Speech by Kashin Shettima, Vice President of Nigeria, at the 79th session of the UNGA. teleSUR
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00:00And let's go live at this hour to the United Nations General Assembly.
00:05We are going to listen at this moment to the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
00:11Shikashim Shetima, as she's going to address the General Assembly of the United Nations.
00:18Let's listen.
00:21Our world is confronted by profound moral questions
00:24that will require more than the habitual remarks from this elevated podium to resolve.
00:30These are questions about the ultimate purpose of our organization, the United Nations itself,
00:37and how it can remain relevant and resilient.
00:42It is with this sentiment that I convey to you the warm and paternal greetings of my countrymen and women,
00:48and to congratulate you on your assumption of the presidency of this Assembly.
00:54Let me assure you of the full cooperation of my delegation
00:58in discharging your honorable responsibilities during your tenure.
01:03In the same vein, I wish to extend my appreciation to your predecessor,
01:08His Excellency Dennis Francis, for the many remarkable achievements recorded during his stewardship.
01:16It gives me particular pleasure to commend His Excellency Antonio Guterres,
01:21the Secretary-General of the United Nations,
01:24for his commitment to the cause of peace and development
01:28and the democratization of the United Nations
01:32to reflect the need to correct the historic injustices that have been done to Africa.
01:38I am also delighted to note the steadfast support given to the Secretary-General
01:43by our own sister and compatriot, Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General,
01:49while sharing the burden of leadership and responsibility
01:53in leading a complex organization like the United Nations.
01:58Mr. President, the theme of this year's General Assembly leaves us in no doubt
02:03that there is still work to be done to bridge the gap between the aspirations
02:07and the realities confronting our world today.
02:10It also underscores the need to remind ourselves that the United Nations stands for inclusiveness,
02:16anchored on the tripod of peace, sustainable development, and human rights.
02:23Today, these pillars of our organization are threatened.
02:26They risk being broken by the relentless pursuit of individual national priorities
02:32rather than the collectiveness of the nations that are assembled here today.
02:37While commitment to multilateralism offers us the surest guarantee of global action
02:43to address the existential challenges we face, singularity and nationalism
02:49are undermining the aspirations toward the peaceful and collective resolution of such challenges.
02:56From last year's summit, and indeed from previous years,
03:00we have carried over the numerous challenges of terrorism, armed conflict, inequality,
03:06poverty, racial discrimination, human rights abuses, food crisis, hunger, irregular migration,
03:15piracy, global pandemics, hyperinflation, nuclear proliferation,
03:21grinding debt burden, climate change, and a host of other vexations.
03:27The continued manifestations of these challenges
03:30testify to our feelings rather than to any lofty achievements on our part.
03:35Billions of dollars have been committed to the prosecution of wars
03:39and the panning of the embers of conflict.
03:43Yet, we always recoil from bringing out the resources we need to build peace
03:48and to deliver life's necessities to people.
03:51The question of governance is at the heart of our problems and also the solution to them.
03:57We recognize this in Nigeria when on 12th June this year,
04:02we celebrated a quarter of a century of unbroken democratic rule.
04:07We are no less proud of this achievement than the fact that during the last two decades,
04:12a sustained process of democratization has swept over Africa.
04:18However, the return of unconstitutional changes of government
04:23and forceful military takeovers in some countries of the Sahel
04:27underscore the fragility of democracy when it is not backed by economic development
04:33and sustained peace and security.
04:35It is this fragility, rather than the milestone that democratic governance has achieved in Africa,
04:41that should matter most in our deliberations at this and other high-level segments
04:47of the 79th session of the General Assembly.
04:51While we abhor all possible changes of government,
04:55we can also recognize the impatience in cities and villages
04:59as a sometimes slow and grinding turn of the wheel of democracy.
05:05Our people need employment.
05:08They need decent livelihoods.
05:11They deserve good and affordable education and health care for their children and families.
05:16They need to live in healthy, safe and secure environments.
05:21They need hope and they need opportunity.
05:24They deserve to live in peace and tranquility,
05:27to pursue whatever gives them happiness and contentment.
05:31When governments fail to deliver,
05:33the people are bound to question the utility of democracy and other ideals like rule of law.
05:40The global debt burden undermines the capacity of countries and governments
05:44to meet the needs of their citizens.
05:46Creeping trade barriers and protectionist policies
05:49are destroying the hopes for prosperity of peoples and nations.
05:53Unbridled competition, rather than cooperation, is discouraging incentives,
05:58driving away investment.
06:00Above all, insecurity is driving people into unprecedented hardship and misery
06:08that in turn affects the people's confidence in democracy.
06:11It is the duty of the international community
06:15to bring back confidence in democratic rule and constitutional order
06:19by paying more attention to the needs and aspirations of the people
06:23rather than paying lip service to human rights, sustainable development and peace.
06:28We need the sustenance of democracy, not just the form.
06:33We cannot build durable societies with the trace of terrorism,
06:37banditry and insurgency growing in our countries and regions.
06:41Indeed, violent extremism remains an existential threat
06:46to both national and international peace, security and development.
06:50We are making concerted efforts to contain and roll back this threat.
06:55The high-level African counter-terrorism meeting hosted by Nigeria in April 2024
07:02and its outcome, the Abuja Declaration,
07:05promises to provide solutions to the challenges presented by terrorists and insurgents.
07:11Your Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen,
07:14climate change is a driver of insecurity,
07:18which also poses a veritable challenge to sustainable development.
07:22A few weeks ago, large areas of my country were inundated by seasonal floodwaters,
07:29including one of our largest cities, Maiduguri, in the northeast.
07:33Other parts of Nigeria also experienced similar tragedies,
07:37occasioning the loss of lives and property.
07:40We need not remind ourselves to remain faithful
07:44to the implementation of the commitments that we all gave voluntarily
07:48at the various COP meetings.
07:51Failure to do so is merely to pass on the inevitable.
07:55No country is immune from the effects of climate change.
08:00It is better that we cooperate and collaborate to meet this ever-increasing challenge,
08:06rather than remaining in our shells, waiting for the inevitable to happen.
08:11A common challenge requires a common solution.
08:15Nigeria stands ready to meet our obligations in terms of mitigation
08:20and adaptation measures nationally and regionally.
08:23With the active participation of other countries and international partners.
08:28Mr. President, conflict resolution is the main reason why the UN exists.
08:34But the task of prevention becomes all the more difficult when conflict becomes normalized,
08:40when even the condemnation of violence and civilian casualties
08:44and calls for a ceasefire are somehow regarded as controversial.
08:49As we emphasize at the Abuja High-Level Ministerial Meeting,
08:54we must renew our focus on conflict prevention.
08:58Indeed, addressing the root causes of conflict is often the first step
09:03towards providing long-term solutions.
09:06Clearly, some of the root causes of conflict are social in nature,
09:11including poverty, hunger, ignorance, inequality and exclusion,
09:17as well as other forms of injustice.
09:19In the Sudan, other parts of our continent have further appealed.
09:24Foreign actors are exacerbating these tensions to prolong conflict
09:28and deepen the suffering of innocent people.
09:31Today, we are all witnesses to the heart-wrenching situation in Gaza
09:36and other Palestinian territories.
09:39We cannot discuss war and peace, conflicts and resolution.
09:43All humanitarian imperatives today were taught reflecting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
09:49that has been raging since 7 August last year.
09:53Of course, the conflict prevails this period
09:56and has been simmering for a better part of half a century.
10:00What this tells us is that the international community
10:04has failed to live up to the spirit and aspirations of the United Nations
10:10to rid the world of inequality, violence and domination of one people by another.
10:15Justice is antithetical to revenge.
10:19Freedom is an inalienable right and a natural entitlement that cannot be denied to any people.
10:26The Palestinian people deserve their independence.
10:30They deserve to have a home of their own in territories already recognized
10:34by this very assembly and by international law, which is being routinely ignored.
10:39Nigeria continues to urge efforts to bring back on track the two-state solution
10:45that offers the prospect for a new beginning for the region.
10:49Nigeria reaffirms to support the United Nations peacekeeping operation.
10:54We recognize the need for Africa to build strong and professional armies
10:58to meet the multiple challenges we face.
11:01Consequently, we reiterate the call for international support
11:05to operationalize the African standby post,
11:08in addition to the provision of requisite support and resources
11:11to ensure the upgrade, take-up and effectiveness of a center of excellence
11:17on issues of counterterrorism in Africa.
11:20Mr. President, reform of the Security Council is critical if the U.N.
11:27seeks to strengthen its relevance and credibility in our rapidly changing world.
11:32Some permanent members of the United Nations Security Council
11:36have offered encouraging, if tentative, indications of support
11:40on the issue of reform of the Council.
11:44We welcome the change in tone and urge an acceleration in momentum to the process.
11:51The Security Council should be expanded.
11:54In the permanent and non-permanent member categories,
11:57to reflect the diversity and plurality of the world,
12:00we fully support the efforts of Secretary General Guterres in this regard.
12:06Africa must be accorded the respect that it deserves in the Security Council.
12:10Our continent deserves a place in the permanent members category of the Security Council
12:15with the same rights and responsibilities as other permanent members.
12:20Mr. President, your assumption of the stewardship of the General Assembly presupposes
12:25that you will be seized with the progress of the implementation
12:29of the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals.
12:32We note that most developing countries are significantly lagging behind
12:37in the achievement of these goals, largely due to a lack of resources available
12:41to finance their implementation and the burden of unsustainable external debt.
12:47It is our expectation that the adoption of the Pact for the Future will change the narrative,
12:54reposition economies, and translate into concrete measures that provide solutions
13:00to the challenges faced by developing and least developed countries.
13:05This is particularly significant in our region and the Sahel,
13:10where human development indices are low and decreasing.
13:15It is for this reason that we reiterate the call by countries, especially of the Global South,
13:21for reform of the international financial architecture and promotion of a rules-based,
13:27non-discriminatory, open, fair, inclusive, equitable, and transparent multilateral trading system.
13:35We are aware of the debilitating impacts of corruption on global prosperity and national progress,
13:42and the process of corruption and illicit financial flows constitute a huge chunk of resources
13:48needed for sustainable development.
13:51The recovery and return of such funds to states of origin
13:56is a fundamental principle of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
14:01Therefore, the international community must promote practical measures
14:06to strengthen international cooperation to recover and return stolen assets
14:11and to eradicate safe havens that facilitate illicit flows of funds
14:15from developing countries to the developed economies.
14:19There is also the urgent need to promote fair and inclusive tax regimes in the world.
14:25Nigeria helped introduce the Resolution on Promotion of Inclusive and Effective
14:29International Tax Cooperation at the UN.
14:32We acknowledge the progress made in the adoption of the Terms of Reference
14:36of the UN Premier Convention on Tax Cooperation.
14:40We should deepen this initiative and work towards a UN Premier Convention on Tax Cooperation.
14:48Similarly, we must ensure that any reform of the international financial system
14:53includes comprehensive debt relief measures to enable sustainable financing for development.
14:59Countries of the Global South cannot make meaningful economic progress
15:04without special concessions and a review of their current debt burden.
15:09The present administration pays due regard to the imperatives of creating
15:13a conducive national environment for investment and the ease of doing business.
15:19Last year, President Bola Amarteynebu signed four executive orders to curb double taxation.
15:26The government also established the Presidential Task Force
15:29on Review of Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform.
15:33These measures are geared towards not only boosting investor confidence in Nigeria,
15:38but also to ensure investors make reasonable profit from their investments.
15:44Mr. President, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
15:48while the world is transitioning into the fourth industrial revolution,
15:53Africa remains energy deficient.
15:56The push for the accelerated implementation of SDG 7,
16:01affordable and clean energy, therefore, must take into account Africa's precarious situation.
16:07Nigeria believes that natural gas remains central to the search for solutions
16:12to the energy challenges that Africa and the international community face.
16:17Access to affordable, reliable, cleaner sources of energy
16:22is more than an environmental or developmental issue.
16:26It is a key factor in social peace and international security.
16:30Mr. President, Nigeria remains unwavering in its commitment to SDG 13,
16:35climate action, including the net zero ambition and transition from fossil fuel energy to clean energy.
16:42As a demonstration of this commitment,
16:45the government established the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economy Solutions
16:50and appointed a special presidential envoy on climate action.
16:55We will redouble our efforts to address the challenges posed by climate change,
16:59including the urgent need to transition from fossil fuel energy.
17:04Yet, such commitments must be juxtaposed with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities
17:11and the relevant provisions of the Paris Climate Agreement back in 2015.
17:16The Paris Agreement provided for developed countries to take the lead
17:21in the quest to achieve net zero and to offer support,
17:25including finance, to developing countries for the actualization of the climate change goal.
17:31Worthy of note is the loss and damage funding for vulnerable countries secured at COP 27 in Egypt
17:39and expanded in COP 28 in the United Arab Emirates.
17:43It is our expectation that this year's 79th session of the UN General Assembly
17:51and the upcoming COP 29 in Azerbaijan this November will go a step further
17:57by providing developing countries, especially African countries,
18:01with access to the loss and damage funds, including the $100 billion pledged by developed countries
18:08to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.
18:11Mr. President, in this age of digital innovation,
18:15we must address the emerging divide between the global south and the global north,
18:20which, with the evolution of artificial intelligence, risks becoming wider still.
18:25The UN should work towards eliminating barriers to the digital economy in Africa,
18:30such as high costs of Internet services and intellectual property rights.
18:35More so, there is a need to work towards common global standards
18:39to regulate cryptocurrency trading platforms.
18:42This is the most effective way to provide confidence in these markets
18:46and limit the potential for instability.
18:49Our own experience in Nigeria, as in other countries,
18:53shows that new technologies, when not properly regulated,
18:56can facilitate organized crime, violent extremism, and human trafficking.
19:02In our own case, the trading of cryptocurrency helped fuel speculation
19:07and undermine macroeconomic reforms.
19:10Separately, we have also witnessed, in rich and poor countries alike,
19:14the corrosive impact of unfiltered hate speech and fake news across social media.
19:20There is much more that we could and should do together
19:25to strengthen those guardrails that will help release the most progressive elements
19:29of the new technologies shaping our world and curb those more destructive tendencies.
19:36Mr. President, we are particularly mindful of the imperatives
19:40of achieving the advancement of youth and women
19:43as a factor in national development, peace, and security.
19:48Nigeria has developed its own national action plan on women and security,
19:54as well as a national action plan on youth, peace, and security
19:58to ensure the participation of both women and youth in the peace and security sector.
20:04The summit of the future cannot be deemed successful
20:08without setting clear, ambitious, and achievable developmental goals
20:14to address the various challenges facing our youth.
20:17In line with this aspiration, the Nigerian government will continue to invest in Nigerian youth
20:24through initiatives like the revitalization of the National Youth Investment Fund for 2024,
20:30focused on youth employment and entrepreneurship.
20:35Mr. President, as much as the global family still grapples with the crippling consequences
20:40of the COVID-19 pandemic, the greatest lesson that we have learned
20:45is never again to take any health situation with liberty.
20:49In line with SDG 3, we must continue to work together
20:53to ensure the good health and well-being of all.
20:57There is no disease that should be relegated to the background
21:00due to some perceived classification of their seriousness or importance.
21:05Mr. President, migration is a complex and polarizing issue
21:09that impacts on rich and poor countries alike.
21:12Nigeria is a country of origin, transit, and destination.
21:19We are a major stakeholder in the global migration dynamic
21:23and understand the challenges and benefits it brings.
21:26Accordingly, I wish to reiterate our support for the Global Compact for Safe,
21:31Orderly, and Regular Migration, GCM.
21:35The GCM, which all of us shall continue to support,
21:41represents our collective efforts at providing major safeguards for the treatment of migrants.
21:46Mr. President, I will conclude by reaffirming Nigeria's steadfast commitment
21:54to the deepening of multilateralism.
21:57Just as we did 65 years ago on this podium
22:01when we joined the United Nations as the 99th member state,
22:06we remain committed to that desire to remain friendly with all nations
22:12and participate actively in the works of the United Nations,
22:16as expressed by our founding Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tapaobelewa.
22:22It is my hope that our deliberations this year will result in solutions
22:28that will address our collective challenges
22:30and accelerate the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals,
22:34as well as the advancement of peace and human dignity
22:39for the sake of the present and future generations.
22:44I thank you all.