From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Mon Sep 28 2009 - 12:50:16 EDT
Full text of Eritrean FM's speech at UN
STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY MR. OSMAN SALEH MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
OF THE STATE OF ERITREA AT THE GENERAL DEBATE OF THE 64th SESSION OF THE
UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY NEW YORK, 28 SEPTEMBER 2009
Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Let me begin by congratulating our sisterly country, the Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya, and you personally, Mr. President, on your assumption of the
presidency of the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly
and I express our confidence that your long diplomatic skill and
leadership will lead us to a successful conclusion of the session. I
wish to assure you the full support of the delegation of the State of
Eritrea in the realization of your
mission.
Permit me also to seize this opportunity to pay a well deserving tribute
to your predecessor, H. E. Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann of Nicaragua, for
the very able and effective manner in which he carried the affairs of
the 63rd session.
Likewise, we commend the Secretary-General, H. E. Ban Ki-moon, for his
efforts with which he continues to administer the affairs of our United
Nations and especially for convening the Climate Change Summit last
week.
Mr. President,
The United Nations General Assembly is holding its annual General Debate
for 2009 at a very critical juncture. One year after the world
"Financial and
Economic Crisis" began, this gathering provides us another opportunity
for reflection.
The Hall in which we convene today and the lofty purpose for which it
was founded have both outlived their time. This body was conceived in
another era to address the challenges of the post World War I and World
War II world order. Therefore, it cannot realistically cope with the
exigencies of the 21st century.
>From an objective point of view, the United Nations should have embarked
on a process of transformation 20 years ago in concurrence with the end
of the Cold War. By now, it should have been replaced by a reformed
organization fit to address the challenges of the century we live in and
beyond. The calls for the reengineering of this renewed organization
have not been few.
Two decades have passed without any meaningful outcome in the direction
of substantial reform. The "Financial and Economic Crisis" and the
global awareness that it has spawned are mere symptoms of the
consequences of inaction at the cost of reform.
Mr. President,
The prevailing world order has not succeeded in guaranteeing the peace
and security of our world, in spite of the noble intentions that brought
forth its creation and despite the harsh lessons learnt from the two
World Wars. On the contrary, this ageing world order has been hijacked
to serve the interest
of the few, opening the door for a myriad of ramifications.
Financial institutions have been left to operate astray without
restrictions or regulations. Economic structures that pillage the
resources and wealth of peoples and nations have been consolidated.
Illegitimate military and coercive blunders have been allowed to fester
unchecked; the employment of war and its proliferators have been refined
in a business like order.
The number of people suffering from poverty and hunger has not been
reduced; it has rather multiplied in many folds. Violent extremism has
not received the attention it deserves; rather it has been further
fuelled and manipulated as a pretext and excuse for ulterior motives. A
culture of "politics of fear" and
"management by crisis" has been nurtured, exploited and established as a
norm.
Indeed, world peace and security have been imperiled beyond measure. The
United Nations, itself, has been one of the victims of this world order.
Evidences to this effect are known to us all and are welldocumented.
Reform and change have been long overdue. Despite the fervent calls for
reform by the international community, the few who control the outdated
world order are unfortunately not attuned to the notion of change. They
have instead regarded the crises and suffering as ordinary historical
imperatives. Towards this end, they have resisted all attempts at
introducing change, and through their preexisting clout, influence and
advantages, they were able to block it. Thus, no real reform has been
made so far.
Mr. President,
In this global maelstrom, where even the populaces of the developed
countries have been adversely affected, none have been more exposed to
harm than those of the marginalized in Africa. We, the peoples of
Africa, have been victims of poverty and hunger, models of backwardness,
metaphors for diseases and epidemics. And the continent has become the
ground for crises and conflicts. In this regard, the most important case
for concern is the fact that the special interest groups have rendered
the Africans paralyzed. Hence, instead of resolving our own problems, we
find ourselves amid poverty, hunger and disease; rather than actively
striving to achieve
development and growth.
Similarly, when it comes to the resolution of crises and conflicts,
Africans find themselves dependent on the goodwill of others. However,
criticism is not only reserved for the special interest groups that
steer the prevailing world order but also be apportioned to the other
special interest groups who serve as instruments and partners of the
former.
Indeed, the role of Africa in this august body as well as other
international organizations could be better described as
inconsequential. The evidence for this unfortunate matter is also well
documented.
Mr. President,
In order that world peace and security may be preserved, justice and
human rights be respected, poverty and hunger be eradicated, and
economic development and growth be made to benefit the majority in a
sustainable fashion, the need for fundamental change in this
organization and other international bodies should not be left to the
goodwill of the few.
The change that needs to be effected to transform this "outdated world
order" into a "new world order" should not only be gilded in reform, it
should be solidly genuine to the effect that it portends peace, security
and prosperity for the coming generations.
The desired reform should not only be limited to increasing the number
of seats in the United Nations Security Council. It should rather steer
away our world from its dangerous path of descent, where it is
controlled by the powerful few and redirect it towards a path that
ensures the safety of all. Though this is the ideal for which the
world's population aspires and strives, the African Continent, for
obvious and
special reasons, need to expend more efforts to achieve it.
But beyond all the good wishes, the fundamental reform that we are
waiting for requires collective commitment. On this auspicious occasion,
it would not do justice to dwell on numerous current events, or
consequences spawned by the fundamental flaws of the world order. Doing
so would only serve to confuse and distort the bigger picture.
Therefore, I have chosen not to address important issues of the Horn of
Africa and Eritrea's specific issue of illegal occupation of sovereign
Eritrean territory which is already in the records of the United Nations
awaiting responsible and urgent action.
I thank you, Mr. President.
http://www.un.org/ga/64/generaldebate/pdf/ER_en.pdf
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