Nigeria, 2013

On behalf of the Government

and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I salute

the President as he presides over the General Assembly

at its sixty-eighth session. I assure him of the full

support and cooperation of the Nigerian delegation. I

also wish to extend our commendation to Secretary-

General Ban Ki-moon and to place on record Nigeria’s

appreciation of his focused and committed leadership

of the United Nations system.

This session comes at a particularly trying period

when our world faces a number of critical challenges,

which make it imperative for us to work within

the Charter of the United Nations to address them

meaningfully. It is therefore apt that the theme for this

session, “The post-2015 development agenda: setting

the stage”, signposts our desire and determination to

actively cooperate for the improvement of the overall

welfare and well-being of the most vulnerable citizens

of the States Members of the Organization.

Nigeria appreciates the consultative nature of

designing the post-2015 development agenda. Earlier

in the year, we supported this global outreach through

inclusive consultations and surveys of a number of

Nigerians, who expressed their aspirations with respect

to the world they expect beyond 2015. A major highlight

of that process, which has increased national ownership

of the agenda, is the emphasis on the eradication of

poverty as the overarching principle in the formulation

of the successor framework. Tomorrow, Nigeria will host

a side event on the implementation of the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs), in collaboration with the

United Nations, a number of African countries and our

development partners.

As I had cause to say before the Assembly at its

previous session (see A/67/PV.8), the year 2015 is not

a destination but only a milestone to a better, safer,

healthier and more compassionate world. Let us

therefore renew our commitment to the processes that

will develop the post-MDG framework.

That objective is of particular resonance to us in

Africa, where the challenges of poverty, illiteracy,

food insecurity and climate change continue to engage

the attention of the political leadership. The good

news, however, is that in the past decade, a sustained

democratization process across the continent has

made significant difference in governance processes,

institutions and structures. Today, we have a renascent

Africa, which has moved away from the era of

dictatorship to a new dawn, where the ideals of good

governance and an emphasis on human rights and

justice are beginning to drive State-society relations.

This is the present reality of Africa that must replace

the old prejudices and assumptions about the continent.

We are firm in our conviction that democracy is

fundamental to achieving the requisite stability that

will enable the realization of a sustainable post-2015

development agenda in Africa. This emergent Africa

will require the continued support and partnership of the

international community — an Africa that is no longer

merely a destination for aid but one that is involved in

constructive, multi-sectoral exchanges on the global

stage. Our continent stands ready to continue to engage

the rest of the world as a partner in formulating a global

development agenda that will guarantee peace, security

and stability.

I wish to express my appreciation at Nigeria’s

selection as co-Chair of the Intergovernmental

Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development

Financing. The importance of the Committee’s

assignment cannot be overstated. For the post-2015

development agenda to be realistic, it must be backed

by a robust financing framework, which I hope will

receive the strong backing of the Organization’s better-

endowed Members.

Nigeria’s commitment to sustainable peace and

security propels the country to action along with

member States of our subregional and continental

organizations whenever stability is threatened in

our continent. In recent years, Africa has had its

share of conflicts, notably in Mali, Guinea-Bissau,

the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central

African Republic and Somalia. It is noteworthy that

African leaders, with the support of the international

community, have demonstrated the capacity to work in

concert and decisively in pursuit of long-term solutions

in the affected States. While a lot more still needs to

be done, we are convinced that progress is being made.

The recent presidential elections in Mali herald

a new beginning that should translate into peace and

prosperity for its people and provide a stronger basis

for stability within the subregion. I congratulate

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who is here with

us today. Similarly, the political transition process in

Guinea-Bissau holds much promise. Among African

leaders, there is a greater determination and focus on

the transformation of the continent. That is the required

impetus for the achievement of development objectives

that will benefit the people, and rebrand the continent

even more positively.

Although our world has not witnessed a global

war since the establishment of the United Nations,

there have been several conflicts with devastating

consequences and impact in virtually all regions of

the world. As global citizens, we have a sacred duty to

free our world of wars, rivalries, ethnic conflicts and

religious divisions. Our collective effort in our drive for

a better world will continue to bind us together.

Nigeria continues to support the efforts of the

United Nations in addressing the global initiative to

combat the menace of the illicit trade in small arms and

light weapons. We have redoubled efforts to address

this onerous challenge within our borders and across the

West African subregion. In doing so, we also recognize

the need for a broad-based global partnership in the

ongoing battle against transborder crimes, including

terrorism and acts of piracy. It is regrettable that

these scourges are sustained by unfettered access by

non-State actors to illicit small arms and light weapons,

with which they foster insecurity and instability across

our continent. For us in Africa, these are the weapons

of mass destruction.

It is therefore in the light of our collective

obligation and unceasing struggle to end this nightmare

that I congratulate Member States on the adoption of

the Arms Trade Treaty in April. Our hope is that, upon

its entry into force, the Treaty will herald an era of

accountable trade in conventional arms, which is critical

to the security of nations. In line with our continued

commitment to that project, Nigeria has signed and

ratified the Treaty. We will continue to engage other

Member States for its successful implementation.

Terrorism constitutes a major threat to global peace

and security and undermines the capacity for sustained

development. In Nigeria, the threat of terrorism in

a few states in the north-eastern part of our country

has proven to be a challenge to national stability. We

will spare no effort in addressing this menace. We

are therefore confronting it with every resource at our

disposal, with due regard for fundamental human rights

and the rule of law. Nigeria would like to place on record

its appreciation to the international community for its

support in that regard. The reign of terror anywhere

in the world is an assault on our collective humanity.

Three days ago, the stark reality of that menace was

again brought to the fore by the dastardly terrorist

attack in Nairobi. We must stand together to win this

war together.

Piracy, like terrorism, is another menace that has

attained worrying proportions, especially in Africa’s

coastal waters. At the bilateral and multilateral

levels, Nigeria has promoted cooperation to mitigate

piracy’s impact on and consequences for the security

and economies of affected coastal States. Indeed, in

June, the leaders of the Economic Community of West

African States, the Economic Community of Central

African States and the Gulf of Guinea Commission

met in Yaoundé and came up with practical steps to

collectively confront the menace of piracy in the Gulf of

Guinea. That effort will no doubt require reinforcement

and wider support and collaborative action on the part

of our international partners.

The situation in the Middle East remains volatile.

The reported use of chemical weapons in the Syrian

crisis is unacceptable. Nigeria condemns, in the

strongest possible terms, the use of chemical weapons

prohibited by international conventions. We applaud the

current diplomatic efforts to avert a further escalation

of the crisis. We urge all parties involved to end the

violence and seek a negotiated solution, including

through the instruments of the United Nations.

The threat that nuclear weapons pose to the

survival of the human race is to be understood not just

in the context of States that aspire to such weapons but

also of the nations already in possession of them. It is

our collective responsibility to urge the international

community to respond to the clarion call for a peaceful

universe in an age of uncertainty. We can attain that

objective if we adopt measures and policies that

promote nuclear disarmament, protect and renew our

environment and push towards an international system

that is based on trust, mutual respect and shared goals.

I believe that I express the concern of many when

I bring up the slow pace of effort and apparent lack of

progress in the reform of the United Nations, especially

the Security Council. We believe strongly that the call

for democratization worldwide should apply not only

to States but also to international organizations such

as the United Nations. That is why we call for the

Council’s democratization. It is desirable in order to

enshrine justice, equity and fairness and to promote a

sense of inclusiveness and balance in our world.

Our support for the Security Council in its primary

responsibility — the maintenance of international peace

and security — has been total and unwavering. In our

previous membership of the Council we demonstrated

both the political will and the capacity to engage in key

Council responsibilities. Nigeria has therefore decided

to seek election to a non-permanent seat on the Security

Council for the period 2014 to 2015, for which I am

pleased to be able to say we have been endorsed by the

Economic Community of West African States and the

African Union. We urge the Assembly to endorse our

candidature.

Our world continues to be confronted by pressing

problems and threats. No statement made during this

session can encompass the extent of those problems.

The world looks to us, as leaders, to provide hope in

the midst of crisis, to offer guidance through difficult

sociopolitical divisions and to ensure that we live in

a better world. We have obligations to the current

generation, but we have a greater obligation to those

yet unborn, who should one day be able to inherit a

world of sufficiency, irrespective of the circumstances

of their birth or where they stand on the globe. We must

work to make that world a reality in recognition of our

common heritage. We must strive to eradicate poverty,

hunger, disease and human misery; we must eliminate

the scourge of nuclear, chemical and biological warfare,

as well as that of small arms and light weapons. We

must dedicate ourselves to working together to address

global, regional and national challenges and to deliver a

more peaceful, equitable and prosperous world for all.

It is our duty. We must not fail.