Lesotho, 2012

Allow me to congratulate

the President on his election to the presidency of the

General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session. I would

like to assure him of my delegation’s full support and

cooperation during his tenure of office. His impeccable

credentials and experience will ensure a successful

session. I also wish to commend his predecessor for his

sterling leadership during the previous session.

The establishment of the United Nations by 51

countries following the Second World War ushered in

hope for collective security, shared prosperity and justice

in international relations. Six decades have passed and

the membership of the Organization has swelled more

than threefold. But obstacles still remain in the path

towards creating a world that was envisioned by our

forebears. We know the solutions that can effectively

address the multifaceted challenges that confront our

world. But it is increasingly difficult to arrive at those

solutions within the multilateral system. On the international stage, unilateral actions that

defy civility and international law are growing more

frequent, and increasingly go unpunished. Despite the

lessons of history, there are countries that still believe

they can solve the political problems of our time through

war and coercion. It does not matter to them that history

has shown that the goal of domination through the use

of force is not only elusive and dangerous but also

unsustainable.

Humankind derives no comfort from the potential

conflict between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the

Western Powers over Iran’s nuclear programme. That

looming crisis can be avoided not through the threats

being made against Iran, but through negotiations based

on respect for sovereign equality and the recognition of

the rights and legitimate fears of all parties involved.

Our generation is already facing too many problems.

Surely we cannot afford another avoidable war.

We are saddened by the increasing tension in the East

China Sea between two of the most respectable members

of the international community, the People’s Republic

of China and Japan. No one should take advantage of

the situation to fan the flames of discord between those

two great nations and ancient civilizations. Instead, we

must encourage them to resolve their differences with

maturity and through peaceful dialogue.

In the Middle East, it is about time that individual

interests gave way to compassion and reason, so that

the people of Palestine can enjoy their inalienable

right to self-determination in our lifetimes. Two States

existing side by side in peace and security have long

been recognized by the international community as the

only plausible route to enduring peace and stability in

the region. The State of Israel must be prevailed upon

to support that solution. It must stop building illegal

settlements on Palestinian lands, which have the

potential to render the prospects of a two-State solution

irrelevant.

Our call for lifting the economic embargo against

the Republic of Cuba has gone unheeded for the past

20 years. Our thoughts are with the ordinary people of

Cuba who for decades have been denied the fruits of

globalization and prosperity through no fault of their

own. This unfortunate situation has continued for too

long and must be resolved. We call on all stakeholders

involved to search for a just and peaceful solution, just

as we continue to call on the Kingdom of Morocco

to cooperate with the international community and facilitate the independence and self-determination of

the people of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

Peace within and among nations is a fundamental

condition for development. The dream of a prosperous

world will continue to be an illusion if tensions persist

and our world is perpetually at war with itself. That

is why we welcome as timely and relevant the choice

of theme for this session, “Bringing about adjustment

or settlement of international disputes or situations by

peaceful means”.

Today, many nations are rising up against

dictatorial regimes in defence of their basic human

rights and freedoms. The popular democratic uprising

in the Arab world has underscored the frustration of the

people with longstanding political repression and lack

of accountability. In some Arab countries this quest for

freedom, human rights and democracy has been met

with atrocious force and brutality. The Government

of Syria must accept the popular legitimacy and

supremacy of the people’s aspirations before it is too

late. Further militarization of the situation in Syria will

make the conflict too costly in terms of human life. At

the same time, we call on all countries to refrain from

interfering in the internal affairs of Syria in a manner

that undermines the prospects of peace in that country.

True revolutions need no external sponsors. The efforts

of the international community must focus on helping

the Syrian people find a negotiated, peaceful and lasting

settlement of the ongoing conflict in their country.

Africa, too, is trying hard to rid itself of wars and

conflicts. While we thought we had dealt with the scourge

of the coups d’état, it has recently reared its ugly head

in a few African countries. We call on the international

community to join hands with the African Union and

stand firm in refusing to recognize any Government

that comes to power through unconstitutional means.

It is indeed a mockery of the United Nations, as an

Organization that cherishes democratic values and

principles, to accord legitimacy to unconstitutional

regimes by allowing them to participate in its activities

on an equal footing with bona fide Members. In

Africa, we have adopted a policy of zero tolerance to

unconstitutional changes of Government, and have

remained steadfast in our resolve to refuse to recognize

Governments that have no democratic legitimacy. We

urge the international community to support that policy

and to make it universal. Africa has not been without successes in pursuing

the settlement of disputes by peaceful means. The United

Nations, the African Union and other stakeholders have

worked together with the Somali authorities to pave

the way for peace in Somalia. The positive results of

that joint effort are beginning to be visible. Remarkable

strides towards democracy and State-building have

been registered. The election of the President less than

two weeks ago is a cause for celebration. Today, the

people of Somalia have reason to hope that they can

put the unfortunate era of instability behind them. It is

important to recognize, however, that the road ahead

for the Government and the people of Somalia is still

long and steep. The continued and unfaltering support

of the international community is indespensable to

ensuring that Somalia does not relapse into conflict and

become a failed State.

The development and possession of nuclear and

other weapons of mass destruction remains a serious

concern for the peace and security of humankind.

Some States possess those weapons in large quantities

and have not remained faithful to their commitments

under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear

Weapons. Those States often threaten to humiliate

non-nuclear-weapon States. That is why other countries

aspire to acquire nuclear weapons. We must renew

our collective commitment to a nuclear-weapon-free

world — a world that is safe for future generations,

sustained by the shared values of universal peace and

prosperity.

In the same way, for as long as international trade

in small arms, light weapons and other conventional

weapons remains unregulated, peace will continue to

elude us. The failure of the international community,

less than three months ago, to conclude a robust, legally

binding arms trade treaty has left an indelible mark on

our generation. We need to step up efforts during this

sixty-seventh session and live up to our responsibilities.

Conventional weapons, including small arms and light

weapons, are the real weapons of mass destruction in

Africa; they fuel conflict and account for the death of

scores of our people every day.

Across the globe, military and political repression

have combined with religious intolerance to sustain the

spectre of terrorism that continues to besiege our world.

While the international community must address those

root causes, there can be no acceptable justification for

terrorism, because it is both brutal and indiscriminate,

and it is innocent people, including women and children, who bear the brunt of it. Lesotho condemns

terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. It does

not matter if it is sponsored by States or individuals,

or whether its evil schemes are carried out by crude

means or the most sophisticated weaponry. The recent

murder of American diplomats in Libya demonstrates

the brutality and senselessness of terrorism. It deserves

our strongest condemnation. We extend our sincere

condolences to the people and Government of the

United States of America.

A few days ago, we had an opportunity to reaffirm

our resolve to uphold the rule of law both at the national

and international levels. Respect for the rule of law is

a precondition for guaranteeing fundamental freedoms

and respect for human rights. Similarly, strengthening

the rule of law at the international level is critical for

effectively addressing our current global challenges.

International law is the very foundation of peaceful

coexistence between nations.

The role played by the International Court of

Justice as an instrument for the peaceful resolution

of conflicts and the bedrock of the international legal

order is sacrosanct. Lesotho reaffirms its support for

the principal judicial organ of the United Nations and

for other established international courts and tribunals.

But those bodies must not be politicized, so that they

can retain their integrity and fairness.

It is almost four years since the multiple global

crises befell us, yet the prospects for economic recovery

remain gloomy. Evidence of climate change is all around

us. Extreme weather conditions, f loods, drought, soil

degradation and the rise of sea levels threaten the very

existence of humankind. In my country, drought and

f loods have heightened food insecurity, and famine is

looming. In August, my Government had to declare

Lesotho in a situation of food crisis and called on its

development partners to assist. That followed a severe

drought that afflicted Lesotho in the last planting

season. I am humbled to repeat that call for help

before this body. Our response to the crisis will focus

on the priorities of subsidizing agricultural input and

promoting drought-resistant crops, as well as scaling up

conservation farming and providing nutrition services

to mothers of infants and young children.

We went to Rio de Janeiro in June with a

determination to adopt ambitious and measurable steps

to address sustainable development. Regrettably, the

Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development did not meet everyone’s expectations. A

lack of a concrete commitment by developed countries

to provide developing countries with financing and

technology is a source of concern. Nevertheless, there

is still hope that a sustainable future is within reach.

We must continue to work for the future we want and

deserve.

As we march forward, we must ensure that the

formulation of the sustainable development goals and

their interphase with the post-2015 development agenda

is done carefully and in an inclusive manner. We must

avoid parallel tracks for the Millennium Development

Goals (MDGs) and the sustainable development goals,

which should be viewed as being complementary to,

and not a substitute for, the MDGs.

The United Nations, which has remained the same

for the past 67 years, cannot be effective in efficiently

addressing the challenges of our time. The need for

the early reform of the United Nations, in particular

the Security Council, was universally agreed by the

international community at the World Summit in 2005.

Yet, seven years later, negotiations on the reform of the

Council are still without progress. As the status quo is maintained, the Council remains largely inept in the

discharge of its mandate. Let us resolve to make the

Assembly’s sixty-seventh session one of action and less

rhetoric.

Allow me to conclude by pointing out that a

responsive, effective and efficient multilateral system

is the only answer to the problems of the twenty-first

century. It must be a United Nations that draws on the

full diversity of its membership. With the necessary

commitment and political will, that goal can indeed be

attained.