South Africa, 2009

This year marks the twentieth

anniversary of the adoption, in 1989, of General

Assembly resolution 44/27 A, on international

solidarity with the liberation struggle in South Africa.

That was one of numerous Assembly resolutions in

which the nations of the world pledged their support

for the eradication of apartheid.

Within months of the adoption of that important

resolution, the ban on South African liberation

movements was lifted. Nelson Mandela and other

political prisoners were released. The stage was thus

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set for the negotiations that would eventually lead to

the achievement of freedom and democracy in our

country.

The role of the United Nations in the struggle to

end apartheid is an exceptional example of the

collective political will of the international community.

It represented the victory of unity over division and of

negotiation over confrontation. It represented a clear

commitment to the promotion of basic human rights.

As South Africans, we will always be grateful for that

international solidarity.

Since the advent of democracy in 1994, we have

built a solid, stable democracy, founded on the

principles of unity, non-sexism, non-racialism and

democracy. As we continue to build our young nation,

we are cognizant of the need for a conducive

international environment. For that reason, we are

committed to playing our part, with the rest of the

international community, in taking forward the fight

against poverty and in responding to the crises that are

confronting the world today. We must act now,

together, to halt the degradation of the environment.

We must act now, together, to prevent the global

economic crisis from undoing the gains that we have

achieved over decades.

The eradication of poverty must remain central to

the work of the United Nations. The Organization must

continue to work harder to unite the world to work to

alleviate the suffering of the world’s poor and

marginalized. The global economic meltdown has dealt

a heavy blow to world efforts to eradicate poverty. But

it should not diminish our resolve.

The United Nations must play a significant role

in finding solutions to the global economic crisis. The

crisis should not be an excuse to delay further action

on the delivery of the Millennium Development Goals.

Rather, it should urge us to double our efforts to

achieve greater and faster progress. Developing

countries did not cause the economic crisis, but they

are severely affected by it. The crisis has further

highlighted the urgent need for fundamental reform of

the Bretton Woods institutions, including their

mandate, scope, governance and responsiveness.

These institutions have been unrepresentative

since their formation half a century ago. The current

arrangements are inadequate and unfair. They do not

reflect the changes that have taken place in the global

economy. We should ensure that the election of the

heads of all those institutions is more democratic, and

opens opportunities to developing countries. The

emerging and developing countries, including the

poorest, must have a greater voice and greater

participation in those institutions. Similarly, if we are

to eradicate poverty there is an urgent need to conclude

the Doha Round of trade negotiations in a manner that

prioritizes development.

We continue to work for an African renewal, and

welcome the ongoing support of the United Nations

system in addressing the challenges facing the

continent. Now more than ever, it is necessary for the

United Nations to ensure that the international

community collectively implements the commitments

made to Africa. We have a viable socio-economic

development blueprint, the New Partnership for

Africa’s Development, which should be used in

mobilizing resources for Africa. We appreciate that

there can be no lasting peace without development, and

no development without security.

Over the past 20 years, Africa has made much

progress in working to end conflicts and to promote

democratic practices and institutions. However, some

pockets of conflict persist. For its part, South Africa

has been engaged in mediation, conflict prevention and

peacekeeping on the continent, in, among other places,

Burundi, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of

the Congo.

The African Union has the political will to

resolve conflicts on the continent. However, it lacks

resources to run effective peacekeeping interventions

and conflict prevention mechanisms. We appeal for

support for African peacemaking efforts, and for

greater cooperation between the United Nations and

the African Union. In this regard, we call on the

General Assembly to align itself with resolutions of the

African Union and the Southern African Development

Community that do not recognize Governments that

come into power by force or other unconstitutional

means.

The search for global peace, stability and security

cannot be separated from the pursuit of justice,

self-determination, human rights and economic

development. We need to constantly reaffirm the

inalienable human rights of all people. We call for the

full and effective implementation of the outcomes of

the World Conference against Racism and the

subsequent Durban Review Conference. It is of

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concern that at the close of the first decade of the

twenty-first century there are still nations that find

their lands occupied and their peoples oppressed.

We are convinced that urgent and concrete steps

are needed to resolve the situation in Western Sahara.

We must work with similar urgency towards the

achievement, through negotiations, of peaceful

coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. This

must be based on the creation of a viable Palestinian

State, existing side by side with Israel, within the 1967

borders, which must be secure and internationally

recognized.

We also call for the lifting of the economic,

commercial and financial embargo on Cuba.

We also appreciate the recent pronouncements by

some nuclear-weapon States on their intention to

reduce their nuclear arsenals.

Let us take up this new momentum and utilize the

opportunity of the 2010 Review Conference of the

Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of

Nuclear Weapons (NPT) to recommit ourselves to the

full implementation of obligations under the NPT. We

should ensure a balance among the objectives of

disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful use of

nuclear energy.

For Africa, the impact of climate change is

devastating and will severely undermine development

and poverty eradication efforts. We need to act now to

ensure that there is an inclusive, fair and effective

global agreement on this critical challenge. The

agreement must recognize that solving the climate

problem cannot be separated from the struggle to

eradicate poverty. Developed countries bear the

greatest responsibility for climate change and its

impact. We must therefore strike a balance between

adaptation and mitigation. Our goal should be to

significantly reduce emissions across the globe without

constraining development in the countries of the South.

Ms. McClean (Barbados), Vice-President, took

the Chair.

Developed countries must make ambitious,

quantified and legally binding emission reduction

commitments that are in line with science and that

address their historical responsibilities. At Copenhagen,

there needs to be agreement on new, additional,

sustainable and predictable financing for adaptation.

This should be for programmes that reduce the

vulnerability of developing countries to the effects of

climate change.

In a world that is increasingly interconnected and

interdependent, international problems can be resolved

effectively only through multilateral cooperation. The

United Nations must continue to be at the centre of

multilateralism, but it needs to be reformed if it is to

carry out its mandate effectively, efficiently and

transparently.

We remain committed to the view that no reform

of the United Nations can be complete without the

fundamental reform of the Security Council. It must be

representative of the international community and

reflect the geopolitical realities of today. If the Security

Council is not reformed and does not have permanent

representation for Africa, the legitimacy of the

Council’s decisions will continue to be questioned.

South Africa continues to advocate an expansion in

both the permanent and non-permanent categories of

membership.

Let me express our appreciation to the world for

the celebration of the inaugural Nelson Mandela Day

on 18 July this year. Scores of people engaged in a

minimum of 67 minutes of voluntary action in the

service of humanity, in honour of our icon, President

Mandela. The Non-Aligned Movement has joined the

call for this General Assembly to declare 18 July

Nelson Mandela Day. This would be in recognition of

President Mandela’s contribution to the struggle for

democracy and the cause of humanity, and to promote

community service across the globe. In this regard, we

hope that the General Assembly will adopt a consensus

resolution in support of Nelson Mandela Day.

South Africa is privileged to host the 2010

Fédération Internationale de Football Association

World Cup in the middle of next year, which will be

the first time that the tournament has been held on

African soil. We look forward to hosting the peoples of

the world, who will enjoy unique African hospitality

and vibrancy.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank the

outgoing President of the General Assembly for his

leadership at the sixty-third session of the Assembly. I

thank the General Assembly and representatives for the

opportunity to address this esteemed gathering.

Working together as a global family, we can do more to

create a better and just world.