Citing the Iraq situation, South African President Thabo Mbeki stressed on Thursday the role of the United Nations in bringing about peace in the world.
In an address prepared for delivery at the UN General Assembly in New York he described the multilateral system of global governance as ”the only viable international response to all our challenges”.
Mbeki, who also chairs the Non-Aligned Movement, said: ”As before, the Non-Aligned Movement is committed to the peaceful resolution of all conflicts, including those pertaining to Palestine and Israel, as well as Iraq, in keeping with the resolutions of the United Nations organisation.”
He spoke just after United States President George Bush, whose administration has threatened to attack Iraq.
Mbeki referred to the UN Millennium Declaration, in which the world’s political leaders ”reaffirmed our faith in the (UN) organisation and its Charter as indispensable foundations of a more peaceful, prosperous and just world.”
At that time, two years ago, an unprecedented number of heads of state and government made a commitment to co-operation among the people of the world to peace, prosperity and justice throughout the universe.
”That… gave hope to the billions throughout the world who know the painful meaning of oppression by another, of war and violent conflict, of poverty and injustice.”
A year later peace in the US and the world was challenged by the murderous terrorist attack of September 11, Mbeki said.
”We have a collective duty to reaffirm our united resolve to create a world free of the fear of terrorism. We have a common task to ensure that this organisation truly lives up to its obligations to do all the things that make for peace.”
Turning to his own continent, he said the peoples of Africa had risen to the challenges of the Millennium Declaration by forming the African Union.
”The African Union is Africa’s practical and determined response to its past and present, in favour of peace and stability, democracy and human rights, co-operation, development, prosperity and human dignity.”
Its socio-economic revitalisation programme, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad), had to help eradicate poverty and underdevelopment throughout the continent. In the context of the AU Nepad had to end Africa’s humiliation as an object of charity, Mbeki said.
The UN, as an organisation tasked to address peace, human rights and poverty eradication within a framework of sustainable development, would forever be central to the AU’s success and the accomplishment’s of Nepad’s goals, he said. ”I am confident that the United Nations will work closely with the African Union, and that this premier organisation of the peoples of the world will use its vast and invaluable experience to ensure that the African Union delivers on the important and pressing duty of achieving sustainable development in each and every country on our continent.”
The UN agencies and AU organs must prioritise matters together like human resource development, capacity building, modernising Africa’s economy, dealing decisively with the intolerable debt burden, ensuring access for its products in the markets of the developed world, emancipation of women, fighting against environmental degradation and combating diseases like Aids, malaria and tuberculosis.
Referring to the recent World Summit on Sustainable Development, Mbeki said: ”The Johannesburg Summit confronted the stark reality that billions of people across the globe are poor, and boldly confirmed the need for us to collaborate for a shared human prosperity through sustainable development.
”We agree that this goal can be achieved because we are inspired by the knowledge that the resources needed exist within the global community.”
It was critically important to implement everything agreed upon at the WSSD, with the necessary sense of urgency, he said.
”…This we will do together, under the leadership of the United Nations while we continue to strengthen the multilateral system of global governance, as the only viable international response to all our challenges.” – Sapa