YouSaid · the spoken record

Raymond Tshibanda N’tungamulongo

lines on the record: 42
first: 2015-09-24
most recent: 2016-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“We would like to thank him for his significant contributions to the preservation of the principles and values of our Organization and for his decisive contribution to re-establishing peace and stability in my country.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“I also recalled the huge importance of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and welcomed the adoption of the New York Declaration, which provides us with the strategy for managing the large-scale displacements of refugees and migrants, by noting the need to tackle the root causes of those evils. I will conclude my remarks by once again reiterating our faith in multilateralism and expressing the hope to see everyone uphold and promote its principles and values in the interest of international peace and for the good of humankind. I would like to salute and pay tribute to Mr. Ban Ki-moon, whose mandate as Secretary-General of our Organization is coming to an end.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“I have also given a general overview of the political, electoral and human rights situation in my country, while mentioning the partnership between my Government and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In so doing, I called for United Nations reform through the enlargement of the Security Council and the strengthening of the mandate of the General Assembly. I stressed that there is a need for international solidarity and ongoing consultations in order to better organize our common response to the fight against terrorism.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It is high time to put an end to the thousands of migrant deaths in the Mediterranean and address the root causes of those displacements, which are mainly poverty, armed conflicts and the lack of resilience to disasters. We must make sure that we resolve those problems so that all citizens of the world, and in particular those in developing countries, can live happily and peacefully in their own countries. That is the very basic principle of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, that is, to leave no one behind. I have focused my comments today on the launch by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals from the beginning of 2016 by determining priority actions, while noting the links between its goals and my country’s new strategic development plan.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“That is why, after having actively participated in the negotiations and the conclusion of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, through the intervention of its Head of State, signed the Agreement on 22 April here in New York. Now we are finalizing the ratification process, which should be completed before the end of this year. The Democratic Republic of the Congo welcomes another major advancement with regard to international governance, that is, the adoption of the final document of the recent high-level meeting on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants, namely, the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants (resolution 71/1, annex).”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The despicable and indiscriminate acts that characterize that phenomenon demand international solidarity and continuous dialogue in order to better organize our response. The peoples living in the eastern part of my country, particularly in the region of Beni, have on more than one occasion become the innocent victims of terrorist violence. That is why we reiterate here our support for the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, as well as our firm condemnation of the scourge of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Our planet is confronting an unprecedented environmental challenge in the form of climate change, which has a direct negative impact on the quality of our lives and which mortgages the very future of humankind.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The international commercial and financial architecture must also undergo profound transformations so that it can adapt to developments and changes on the international scene and so that the United Nations can be a source of hope for all. Moreover, our Organization should promote greater transparency and democracy, particularly in selecting the next Secretary-General, while preserving the rules and practices that have proved to be effective, in particular the regional rotation scheme. The fight for peace is also a fight against terrorism. That scourge of our century must remain one of the priorities of our Organization. For my country, terrorism is now the most serious threat to international peace and security.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The Democratic Republic of the Congo attaches importance to that reform, which, in order to be viable, must take the political and numerical weight of Africa in the General Assembly into account and allow that continent to fully take part in decisions that concern it, especially since two thirds of the situations reviewed in the Security Council concern Africa. To that end, the Ezulwini Consensus remains the only acceptable basis for negotiation. In the same context, it is important to also strengthen the decision-making power of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council to promote peace, social justice, democracy and development.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“In addition, as it operates in a world that is constantly changing and evolving, the United Nations is called upon to exercise its specific mandate to constantly question itself and adapt in order to better confront the new challenges and threats that the world is facing. That is why reform of our international Organization and its methods and modes of operation is necessary. In that regard, we need to look into broadening the membership of the permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“They are therefore relying on the strategic dialogue with the United Nations to achieve a progressive reduction of MONUSCO personnel and a subsequent transformation of the Mission. Having informed the Assembly about the situation in my country, I would now like to express the vision of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on several major issues of concern in the world today. Throughout its existence, the United Nations has made numerous important achievements and attained success in the areas of peace, security, international cooperation, human rights and socioeconomic development. In spite of these results, international peace remains an ongoing quest.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) was extended to 31 March 2017, pursuant to resolution 2277 (2016), in order to support the laudable efforts that the Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo have been deploying to root out the armed groups that are still resistant to peace. While welcoming the assistance, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo notes that thanks to the security sector reform currently under way, the national defence and security forces have shown greater efficiency and competence in the execution of their mission to protect the national territory and provide security for goods and persons.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Two important laws have been recently enacted — one on gender equality and one on changing the outdated provisions of the family code, in order to align the law with international law in force. With regard to violence against women, we have seen reliable indicators that have shown a net reduction of 50 per cent in cases of sexual violence from 2014 to 2015. With specific regard to the right to health care, significant progress has been achieved in fighting HIV/AIDS and malaria. However, we need to remain vigilant with regard to certain cross-border diseases that had been eradicated in the past, namely, yellow fever and cholera, of which we have recently seen some signs of resurgence.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“On the other hand, any recourse to the use of violence should be strongly condemned and the perpetrators punished, and any invitation to any insurrection or other unconstitutional mode of access to power should be denounced. The promotion of human rights has made progress in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a post- conflict State that has had to face numerous challenges. Two months ago, we hosted a visit from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the context of cooperation with his Office and the Human Rights Council. We are planning to pursue and deepen reforms in this area. That has certainly been the case with respect to the protection of women’s rights.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“In that regard, I would like to welcome the importance of the voter registration process that began on 31 July, which gives the possibility for people to run for office and to vote. It has included more than 14 million Congolese, those who live in the country or abroad, representing one third of the electoral core, who could not have enjoyed this right without those reforms. The current political national dialogue in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the process of peaceful resolution of disputes among Congolese with a view to organizing the elections and consolidating our democracy should benefit from everyone’s support, in particular of political actors who are not yet participating in the process, but who are encouraged to do so.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Many other challenges need to be overcome in order to allow the organization of free, transparent, credible and peaceful elections. In order to come together and meet these challenges in a consensual manner, the presidential majority, the political opposition and civil society came together over a two-week period in order to engage in an inclusive national political dialogue facilitated by the African Union with the assistance of an international support group. The right to elect and be elected is a fundamental right both for Congolese citizens who live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and for those who live abroad. The major challenge today in exercising that right is to ensure that we have inclusive and reliable voting registers.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“This new democratic experience will continue when future elections are organized for local authorities in both urban and rural areas, to take place concurrently with the presidential, legislative, national and provincial elections. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has made an irreversible choice in ensuring that access to State power is possible only through the elections. I would also like to most solemnly reaffirm that, despite delays in registration and preparations, the general elections initially slated for the end of this year will be organized by the Independent National Electoral Commission, which has, under the Constitution, exclusive jurisdiction over them. The elections will take place as planned, that is, as soon as technical conditions permit.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Beyond that, there are many challenges, including that of strengthening the national statistical system and the population and housing census, with a view to having reliable updated data for designing, monitoring and evaluating development programmes. In the case of my country, these efforts are naturally linked to the mobilization of funds, in particular by easing the conditions for donors and diversifying financial resources. With regard to the political situation, my country has entered into a crucial phase of administrative decentralization in order to enable local management. Each of the 26 new provinces of my country currently have authorities that the population has freely chosen, following the elections for provincial governors and deputy governors of the province, which took place in March and April.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“In this first five-year plan, priority will again be given to the improvement of human capital, by taking on the problem of the demographic dividends that require strict collaboration among various stakeholders in development at both the national and international levels, with a view to ensuring strong, sustained and, above all, inclusive, economic growth. Particular attention is therefore paid to the specific needs of youths and women in terms of education, job training, improvement of their scientific and technological knowledge, health and employment. Actions stemming from this option are designed to jointly implement a programme for building the transportation infrastructure needed to bring agricultural and mining products to market and stimulate the mobility of persons and goods.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It is based on a long-term view and a strategic framework to ensure that our policies and actions align with the issues of climate change as well as the priorities of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which has committed us to a process aimed at raising the Democratic Republic of the Congo into the middle-income-country category by 2021, the emerging-country category by 2030 and the developed-country category by 2050. The implementation of this plan will take the form of five-year plans, the first of which covers the period from 2017 to 2021.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It was meant to overcome the challenges of underdevelopment and poverty and create a more just world with greater solidarity and stability, where equal opportunity would no longer be only a dream. The theme for this general debate, “The Sustainable Development Goals: a universal push to transform our world”, is an inarguable opportunity. It allows for a first overall assessment of the focus of the new agenda so that, if necessary, we can adjust the path forward in order to guarantee the full achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Taking into consideration lessons learned from the efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, the Democratic Republic of the Congo chose to integrate the SDGs into our national strategic development plan.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“I take the floor on behalf of His Excellency Mr. Joseph Kabila Kabange, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, whom I am honoured to represent. It is a true pleasure to join previous speakers in congratulating the President on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session and to wish him and his Bureau full success in the execution of their mandate. I also address this well-deserved tribute to his predecessor, in the light of his tireless efforts that have so greatly served our Organization. Motivated by the desire to achieve peace, security and development in every one of our States and throughout the world, in September of last year together we adopted a new global development agenda, which we intend to inspire us for the next 15 years.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We fully expect that the ongoing strategic dialogue with the Secretary- General and his experts will lead to a recommendation to the Security Council to this effect.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Accordingly, while we remain sincerely grateful to the United Nations for its contribution to the restoration of that peace, we believe it is high time to reconsider the question of a United Nations presence on Congolese territory and to think about a gradual but major withdrawal of the troops of the Stabilization Mission from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our country expects to receive the Assembly’s support for this responsible and legitimate request of a Member State, which it makes in full exercise of its sovereignty. It is a request that already has the support of the regional economic communities to which we belong, the Southern African Development Community and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, as well as the African Union.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“To this end, convinced that dialogue is a central principle of democracy and a powerful factor in social cohesion, the Head of State has held consultations since last May with all segments of Congolese society — political actors, civil society, religious and traditional authorities — with a view to supporting a national dialogue. Finally, after the defeat of the Mouvement du 23 mars and the surrender of several rebel groups, the Democratic Republic of the Congo wishes to consolidate the new-found peace and return to normal life.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Similarly, and in accordance with the electoral timetable published by the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Democratic Republic of Congo is preparing its general election, the third after those of 2006 and 2011. This election, scheduled for the 2015-2016 cycle, confirms a definitive break with the spiral of violence and instability that has characterized our country in recent decades and ushers in a lasting era of democracy for the Congolese people. Despite the many financial and logistical constraints complicating the electoral process, everything necessary for the holding of transparent and credible elections in a peaceful climate has been put in place by the Independent National Electoral Commission, with the support of the Government and under the direction of the Head of State.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“12/26 15-29876 01/10/2015 A/70/PV.24 The obligation that now lies with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and with all partners truly concerned about the welfare of the Congolese people, is that of ensuring the consolidation of all those achievements. Maintaining peace and stability and making our democratic achievements and economic and social progress irreversible are therefore our top priorities. That is why we attach great value to the process of decentralization under way, which has recently been accelerated with the establishment of provincial assemblies in the 21 new provinces and the imminent arrival of provincial executives in those provinces.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It is a country full of potential and, in order to fulfil that potential, is open to the possibility of partnerships of every type, provided that they respect its sovereignty, do not harm its vital interests and are mutually beneficial. In that regard, several sectors of commercial activity that had been limited to the public sector have been opened to competition. Accordingly, new laws are either in the process of being adopted or have already been adopted to liberalize the electricity and insurance sectors, to promote public- private partnerships in the fields of agriculture and infrastructure and to attract and retain domestic and foreign investors.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Furthermore, governance and the business environment have continued to undergo such significant improvements that the Democratic Republic of the Congo was ranked among the top 10 reform-oriented countries in the “Doing Business” classification of the World Bank in 2013. However, we continue to face major challenges on the path ahead. We are well aware of that, because we know that we are a post-conflict country. Institutional stabilization efforts, security planning and the reconstruction of basic infrastructure must and will continue, with the aim of overcoming poverty, injustice and social inequalities. The Democratic Republic of the Congo today is a large building site and abounds in business opportunities.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“In conjunction with important structural reforms, the restoration of peace and security has fostered the resumption of large-scale economic activities. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is today one of the fastest-growing economies of Africa, with an annual growth rate, from 2010 to 2014, consistently higher than the average for sub-Saharan Africa. In 2014, the growth rate stood at 9.5 per cent, the third fastest such rate in the world. For nearly three years, we have had an inflation rate of less than 1 per cent and a remarkable level of stability in the exchange rates of our national currency.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the gestures of international solidarity that we have benefited from and that have come from other States Members of our Organization, in particular from the contributors of troops to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I pay tribute to the heroism of our defence and security forces and of our population, who represent a mix of every age and background. Owing to the concerted efforts of all concerned, we can affirm, without fear of contradiction, that despite the persistence of a few residual areas of unrest, which we are actively trying to quell, peace, security and State authority have been restored to almost the entirety of our national territory.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We have established the same timetable in our country for a comprehensive and ambitious development programme known as the revolution of modernity. In turn, we hope that the international community will reward our efforts accordingly within the REDD+ process. Having given our position on some of today’s burning issues, I would now like to talk briefly about the situation in my country. Allow me to talk about the Democratic Republic of the Congo today, a country that has certainly seen difficult times and could have very well disappeared from the map, if it had not been for the United Nations support and, especially, had it not been for the sacrifices made by a people determined to maintain, against all odds, the sovereignty of the country and the integrity of its territory.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Let us all demonstrate our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular to the targets involving environmental protection, by making the December session of the Conference of the Parties our deadline. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we are committed to making responsible sacrifices without jeopardizing our development. To that end, we have developed and submitted an intended nationally determined contribution. It includes both mitigation measures, focusing on four main priority sectors — agriculture, forests, energy, and transportation — and adaptation measures, which in addition to those four sectors also concern the protection of the coast. All of that will result in a 17 per cent rate of reduction in greenhouse gas emissions — the equivalent of 77 million tons of carbon dioxide — by 2030.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“However, their full and complete implementation has been hampered by numerous issues that we need to resolve promptly, as well as by many challenges that must be urgently 15-29876 11/26 A/70/PV.24 01/10/2015 addressed, especially those regarding the environment. In that respect, we can no longer hesitate. Climate change is one of the major challenges that our planet faces today. Its negative impact on vital socioeconomic sectors such as agriculture and health is more apparent than ever. The same can be said of its effect on the availability of resources that are necessary to life, such as water. It is urgent that we conclude a universal and legally binding agreement that holds the increase in global average temperature to below 2°C in relation to pre-industrial levels.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Impelled by the same need to take action, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been actively involved in preparations for the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Paris in December, as well as in relevant international negotiations. We are all striving for development that is economically efficient, socially equitable and ecologically sustainable. The realization of those aspirations requires action and firm commitments from all of us. In that respect, we all subscribed to the Millennium Development Goals.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“While the efforts undertaken by others to overcome that crisis are welcome, it is important, necessary and urgent to attack the root causes, which include the denial of human rights, underdevelopment, poverty, armed conflicts, and natural disasters, some of which have been caused by climate change. Moved by this need, the Democratic Republic of the Congo participated in the drafting and adoption of the new post-2015 development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (see resolution 70/1). That agenda embodies every hope for the peoples of the world. Our collective duty is to do everything possible to make it a reality.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It is also in that context that, although at a prohibitively high cost, given our country’s limited resources, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been leading successful operations against hostile forces and armed groups, which over the past 15 years have spread death and destruction in the eastern part of its territory. To that same end, it has also dispatched its own sons and daughters as soldiers and police officers to serve under the flag of the United Nations throughout the world. It also feels challenged, as does the rest of humankind, by the current migration crisis, which demonstrates — as if a demonstration were needed — the precariousness of the human condition.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“To remain passive against the rise of radicalism and extremism in their most barbaric and murderous forms would be no more nor less than to condone the dehumanization of the world. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a peace-loving country whose history has taught it the inestimable value of peace. It is working tirelessly to preserve peace and stability within its borders, in the Great Lakes region of Africa and in the world. To that end, on 28 February 2013 in Addis Ababa, it signed the first Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region. It is resolved to keep all the commitments it made by this signature and we call on the other signatory States to do likewise.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It would also like to reaffirm its wholehearted support for the Ezulwini Consensus, which provides the only reasonable basis for remedying the injustice done to Africa and settling the question of its representation. The Democratic Republic of the Congo believes that armed conflicts, civil wars and all the acts of cruelty and destruction committed by terrorist groups, which perpetuate suffering and misery and create profound tension in the world, must be condemned, regardless of the perpetrators, places, goals or motivations. Today, terrorism is one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. One of the priorities of our Organization must be to fight this scourge, and each of our States must support and participate in the global counter-terrorism strategy.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Solidarity of action and synergy of efforts are not mere options, but rather sine qua non conditions for survival and success. The reform of our Organization, particularly reform of the Security Council, is another sine qua non condition for our collective effectiveness. Security Council reform must mean expanding its membership and improving its collective representation, while ensuring that the continent of Africa, so far marginalized, is incorporated neither too slowly nor too fast. We cannot sacrifice justice and fairness for speed. The Democratic Republic of the Congo would also like to reaffirm its support for intergovernmental negotiations and would like the integrity of this process to be maintained.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Without peace, no human rights can endure, whether civil and political rights or economic, social and cultural rights. The systematic denial or constant violation of such rights will inevitably lead to a breakdown of peace and social cohesion and to latent or open crises. Likewise, without peace, development 10/26 15-29876 01/10/2015 A/70/PV.24 is hypothetical and the satisfaction of the vital needs of the populations is problematic. On the other hand, underdevelopment and the poverty and insecurity that accompany it are fertile grounds for social demands that often result in violence that is directly proportional to the perceived suffering. Moreover, in a perpetually changing world in which issues involving security, development and basic human rights know no frontiers, all our fates are interrelated.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Lastly, I wish to pay a well-deserved tribute to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his tireless efforts to defend and promote the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Seventy years after its creation, the objectives and principles of our universal and increasingly indispensable Organization are more relevant than ever. Peace and development are indeed the perennial and common desires of all peoples. The core of our collective action as a community of nations will essentially and necessarily continue to be maintaining international peace and security, ensuring justice, upholding human rights and promoting social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom. Those objectives of our Organization are complementary and reciprocal.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“As I address the Assembly from this rostrum on behalf of His Excellency Mr. Joseph Kabila, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, whom I have the honour and privilege of representing, I should like at the outset to join earlier speakers in congratulating Mr. Mogens Lykketoft on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventieth session. His experience as President of the National Assembly, Foreign Minister and Finance Minister of Denmark, as well as his skills in development issues, are major assets for the success of his mandate. I would also like to commend his predecessor, Mr. Sam Kutesa, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Uganda, on his excellent work as President of the General Assembly at its sixty- ninth session at a historic moment of our Organization.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)