President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday called on world leaders to remain committed to ensuring sustainable development.
Buhari said so during his presentation to the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 77) in New York, USA.
Read the full speech below:
Mr. President,
Heads of State and Government, Mr. Secretary General,
Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
M . Mr. President,
On behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, I congratulate you on your well-deserved election as President of the
th Session of this August Assembly. I assure you of the full support and cooperation of the Nigerian delegation during your tenure.
I congratulate your predecessor, HE Abdullah Shahid, for the many remarkable achievements of the General Assembly under his leadership in these difficult times.
May I also congratulate the Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres on his relentless and tireless efforts to promote peace, security and development, completely in keeping with its exalted role.
Mr. Mr President, the first time I could have addressed this Assembly in August was in 1984, when I was the Military Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Thirty-one years later, I had the great privilege of addressing the Assembly personally in 1945, as President democratically elected from my country. As I approach the end of my second and final four-year term, I am reminded of how much has changed in Nigeria, Africa and the world, and yet some challenges that remain.
We are now being tested more severely by these persistent and new global challenges, among which are conflicts increasingly led by non-state actors, the proliferation small arms and light weapons, terrorism, violent extremism, malicious use of technology, climate change, irregular migration and disparities in opportunities to improve living standards.
Despite the difficult international environment, the UN has proven that it can be strong when the will of its members is mobilized for positive collective action. The guiding principles of this extraordinary institution are the promotion of peace and security, development and human rights. The latest in a series of events challenging these principles is the conflict in Ukraine, which has already created tensions perhaps unprecedented in a generation.
Such a conflict will have adverse consequences for all of us, hampering our ability to work together to resolve conflicts elsewhere, including in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Indeed, the ongoing war in Ukraine makes it more difficult to resolve the recurring issues that figure in the deliberations of this Assembly every year, such as nuclear disarmament, the right of Rohingya refugees to return to their homes in Myanmar, and the right of the Palestinians’ legitimate aspirations for the creation of a State and the reduction of inequalities within and between nations.
for a nuclear-free world and a universal Arms Trade Treaty, which are also necessary measures to prevent global human catastrophes. In this regard, we must find expeditious ways to achieve consensus on the nuclear non-proliferation treaty with related commitments of nuclear-weapon states.
I remain firmly convinced that the challenges which have become so acute over the past few years and months underscore the call of Nigeria and many other Member States for the reform of the Security Council and other United Nations agencies. We need more effective and representative structures to meet today’s demands that have since overtaken a system designed for the very different world that prevailed at its founding in 1945. The change is long overdue.
Mr. Mr. President, cthis is the first meeting we have held here in New York without the restrictions that have characterized the past three years. The COVID-19 pandemic has crossed national borders like a toxic whirlwind, leaving in its wake a legacy of pain and loss.
Fortunately, we have also witnessed an incredible level of innovation and creativity from those who have designed treatments and vaccines. These commendable achievements have been underpinned by partnerships and international cooperation. We have also seen the bravery, care and endurance of medical professionals around the world.
I am happy to to see that in Nigeria, our health agencies have been able to form effective local management and forge international partnerships with multinational initiatives like COVAX and private groups like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. These efforts have mitigated the impact of the pandemic and have fortunately spared us the images of overwhelmed hospitals, overwhelmed healthcare workers and high mortality that we have unfortunately seen elsewhere.
With the COVID-19, we have seen very clear how states were trying to meet the challenge of a threat that could not be contained within national borders. The results have been mixed; but at best the cooperation between the stakeholders was exceptional. He has facilitated solutions that have saved countless lives and eased the enormous burden of human suffering.
This same theme of l Unilateralism and the promotion of the national interest in competition with the common cause in the face of an existential threat has been our recurrent experience lately. In each of the speeches I have delivered to this august Assembly, I have insisted on the issue of climate change, especially since it fuels conflicts and complicates food security.
Climate change reduces opportunities and prosperity which, in Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia, also contribute to transnational organized crime.
As part of Nigeria’s efforts to achieve its global net zero aspiration, the current administration last year adopted a National Strategy on climate change which aims to mitigate climate change in a sustainable way.
The actions we have taken at the national level also demand climate justice . Africa and other developing countries produce only a small proportion of greenhouse gas emissions, compared to industrial economies. Yet we are the hardest hit by the consequences of climate change, as evidenced by prolonged droughts in Somalia and floods of unprecedented severity in Pakistan.
These and other climate-related phenomena are unfortunately becoming commonplace in developing countries. In fact, we are literally paying the price for policies that others pursue. This must change.
At the COP26 in Glasgow last year, I said Nigeria was not asking for permission to make the same mistakes others have made in creating the climate emergency.
Fortunately, we now know what we can do to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis and the energy challenge associated with it. As a first step, we must all commit to unlocking finance and technology to create a stable and affordable framework for the energy transition.
Development Financial institutions should prioritize risk-reducing energy projects to improve access of renewable projects to credit facilities. No country should be ‘left behind’ in this equation.
Rising energy costs around the world are, part, the product of conflict and supply disruptions in Europe and the Americas. Yet we all pay the price. We therefore expect that this UNGA 27 and the next COP 27 will help galvanize the political will needed to drive action towards achieving the various existing initiatives on climate change.
Another feature of the past decade has been the growing partnership between states and increasingly influential non-state actors. There was a time when the most important event in this Assembly was the speeches of the world’s most powerful leaders. Now, an influencer’s tweet or Instagram post on social or environmental issues can have a bigger impact.
offers almost limitless opportunities and sometimes works before the imagination of regulators and legislators. At best, social media helps to strengthen the foundations of our society and our shared values. At worst, it’s a corrosive digital version of the crowd, bristling with intolerance and division.
When I started my term of office in 1945, distinctions were made between the experience of poorer countries and those apparently better able to manage the avalanche of unfiltered information. Nigeria has had many unsavory experiences with hate speech and divisive misinformation. Increasingly, we also see that many countries are facing the same challenge. Clearly, data knows no borders either.
In the face of these challenges, we must also unite in defense of freedom of expression, while respecting other values that we hold dear. We must continue to work for a common standard that balances rights with responsibilities to protect the most vulnerable from harm and help strengthen and enrich communities.
Efforts to protect communities from the scourge of disinformation and misinformation must also be accompanied by efforts to reduce inequalities and restore hope to our poorest and most vulnerable communities in order to stem the many factors of socio-economic conflict that we face.
Despite our efforts, humanitarian crises will continue to ravage some of our communities. Nigeria therefore implores our global partners to do more to complement our efforts.
Indeed, the multifaceted challenges facing most countries developing countries have placed a debilitating stranglehold on their fiscal space. It also calls for the need to address the burden of unsustainable external debt through a global commitment to the expansion and extension of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative to countries facing fiscal and liquidity, as well as outright cancellation for countries facing the most severe challenges.
Mr. Mr President, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,
Democracy is an idea that transcends time and borders. Of course, democracy has its limits. The cogs of democracy turn slowly. She may require compromises that dilute decisions. Sometimes he panders too much to particular interests who exert influence, not always for the general good, in a way disproportionate to their number. But in my experience, a democratic culture gives a government the legitimacy it needs to bring about positive change.
In Nigeria , not only have we worked to strengthen our democracy, but we have supported it and promoted the rule of law in our sub-region. In The Gambia, we helped secure the first democratic transition since independence. In Guinea-Bissau, we stood with the democratically elected government when it faced mutiny. And in the Republic of Chad, following the tragic death of its President, the late Idris Deby Itno on the battlefield, we have joined with its other neighbors and international partners to stabilize the country and promote the peaceful transition to democracy, a process which is ongoing.
We believe in the sanctity of constitutional term limits and have firmly adhered to them in Nigeria. We have seen the corrosive impact on values when leaders elsewhere seek to change the rules to stay in power. Indeed, we are now preparing for the general elections in Nigeria next February. During the 78th UNGA, there will be a new face on this podium speaking for Nigeria.
Our country is a vast country strengthened by its diversity and shared values of hard work, enduring faith and a sense of community. We have invested heavily in strengthening our framework for free and fair elections. I thank our partners for all the support they have given to our electoral institutions.
As President, I have set myself as goal that one lasting legacy I would like to leave is to anchor a process of free, fair, transparent and credible elections through which Nigerians elect the leaders of their choice.
Mr. Mr. Chairman,
The multiple challenges we face are truly interconnected and urgent, and your choice of theme for this session, “A decisive moment: solutions to interrelated challenges”, is quite appropriate. In accordance with our obligations as Member States of this noble Organization, we must all do our utmost to work with you to resolve them. In this regard, I reiterate my delegation’s full and resolute cooperation.
Allow me to convey my final thoughts from this famous rostrum. We live in extraordinary times with interrelated challenges but enormous opportunities. The pace of change can seem bewildering, with at times a palpable and unsettling sense of uncertainty about our future. But if my years of public service have taught me anything, it’s to stay true to these enduring values. These include, but are not limited to, values such as justice, honor, integrity, unceasing effort and partnership within and between nations.
Our strongest moments have always been when we stay true to the fundamental principles of tolerance, community, and an abiding commitment to peace and goodwill to all.
Thank you all.
Watch the full speech below
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