YouSaid · the spoken record

Osman Mohammed Saleh,

lines on the record: 101
first: 2007-09-24
most recent: 2017-09-24
sittings or episodes: 10
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

“Eritrea calls on the Security Council to ensure the end of that flagrant violation of international law and several United Nations resolutions.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Eritrea extends its hands of friendship and solidarity to all peoples and nations who strive to build their countries and contribute to a fairer, more just and more equal world. Eritrea takes the initiative to engage with all countries, including those who differ with it. Eritrea strongly believes that its political, economic, social and diplomatic path would be smoother and easier if the external obstacles that have been on its path were removed. It therefore once again calls on the Security Council to lift the unfair and unjust sanctions imposed on it for the past nine years. There is no justification for them to continue, and they do not serve any useful purpose. Another obstacle facing Eritrea — indeed, facing the whole Horn of Africa region — is the 15-year-old occupation of sovereign Eritrean territory by Ethiopia.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Eritrea is confident that it will meet the Sustainable Development Goals ahead of time. In its ambitious development programme, Eritrea avoids dependency and relies first and foremost on its people and on its domestic resources. At the same time, it welcomes and encourages cooperation and partnership, with a focus on trade and investment. Eritrea also seeks to make a modest contribution to peace, stability and cooperation in its wider region, which includes the Nile basin, the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea basin and the Gulf. It has successfully fought and continues to fight radicalization, extremism and terrorism both on its own and in cooperation with its neighbours.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Eritrea is, quietly and without fanfare, engaged in comprehensive nation-building. It is pursuing policies and taking concrete measures to strengthen the unity and harmony of its people, fostering their political participation and unleashing their energies and talents. It is laying the groundwork for broad-based and sustainable economic development. It is putting modern infrastructure in place, step by step. It is working to ensure that all its citizens get good access to nutritious food, clean water, electricity, shelter, transport, communications, health care and educational services, as well as cultural, sports and recreational facilities. Eritrea has also embarked on a massive water and soil conservation programme and an afforestation programme as part of its comprehensive plan to enhance the environment and fight climate change.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“It joined the community of independent nations a quarter of a century ago by dint of its people’s 30-year struggle for freedom and self-determination, fought and won against tremendous odds. As an independent nation, it has faced the full brunt of an unfair and unjust international order. It has faced demonization, ostracism, sanctions and armed aggression, and that sustained external hostility caused much harm to Eritrea and its people. It slowed down Eritrea’s progress, but it was not able to stop it. It could not shake the resolve of the Eritrean people and their Government. Eritrea was severely tested but emerged intact, more determined, more experienced and in many ways stronger. It is peaceful, stable, secure and harmonious: a haven of stability in a turbulent neighbourhood.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“It is only when Africa’s economies, the quality of its infrastructure, the standards of its health and educational institutions, the level of its artistic, scientific and technological products, the effectiveness of its institutions and enterprises and, more importantly, the quality of life of its citizens reflect more accurately its great potential that we can rightly speak of Africa taking its rightful place in the world. We should safeguard independence and sovereignty, fight ethnic polarization and rampant corruption, chart our own paths, develop bold and imaginative policies that suit our conditions, rely mainly on our own resources and build an Africa that meets the aspirations of its people and makes valuable contributions to humankind. Eritrea is a young, strategically located nation with significant human and natural resources.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Undoubtedly, there is some progress, more in some countries than in others. But talk of an African Renaissance, of fastest-growing economies, is misplaced and premature. We should not flatter ourselves or allow others to flatter us. Africa remains a producer and small-bit exporter of primary products. It retains minimum revenue from those exports, with foreign companies getting the lion’s share. Processing of primary products, value addition, industrialization and technology development barely exist. African economies, physical and social infrastructure, institutional and governance structures, and peace and security architectures remain undeveloped. Yet Africa boasts tremendous human and natural resources. Indeed, over 60 per cent of global natural resources lie in Africa.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We would, however, be gravely mistaken and would have forgotten the lessons of history if we pinned all our hopes on the goodwill of those who currently enjoy disproportionate power, wealth and influence. Power does not readily concede its privileges of its own accord. It resorts to deception, coercion, pressure, sanctions, violence and war to maintain and, if possible, increase its privileges. The developing countries and the marginalized peoples of the globe stand to gain most from a more peaceful, secure, just and equal world. They owe it to themselves and to coming generations to build solidarity and to steadfastly strive and work and innovate for a better world. It is their duty to ensure freedom, dignity and prosperity for their peoples. Africa remains the most marginalized of all continents.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Whatever calamity happens anywhere in our world — epidemics, poverty, violence, mass displacement, war, terror — it will eventually catch up with all of us. We share the responsibility to address the fundamental problems of our common world. Certainly, the mighty and wealthy should shoulder bigger responsibility, as they command vast power and resources. It is only fair that more is asked of those to whom much has been given — or, more accurately, those who have appropriated much for themselves. We should unflaggingly remind them of their obligations and press them not for charity, but for enlightened self- interest that understands that might is not permanent and that only shared benefits are sustainable.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“It is another year and another session of the General Assembly. We meet in the same Assembly Hall and deliver our addresses from the same rostrum, yet no modicum of protocol can mask the gaping divide in our ranks. We live in an increasingly fragile, unjust and unequal world. A small minority holds the reins of power and wealth among nations and, for the most part, within nations. The overwhelming majority of nations and their citizens are without power, without voice, without the means for a decent life, and often without peace and security. We may be called the United Nations, but the reality is that we are divided nations and societies. Despite our deep divisions, however, our destinies are intertwined in a fundamental way. We share a common home: a small planet in a vast universe, a tiny boat in a vast ocean.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“It is keen on building on its encouraging achievements, so as to transform its economy and society and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by relying mainly on the energy, skills and initiative of its people and the judicious use of its natural resources. It is also determined to work actively, constructively and in collaboration with its neighbours for peace, stability and prosperity in the Horn of Africa and Red Sea regions. It seeks to foster relations of solidarity and mutual support with all nations, peoples and organizations that fight for a world free from the scourges of war and poverty and for the respect of human dignity. To conclude, Eritrea is resolved to engage with all nations in modesty and self-confidence.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“In our region, the Horn of Africa, the past two decades have generally been a period of missed opportunities, zero-sum games and repeated conflicts and setbacks. Even today, the situation remains fraught with risk and danger. Yet, recent developments indicate the possibility of a new beginning and a relaunching of the 1990s vision of a peaceful, progressive, economically dynamic and cooperative Horn of Africa. Eritrea has often spoken of the hostilities and injustices that it has suffered, the difficulties it has faced and the valiant struggles of its people. That is an experience that it shares with many other peoples and nations. That experience informs our country’s views and policies. Yet, Eritrea does not dwell on the past. Rather, it prefers to look to the future.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It features new sources of growth, dynamism and innovation — not only in the celebrated emerging economies, but also in many other countries. In both industrialized and developing nations, ordinary people are making their voices heard and their actions felt by mobilizing, organizing and fighting against domination by a privileged few. They are fighting for a more equal and just world. Calls for the respect of international law and norms and for the overhaul and revitalization of the United Nations and global financial institutions — with a view of making them more representative and democratic — are widespread, insistent and often backed by concrete initiatives and concerted actions.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Unsustainable policies of greed and pillage and the reckless resort to unilateral pressure and force in order to secure unilateral advantage, instead of seeking common ground and mutual interests, are leading the world down an extremely dangerous path. The very survival of the planet and humankind is in grave danger owing to unsustainable systems of production and consumption and the attendant large-scale wastage. In that context, Eritrea wishes to point out that the pending decision by the United States to adopt legislation that nullifies national sovereign immunity constitutes a violation of international law and a dangerous precedent with grave implications. Although the challenges and dangers we face are grave and stark, our world is still full of possibilities and opportunities. The global balance of power and wealth is changing.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The pressures, coercion and hostility that Eritrea has faced are by no means exceptional or distinctive. In our region, the Horn of Africa, they are but one element of a misguided policy pursued for over a quarter of a century that has fuelled violence, conflict, instability and fragmentation, as well as extremism and terrorism. Throughout the world there are many nations that cherish dignity and independent decision-making, that uphold the sovereign equality of nations, that seek to chart political and economic paths suited to their conditions, and that seek to benefit from their human and natural resources. They have faced the wrath of those who wish to cling to their domination and privileges, and resort to all manner of coercion and subversion, including sanctions, blockades and armed interventions.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“However, once again, resilient Eritrea and Eritreans at home and abroad were able to forge the capability to resist the onslaught on their nation and protect their hard-won freedom through their patriotism, cohesion, sheer determination and sacrifices. After a difficult decade and a half, Eritrea is now on the rise. The majority of the Millennium Development Goals have been achieved. The economy is rebounding. Infrastructure is being built. Favourable conditions are being created to provide youth with ample opportunities for quality education, vocational skills, decent living conditions and active political participation. The country’s regional and international engagement is growing. The counter-productive policy of isolating Eritrea is slowly but surely failing.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Our people, particularly our youth, were targeted through policies that actively encouraged their migration, leading to much suffering and loss of life at the hands of human traffickers. The inevitable outcome of those policies was then presented as evidence against Eritrea. No less an authority than President Obama of the United States stated publicly that he had “renewed sanctions on some of the worst abusers, including... Eritrea”. And he added, “We are partnering with groups that help women and children escape from the grip of their abusers”. The objective was regime change, as a prelude to bringing Eritrea to its knees. In the face of that concerted onslaught, few gave Eritrea a fighting chance. We were routinely written off, and our imminent collapse was predicted with regularity.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Nevertheless, the Eritrean people and their liberation movement — the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front, the predecessor of today’s People’s Front for Democracy and Justice — believed in the justness of their cause and in their own determination and capability to win the war fair and square and prevail in the unequal battle. The post-independence struggle to build a nation has also been complex and difficult. We have been compelled to commit precious human and economic resources to defend ourselves against wars of aggression and subversion. We have suffered the occupation of our sovereign territory in violation of international law and a binding international arbitration ruling. We have been subjected to incessant hostility, sanctions, economic, financial and diplomatic pressures, as well as armed attacks and psychological warfare.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“This year, the people of Eritrea have been celebrating the silver jubilee of their country’s independence in 1991. During the difficult years of the war for independence, very few people believed that Eritreans and their leadership were capable of that historic achievement, as the odds were overwhelmingly stacked against them. Unlike in other liberation struggles, it was both super-Powers — the United States and the Soviet Union, and not just one or the other — that sought to crush by armed force Eritrea’s aspirations for self- determination.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Eritrea sees its own efforts to promote peace, justice, development and environmental protection as part of the global struggle for a better, fairer and more equitable world and for a strong, effective and truly representative United Nations.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Eritrea welcomes the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1), which are in accord with its development vision and priorities, and is determined to achieve them ahead of the 2030 deadline. Maintaining its focus on development, Eritrea is fighting human trafficking and is working to stabilize illegal migration and give youth and women adequate opportunities to pursue a high quality of life and build their nation. Eritrea is also making its contribution to regional peace, stability and security in the Red Sea region and the Horn of Africa.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It is peaceful, stable, secure and harmonious, achieving unity in diversity, with its people animated by a common struggle and committed to a common future. It has avoided the pitfalls of sectarianism, radicalization and terrorism that have infected the surrounding region and many other areas in the world. On another front, Eritrea is building a solid basis for sustainable development with social justice by prioritizing education, health, agriculture, industrialization, infrastructure, science and technology, all within a framework of regional cooperation and integration in the Horn of Africa and the Gulf region across the Red Sea.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“For three 15-29946 7/33 A/70/PV.28 03/10/2015 decades, we were savagely bombed from the air and the ground, with the aim of crushing our liberation struggle; and today we are being subjected to unfair and illegitimate sanctions and baseless accusations. The United Nations and its Security Council continue to countenance the illegal occupation of our sovereign territory in violation of international law and several Security Council resolutions. Despite that hostility and injustice, Eritrea achieved independence by dint of a heroic struggle against tremendous odds. Today, Eritrea is making remarkable progress in building a nation based on citizenship and inclusiveness and respect for human dignity and rights.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We need to fight to avert an environmental catastrophe that awaits humankind and threatens human civilization. That will require more than human ingenuity and advances in science and technology. We must realize that there can be no technological fix to the environmental challenge. It will require radical change away from economic and social systems based on greed, the maximization of profits for the few, massive inequality, and unsustainable and unhealthy patterns of consumption and gross wastage. Eritrea is committed to striving for a fair, just, truly representative and effective United Nations, because it was and still is a victim of the United Nations and the Powers that have dominated the Organization. Six decades ago, we were denied our inalienable right to self-determination and independence.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Yet all Member States, peoples and political and social forces that thirst for peace, justice, equitable socioeconomic development and the protection and enhancement of the environment must not give up. We need to persist in our efforts to rebuild and revitalize the United Nations. We need to strengthen our solidarity and defend the time-tested principles of the equal sovereignty of nations, respect for territorial integrity, peaceful coexistence, the right of nations to choose their social and economic path of development, respect for the dignity and rights of citizens and migrants, and fidelity to the Charter of the United Nations and international law. We need to work and cooperate at the national, regional and global levels to achieve sustainable and equitable development, a lofty goal that underpins peace and social justice.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The United Nations is itself a reflection of the unfair, unequal and undemocratic global order. In the United Nations, the overwhelming majority of Member States are marginalized. The General Assembly, which should be the most powerful organ, is bereft of real power and influence. Power and decision-making are dominated by a few among the few. Two decades of talk to reform the Organization have yielded zero results. The resistance of those who believe that they benefit from the current configuration is so stiff and the ranks of those who seek change are so divided by approaches driven by narrow national interests that the enthusiasm for reform is giving way to a disquieting paralysis.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It is my pleasure, at the outset, to warmly congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its seventieth session. I also wish to extend my deep appreciation to your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Sam Kutesa, for his commendable efforts in conducting the business of the sixty-ninth session of the Assembly. Seventy years after the birth of the United Nations, with its promise of peace, justice and development for all and its call for all nations to act in concert for the common good, it is undeniable, however, that we continue to live in an unfair and unequal world — a world where conflicts and wars rage, where extreme poverty persists in the midst of plenty, where children die from easily preventable diseases and where justice is routinely trampled.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Such long-overdue measures would contribute positively to the tireless efforts of the Eritrean people to build their nation, maintain peace, stability and harmony, improve their livelihood, lay the foundations of a strong, equitable national economy, create opportunities for youth and women, and advance regional and international engagement and cooperation.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The United Nations once again has failed to uphold an internationally endorsed, final and binding arbitration of the border decision. In fact, to add insult to injury, it has imposed unjust sanctions on their country. That travesty of justice has caused harm not only to Eritrea but to the entire Horn of Africa, which is now mired in endemic conflicts and instability. Once again and from this rostrum, Eritrea calls on the United Nations and the Security Council to redress that injustice by taking concrete measures to end the illegal occupation of sovereign Eritrean territory. The unjust and unfair sanctions, for which everyone now agrees that there was and continues to be no justification, must also unconditionally and immediately be lifted.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The international system and the dominant Powers have dealt the Eritrean people a raw deal. First, they were denied the right to decolonization and independence to satisfy what the then United States Secretary of State John Foster Dulles in 1952 stated were in “the strategic interests of the United States in the Red Sea basin”. When the Eritrean people embarked on a 30-year armed struggle for national liberation and independence in order to advance their geopolitical interests in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region, the super-Powers supplied arms and advisers to their client States to crush Eritrea’s right to self-determination, and the United Nations ignored their plight. Even after achieving independence at a tremendous human and material cost and joining the community of nations, the Eritrean people are still victimized.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is therefore vital that all nations and peoples — as well as the political and social forces that stand for peace, independence, international law, justice, equity and sustainable development — forge a common front. They must consolidate partnerships and coordinate their efforts on the basis of a broad common strategy to stem the threats we face and to build a better and more equitable world, while at the same time containing without let-up the campaign to restructure the United Nations, eradicate poverty, prevent conflicts, address global warming and fight all forms of terrorism and extremism. Eritrea’s perspective on the need for an overhaul of the United Nations system is informed not only by the shared experience of the majority of nations, but also by its own history.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The crucial and pressing need for that has been clear for several decades now, starting in the height of the Cold War and continuing through the past 25 years, during which time the world has lived through an unsuccessful attempt to impose a unipolar world. Consequently, United Nations reform has formally been on the agenda for close to two decades. No country has openly disputed the importance of restructuring the United Nations, and many workable proposals have been presented and thoroughly discussed. Yet we are no nearer to change, because of the stubborn and cynical opposition of the dominant Powers. Given the determination of those Powers to maintain their control of the United Nations and its unrepresentative and undemocratic character, the chances of genuine change in the next few years are indeed slender.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The world is unquestionably facing a very grave and dangerous situation. To paraphrase the words of the Secretary-General, this is a terrible time “for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations” (A/69/PV.6, p. 1). In order to restore the relevance and credibility of the United Nations — to turn it into a truly representative institution of all nations and peoples, where all nations, no matter how big or small, have respect for its Charter and for international law, and where all nations contribute, each according to its capabilities, to peace and security and to the welfare of people and the planet — it is imperative that we fundamentally restructure, democratize and rebuild the United Nations.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The maintenance of global peace and security was and remains one of its cardinal goals, and yet conflicts and wars — even simultaneous and multiple wars — have become a constant feature of our lives. Many of them are waged in total disregard for the United Nations and its mandate. In Africa — from the East to the West and in the North — in the Middle East and on every other continent, extremism, terrorism and all forms of bigotry and intolerance are spreading. The record on other key principles and aspirations is also far from satisfactory, whether the issue is ending poverty, ensuring sustainable development, advancing human rights, preventing epidemics, respecting sovereignty and non-interference in the affairs of others, ensuring justice and equality or protecting the environment.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The challenges of the time and the demands of the age are vastly different from those of the period following the Second World War, or even the past few decades. Change, rapid transformative change, is the order of the day. And yet the United Nations, the Organization that ostensibly represents the entire community of nations and the peoples of the world, remains stuck in the past. It is still thoroughly dominated by a few countries and has marginalized the overwhelming majority. Its institutions and structures are an anachronism in the modern world. More crucially, the United Nations has fallen far short of playing the primary role in pursuing the fundamental objectives for which it was established.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“At the outset, Mr. President, I would like to warmly congratulate you, my brother, on your assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session, with its theme of “Delivering on and implementing a transformative post- 2015 development agenda”, which is both timely and appropriate. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation to your predecessor, Ambassador John Ashe, for a job well done. Next year, 2015, marks the seventieth anniversary of the birth of the United Nations. The world has changed almost beyond recognition since 1945. Originally founded by 50 Members, the United Nations has seen three times that many nations join it in the intervening years. The demographic, economic, political and cultural realities of its Member States bear little resemblance to those of the past.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In conclusion, I urge the United Nations to adopt practical resolutions that are commensurate with its legal, political and moral responsibilities in order to, first, uphold the rule of law; secondly, bring to an end the invasion of our sovereign territories; thirdly, lift the unlawful and harmful sanctions against Eritrea; fourthly, terminate interventions that jeopardize the peace and stability of the peoples of the Horn of Africa; and, fifthly, deter all acts that breed crises, loss of life and destruction.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“In that context, I add the voice of the Eritrean people to other voices in the world to urge the General Assembly to keep the flicker of hope alive in its current session and to adopt timely resolutions aimed at a fundamental reform of the United Nations. The fact is that the Assembly has legal, moral and historical obligations and responsibilities entrusted to it by the peoples of the world that it cannot shrug off.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Their achievements, given the difficulties they faced, have been remarkable, even though they fall far short of their aspirations. Looking forward, the people and the Government of Eritrea are prepared to link hands with regional and international partners, including the United Nations, and to work for the betterment of their country for peace, stability and regional integration in the Horn of Africa and a fairer and more just world. The transgressions that have been perpetrated against the people of Eritrea and other peoples in the past 20 years speak to the persistence of an unfair and unjust global order and the absence of a strong and representative United Nations. And yet, the telltale signs of the advent of a new, promising era are discernible.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Four years on, they insist on maintaining the sanctions, despite the lack of any evidence or justification, by relying on the widely discredited reports of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea. Beyond Eritrea, the same approaches and policies have exacerbated crises and further undermined stability, development and cooperation in Somalia and other parts of the Horn of Africa. Despite that massive hostility and in the face of tremendous odds, the people and Government of Eritrea have remained steadfast, prioritized development efforts and the improvement of citizens’ lives, and have worked persistently to make their modest contribution to regional peace and stability, including by fighting terrorism and piracy.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“In that respect, border conflicts that do not have political and legal justifications and that were never raised prior to the independence of Eritrea in 1991 were subtly fomented to ensnare Eritrea in a spiral of crises. Although the Boundary Commission had rendered its final and binding decision in 2002, the spurious border conflict that erupted under the Badme rubric continued to simmer for 11 years due to obstructive violations by the United States Administration. The Eritrean people were also subjected to a sustained human trafficking campaign and illicit measures aimed at undermining economic growth and development, as well as diplomatic and propaganda campaigns of demonization. Going even further, United States officials imposed unlawful sanctions against Eritrea in 2009 through the Security Council.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The Eritrean people had to wage their liberation struggle under those conditions, which exacted heavy sacrifices from them to achieve their independence in 1991. That historical truth, coupled with other similar phenomena, illustrates the perils of a world order that is driven by the rivalry of domineering super-Powers, and highlights the need and urgency for an effective United Nations. The Eritrean people were neither compensated for the transgressions meted out to them nor given respite in the subsequent years. As they embarked on the arduous task of rebuilding their war-torn country, they again became pawns in the broader Horn of Africa/Middle East chessboard of domination and influence and have suffered unjust and distorted policies for the past 20 years.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“As I have intimated, Eritrea, like other African States that were formed during the colonial scramble, should have attained its sovereign independence during the process of decolonization that transpired in the aftermath of the Second World War. The inalienable national rights of the Eritrean people were, however, compromised to serve the strategic interests of the United States, which had emerged as a triumphant Power. Eritrea was therefore doomed to colonial rule by proxy. The people of Eritrea had to endure colonial suppression for almost 40 years under successive regimes, which were propped up, alternately, by the United States for the first 23 years and by the former Soviet Union for the subsequent 17 years.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We have also witnessed the misuse of the mass media and cultural centres in order to create false images and to promote decadent value systems, intimidate peoples and demonize any dissent; and the employment of various subterfuges in order to control, directly or indirectly, all international, continental, regional, governmental and non-governmental bodies. Those manifestations of the current world order can be corroborated, beyond abstract analysis, by numerous specific cases and evidence related to particular events, places and time. That is precisely why the twenty-first century requires a revitalized United Nations that transcends a bipolar or unipolar world order, and that is firmly rooted in the supremacy of, and respect for, international law and justice.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“In the past 20 years, we have witnessed excessive control over global resources and the creation of spheres of influence, which has triggered international instability; the use of force and coercion as primary instruments for controlling global resources while preventing and denying others the opportunity to acquire comparable military capabilities and technology; and the deployment of international financial institutions, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, in order to control the global economy, leading to an intractable global financial crisis with lethal ramifications for the majority of the peoples of the world.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“However, the major Powers that controlled the General Assembly and the various institutions and agencies of the United Nations, through partial hegemony, felt after 1991 that they were better positioned to secure and consolidate their total domination of the United Nations. They blocked any reform of the United Nations, and so that historic opportunity for international peace and justice to prevail was lost.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Our call for reform of the United Nations is thus not influenced by some innate preference for the return of the old, bipolar configuration to replace the prevailing unipolar world order. The fact is that the United Nations should have undergone incremental reform and revitalization during the 50 years of the Cold War. The end of the Cold War was certainly the most auspicious moment for undertaking that belated task. Indeed, it is now clear in retrospect that had such reforms occurred then, the wars and destruction that have unfolded in the past 20 years could have been avoided.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The negative experiences during the first 50 years of the existence of the United Nations and the paralysis and constraints under which the United Nations had to operate in the context of the realities of the Cold War in a bipolar world accentuated the need for structural reform of the United Nations at that time. In Eritrea’s case, our inalienable right to independence was trampled at the onset of the Cold War, since the country was perceived as a mere pawn in the overriding strategic rivalry of both super-Powers. Our liberation struggle was likewise suppressed by both super-Powers in an alternating fashion because of the same strategic considerations and shifting alliances. Yesterday’s history is too fresh in our minds to induce in us any nostalgia for the Cold War.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“As such, our choice, like those of other peoples, has been and remains the funnelling of efforts towards expediting the reform of the United Nations. To focus exclusively on the harm done to the people and State of Eritrea may convey the false impression of an aberration in an otherwise effective and well- functioning United Nations. As it is, the particularity of our case only amplifies the wider backdrop of a United Nations debilitated by chronic weaknesses and shortcomings. In any event, my message today will focus primarily on the urgency of reforming the United Nations and redressing the injustices committed against the people of Eritrea as well as other peoples of the world.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Let me first join previous speakers in expressing my delegation’s deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and the Government of Kenya on the terrorist attack at Westgate Mall in Nairobi. It is almost two generations now since Eritrea first begun to lodge petitions for justice with this body. Sadly, in all of those instances, the Assembly has persisted in ignoring Eritrea’s pleas, shuttering its doors as a “closed monastery”. Those setbacks notwithstanding, Eritrea remains firmly convinced that the promotion of peoples’ rights and interests and mutual respect among the community of nations will remain precarious without an international body that upholds the supremacy of international law and justice.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)