Eritrea, 2012

Let me start by extending my

sincere congratulations to the President of the General

Assembly and his country, Serbia, upon his election to preside over the sixty-seventh session. I am confident

that, with his extensive experience and diplomatic skill,

he will lead this session of the General Assembly to

a successful conclusion. I pledge the support of the

Eritrean delegation for his noble efforts for the common

good.

I wish to pay profound tribute to the outgoing

President, Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, for his

commendable work at the sixty-sixth session of the

General Assembly. He indeed served us well. I would

also like to thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for

his leadership and his report (A/67/2) on the work of

our United Nations at the outset of this general debate.

Almost seven decades have elapsed since the

establishment of the United Nations, and, undoubtedly,

the world has seen much political, economic, social

and technological progress. However, it is clear that

the United Nations has not succeeded in its paramount

purpose of saving humankind from the scourge of

war. In the past 67 years, there has hardly been one in

which no war raged somewhere in the world. What is

particularly significant is the fact that in most of these

wars, the major Powers were the main architects and

actors — those same Powers which, by virtue of their

position in the Security Council, should have shouldered

the greatest responsibility in the maintenance of peace

and stability.

On another front, and again despite the progress

made, in the twenty-first century, hundreds of

millions of people in the developing world, as well as

in developed countries, continue to suffer from the

scourge of poverty, easily preventable diseases and

avoidable premature deaths.

In addition to the twin scourges of war and

poverty, our world now faces an environmental threat

that puts human livelihoods and survival at risk. It is

therefore disconcerting that the current global political,

economic and security architecture is inadequate to

address the challenges that we all face. The United

Nations system, as has been repeatedly pointed out,

is indeed outdated. The General Assembly has been

emasculated. The Security Council is dominated by

one powerful permanent member, and is increasingly

becoming paralysed. Change is being resisted by

those who believe they have benefited from the old,

anachronistic order. Respect for the sovereign equality

and territorial integrity of nations and non-interference

in their internal affairs — which constitute the

pillars of international law and the Charter of the United Nations — are being eroded and wilfully

f louted. The noble aims of protecting human rights

and civilian lives are being selectively and cynically

employed to justify military aggression, external

intervention and imposition of sanctions — collective

as well as unilateral — to destabilize nations, change

Governments and gain economic advantages.

This summary assessment, Eritrea believes, is

shared by the majority of States Members of the United

Nations. It is indeed the position of Africa, of most

developing countries, the Non-Aligned Movement, the

emerging Powers and many in the developed world.

What this emerging consensus now needs is a concerted

and coordinated effort to effect real change, including

in the United Nations system, that would lead to a more

peaceful, just and equitable world.

No part of the world is in need of positive change

more than the African continent, which remains

marginalized and almost voiceless. And yet Africa is

a continent of massive potential, and there are already

unmistakable, if tentative, signs of its awakening. A

number of African countries are taking serious steps

in the economic, political and social arenas and the

revitalization of the African Union proceeds apace.

We hope that this African initiative, which will have a

salutary effect on the world economy and international

governance, will be supported by a more conducive

international environment and by the United Nations.

Eritrea is convinced that our subregion, the Horn

of Africa, will overcome its current difficulties and

make a substantial contribution to the re-emergence

of a dynamic and prosperous Africa. Despite the

difficulties it has faced, it has made remarkable progress

in providing and caring for its people and rebuilding

its economy, and has embarked on modernizing its

infrastructure, including developing renewable energy,

with the perspective of regional trade, investment and

integration. It will continue to work to ensure a life of

dignity and prosperity for its citizens, in a peaceful and

cooperative region, and a more just and equitable world.