in Myanmar on the bases of
ethnicity and religion. We fully endorse the call by the Secretary-General on
the Government of Myanmar to order a halt to the ongoing ethnic cleansing and
ensure the safe return of the displaced Rohingya to their homes in safety and
dignity.
14. In all
these crises, the primary victims are the people, the most vulnerable being
women and children. That is why the theme of this session: Focusing on People:
Striving for Peace and Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet” is most
apposite.
15. While
the international community grapples to resolve these conflicts, we must be
mindful and focus on the widening inequalities within societies, and the gap
between the rich and the poor nations. These inequalities and gaps are part of
the underlining root causes of competition for resources, frustration and anger
leading to spiralling instability.
16. The most
pressing threat to international peace and security today is the accelerated
nuclear weapons development programme by North Korea. Since the Cuban missile
crisis of 1962, we have never come so close to the threat of nuclear war as we
have now.
17. All
necessary pressure and diplomatic efforts must be brought to bear on North
Korea to accept peaceful resolution of the crisis. As Hiroshima and Nagasaki
painfully remind us, if we fail, the catastrophic and devastating human loss
and environmental degradation cannot be imagined.
Mr.
President, Nigeria proposes a strong UN delegation to urgently engage the North
Korean Leader. The delegation, led by the Security Council, should include
members from all the regions.
19. The
crisis in the Korean peninsula underscores the urgency for all member states,
guided by the spirit of enthroning a safer and more peaceful world, to ratify
without delay the Treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons, which will be open for
signature here tomorrow.
Mr. President,
20. I end my
remarks by reiterating Nigeria’s abiding commitment to the foundational
principles and goals of the United Nations. Since our admission as a member state
in 1960, we have always participated in all efforts to bring about global
peace, security and development. Nigeria will continue to support the UN in all
its efforts, including the attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development.
I thank you.
News Source: - Premium Times | September 19, 2017.
Image
Source: - Ventures Africa | September 21, 2016.
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