Lesotho, 2014

I would first like to

congratulate President Kutesa on his well-deserved

election to the presidency of the General Assembly

at its sixty-ninth session. His distinguished career

as a diplomat and leader assures us of a successful

session. I would also like to commend his predecessor,

Ambassador John Ashe, for his remarkable leadership

during the previous session.

Over the 69 years of its existence, the United Nations

has witnessed several changes in the configuration of

international relations. Some were traumatic, others

benign. The survival of the Organization through

all those tribulations testifies to its resilience and

the enduring validity of its mission. Today it is still

confronted by serious challenges. The continuous

eruption of armed conflicts throughout the world,

terrorism, climate change, disease and the lingering

effects of the economic and financial crises are only

some of the challenges that have remained in the

foreground of international relations and preoccupied

the international community.

From the Horn of Africa and across the Sahel

region, to the Republic of Kenya and the Democratic

Republic of the Congo, the continent of Africa is facing

a rise in terrorism. The Nigeria-based Boko Haram,

Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and Al-Shabaab in

Somalia continue to pose serious threats to the peace

and security of the continent. The emergence in the

Middle East and elsewhere of new extremist groups and

terrorist entities, such as the Islamic State in Iraq and

Syria, has not only further compounded the problem

but is a stark reminder that we must act collectively

to discharge the moral responsibility resting on us to

ensure that people everywhere enjoy the right to peace,

development and the sanctity of life.

The use of military force alone as a strategy for

combating terrorism is no longer a panacea for that

menace. Terrorism requires a holistic approach that

addresses the root causes of the scourge. The resolution

of international disputes based on dialogue, justice and

the equality of all States must be at the heart of that

strategy if it is to succeed.

The recurring bloody conflict between Israel and

Palestine continues to weigh heavily on the conscience

of all humankind. Recent developments in that region

have cast a shadow on the future that had seemed

to hold out the promise of a negotiated settlement.

Unprecedented impunity and the disproportionate

use of force by the parties involved call into question

our very claim to be a civilization. Turning United

Nations shelters into combat zones and killing the

innocent children, men and women who take refuge in

them is a shameful act that must be condemned in the

strongest terms possible. Lesotho endorses the recent

Human Rights Council resolution S-21/1, demanding

that the massacres of innocent Palestinian civilians be

investigated by an independent commission and that

those responsible be held accountable.

Let us not forget that in 2005 we unanimously

adopted the principle of the responsibility to protect

(see resolution 60/1, paragraphs 138-140) in order

to safeguard innocent civilians from war crimes,

genocide, mass atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Indeed,

the Security Council has reaffirmed that principle in

several conflicts around the world and in some instances

has authorized military intervention.

Unfortunately, in the case of the slaughter of

thousands of Palestinian civilians, the Council has

shied away from invoking the principle of responsibility

to protect. Instead, it took comfort in issuing a

presidential statement that glaringly fails to reiterate

accountability for the war crimes committed. Civilians

in Gaza deserve the protection that Israelis in Tel

Aviv are afforded under international law. We call on

Israel — as we have always done in the past — to fully

comply with its obligations under the relevant Security

Council and General Assembly resolutions. That is the

only plausible route to lasting peace.

The world has long come to terms with the dangers

to humanity posed by the possession of weapons of

mass destruction. That is why Lesotho continues to

advocate for total abolition and destruction of all

nuclear weapons. Those weapons have no place in

modern-day civilized society, hence the call for a

convention to ban them all. While working towards

that goal, we must emphasize that full compliance with

the provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation

of Nuclear Weapons is critical. By the same token,

we call for the establishment of a Middle East zone

free of nuclear weapons, in accordance with the 2010

Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the

Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

It is unacceptable that the United Nations of today

still reflects the 1945 architecture of the world as seen

by the victors of the Second World War. The reform of

the United Nations, including the Security Council, can

no longer be delayed. A reformed, transparent and more

democratic United Nations is necessary for preserving

international peace and security and for confronting

the challenges of development. All Member States need

to garner the necessary political will to advance the

intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council

reform. Let us make the sixth-ninth session one for

decisive action.

The representatives who gathered in San Francisco

to finalize the Charter of the United Nations dreamed of

a world of peace and shared prosperity. They renounced

a vision of a world in which some unilaterally imposed

economic sanctions and financial blockades against

others, or one in which peoples were denied their right

to self-determination or were subjected to occupation,

as is the case in Cuba, Palestine and Western Sahara.

We have to remove those dark spots on the history of

our time by allowing the letter and spirit of the Charter

to guide our actions.

The theme chosen for our general debate,

“Delivering on and implementing a transformative

post-2015 development agenda”, could not be more

relevant at the current international juncture. The

road towards the achievement of all the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs) has been rough, with some

countries reporting relative success in reducing poverty

and hunger, markedly increasing school enrolment,

reducing child mortality, improving maternal health

and combating HIV/AIDS. However, the challenges

remain most daunting in the least developed countries,

landlocked developing countries, some small island

developing States and countries in, or emerging from,

conflict.

For our part, in Lesotho we have made some

progress towards achieving at least two of the eight

MDGs, namely, universal primary education, and

promoting gender equality and empowering women.

We still face a long and uphill journey to reach a life

of dignity for all. HIV and AIDS still pose a serious

threat to us. The untold miseries brought about by that

scourge are known to all of us. Africa is more vulnerable

to that threat because of the worsening poverty and

unemployment. Sadly, new, incurable pandemics such

as Ebola have emerged, wreaking havoc in sister African

countries and overwhelming their health systems. The

world must mobilize resources and energy to help the

affected countries of West Africa fight the pandemic

and to abolish it in the long term.

Our quest to pursue a sustainable future for

all must never wane as we step into the new era and

embark on the road map of the post-2015 development

agenda. We need to formulate a new set of universal

sustainable development goals that are concise and

strong with regard to the means of implementation. It is

important to emphasize national ownership and respect

for national conditions in each Member State and to

take advantage of global diversity so that we can attain

our development aspirations.

As we continue with intergovernmental discussions

leading up to the Third International Conference

on Financing for Development, which will be held

in Addis Ababa in July 2015, we must be guided by

the spirit of frankness and mutual understanding,

without the acrimony that often characterizes

our intergovernmental deliberations. It is equally

important to emphasize that advancing the rule of law

at the national and international levels is essential for

realizing sustainable development, eradicating poverty

and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Lesotho is by no means an exception in that regard.

A few days ago, the Climate Summit provided

us with an opportunity once again to reaffirm our

collective resolve to implement measures that can

significantly address climate change. We disagreed for

far too long, until we were confronted by the glaring and

compelling scientific evidence that the link between

global warming and human activity is indisputable.

Sadly, catastrophes have begun to hit, mostly affecting

the poorest and most vulnerable countries.

My country is one of the worst affected by climate

change. In recent years, Lesotho has faced unsettling

development challenges due to the effects of climate

change. The effects of increasing extreme weather

patterns such as early frost, droughts, desertification

and degradation of arable land compound the challenges

that we are already facing. Livelihoods of societies are

stifled, and economies and ways of life are negatively

affected.

While we appreciate that there are resources aimed

at helping developing countries to mitigate and adapt

to the impacts of climate change, we are concerned

that such funds are difficult to access. The global

climate-finance architecture is complex, with variable

structures of governance and modalities. Some finance

is channelled through multilateral agencies, sometimes

even outside the funding mechanisms of the United

Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,

and some flows through bilateral development-

assistance institutions, thereby making coordination

very difficult. Lesotho calls on the international

community and our development partners to simplify

the accessibility of funds earmarked for climate change

initiatives if we are to make an impact on the ground.

In conclusion, let me point out that the regime of the

Charter of the United Nations has so far done its part in

preventing a third world war, thereby fulfilling one of

the dreams of the architects of our beloved Organization.

The continued success and the relevance of the United

Nations in the new millennium will depend, in large

measure, on its capacity for self-renewal in readiness to

meet modern-day challenges.

We, the United Nations, should continue to be

the voice of the voiceless and the best hope for all

humankind. Now is the time for leaders everywhere to

join the race for transformative action that can drive

peace, democracy, respect for human rights and the rule

of law, human dignity, economic competitiveness and

sustainable prosperity for all. Lesotho will and must

continue to be a persistent and resilient part of that

initiative.