YouSaid · the spoken record

Arthur Peter Mutharika

lines on the record: 100
first: 2011-09-24
most recent: 2019-09-24
sittings or episodes: 7
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

“Malawi is a beautiful place where we fight to make life better for everyone.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“But the opposition, led by the Malawi Congress Party, decided not to accept that very credible election. This is the party that ruled Malawi under a dictatorship for 31 years. This time it went to court, but ignored the court process and waged a vicious campaign of violence in the guise of demonstrations. Its violence betrayed a desire for ethnic cleansing and civil war, and an attempt to destroy the economy and make Malawi an ungovernable State of lawlessness. We responded with peaceful resistance and insisted on the rule of law. We fought violence with peace and hate with love. That is what saved Malawi from descending into chaos. We have seen democracy and the rule of law at their best in Malawi. Malawi remains the peaceful and stable country that we have always known, and a beautiful destination for tourists and investors.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The more we allow a few nations to monopolize power in the Security Council, the more undemocratic the United Nations looks. This cannot be allowed in this day and age. Let us be the change we want to see in the world. Let me conclude by making what should have been my opening remarks. My country is a proud Member of the Organization, and we are thankful for the role that the United Nations plays in my country. This year, Malawi had an election, and I am in my second term of office. The process was duly audited by a United Nations-affiliated network, BDO Jordan, and the election was unanimously declared free, fair and credible by the European Union, the African Union, the Southern African Development Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and the Commonwealth observer missions.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I repeat: Africa must be on the Security Council. We cannot ignore and marginalize an entire continent of 1.3 billion people; that is unacceptable. We cannot marginalize and repress one third of the Member nations of the Organization. It is a travesty that we are meeting to galvanize multilateral efforts even as we marginalize and repress other Member States. I therefore urge the United Nations and the permanent five in particular to open up Security Council membership, increase the number of permanent seats with veto power and make the Security Council truly representative of all States Members of the United Nations. Africa will never relent on this position, which is for the good of the United Nations and the global community as a whole.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“But we are testimony to the fact that small or poor countries can play a significant role in the affairs of the United Nations. I repeat what I said before: there are no small or poor nations in the United Nations; all we have are nations of the United Nations. In fact, the Organization would be more powerful and more effective if we all participated in decision-making on security. But for some reason, there are nations that refuse to share power with African nations. In this regard, the United Nations is undemocratic. And yet those same countries and the United Nations are preachers of the gospel of democracy in Africa, although African countries are sometimes more democratic than Western countries. Let me therefore call upon the United Nations to implement Security Council reform. Africa must be on the Security Council.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“This has gone into food, temporary shelters, relocation and medication. But we still have a huge deficit that calls for more support from the international community. Malawi plays its role in international peacekeeping with diligence. We are proud to sacrifice our scarce resources for the humanitarian cause of keeping others safe wherever they may be. As a peaceful country, we consider ourselves ambassadors of peace. We are proud that the Malawi Defense Force has always been professional and effective wherever it has gone on United Nations peacekeeping missions. Our military is the pride of the nation, and we are proud to find our place in the United Nations family and play our role. We must all work to make the world a safe place and to provide security to the vulnerable and the voiceless. Malawi is understood to be a poor country.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The world will pay the heavy cost of breeding poverty and ignorance by having failed the child. Let me remind the Assembly that poverty and ignorance are a breeding ground for the radicalization of young people, and we all suffer the cost of radicalism. Let the world also remember its commitment to save the only planet on which we live. Climate change is an existential threat. In March, Malawi yet again suffered a devastating national disaster. We were hit by Cyclone Idai together with our Mozambican and Zimbabwean brothers. We lost loved ones, and the infrastructure was damaged. Cyclone Idai destroyed many people’s lives. Malawi needs more than $370 million to recover. My Government, in collaboration with the United Nations country team and other partners, has so far raised $45 million for immediate response.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We acknowledge the support we get from various stakeholders, including development partners. These include United Nations agencies and civil-society organizations. But we regret that the global commitment on education is now weakening. UNESCO projections warn us that the global community will fail to meet educational commitments unless serious progress is made over the coming decade. This year’s Sustainable Development Goals report indicates that that millions of children are still out of school. Worse, not all who attend school are learning. Consequently, many youths cannot fully participate in the highly complex global economy. These educational gaps also threaten an individual’s ability to move out of poverty. To fail to prepare young people is to prepare a generation to fail. But we are the ones failing the global child.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We have stepped up the inclusion of women in decision-making, and we have increased social protection measures that target rural women. We now provide soft loans to rural women for them to invest in small and medium businesses, an initiative that now benefits more than 4.5 million women. Our goal is to include women in economic activities. The United Nations has agreed that education is a human right and the primary responsibility of the State. Every country is doing its best to educate its people. Education creates a human society that understands its own problems and equips the people with the capacity to solve their problems. Investing in education is the best way of investing in all other sectors of society. That is why in Malawi education gets the lion’s share of the national budget every year.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We are empowering them with the skills needed to create their own jobs and businesses. We want them to be masters of their destiny. We are therefore constructing community technical colleges in every part of the country, starting with a community college in every district. Now we are moving to bring a community college to every constituency. Every constituency will have a secondary school and a community technical college. Our goal is to empower young people and create equal opportunities for them all, in every part of the country. Our youth-empowerment programmes complement our programmes for empowering women. Just as there can never be a society without women, there can never be development if women are not included.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“This programme has taken people who have lost hope out of poverty, improved school enrolment and retention, and reduced extreme hunger. The programme has so far benefited a total of 1.2 million individuals from 280,000 households, mostly children and female-headed households. There can never be meaningful development without the inclusion of youth and women. Therefore, my Government has established a number of youth-centred programmes aimed at driving youth empowerment, and we have proven results and testimonies of real lives transformed. We have focused on empowering young people by teaching them skills. We have introduced a progressive skills-education programme for young people in Malawi who have finished secondary school. We aim to empower the masses of young people who do not have access to university education.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In order to sustain those programmes, we have consistently increased our budgetary allocations to the country’s key sectors of agriculture, education, health and social welfare. My Government has also developed a national social-support programme to guide the delivery of social protection services. The programme provides a comprehensive social protection response and offers women and children preventive, protective and life-changing interventions in a multisectoral approach. One flagship programme in this category is the social cash transfer programme. This intervention targets women, children and the most vulnerable in our society and provides a predictable cash flow to cushion vulnerable households. We also have an additional top-up value for all school-going learners.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Let us promote sustainable and equitable economic growth. We must reduce inequities and create greater opportunities for all. On that account, Malawi has taken pragmatic steps to eradicate poverty in a bid to achieve sustainable development. My Government is implementing the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy III, an overarching national development framework that targets the Sustainable Development Goals. We are pleased with our progress. We are implementing poverty reduction policies and programmes and social support programmes that target Malawi’s ultra-poor and vulnerable citizens. We are also providing free access to basic social services such as health and education.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“It is why we must empower young people as humankind’s common resource. We can save the world by empowering young people and educating children. The cost of poverty, the cost of radicalized youth and the cost of children bred by ignorance will always outstrip any investment we can make today. Sadly, there are millions of children across the least-developed countries who cannot access quality education. Many are being left behind by the digital divide. As the United Nations, we therefore cannot claim to be making progress with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development if a significant part of the world population is left behind. We must re-examine the underlying causes of poverty and take concrete measures to address them swiftly. Let us move quickly to empower youth and women. Let us move quickly to eradicate poverty.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“And yet the leading architects of climate change are outside the developing countries. As I speak, poverty thrives in the least-developed countries. Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the worst- affected regions in the world, with more people trapped in poverty than anywhere else on the planet. Africa has a rising population of young people and women, and that booming population of young people and women trapped in poverty is a great danger to the world. Women and children are the worst affected by poverty. Poverty is dehumanizing. It is a tragedy of the people, and in the people’s quest to survive at any cost, poverty is a breeding ground for radicalization in Africa. A radicalized youth in any part of the world poses a threat to every part of the world. That is one of the reasons why we must act collectively and swiftly on poverty.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Many people around the world struggling in poverty are amazingly hard-working individuals. Many leaders in developing countries strive to improve the lives of their people with the best intentions. We all wish our people well. Africa is not poor through the will of its people. It is the continent that has suffered in the world’s worst history of exploitation, from slavery through colonialism to the aid regime of the past 60 years. History knows us. We have built empires and cities of the West with our blood, sweat and minerals. Africa has given far more resources to the developed world than it has ever received in aid or philanthropy. Today, the more we strive to build our economies, the more climate change undermines them through disasters and external shocks.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The world has enough resources to eradicate poverty and to send every child to school. We have the means to slow climate change and save the planet. All we have to do is to think as one humankind, with one goal, and to pool our resources. But the trouble with multilateralism is that 1 per cent of the world controls 99 per cent of its resources. It is those who control the planet’s resources who are the real decision-makers for humans’ fate on Earth. That global inequality in decision-making undermines the ability of the United Nations to make the world a better place. Poverty eradication remains an elusive objective of the Sustainable Development Goals. Unfortunately, some members of the Assembly use poverty as leverage for controlling other human beings in other places.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“It was founded on three pillars — peace and security, human rights and development. That is our mission and the burden of our generation. It is our turn to do what is right for humankind and our time to make a difference to humankind. And the United Nations is our ultimate weapon to make a difference to human existence. No matter what happens, we should never, ever lose faith in the Organization. Let us agree with Samantha Power that “whatever its flaws, the United Nations is still the only institution that brings together all the countries of the world.” This year we have met as an alliance of nations determined to fight a common war. We have declared war on poverty, education inequality and climate change, and we have declared that we will fight for the inclusion of minority nations.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I would like to begin by listening to the voice of silence, the voice of those who cannot speak but who are waiting for the Assembly to take action. As we speak, many are losing their precious lives because we cannot protect them. Many are escaping from countries because we cannot protect them. Many helpless children and women are being trafficked and sold like cargo without value. Many vulnerable children are heads of families or unable to go to school. As an organization, we have urgent work to do. We are a generation with a place in history, a generation with a mission. And let us remember that time has a way of punishing history. If we do not take the right decisions and actions today, in time they may return to haunt us. The United Nations is an organization with a mission in human history.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“At the outset, I would like to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session. I would like to assure him, my brother, of my delegation’s support during this session. I would also like to take this opportunity to commend Her Excellency Ms. Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces on her term in office as the fourth female President of the General Assembly. I hope that more women will continue to be elected to the post in future in the pursuit of gender parity. I commend her for her excellent work during the previous session. I also want to convey my condolences to the Government and the people of France on the death of former President Jacques Chirac. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The time has come to pledge shared responsibilities together with Africa and the rest of the world. The time has come for this Assembly to listen to the voice of Africa. Let us listen.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Why should we allow the Organization to be accused of the hypocrisy that while we preach democracy everywhere, we are not democratic enough to accommodate almost one third of the membership of the Assembly? I would like to conclude by commending the ironic wisdom in the theme that was chosen for this year. Let us prove that we can live up to its demands. We cannot talk about shared responsibility while we marginalize Africans and deny them full participation in our decisions. We cannot talk about the global leadership of the United Nations when African leadership is not at the decision-making tables. In any political system, we cannot claim relevance for the people that we deny. The time has come to make the United Nations relevant to all people. The time has come to show a global leadership that is inclusive of all nations.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We support the United Nations development system. In that regard, Malawi welcomes the adoption of resolution 72/279, on the repositioning of the United Nations development system, as well as resolution 72/305, on the review of the implementation of resolution 68/1, on the strengthening of the Economic and Social Council. We strongly support the Common African Position calling for two permanent seats with veto power and five non-permanent seats for Africa on the Security Council. Why should some nations be afraid of losing power by offering decision-making space to Africa if they do not lose power when they accommodate other continents? Is Africa that much of a threat? That segregation of Africans must come to an end.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We are empowering young people with skills so that they can create jobs and businesses for themselves and others. We believe that no society can develop without a skilled labour force. Our urgent need is to train the trainers for that youth programme. I would also add that Malawi believes that citizens of every nation must have legal identities. Malawi has fulfilled that principle. Today, more than 95 per cent of my people aged 16 and older have national identity cards, and we are in the process of integrating the national identity cards to be used in education, finance, agriculture, security, social welfare and other public institutions. Malawi will always be a team player in the international community. We support the United Nations initiatives in fighting global systemic threats and challenges, including terrorism and climate change.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We are improving those macroeconomic indicators because a bad economy is an injustice to our country’s citizens. At the same time, we continue to focus on the justice of specific sectors of our society. We are fighting against violence against women and girls. I believe that no human society can meaningfully develop while marginalizing its women. Development must always be inclusive. With the support of the United Nations and other development partners, particularly the European Union, in 2019 Malawi will implement the Spotlight Initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls. I reiterate that no society can progress without its young people. Malawi is therefore implementing a number of youth programmes, including a skills development programme that involves establishing community technical colleges.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We have stabilized the economy within four years despite the natural disasters of floods, drought and hunger that hit Malawi for two consecutive years. Within four troubled years, we have reduced inflation from 24 per cent to a single digit percentage. We have reduced interest rates from 25 to 16 per cent. We have taken our import cover from the lowest to the highest point in our economic history. Our import cover has risen from less than two months to six months. We have made the local currency stable and predictable. Above all, when I began my leadership in Malawi four years ago, we were seeing a 2.4 per cent growth rate in gross domestic product. We now expect growth of 4 per cent in our 2018-2019 financial year, and we expect that to rise to 6 per cent in 2019.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Malawi is doing its part by implementing various disaster risk-reduction and resilience-building initiatives, but we cannot do it alone. We need adequate, predictable and sustainable resources of climate financing, such as the Green Climate Fund, in order to support our actions. I would also like to report that my Government is endeavouring to eliminate hunger and malnutrition by 2030. Given the hostile consequences of climate change, food insecurity and malnutrition are serious threats in a country that still relies on rain-fed subsistence agriculture. We believe that inclusive and resilient economic growth is key to overcoming hunger and reducing poverty. In that regard, over the past four years we have relentlessly pursued macroeconomic measures that are now improving Malawi’s economy.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We are actively part of the initiative to develop a comprehensive refugee response framework, which was agreed by States Members. We have developed the concept for the framework that is to be rolled out in Malawi within our national development strategy and our cooperation agreement with the United Nations. On another matter, Malawi is both a victim and a fighter of climate change. The consequences of climate change are real, devastating and often tragic on a large scale. For that reason, I would like to urge all Governments, business leaders, investors and civil society to fight to bend the curve of carbon dioxide emissions by 2020 and to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We must move to accelerate the green transition, create more jobs and provide sustainable transport and clean energy systems.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The priorities of the United Nations are also Malawi’s priorities, and we will not relent until we have accomplished the full hierarchy of our priorities. We are proud of our efforts and achievements in maternal health, girls’ education, youth empowerment and gender equality. However, the plight of refugees and migrants is a concern for the people of Malawi. As Malawians, we believe that refugees are part of our human family. We believe in our collective responsibility to ensure refugees’ protection, safety and access to refuge. As a result, Malawi has been hosting refugees for decades. I would also like to report that this year Malawi received a high-level delegation from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“As I speak, we are part of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In our pursuit to promote peace, justice and effective institutions, I would like to announce that in 2019 a high- level political forum on Sustainable Development Goal 16 will convene in Malawi. I welcome the opportunity and honour of hosting the forum. I believe that the event will be a significant catalyst to our resolve to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 16. Malawi supports the determination of the United Nations to galvanize international cooperation in promoting socioeconomic development. We are committed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We support the priorities of the United Nations in eradicating poverty and hunger in all its forms and dimensions.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Malawi subscribes to the values of democratic governance, peace and security. We remain committed to participating in efforts to maintain international peace and security. Malawi remains committed to promoting and protecting human rights. We remain committed to participating in international cooperation to resolve the challenges that face human societies. Malawi acknowledges the sacrifices being made by the Blue Helmets. The composition of the Blue Helmets demonstrates the commitment of the United Nations to the principle of including nations of all regions. We are proud to be an active contributor to peacekeeping operations across the world. For us, defending peace is a precious sacrifice. Malawi has served in peacekeeping missions in Darfur, Lesotho and Côte d’Ivoire.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Every nation is important, and we all have something to offer. That is why I began my address by reminding the Assembly that there are no minorities here. There are no small nations. There are only nations in the United Nations. Of course, let us admit that there will always be economic inequality among nations and, yes, we all have something to offer to humankind. But those with more resources and power must step up and offer more. Let us remember that power is not status; power is responsibility. Leadership is not prestige; leadership is responsibility. We must define global leadership in terms of global responsibility. We are prepared to fulfil our responsibility and obligations in the global community. Malawi remains committed to the ideals of the United Nations.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We cannot be proud as members of humankind when out there innocent children, voiceless men and vulnerable women are suffering and being killed. Every life is precious. History will measure our global leadership and the legacy of the Organization on the scales of how we defend the defenceless, feed the hungry and empower the weak. History will judge our generation on how we defend human life and protect this endangered planet. It is therefore our shared responsibility to seek peace in all its forms, defend peace and reach out to reason with those who declare war on peace. The relevance of the Organization rests on our ability to satisfy the needs of people across the world. That includes Africa, as I will argue in my conclusion. Let us never doubt that the pursuit of shared responsibility implies collective inclusion.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“He was a voice of peace, a voice for the voiceless and the conscience and moral arbiter of the world. He decisively carried forward the flag of peace amid turmoil when some of us were busy declaring war on peace. Today I stand to urge the Assembly to raise high that flag of peace for which my brother Kofi Annan stood. I urge the Assembly to rise and march forward in that spirit of defending peace. Peace is a universal desire. We all desire peace. It must be diligently sought by us all. Peace is precious. Peace is delicate. It must be jealously guarded by us all. We cannot sit here as a proud Assembly while out there human communities are being driven from their homes, forced to abandon their countries and condemned to unknown destinies of homeless survival. Every human needs a home.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The General Assembly is a representation of humankind in its fullness. I therefore congratulate the President of the General Assembly. Her ascendance to this seat reminds us that there are no minorities in the Organization, and we are proud to see the Assembly led by a woman of her repute and intellectual prowess. Once again, I convey to her my congratulations. Ten days ago, Africa lost a Malawian who was our first Ambassador to the General Assembly. David Rubadiri represented the conscience of the African continent and a pan-African poet who was adopted by East Africa as its son. One month ago, the world lost an African who was the first Secretary-General of the United Nations from black Africa. Kofi Annan was an African and an inspiring spirit of the world.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“How can we claim to be united with those whom we exclude? Africa must be included at the table of global governance. Our rising Africa is always ready to play its role in the global community, and Malawi will continue to be a global player.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Nuclear weapons are an existential threat to humankind and of concern to us all. Ironically, even those nations that possess nuclear weapons are concerned about such threats. The idea of stockpiling nuclear weapons puts the wisdom of humankind in question. Let me categorically express my Government’s disapproval of the spread of ballistic-missile technology, which should not be tolerated in any way by any State Member of the United Nations. No country is too small to contribute to the peace agenda of the world and no continent is too poor to be part of the global peace agenda. Malawi strongly supports the African position in favour of our continent’s full representation on the Security Council. The United Nations can no longer claim to take the lead in democracy while sidelining the representation of 1.2 billion people in Africa.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We reaffirm our commitment to standing against all forms of terrorism and we stand in solidarity with the victims of human trafficking and forced migration, wherever they are. Let me now move on to the question of peace. Peace is a prerequisite for development. As a country, we believe in peace as a necessary condition for human existence. For that reason, Malawi has been active in the peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations of the United Nations and the African Union. Today, Malawi reaffirms its pledge to continue to act as an envoy of peace. We believe that is our duty to humankind. We believe that in protecting our neighbours, we protect ourselves. While we all seek peace as a necessary condition for existence, we also still face the threat of nuclear weapons.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We must all feel the urgent need to collectively undertake sustainable management of our natural resources. We must remember that if this planet perishes, we all perish with it. This is a matter that demands our collective responsibility. I therefore appeal to all Member States to consider strategies and avenues of collaboration that will enable us to adapt to the fast-changing climate. Apart from climate change, our world is also collectively facing the threat of terrorism. Terrorism and conflict hinder progress and leave the world in a state of fear, and anything that causes humankind to live in a state of fear is an evil to be fought. Malawi stands in solidarity with the victims of terrorism across the world.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“I would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to cooperating partners, including the United Nations, for their continued technical and other support to the success of these programmes. As we think of focusing on people, it is important to pay close attention to the issues that affect our most vulnerable citizens. Climate change tops the list. For an economy that depends on agriculture, like that of Malawi, where 85 per cent of the people live in agrarian communities, crop failure is always a tragedy. For the past two years, Malawi has suffered alternating heavy rains, floods and drought that have led to crop failure and hunger. The suffering caused by climate change is evident everywhere; it is real. The people who suffer in these tragedies are not just figures and statistics, but real human souls.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We have also made strides in efforts to eradicate vicious and irrational attacks against persons with albinism. There was a time when these attacks were rampant in some parts of the country. I am glad to report that there have not been any new ones in the past six months. Malawi is committed to inclusive development. We recognize, however, that the majority of our citizens continue to depend on agriculture for their livelihood. But agriculture is a challenging sector, given the current climate variability affecting many parts of the world. That being the case, Malawi is implementing social protection programmes aimed at cushioning the vulnerable in our society. Our measures include cash transfer programmes, food for work, school feeding programmes and a farm income subsidy programme.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“According to African Economic Outlook 2015, Africa has the fastest-growing and youngest population in the world. In giving young people the focus they deserve, the African Union agreed in 2015 to designate 2017 the Year of the Youth. This is the year we focus on investing in young people. Malawi is honoured to be part of the mission for youth empowerment. We have taken decisive measures that include providing technical and entrepreneurial education to the young people who have not had the opportunity to attend university. At the same time, we are also increasing access to tertiary education. One more category that needs inclusion is that of persons with disabilities. Malawi is reviewing its policies and strategies in education, health and trade in order to foster the effective inclusion of persons with disabilities.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Indeed, I am pleased to note a global drop in early marriages from 36 per cent to 26 per cent over a period of two years since 2015. Malawi is proud to be part of that achievement. Among other initiatives, my Government has enacted a law against marriage below the age of 18. By law, Malawi provides an opportunity for girls to grow, mature and make informed choices about their education and future life, so they are legally protected in that regard. I am therefore proud to reiterate my Government’s commitment to promoting gender equality and women and girls’ empowerment in order to reduce the vulnerabilities of women and adolescent girls to violence and all forms of abuse. Another critical category in the focus on people is young people. Youth empowerment is a way to achieve inclusion.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations reflects our global resolve to address the world’s most pressing challenges in the spirit of sustainable human collaboration. Our unity among nations is imperative because we achieve more when we unite and collaborate. The well-being of global society is more assured when we work in partnerships for development. At the same time, we achieve more within our nations when we include all sectors of society. Statistics provided by the United Nations and the World Bank show that there is a correlation between the inclusion and empowerment of women, on the one hand, and economic growth and development, on the other. The inclusion and empowerment of women begin with a focus on the girl child. We need to do away with early marriages.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The eradication of poverty and the pursuit of prosperity across the world should be based on raising the potential of the people we seek to support. Development cannot be taken to any people and succeed unless it is driven from within. No human community can take off economically without empowering its people to drive their own development agenda. That is why I underline the importance of investing in our human capital. However, it is also a foregone conclusion that any effort to invest in the people and raise their potential needs our collaboration as a global family; hence our appeal for concerted action by all States Members of the United Nations and, indeed, many global non-State actors.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The cause that rallies us together is that we are one humankind on one planet. That is the tie that binds us all, and all our differences and national interests are secondary to that overriding cause. The United Nations was founded to safeguard the human race, its human rights and its potential. We are here to protect people, their existence and their rights. We are here to ensure that the potential of every people, everywhere, fully blossoms into flowers of hope. It is our sacred duty as a generation to take actions that offer hope to following generations. It is therefore fitting that this year we are meeting to think about focusing on people. In Africa, we should be focusing on investing in the people if the full potential of African people is to be realized.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Malawi is set to be a productive partner in our collective push to transform our world. We are the leaders of that transformation. We are the generation that must transform the world. History demands our collective leadership.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“On United Nations reform, the common African position is the one espoused as the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration. Our firm belief is that the attainment of the SDGs cannot happen in an environment that is devoid of representation, fairness, efficiency, transparency and accountability, such as at the Security Council. My country therefore earnestly supports all efforts and work currently under way to find a suitable vehicle for the reform and revitalization of the United Nations, and shall seek every possible way to contribute to the appropriate solution on the matter. Let me conclude by reiterating that Malawi is making every effort to overcome the decades of underdevelopment, disease and hunger that have retarded the development of the country. That is our quest for the dignity of our people and their place in the world.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“I must underline that poverty in African communities is a danger to the global community because poverty and the disenchantment of our youth can be an easy source of radicalization. Speaking in my capacity as United Nations Youth Champion, I am fully committed to the promotion of youth development and harnessing the demographic dividend in Malawi, across the African Continent and beyond. I am delighted to report that the African Union has adopted “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend” as its theme for 2017. I wish, therefore, to call upon global leaders to join the efforts of the African Union and our global partners in prioritizing investments in our youth, in order to accelerate socioeconomic transformation and development at the global level.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We must live up to the aspirations of the World Trade Organization Doha Development Agenda. The global community must realize that it is only by taking such steps that African countries will be able to produce and add value to their commodities. That will generate the necessary jobs to keep our young people in the continent and propel our economies to sustainable growth and prosperity. Without investments in those areas, it will continue to be a challenge to prevent African youth from taking desperate and dangerous action by crossing the seas and oceans to reach developed economies. Such investments will also reduce the risk of our youth being lured into radicalism and extremism, with the attendant threat to domestic and international peace and security.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)