Mozambique, 2011

We join

previous speakers in congratulating Mr. Nassir

Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, of Qatar, on his election to

preside over the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth

session. His long diplomatic experience makes us

anticipate that our deliberations will be crowned with

success. We take this opportunity to assure him our full

readiness to contribute to the success of this session,

and wish him well in the discharge of his duties.

We extend our congratulations to the President’s

predecessor, Mr. Joseph Deiss of the Swiss

Confederation, on his commitment, pragmatism and

dynamism in the conduct of the work of the sixty-fifth

session.

We also congratulate Mr. Ban Ki-moon on his

reappointment to the post of Secretary-General, which

demonstrates the recognition of Member States, and of

the international community as a whole, of his

commitment to the pursuit and consolidation of peace,

security and international development. We are

encouraged that, thanks to his full commitment, we

will continue to work together, under the aegis of the

United Nations, to find appropriate solutions to

common problems facing humanity.

We welcome the newest Member of the United

Nations, the Republic of South Sudan. With this sister

country, we celebrated its independence and at that

time expressed our congratulations on this important

milestone.

This session takes place at a critical stage of

human history, characterized in particular by the

impact of the ongoing global financial and economic

crisis; the rising prices of food and oil; the resurgence

of hotbeds of tension and political instability,

particularly in North Africa and the Middle East; the

prevalence of pandemics such as malaria, tuberculosis

and HIV/AIDS; and the increasing occurrence of

natural disasters. These challenges require a

multilateral approach in order to find consensual,

effective and sustainable responses.

Indeed, the negative impact of these complex

phenomena, especially in developing countries, is a

potential factor of political and social instability. It is

therefore necessary to focus on democratic principles

grounded on dialogue, inclusive governance,

accountability and transparency and respect for human

rights.

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In this context, we commend the choice of theme

for the session: the role and importance of mediation

for the prevention of violent conflicts, for the pursuit

of peaceful solutions and for the strengthening and

consolidation of mutual trust. Those are key factors for

building a solid and lasting peace.

We all yearn for a better world in which peace

and security, harmony and concord reign, a world in

which everyone’s concern is to combat poverty, fight

against epidemics and promote the welfare and

prosperity of humankind.

The proliferation of crises and the perpetuation of

dissonant positions, rather than a search for solutions

to the many problems that affect all humanity, make

this dream become increasingly difficult to achieve.

Therefore, strengthening multilateralism and global

governance by the United Nations is of critical

importance.

This session takes place in the year in which the

United Nations family recalls the fiftieth anniversary

of the physical disappearance of Secretary-General

Dag Hammarskjöld. It is also 25 years since the

assassination, by apartheid, of our late President

Samora Moisés Machel. Those two personalities were

lovers and defenders of peace, and they lost their lives

when seeking peace for countries of our Mother Africa.

In honour of those great names and all those who gave

their lives to mediation and preventive diplomacy as a

means for the peaceful settlement of disputes, let us all

reaffirm our commitment to peace, and redouble our

commitment in support of initiatives aimed at building

a world free of conflict.

Mediation should be seen as an opportunity to

bring together the parties to a dispute, reduce their

differences and appeal to conscience so that together

they can move towards mutually acceptable peaceful

solutions. Mediation cannot be started with the

assumption that we have all the answers; the mediation

process should be conducted in an objective, impartial

and neutral manner, ensuring the involvement of

stakeholders at all stages and their ownership of the

process. These are basic principles that ensure the

continuity and consolidation of the process of national

reconciliation and reconstruction, and, more important,

the building of mutual trust.

Aware of these principles, Mozambique is proud

to be part of some positive experiences in different

mediation processes in southern Africa and the African

continent as a whole. We have thus contributed to

helping other countries to return to the path leading to

social and economic development. We therefore appeal

for appreciation of the mediation role of the United

Nations and regional and subregional organizations.

The universality of the United Nations gives it a

key role in promoting international peace and security

by resorting to peaceful means to settle disputes. In

this sense, the Organization is once again called upon

to assume the responsibility entrusted to it in the

Charter as a facilitator of mediation within the concert

of nations, through its organs, in particular the Security

Council and the General Assembly, as well as through

the Peacebuilding Commission.

We praise the progress made by the United

Nations, whose impact on prevention, mitigation and

mediation of internal and inter-State conflicts has been

positive. These achievements can be consolidated by

strengthening the relationship between the principal

organs of the United Nations with a mandate to

safeguard international peace and security, as well as

their relationship with regional and subregional

organizations.

We reaffirm our recognition of the role of the

regional and subregional organizations as pillars in the

promotion and maintenance of peace, security and

stability through the use of preventive diplomacy and

early warning systems.

The African experience has proved that the

various regional and subregional mediation initiatives

have been effective in preventing and managing

conflicts and tensions, and in maintaining regional

peace and stability. In this context, we salute the

signature of the political road map leading to the return

to constitutional order in Madagascar, the culmination

of a negotiating process, mediated by the Southern

African Development Community, which started in

August 2009.

The United Nations remains the appropriate

forum for addressing current challenges, including the

peaceful resolution of disputes. However, in order to

assume its role effectively, our Organization must

complete the ongoing reforms.

In this sense, we reiterate the commitment of the

Republic of Mozambique to continue to provide

relevant input to the reform process, which helps the

United Nations to become more proactive and effective

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in dealing with global issues, thus contributing to the

consolidation of its credibility and legitimacy, in the

interests of the peoples of the world. In this regard, we

reiterate our interest in seeing the conclusion of the

process of revitalization of the role and authority of the

General Assembly as a more representative and

legitimate body of the United Nations.

It is in this Assembly, where we are all

represented and where every vote counts, that the most

important decisions on the international agenda,

including the peaceful and negotiated settlement of

disputes, should be taken and evaluated. Only a strong

General Assembly, endowed with the necessary

authority and competence and adequate resources,

would be up to these responsibilities and current

challenges.

Another important component of reform that

continues to deserve our attention is the Security

Council. This body should, in a transparent, inclusive

and democratic manner, follow the evolution and

dynamics of contemporary global challenges and

assume its vital role in building the credibility of the

United Nations as a universal entity. We are confident

that these reforms will allow greater dialogue and

cooperation between the General Assembly and the

Security Council, strengthening the relationship with

each other and with relevant regional and subregional

organizations.

We have been following with due attention the

social and political developments in North Africa and

the Middle East. We recognize that these developments

pose a challenge for the countries and regions

concerned and also for the international community.

We are hopeful that the processes in progress will

capitalize on opportunities to promote peace, expand

freedoms, promote development and improve living

conditions. We call upon all relevant actors to engage

in constructive dialogue and work for peaceful

solutions to ensure peace and stability.

From those developments we have learned the

lesson that internal dialogue, regional cooperation, and

fairness in the interventions of the United Nations

should be privileged.

We note with concern the lack of progress in the

Israeli-Arab peace process. In this context, we urge the

parties to commit themselves to relaunching

negotiations that are translated into concrete actions

with a view to a lasting, comprehensive and fair

conflict solution. We reiterate our unequivocal support

for the cause of the Palestinian people, who have been

denied the inalienable right to self-determination.

We reaffirm our support for the principle of the

creation of two States, Palestine and Israel, coexisting

peacefully and in accordance with the 1967 borders.

We also reiterate our support for the commitment of

the international community to finding a sustainable

solution in favour of the people of Western Sahara. We

also reiterate our support for their legitimate right to

self-determination.

We take this opportunity to express our solidarity

with the brotherly peoples of Somalia, Ethiopia and

Kenya, plagued by severe drought and famine. We

praise the efforts that the international community has

made so far to alleviate the suffering and loss of life.

Finally, we reaffirm the continued engagement

and commitment of the Republic of Mozambique to

peace, security and stability.