YouSaid · the spoken record

Hailemariam Dessalegn

lines on the record: 44
first: 2013-09-24
most recent: 2016-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
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 hope that smooth elections in the coming months will consolidate the gains made in recent years and lay the foundation for a peaceful and stable Somalia. The countries in the region are ready to support and accompany the process together with the African Union, the United Nations and other international partners. Ethiopia is indeed honoured to have been elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2017-2018 term. Let me take this opportunity to express our profound appreciation to all the Members of the United Nations for their support and confidence. I would like to conclude my remarks by reaffirming our commitment to effectively discharging our responsibilities and upholding the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We in the IGAD region met on a number of occasions at various levels to address the issue and made concrete proposals on the way forward. The proposals were subsequently supported by the African Union and the United Nations. We are confident and hopeful that the South Sudanese parties will heed the call of the regional and international communities and restore peace for the sake of their people, who have suffered so much. In addition, we have also been making efforts to fight terrorism in and pacify Somalia. In spite of the many challenges that persist, Somalia has indeed come a long way. The symbolic significance of the IGAD extraordinary summit held recently in Mogadishu cannot be overemphasized. Who would have thought that this would be possible only a few years ago? Somalia has defied the odds.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“They need the collective and coordinated responses of all of us, and for our part we are always ready and willing to continue to contribute positively in close partnership with others in our region and beyond in tackling such challenges. In that context, peace and security in the Horn of Africa are extremely critical for us, and we are doing everything we can with others in the region to tackle the conflicts afflicting our neighbours. We have been making tremendous efforts to assist South Sudan to resolve its internal problems. What happened in July was indeed a serious setback for the implementation of the peace agreement that the South Sudanese parties had signed under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Plus.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Whatever challenges and shortcomings we may have, we do not have an issue owning up to them, and we will make every possible effort to deal with our shortcomings with the close consultation, cooperation and participation of our people. There is no better testimony of the resolve that we have in that regard than the way in which we have handled the tragedies caused by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Nevertheless, we know that we are not living in isolation, and we need a favourable external environment in order to realize our development aspirations. We cannot simply wish away the challenges that I have outlined.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Such movements are a matter that we have discussed at length over the past few days. It is in such challenging circumstances that we are striving to implement a transformational agenda. Obviously, there are no easy solutions to the complex challenges at hand. The situation is much more pronounced for the least developed countries like us that are making every possible effort to make a dent on poverty. We are trying to escape from the poverty trap and take our country on a path of sustainable growth, but there are bound to be twists and turns in our efforts. The successful development experiences of others have shown that such twists and turns are only natural. What we need is to have a policy space that allows us to make mistakes and learn from them. We believe that our vision is right, and we are determined to get to our goal.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The abuse of opportunities created by the social media and other media outlets financed by friendly Governments has become flagrant. It is just plain foolish to deny that such abuses have no implications for the respect of the human rights of our people or that such abuse does not undermine our capacity to ensure that we maintain a high standard in that respect. The fragile nature of our environment has also been evident. The drought induced by the El Niño- Southern Oscillation has affected the livelihood of millions of people, including our own, all across the world. The current drought is happening at a time when humanitarian needs have become enormous because of other emergency situations. In addition, the large movements of refugees and migrants have led to a major crisis.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Social media have certainly empowered populists and other extremists to exploit people’s genuine concerns and spread their message of hate and bigotry without any inhibition. We would be the first to admit that countries need to assume ownership of their problems. Externalizing the sources of setbacks and seeking external causes for one’s national shortcomings is an approach to problem- solving whose results can only be pregnant with danger. But it is vital to underline a critical matter that is usually given short shrift, both by the media and others. It is simply hypocritical to deny that some countries have been the targets of destabilization activities carried out without accountability by people and groups that have been given shelter by friendly States.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“International peace and stability are facing greater risks with the rise of geopolitical tensions and the growing threats posed by all shades of terrorist groups and other transnational criminal networks. The world economy has not yet come out of its crisis, and growing inequality is creating a lot of frustration, paving the way for the resurgence of populism. While social media offer a digital platform to improve the exchange of information and enhance popular participation, their attendant negative impacts cannot simply be ignored. In fact, we are seeing how misinformation can easily go viral via social media and mislead many people, especially youth, who are our future.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We recognize the small but encouraging steps taken towards the implementation of our decisions in many of the domains. For our part, for instance, not only have we integrated the Sustainable Development Goals into our national development plans, but we have also embarked on implementing them. The ratification of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change is also a major priority, and we will expedite the process as soon as our Parliament opens its session at the end of this month. To say that the world is currently confronting unprecedented challenges would be an understatement. Without a doubt, there are enormous implications for the implementation of the ambitious and transformative agendas that we set out last year.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The past year has indeed been historic in more ways than one. It has been a time when we have reflected on our journey over the past 70 years and taken decisive steps towards ensuring the peace and prosperity of our peoples and the protection of our environment. We have seen what the United Nations can deliver as a unique intergovernmental platform for a common and collective response to the myriad challenges facing humankind as a whole. It has been testament to the fact that we can indeed achieve concrete results, if we set aside, or at least manage, our differences and act for the common good. Now is, of course, the time for action, so that the transformative decisions that we took last year will have real meaning in the lives of our people.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“At the outset, let me congratulate the President on his assumption of his high office to preside over the General Assembly at its seventy-first session. I wish to take this opportunity to assure him of our support in the effective discharge of his responsibilities. I would also like to express appreciation to his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, who steered the work of the historic seventieth session. Since the Secretary-General has addressed the Assembly at its general debate for the last time, allow me to express, on behalf of the people and Government of Ethiopia and on my own behalf, sincere appreciation to Mr. Ban Ki-moon for his tireless service to our Organization over the past decade. We cherish his friendship with Ethiopia and with Africa as a whole, and we wish him all the very best in his future endeavours.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“I wish to conclude by stressing Ethiopia’s commitment to multilateralism, to joining hands with all like-minded countries in order to contribute to regional and international peace and security and to the successful realization of the major projects that we will undertake in connection with the post-2015 agenda. As a founding member of the Organization and as a member of the League of Nations — although Ethiopia was abandoned by the League — Ethiopia attaches the highest priority to cooperation among peoples and countries with a view to addressing common challenges. It is our conviction that might does not make right. There is no substitute for the pursuit of mutual advantages as a guideline for a realistic and just foreign policy. That is our guide for all the friendships and partnerships we have and will continue to develop.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is also in that context that the threat of the spread of the Ebola virus should be viewed. It is both a humanitarian and a security challenge. Containing the spread of the deadly virus should be a matter of utmost priority. Let me reiterate that it is critical that we collectively address the myriad of peace and security challenges facing our world in order to facilitate progress in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals in the remaining period and to lay a solid foundation for the realization of our transformative agenda in the post- 2015 era, as well as to achieve a meaningful climate agreement.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The fact that nations are driven by the pursuit of national interests has always been self-evident. But at this juncture in world history and in the light of the many common challenges that we all face, we have no more realistic option than a commitment to enlightened national interest, which can be promoted only within the framework of multilateralism. That, in our view, is the sentiment that we should all share at the beginning of the sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly. We cannot be oblivious to the nexus between our sustainable development agenda and the global situation of peace and security. “Delivering on and implementing a transformative post-2015 development agenda”, the theme of this session, requires a peaceful and stable global environment.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Never since the end of the cold war has the global security situation been as fragile as it is today. The threat of terrorism has affected ever greater and wider areas of the world. At no time over the past many decades has the need for effective cooperation at the international and regional levels been as pressing and as urgent as it is today. That the issue of foreign fighters has become a source of major concern to many is obvious. What is required to make progress in addressing the challenge is a readiness to forge cooperation that brooks no double standards. We need to be resolute in our determination to work together. All that means that at no time in recent memory has multilateralism been as immensely crucial for the future of the world as it is today.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Al-Shabaab may not have been entirely removed as a threat, but it has been greatly degraded. The recent setback it suffered is bound to speed up its demise. The military gains made on the ground cannot, however, be sustained without progress on the political track through the establishment of local administrations and the maintenance of law and order in the newly liberated areas. In that regard, we welcome the establishment of interim local administrations in central and south- west Somalia in line with the provisional Federal Constitution. We need to continue to support Somalia in its efforts to rebuild itself and make a successful transition by 2016. Conflict is not an exclusively African phenomenon. What has become obvious lately is how much the global security situation is becoming a source of concern.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) region are doing everything we can to resolve the South Sudanese crisis through peaceful means with the support of the United Nations, the African Union and international partners. But progress, let alone a breakthrough, has not been easy to come by. The situation highlights an often encountered challenge. Progress in peacemaking can hardly be contemplated when there is a lack of sufficient commitment to a peaceful resolution of a crisis by the parties to the conflict. But IGAD is determined to expend every possible effort to find a lasting solution to the crisis through an all-inclusive political dialogue. In contrast with the situation in South Sudan and with situations in many parts of the world, the situation in Somalia has been improving over the course of the year.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“What we see here at the United Nations is a readiness on the part of States to think big and focus on what unites us. That is what underlies the complex negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda. In sharp contrast to that, what we are witnessing today is a general deterioration of the global security situation. The world is passing through a turbulent period, and that is not an exaggeration. The proliferation and intensity of conflicts have significantly increased. In our part of the world, progress made over the past decade is being undermined by new cycles of violence and conflict. The crisis in South Sudan is an example.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We said then that poverty eradication is the greatest global challenge facing the world today and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. global warming, we are indeed playing a leading role in terms of mitigation by scaling up our efforts in renewable energy and promoting energy efficiency. It is only fair and proper that that be adequately recognized and supported. There can be no doubt that the challenge posed by climate change requires leadership and political commitment at all levels. We have no choice but to rise to that challenge by taking concrete actions to help reduce emissions and demonstrating the necessary political will to achieve a globally binding climate agreement by 2015 in Paris. Failure is not an option.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I also wish to commend his predecessor for the excellent contribution he made to ensuring the success of the sixty-eighth session of the General Assembly. Indeed, it was a remarkable session, which laid the foundation for the major task that lies ahead. This session is being held at a historic time, when we have embarked upon a major undertaking to shape the future we want for present and future generations. If we do what we must, it could be remembered in history as a session that helped us turn the corner in ensuring effective custodianship of the environment, economic justice and social responsibility. What we agreed over two years ago in Rio must be what galvanizes our common effort.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is indeed a great pleasure to see a seasoned African diplomat presiding over the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. I would like to express my warmest congratulations to him on his election to that high office. I know he is aware, as we are, that he is assuming his responsibility at one of the most critical periods in the history of this Organization and that of multilateralism in general. Those of us in the East African region know him very well as a friend and distinguished diplomat. We are confident that he will use his wisdom and experience to build consensus on a range of issues on the agenda of the General Assembly at this historic session and effectively guide its work. Let me therefore assure him of the full support and cooperation of my delegation in the successful discharge of his heavy responsibilities.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is in that spirit that Africa will continue to nurture its close cooperation with the United Nations.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“It gives me great satisfaction to note that Africa’s strategic partnership with both developed and emerging economies has expanded and deepened in recent years. That is the path we wish to pursue. Africa needs the solidarity of all sections of the international community, and it is our hope that all the necessary support will be extended to Africa in the spirit of the Millennium Declaration (resolution 55/2), which underlined so emphatically the special situation of Africa. That, in our view, should be the spirit with which the deficit in the implementation of Millennium Development Goal 8 must be treated during the very short time remaining. In conclusion I wish to underline Africa’s enduring commitment to this indispensable global body — a universal organization whose viability is an existential necessity.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“In light of the encouraging developments in Kenya with the adoption of the new Constitution, the reform of the judiciary and the holding of successful legislative and presidential elections, we believe it is very critical to support the peacebuilding and national reconciliation processes in the country. The recent decision of the ICC in relation to the Kenyan situation is unhelpful and adversely affects the ability of the Kenyan leaders in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities. Therefore I would like to take this opportunity to once again urge the Security Council to respond to our requests. In an increasingly globalized and multipolar world, Africa obviously needs to forge multiple partnerships to realize its development aspirations and assume its rightful place in the international arena.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“This is totally unacceptable, and that is why Africa has been expressing its serious reservations against the body. It is regrettable that our repeated request to the United Nations Security Council to defer the proceedings initiated against President A1-Bashir has been neither heard nor acted upon. We have also received no response to our request for a deferral of the ICC investigations and prosecutions in relation to the 2008 post-election violence in Kenya, in line with the principle of complementarity, to allow for a national mechanism to investigate and prosecute the cases under a reformed judiciary provided for in the new constitutional dispensation.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Time and again, we in Africa have affirmed our unflinching commitment to fighting impunity and promoting democracy, rule of law and good governance throughout the continent, in conformity with the Constitutive Act of the African Union. That commitment has been empirically validated by bold actions taken recently by the African Union. When it comes to the International Criminal Court (ICC), many of our member States ratified the Rome Statute faithfully, subscribing to its cardinal objectives and principles. Unfortunately, the manner in which the ICC has been operating has left a very bad impression in Africa. Instead of promoting justice and reconciliation and contributing to peace and stability, it has degenerated into a political instrument targeting Africa and Africans.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The team is carrying out its work, and I am hopeful that the outcome of the investigation will help the two countries to move forward in the implementation of the agreements they have signed and in the normalization of their relations. On a more practical level, the summits and the regular engagement that the leaders of the two countries are having will go a long way in breaking the impasse and resolving some of the difficult outstanding issues. I would like to raise one important issue that has been a matter of serious concern for us in our efforts to promote peace, security and national reconciliation on the continent and regarding which there is a strong consensus in Africa.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“In that connection, I would like to welcome the outcome of the ICGLR Extraordinary Summit held in Kampala on 5 September 2013 and High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development held in New York on 23 September in New York under the auspices of the President of the Assembly. With regard to relations between the Sudan and South Sudan, the African Union, in close collaboration with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, has established an ad hoc investigation mechanism to verify allegations made by the two countries regarding each country’s support for and harbouring of dissident elements that act against the other.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I wish to reiterate our call to the United Nations to provide multifaceted support to the African-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic, which will be deployed in that country to protect civilians and restore security and public order. On the other hand, the escalation of tension in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo also poses threats to the peace and security of the Great Lakes region and the continent as a whole. The only durable solution is for both the Government and the armed opposition to conclude their peace talks under the auspices of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The African Union is indeed firmly committed to continue assisting Mali in its efforts to ensure lasting peace, security and development. We derive satisfaction from the significant progress made in Somalia towards peace in the country, and we are also encouraged by the agreement reached between the Federal Republic of Somalia and the Juba Interim Administration, which constitutes a significant milestone in promoting peace and national reconciliation. The New Deal announced at the Somalia Conference in Brussels on 16 September will certainly strengthen the momentum for the reconstruction of the country and building peace there. The security and humanitarian situation in Central African Republic is still a matter of serious concern.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“But we also understand that there is a new security dynamic on our continent, with the rise of popular dissatisfaction associated with demands yet unmet. In that regard, the African Union has been exerting efforts to assist Egypt — a member State whose contribution to the decolonization process on our continent and to African unity has been second to none — to overcome its current difficulties in the spirit of African solidarity. The African Union is also extending all the necessary support to Tunisia in order to ensure a successful political transition through the adoption of a new constitution and the holding of elections. On the other hand, we welcome the successful conduct of elections in Mali that paved the way for the restoration of constitutional order in that country.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We are also committed to redoubling our efforts to improve the overall well- being of our society. In particular, we believe that Africa should reap the benefits of its demographic dividend by investing in its people. Educating our youth and upgrading their skills is critical to the effective use of our human capital. Therefore we very much hope that the post-2015 global development framework will be aligned to our development priorities and needs. We in Africa certainly recognize that we cannot realize our development aspirations in the absence of durable peace and security. That is why we have concentrated tremendous efforts in addressing the scourge of conflicts on our continent. We are indeed very pleased to note the drastic decline in the number of conflicts in Africa during the last decade, with the exception of a few situations.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“That can be done on the basis of our factor endowments and taking into account the need for us to increase added value and exploit forward and backward linkages. It cannot be emphasized enough that overcoming poverty is impossible without structural transformation and value addition, which makes industrialization not an option but a must — an unavoidable necessity for Africa. Let me state here how grateful we are to all those who have made partnerships available to us to ensure that Africa develops the capacity for modern and affordable energy, without which industrialization would be impossible to achieve. Furthermore, we would like to invest in infrastructure, which has been neglected over past decades, in order to promote intra-African trade and fast-track regional integration.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“With respect to the work of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, we intend to come up with a well-thought-out African position as an outcome of the initiative of our troika: the African Union Commission, UNECA and the African Development Bank. In that context, we want to achieve a green revolution in Africa and ensure food security for our peoples. The theme of the African Union in 2014 will be “Agriculture and food security” and will promote the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme, which will allow us to reinforce our commitment to the transformation of the agricultural sector in Africa. We are also convinced of the need for Africa to industrialize in order to accelerate its economic growth, generate employment, increase income and diversify exports.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Africa considers this issue to be of paramount importance and has formed a high-level committee of Heads of State and Government to develop a common position and galvanize international support in order to ensure that the successes achieved thus far in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals are sustained and its development priorities beyond 2015 are fully taken on board. As the able Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has aptly put it, what Africa needs is structural transformation, not structural adjustment. The development agenda we are trying to set for Africa over the next 50 years is also aimed at achieving that fundamental objective, with a view to eradicating poverty and ensuring sustainable development.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I am glad that the Assembly will debate that issue at this session, and I commend the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, co-chaired by the Presidents of Indonesia and Liberia and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, for presenting their comprehensive report, A New Global Partnership: Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies through Sustainable Development, to the Secretary-General. I hope that the report will provide valuable input for our discussions of the theme “The post-2015 development agenda: setting the stage” during this session.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“That positive development is unquestionably encouraging, but we recognize that we can achieve our aspirations for a peaceful, prosperous and integrated Africa only by bringing about structural transformation. That is why we are capitalizing on the golden jubilee celebration to chart a transformation agenda for Africa to be implemented over the next 50 years. At our most recent session, in May, we also adopted our AU Commission’s strategic plan for the period 2014-2017, whose main objective is to lay a solid foundation for the realization of our vision in the short and medium term. It is indeed opportune that we are crafting our transformation agenda when intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 global development framework have begun in earnest.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“In spite of so many persistent difficulties, Africa has indeed turned the corner in reducing the number of conflicts plaguing the continent and in promoting democratic governance, as well as in fighting poverty through accelerated economic growth and development. With its enhanced peace and stability, rapid economic growth, natural resources and growing middle class, Africa is definitely on the rise, and that is attracting much attention from the rest of the world. The twenty-first century will be an African one if we do indeed harmonize our efforts to maintain — in fact, speed up — the rapid economic growth that Africa has been registering for the last decade or so. We have every reason to be optimistic that an African renaissance is around the corner.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I earnestly hope that this historic occasion will afford us a unique opportunity to reflect seriously on our challenges and shortcomings with a view to strengthening our cooperation and partnership so as to better respond to the changing environment. I believe we should adopt a flexible and innovative approach in implementing Chapter VIII of the Charter in order to enhance our partnership and address our common challenges. We are celebrating the OAU/AU’s golden jubilee at a time when the stereotypical narrative of Africa as a continent afflicted by poverty, disease and conflict has slowly begun to change.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“In accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter, the United Nations has indeed worked closely with the African Union and other regional mechanisms to advance its primary objectives. Over the past five decades and more, cooperation and partnership between the OAU/AU and the United Nations have significantly expanded and deepened in a wide range of aspects and fields. We acknowledge with deep respect the meaningful cooperation that the United Nations has provided to the then OAU and now to the African Union in addressing our continent’s multifaceted challenges. Despite that fact, we are also cognizant of the fact that a lot remains to be done to further enhance the cooperation and partnership between the African Union and the United Nations in the context of the changing dynamics within Africa and in the world at large.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Since then, our continent has been liberated from the remnants of colonialism and other forms of subjugation. Today, it is gratifying to note that African countries constitute one of the largest groups in the General Assembly. I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound appreciation for the invaluable contribution of the United Nations to the decolonization process. However, we should not lose sight of the fact that not all the challenges we faced in that struggle have been definitively settled; nor can we say that the process of decolonization has come to an end in all its forms. We should therefore renew our commitment to completing the decolonization process in Africa.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We were very pleased to host the Special Summit of African Heads of State and Government, which marked the OAU/ AU jubilee on 25 May, and I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who sent delegations to Addis Ababa to take part in the celebration and conveyed messages of support and solidarity to the African Union. Since the fiftieth anniversary will be a year-long event, we would like to continue to mark the historic milestone during this session of the General Assembly by reflecting on the relations between the United Nations and the then Organization of African Union and today’s African Union over the past half-century. When the Charter of the United Nations was signed in 1945, much of Africa was under the yoke of colonialism.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“That incident once again demonstrates the need for us to renew our commitment to fight terrorism and extremism in all its forms and manifestations. I am addressing the Assembly today not only on behalf of my country but also as the representative of the African Union (AU), which Ethiopia has the honour of chairing this year. It is a welcome coincidence that Ethiopia, which played host to the founding Conference of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), 50 years ago, has assumed the rotating chairpersonship of that premier continental organization at a time when its golden jubilee is being celebrated.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“It is with great pleasure that I congratulate the President on his election to his high office to preside over the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session, which is being held under the theme: “The post-2015 development agenda: setting the stage”. I wish to assure the President of the full support and cooperation of my delegation in the successful discharge of his heavy responsibilities. I would also like to commend his predecessor for the able leadership he demonstrated during the previous session. Let me begin by condemning the terrorist attacks in Kenya that claimed the lives of innocent civilians and left many more injured. I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to the people and Government of Kenya, as well as to the families of the victims of that callous attack.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)