Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday addressed the 79th session of the United Nations normal meeting in New York.
Beneath is the total textual content of his speech.
Mr. President,
As you assume the management of this august Meeting, our world is confronted by profound ethical questions that can require greater than the ordinary remarks from this elevated podium to resolve. There are questions concerning the final function of our Organisation, the United Nations itself, and the way it can stay related and resilient.
2. It’s with these sentiments that I convey to you the nice and cozy and fraternal greetings of my countrymen and ladies, and to congratulate you in your assumption of the Presidency of this Meeting. Let me guarantee you of the total cooperation of my delegation in discharging your onerous duties throughout your tenure. In the identical vein, I want to prolong my appreciation to your predecessor, His Excellency, Dennis Francis, for the various outstanding achievements recorded throughout his stewardship.
3. It offers me explicit pleasure to commend His Excellency, António Guterres, the Secretary-Basic of the United Nations, for his dedication to the reason for peace and improvement, and the democratisation of the United Nations to mirror the necessity to appropriate the historic injustice that has been accomplished to Africa. I’m additionally delighted to notice the steadfast help given to the Secretary-Basic by our personal sister and compatriot, Amina Mohammad, Deputy Secretary-Basic, whereas sharing the burden of accountability in main a fancy organisation just like the United Nations.
Mr. President,
4. The theme of this 12 months’s Basic Meeting leaves us in little doubt that there’s nonetheless work to be accomplished to bridge the hole between aspirations and the realities confronting our world immediately. It additionally underscores the necessity to remind ourselves that the United Nations stands for inclusiveness – anchored on the tripod of peace, sustainable improvement and human rights.
5. At the moment, these pillars of our organisation are threatened. They danger being damaged by the relentless pursuit of particular person nationwide priorities relatively than the collective wants of the nations which are assembled right here immediately. Whereas dedication to multilateralism presents us the surest assure of world motion to handle the existential challenges we face, singularity and nationalism are undermining the aspirations in the direction of the peaceable and collective decision of such challenges.
6. From final 12 months’s summit, and certainly from earlier years, we’ve got carried over the quite a few challenges of terrorism, armed battle, inequality, poverty, racial discrimination, human rights abuses, meals crises, starvation, irregular migration, piracy, world pandemics, hyper-inflation, nuclear proliferation, grinding debt burden, local weather change, and a number of different vexations. The continued manifestation of those challenges testifies to our failings relatively than to any lofty achievements on our half. Billions of {dollars} are being dedicated to the prosecution of wars and the fanning of the embers of battle.
7. But, we at all times recoil from bringing out the assets we have to construct peace and to ship life’s requirements to folks. The query of governance is on the coronary heart of our issues – and likewise the answer to them. We recognised this in Nigeria when on twelfth June this 12 months, we celebrated 1 / 4 of a century of unbroken democratic rule. We aren’t any much less happy with this achievement than the truth that over the past twenty years, a sustained technique of democratisation has swept over Africa.
8. Nonetheless, the return of unconstitutional modifications of presidency and forceful army take overs in some international locations of the Sahel underscore the fragility of democracy when it’s not backed by financial improvement and sustained peace and safety. It’s this fragility, relatively than the milestones that democratic governance has achieved in Africa, that ought to matter most in our deliberations at this and different Excessive-Degree Segments of the 79th Session of the Basic Meeting. Whereas we abhor all forceful modifications of presidency, we will additionally recognise the impatience in cities and villages on the typically sluggish and grinding flip of the wheel of democracy.
9. Our folks want employment. They want first rate livelihoods. They want good and reasonably priced schooling and healthcare for his or her youngsters and households. They should stay in wholesome, secure and safe environments. They want hope and so they want alternative. They want to stay in peace and tranquillity, to pursue no matter offers them happiness and contentment. When governments fail to ship, the persons are certain to query the utility of democracy and different beliefs, like rule of legislation.
10. The worldwide debt burden undermines the capability of nations and governments to fulfill the wants of their residents. Creeping commerce obstacles and protectionist insurance policies are destroying the hopes for prosperity of peoples and nations. Unbridled competitors relatively than cooperation is discouraging incentives and driving away investments.
11. Above all, normal insecurity is driving folks into unprecedented hardship and distress that in flip, have an effect on the folks’s confidence in democracy. It’s the obligation of the worldwide group to convey again confidence in democratic rule and constitutional order, by paying extra consideration to the wants and aspirations of the folks, relatively than paying lip service to human rights, sustainable improvement and peace. We want the substance of democracy, not simply the shape.
Mr President,
12. We can not construct sturdy societies with the specter of terrorism, banditry and insurgency rising in our international locations and areas. Certainly, violent extremism stays an existential menace to each nationwide and worldwide peace, safety and improvement. We’re making concerted efforts to comprise and rollback this menace. The Excessive-Degree African Counter-Terrorism Assembly hosted by Nigeria in April 2024 and its consequence – “The Abuja Declaration” – guarantees to supply options to the challenges introduced by terrorists and insurgents.
Mr. President,
13. Local weather change is a driver of insecurity, which additionally poses a veritable problem to sustainable improvement. Just a few weeks in the past, massive areas of my nation had been inundated by seasonal flood waters, together with considered one of our largest cities, Maiduguri, within the North-East. Different components of Nigeria additionally skilled comparable tragedies, occasioning the lack of lives and property.
14. We want not remind ourselves to stay devoted to the implementation of the commitments that all of us gave voluntarily on the varied COP Conferences. Failure to take action is merely to postpone the inevitable. No nation is immune from the results of local weather change.
15. It’s higher that we cooperate and collaborate to fulfill this ever-increasing problem relatively than remaining in our shells, ready for the inevitable to occur. A typical problem requires a standard resolution. Nigeria stands prepared to fulfill her obligations when it comes to mitigation and adaptation measures nationally and regionally, with the lively participation of different international locations and worldwide companions.
Mr. President,
16. Battle prevention is the principle cause why the UN exists. However the process of prevention turns into all of the harder when battle turns into normalised, when even the condemnation of violence and civilian casualties, and requires a ceasefire, are by some means considered controversial.
17. As we emphasised on the Abuja Excessive-Degree Ministerial assembly, we should renew our deal with battle prevention. Certainly, addressing the basis causes of conflicts is usually step one in the direction of offering long-term options. Clearly, a number of the root causes of conflicts are social in nature, together with poverty, starvation, ignorance, inequality and exclusion, in addition to different types of injustice. In Sudan, different components of our continent and additional afield, international actors are exacerbating these tensions to delay battle and deepen the struggling of harmless folks.
18. At the moment, we’re all witnesses to the heart-wrenching state of affairs in Gaza and different Palestinian Territories. We can not talk about conflict and peace, conflicts and reconciliation or humanitarian imperatives immediately with out reflecting on the Israeli-Palestinian battle that has been raging since seventh October final 12 months.
19. After all, the battle predates this era and has been simmering for a greater a part of half a century. What this tells us is that the worldwide group has didn’t stay as much as the spirit and aspirations of the United Nations to rid the world of inequality, violence and domination of 1 folks by one other. Justice is antithetical to revenge.
20. Freedom is an inalienable proper and a pure entitlement that can not be denied to any folks. The Palestinian folks deserve their independence. They should have a house of their very own on territories already recognised by this very Meeting and by worldwide legislation, which is being routinely ignored. Nigeria continues to induce efforts to convey again on observe the ‘two state resolution’ that gives the prospect for a brand new starting for the area.
21. Nigeria reaffirms its dedication to supporting United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. We recognise the necessity for Africa to construct sturdy {and professional} armies to fulfill the a number of challenges we face. Consequently, we reiterate the decision for worldwide help to operationalise the African Standby Power, along with the availability of requisite help and assets to make sure the improve, take-off and effectiveness of a Centre of Excellence on problems with counter-terrorism in Africa.
Mr. President,
22. Reform of the Safety Council is crucial if the UN is to strengthen its relevance and credibility in our quickly altering world. Some everlasting members of United Nations Safety Council have supplied encouraging if tentative indications of help on the difficulty of reform of the Council. We welcome the change in tone and urge an acceleration in momentum to the method.
23. The Safety Council ought to be expanded, within the everlasting and non-permanent member classes, to mirror the range and plurality of the world. We absolutely help the efforts of Secretary-Basic Guterres on this regard.
24. Africa should be accorded the respect that it deserves within the Safety Council. Our Continent deserves a spot within the everlasting members class of the Safety Council, with the identical rights and duties as different Everlasting Members.
Mr. President,
25. Your assumption of stewardship of the Basic Meeting presupposes that you’ll be seized with the progress of the implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Growth Objectives. We observe that the majority creating international locations are considerably behind within the achievement of those Objectives, largely because of an absence of assets obtainable to finance their implementation and the burden of unsustainable exterior debt.
26. It’s our expectation that the adoption of the “Pact for the Future” will change the narrative, reposition economies and translate into concrete measures that present options to the challenges confronted by creating and least developed international locations. That is notably vital in our area and the Sahel, the place human improvement indices are low and miserable.
27. It’s for this and different causes that we reiterate the decision by international locations, particularly of the worldwide South, for reform of the worldwide monetary structure and promotion of a rules-based, non-discriminatory, open, honest, inclusive, equitable and clear multilateral buying and selling system.
28. We’re conscious of the debilitating impacts of corruption on world prosperity and nationwide progress. Proceeds of corruption and illicit monetary flows represent an enormous chunk of assets wanted for sustainable improvement. The restoration and return of such funds to States of origin is a elementary precept of the United Nations Conference in opposition to Corruption.
29. Due to this fact, the worldwide group should promote sensible measures to strengthen worldwide cooperation to recuperate and return stolen belongings and to eradicate secure havens that facilitate illicit flows of funds from creating international locations to the developed economies.
30. There’s additionally the pressing want to advertise honest and inclusive tax regimes on the planet. Nigeria helped introduce the decision on “Promotion of inclusive and efficient worldwide tax cooperation on the UN”. We acknowledge the progress made within the adoption of the phrases of reference of the UN Framework Conference on Tax Cooperation. We must always deepen this initiative and work in the direction of a UN Framework Conference on Tax Cooperation.
31. Equally, we should be certain that any reform of the worldwide monetary system consists of complete debt reduction measures, to allow sustainable financing for improvement. Nations of the worldwide South can not make significant financial progress with out particular concessions and a assessment of their present debt burden.
32. My authorities pays due regard to the imperatives of making a conducive nationwide surroundings for funding and the benefit of doing enterprise. Final 12 months, I signed 4 Government Orders to curb double taxation. I additionally established the Presidential Taskforce on Assessment of Fiscal Coverage and Tax Reform. These measures are geared in the direction of not solely boosting investor confidence in Nigeria, but in addition to make sure traders make cheap revenue from their investments.
Mr. President,
33. Whereas the world is transitioning into the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Africa stays vitality poor. The push for the accelerated implementation of SDG 7: “Inexpensive and Clear Power”, subsequently, should bear in mind Africa’s precarious state of affairs. Nigeria believes that pure fuel stays central to the seek for options to the vitality challenges that Africa and the worldwide group face. Entry to reasonably priced, dependable, cleaner sources of vitality is greater than an environmental or developmental subject. It’s a key consider social peace and worldwide safety.
Mr. President,
34. Nigeria stays unwavering in its dedication to SDG 13: Local weather Motion, together with the web zero ambition and transition from fossil gasoline vitality to scrub vitality. As an illustration of this dedication, I established the Presidential Committee on Local weather Motion and Inexperienced Economic system Options and appointed a Particular Presidential Envoy on Local weather Motion.
35. We’ll redouble our efforts to handle the challenges posed by local weather change, together with the pressing must transition from fossil gasoline vitality. But such commitments should be juxtaposed with the precept of Widespread however Differentiated Obligations and the related provisions of the Paris Local weather Settlement again in 2015. The Paris Settlement offered for developed international locations to take the lead within the quest to realize internet zero and to supply help, together with finance, to creating international locations for the actualisation of the local weather change aim.
36. Worthy of observe is the ‘loss and injury funding for weak international locations’ secured at COP 27 in Egypt and expanded in COP 28 within the United Arab Emirates. It’s our expectation that this 12 months’s 79th Session of the UN Basic Meeting and the upcoming COP 29 in Azerbaijan this November, will go a step additional by offering creating international locations, particularly African international locations, with entry to the loss and injury funds, together with the 100 billion {dollars} pledged by developed international locations to mitigate the destructive impacts of local weather change.
Mr. President,
37. On this age of digital innovation, we should tackle the rising divide between the International South and the International North, which, with the evolution of synthetic intelligence, dangers turning into wider nonetheless. The UN ought to work in the direction of eliminating obstacles to digital economic system in Africa, equivalent to excessive prices of Web companies and mental property rights.
38. Moreso, there’s a must work in the direction of widespread world requirements to control crypto-currency buying and selling platforms. That is the simplest manner to supply confidence in these new markets and restrict the potential for instability. Our personal expertise in Nigeria, as in different international locations, exhibits that new applied sciences, when not correctly regulated, can facilitate organised crime, violent extremism and human trafficking. In our personal case, the buying and selling of crypto-currency helped gasoline hypothesis and undermined macro-economic reforms.
39. Individually, we’ve got additionally witnessed, in wealthy and poor international locations alike, the corrosive influence of unfiltered hate speech and faux information throughout social media. There’s way more that we might and will do, collectively, to strengthen these guard rails that can assist launch essentially the most progressive components of the brand new applied sciences shaping our world – and curb these extra harmful tendencies.
Mr. President,
40. We’re notably conscious of the imperatives of attaining the development of youth and ladies as a consider nationwide improvement, peace and safety. Nigeria has developed its personal Nationwide Motion Plan on Ladies, Peace and Safety, in addition to a Nationwide Motion Plan on Youth, Peace and Safety, to make sure the participation of each ladies and youth within the peace and safety sector.
41. The “Summit of the Future” can’t be deemed profitable with out setting clear, bold and achievable developmental targets to handle the assorted challenges going through our youth. In step with this aspiration, my authorities will proceed to spend money on Nigerian youth via initiatives just like the revitalisation of the Nationwide Youth Funding Fund for 2024, centered on youth empowerment and entrepreneurship.
Mr. President,
42. As a lot as the worldwide household nonetheless grapples with the crippling penalties of the COVID-19 pandemic, the best lesson that we’ve got learnt is rarely once more to take any well being state of affairs with levity. In step with SDG 3, we should proceed to work collectively to make sure the nice well being and well-being of all. There is no such thing as a illness that ought to be relegated to the background because of some perceived classification of their seriousness or significance.
Mr. President,
43. Migration is a fancy and polarising subject that impacts on wealthy and poor international locations alike. Nigeria is a rustic of origin, transit and vacation spot. We’re a serious stakeholder within the world migration dynamic, and perceive the challenges and advantages it brings. Accordingly, I want to reiterate our help for the International Compact for Protected, Orderly and Common Migration (GCM). The GCM, which all of us ought to proceed to help, represents our collective efforts at offering main safeguards for the therapy of migrants.
Mr. President,
44. I’ll conclude by reaffirming Nigeria’s steadfast dedication to the deepening of multilateralism, simply as we did sixty-five years in the past on this podium after we joined the United Nations because the 99th Member-State. We stay dedicated to that “want to stay pleasant with all nations and take part actively within the works of the United Nations”, as expressed by our founding Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.
45. It’s my hope that our deliberations this 12 months will end in options that might tackle our collective challenges and speed up the attainment of the Sustainable Growth Objectives, in addition to the development of peace and human dignity for the sake of current and future generations.
I thanks.
