South Africa, 2014

I should like to congratulate you,

Mr. President, and your country, Uganda, on assuming,

on behalf of the continent of Africa, the responsibilities

of President of the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth

session. The theme that you have chosen for this general

debate and the sixty-ninth session, namely, “Delivering

on and implementing a transformative post-2015

development agenda”, is timely and most appropriate.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

galvanized and mobilized the international community

and the United Nations in a manner never seen before.

We have good stories to tell about the journey of the

past 15 years of implementing the MDGS. In Africa,

we seized the opportunity and adopted the New

Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), our

sociodevelopment blueprint. The African Union’s

Vision 2063 will, together with NEPAD and other

socioeconomic development programmes, be the

cornerstone and foundation of Africa’s development

agenda going forward. South Africa has also made

significant progress in achieving the MDGs. Reducing

by half the number of people earning less than a dollar

a day has been achieved, while the proportion of those

experiencing hunger has also been halved. South

Africa has attained Goal 2, namely, to provide access

to primary education for all.

By official international indicators, South Africa is

also doing well on MDG 3 to promote and empower

women. South Africa has recorded impressive progress

through the expansion of its health infrastructure

and improved access to health services for all South

Africans.

On the reduction of child mortality, MDG 4, and the

improvement of maternal health, MDG 5, significant

progress has also been recorded, but more work remains

to be done. In fact. more work remains worldwide to

fully achieve those goals, especially in the developing

world. We have to confront the underlying root causes

that continue to make it impossible for our people to

have a better life.

In spite of the progress that we have made thus far,

reports continue to show that Africa is lagging behind

in the attainment of some of the MDGs. It is for that

reason that we appreciate the crafting of a post-2015

global development agenda that will carry forward the

unfinished business of the MDGs. The post-2015 global

development agenda will provide a frame of reference

for our collective agreement on what has to be done.

We reiterate that developed countries should be reliable

partners and meet their commitments to development

goals, such as contributing 0.7 per cent of their

gross national income towards official development

assistance. We say that because it does not matter

what the great Organization has achieved in the past

six decades if we do not deal comprehensively with the

scourge of poverty, unemployment and diseases. The

poor of the world will then consider everything done

to have been a failure. Indeed, we would have failed in

our duty if we succeed in preventing another world war

but continue to have children dying of malnutrition and

treatable diseases.

The recent outbreak of Ebola in some West

African States and the number of lives that have

been unnecessarily lost provide a clear example of

the challenges that developing countries continue to

contend with. We believe that Ebola would have been

contained within a few days had the outbreak been in

the developed world. But now it has become a pandemic

that threatens the economies of affected African States.

The outbreak has thus exposed the challenges

resulting from lack of capacity, lack of infrastructure

and other limited resources in Africa. We are pleased

that the United Nations, under the leadership of the

Secretary-General, is deploying a mission to coordinate

efforts to combat the virus. South Africa stands ready to

continue to provide whatever resources we have at our

disposal to assist the people and Governments of our

sister countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

We add our voice in calling for more resources to be

deployed so as to ensure that the virus is contained.

The role of the United Nations in supporting the

struggles of self-determination and freedom has been

remarkable. South Africa is a shining example. Twenty

years ago, President Nelson Mandela thanked all

nations for support from this very podium when South

Africa was readmitted to the United Nations as a free

and democratic State. We are reminded of that fact on

this important day, which is National Heritage Day in

my country.

Since 1994, South Africa has made significant

progress in transforming the apartheid State into a

democratic one, founded on the values of human dignity,

non-discrimination, non-racialism and non-sexism, the

rule of law and universal adult suffrage, as enshrined in

the Constitution. Given our history and heritage, we are

mindful of our historic and moral responsibility in the

global struggle against racism, racial discrimination

and other intolerances. We will, in this regard, continue

to be at the forefront of efforts to eliminate all forms of

racism, racial discrimination and any other intolerance,

including xenophobia and anti-Semitism.

The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

remain the primary framework adopted by a United

Nations conference in the fight against racism. We

will continue to support the struggles for freedom

and self-determination, including the struggles of the

peoples of Palestine and Western Sahara, who continue

to experience occupation and colonialism of different

forms. The people of Cuba also hold a special place

in our hearts because of that country’s sacrifice for

African freedom. We will therefore continue to support

their struggle for economic liberation.

While the United Nations has done remarkably well

in supporting self-determination, when it celebrates 70

years of existence next year, this body may be found

wanting by the people of Palestine. The Israeli-Palestine

question is one of the oldest items on the United

Nations agenda, but progress remains elusive. In the

past few months in particular, the world has witnessed

a devastating conflict that left a humanitarian crisis

of shocking proportions. People in Palestine were left

homeless, with no medical facilities, no safe drinking

water, bereaved and having to care for the wounded

after a trail of destructive military actions by Israel.

South Africa has condemned the actions of both

Israel and Hamas, and we have called for an immediate

cessation of hostilities. Our strongly held view is

that there can be no military solution to the Israeli-

Palestinian question. We should all remain committed

to the two-State solution, based on the 1967 borders,

with Palestine and Israel coexisting side by side in

peace.

Of concern in this matter has been the helplessness

displayed by the United Nations, especially the Security

Council during the current conflict. The United

Nations has the moral authority and legitimacy to unite

the world in promoting the quest for peace, justice and

self-determination for the people of Palestine, while

addressing whatever security concerns Israel may have.

This body must play its role without fear or favour and

be a beacon for all who suffer oppression in the world.

Let me reiterate that the seventieth anniversary of

the United Nations next year provides an opportunity

for us seriously to reflect on the need to reform this

august body, moving beyond words to action. Ten years

ago, world leaders celebrating the sixtieth anniversary

of the United Nations agreed on the need for reform

of the Security Council in particular. The decision

remains valid and must be implemented. When we

convene here next year, in the seventieth year of the

United Nations, we should be able to adopt a concrete

programme that will guide us towards a strengthened

United Nations and a reformed Security Council. Some

contentious aspects of the United Nations system,

including the power of veto and the exclusion of regions

such as Africa from the Security Council, are some of

the critical matters that cannot be ignored in the quest

for transformation.

Among the achievements of the Organization in its

recent history is the cooperation between the African

Union and the United Nations, particularly since the

formation of the African Union Peace and Security

Architecture. In this regard, the full implementation

of Security Council resolutions 1809 (2008) and 2033

(2012), on cooperation between the United Nations

and regional organizations, particularly the African

Union, remains crucial. Progress has been made in a

number of areas where this cooperation is in place, for

example in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The

two affected subregional organizations, the Southern

African Development Community and the International

Conference on the Great Lakes Region, continue to

take significant strides with the support of the United

Nations.

This body celebrated the formation of a new State

of South Sudan not long ago. Recent developments and

the ongoing conflict in South Sudan have resulted in

loss of life and other dire humanitarian consequences.

We will continue to contribute as much as we can to

finding solutions working with the African Union and

this body. South Sudan should not be allowed to regress.

Next year marks 20 years since the the Fourth

World Conference on Women adopted the Beijing

Platform for Action. The anniversary provides an

opportunity for the United Nations and the international

community to reflect and take forward the struggle

for the emancipation of women from all forms of

discrimination.

Last December, the world descended on South

Africa to pay last respects to our beloved Madiba.

Those who did not come to South Africa honoured

Madiba in various ways. We will continue to work with

the world to promote Madiba’s legacy and passion for

justice, freedom, equality and human rights. We are

grateful to the General Assembly and the President of

the Assembly at the sixty-eighth session for the decision

to establish the United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla

Mandela Prize that will be awarded to an outstanding

individual who will have demonstrated a commitment

to the aims, objectives and principles of the United

Nations Charter. The Prize is a great testament to the

outstanding individual that Madiba was and will always

be.

As we recommit to the Millennium Development

Goals, let me once again borrow from the words of

Madiba uttered on his historic inauguration day in 1994

when he said:

“We understand it still that there is no easy

road to freedom. We know it well that none of

us acting alone can achieve success. We must

therefore act together as a united people, for

national reconciliation, for nation building, for the

birth of a new world. Let there be justice for all.

Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread,

water and salt for all. Let each know that for each

the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to

fulfil themselves.”