YouSaid · the spoken record

Alhaji Sule Lamido

lines on the record: 26
first: 2000-09-24
most recent: 2001-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

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

“Nigeria rejoices with him over his well-deserved re-election, a reward for faithful stewardship and a signal of the trust and confidence of the United Nations membership in his shared vision for the future. No less significant is the award to him and to our Organization of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2001. We wish him well and heartily congratulate the United Nations on that achievement.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“We look forward to the participation of Member States. I cannot conclude without reference to the question of the reform of the United Nations system. Nigeria maintains that, in order for the United Nations to meet the complex challenges of our new century, long-overdue reforms of the Organization must be speedily undertaken. The reform of the Security Council, in particular, constitutes one of the major 19 challenges facing the United Nations today. Let us work assiduously to complete the reform process and thereby make the enlarged and expanded Council truly representative of the United Nations membership. May I express our profound gratitude to Secretary-General Kofi Annan for his leadership of our Organization in the past year.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Our attention should also be focused on the campaign against malaria, as a follow-up to an earlier summit, which also took place in Abuja. The rescheduling of the United Nations special session on the rights of the child to May 2002 should provide us with an opportunity to ponder the challenges which the world’s children face today. For us in Nigeria, the session will coincide with the passage of far-reaching legislation, now before the National Assembly, to protect our children, and go beyond the provisions of the OAU African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which we have recently ratified, to revolutionize public awareness and the defence of their rights. Indeed, in mid-2002, Nigeria proposes to host an international conference that will, inter alia, address the issue of trafficking in children in our region.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Africa’s resolve to meet the pandemic head-on has struck a responsive chord, and we are grateful to the United Nations Secretary-General for his clear advocacy. I believe that we have reason to be encouraged by the progress made in establishing structures and a multilateral framework for greater cooperation and support in confronting the problem. Every effort should be made to ensure that the Global AIDS and Health Fund becomes operational by January 2002. Meanwhile, we should maintain the momentum so that in the shortest possible time we bring succour to those who live with AIDS or suffer from tuberculosis or other related infectious diseases. This is the expectation of the African leaders who met in Abuja in April this year to agree on a coordinated strategy on this health and development crisis.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Based on a common vision and shared conviction about the need to urgently eradicate poverty and place African countries on the path to sustainable growth and development, NEPAD has, among its key themes, the promotion of peace, democracy, human rights, social and economic management, regional cooperation and economic integration. We appreciate the support already offered, and we sincerely believe that this provides the best platform for a viable partnership with our development partners. The HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to pose serious challenges to development in our world. We appreciate the contribution of the international community in combating that scourge, as reflected in the outcome of the special session on HIV/AIDS.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“African leaders have established a clear linkage between our huge debt burden, the activities of foreign collaborators and the transfer of funds by former leaders and other individuals from our continent. We are concerned about the corrosive impact of corruption on our fledgling democracies and our social, economic and political development. Let us redouble our efforts to support an international instrument on the illegal transfer of funds abroad. At the thirty-seventh regular session of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which took place in Lusaka in July, the leaders of the continent endorsed the New African Initiative, now called the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). The inaugural meeting of the Implementation Committee of Heads of State and Government on NEPAD took place in Abuja on 23 October 2001.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Nigeria’s call for a fundamental change in current debt strategies towards developing countries is derived from a keen appreciation of the impact external debt has on the economic growth and political stability of developing countries. The fact that, in spite of welcome initiatives on debt relief and debt management, many of our countries have neither grown out of debt nor been able significantly to service their debts in a sustainable manner, warrants a bolder and more imaginative approach, such as outright debt cancellation. International efforts to resolve the debt problem should be bolstered by collective action to discourage the illegal transfer of funds from developing countries and the repatriation of such funds to the countries of origin.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Its effective implementation will attest to our commitment to strengthen the forces of democracy and the rule of law in the world. We recognize the inexorable march of globalization and fully embrace the challenges of expanding opportunities in trade, finance, information 18 and communications technology which it offers. But the benefits should not be limited to only a small section of the international community. Globalization and the twin phenomena of liberalization and deregulation should work for all countries. The health and stability of the global economic system demand nothing less. For us in Africa, access to such benefits should be reflected in concrete actions and measures that will ensure our full integration into a new and fair global economic system.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Our experience in Liberia and Sierra Leone has reinforced our conviction that, working in close partnership with regional and subregional organizations, the United Nations can facilitate the return to peace and security in conflict areas. Let us provide these organizations with the necessary financial and logistic support. Apart from the commitment to durable peace and security, there must be a re-intensification of our resolve to eliminate weapons of war, both conventional and non-conventional. Of the utmost concern to us in Africa is the havoc caused by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. The Programme of Action adopted at the recently concluded United Nations Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects provides us with a clear road map for effective cooperation.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The process of peace and stability in Sierra Leone is gaining momentum, as the process of reconciliation, through a programme of disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation, funded by the United Nations, has continued to generate trust and confidence. We are equally encouraged by recent developments in Burundi, where a newly installed interim transitional Government is grappling with the challenges of national reconciliation and integration. These efforts attest to the determination of leaders in our continent to make a success of initiatives for peace. Nigeria is proud to be associated with these efforts.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“For this, we have a clear compass, not only in the Charter of our Organization, but also in the solemn commitment of our leaders, as reflected in the Millennium Declaration. Let us strive to translate these commitments into practical policies for the benefit of our peoples. My country’s long-standing commitment to fostering the objectives of the United Nations in the area of conflict prevention, peace and stability is well known. It is regrettable that conflicts and wars continue to be waged in many parts of the world. It is particularly disheartening that Africa has had a disproportionate share of these conflicts and wars, with devastating impact on our societies and peoples. Yet, amid the apparent gloom, we see a flicker of hope.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Our strategies therefore should be informed, consistent and focused. In some respects, the grave challenges that we face today also offer new possibilities for cooperation previously unimaginable. Our Organization has not only pursued the goal of international peace and security, but it has also served as a focal point for the promotion of other important agendas, particularly in the areas of socio-economic development, the rule of law, good governance and respect for human rights. These goals, which reflect the aspirations of Member States to build a new world free of conflict, prejudice, discrimination and oppression, must remain the enduring preoccupation of our common enterprise.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Terrorism is a global menace that challenges the very basis of our civilization. It must therefore be confronted globally. That is why Nigeria fully endorses the prompt action taken by the General Assembly in condemning these attacks. We fully support Security Council resolution 1373 (2001), because the measures called for in the resolution would significantly reduce the capacity of terrorists to carry out such acts. Nigeria is committed to the implementation of the resolution’s provisions. Let us sustain the unity of purpose and resolve that the terrorist attacks have generated by strengthening the cooperation and coordination among our countries. The terrorists and their supporters should be exposed for what they are: fringe elements undeserving of a respectable place in the comity of nations.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Recent events have manifestly brought to the fore the importance and relevance of the United Nations in the pursuit of global peace, security and stability. Only last year in this historic Hall, world leaders at the Millennium Summit reaffirmed their solemn commitment to strengthen the capacity of the Organization in this very important area. Yet, two months ago, on 11 September 2001, the efforts of our Organization were temporarily called into question by terrorist attacks on the United States. As a country which was directly affected by the first terrorist bombings in Dar es Salaam in 1998, in which our embassy building was destroyed, and because we lost nationals at the attack on the World Trade Center, Nigeria fully identifies with the rage and grief of the bereaved families and the victims of these barbaric acts.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“These and many other weighty global issues were discussed at the first ever South Summit held in Havana last April. That Summit was a defining moment for the Group of 77 countries which pondered the challenges of the twenty-first century. In Havana the South resolved to forge a new and meaningful partnership with the industrialized nations. We demanded equal partnership in decision-making that affects the whole of humanity. That was the message the leaders of the South took to the G8 Summit in Okinawa. The outcome of that consultation vividly demonstrates that meaningful partnership is a must for the new century. Certainly the interests of mankind compel a more inclusive participation of all segments of our global community.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“What about the situation that arises when sanctions lead to deaths on a serious scale? All these should find a place in a proper and systematic discussion of humanitarian intervention aimed at giving succour to those who may be trapped in tragedies other than wars. Similarly, is there no other way by which the world can arrest the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Africa and other parts of the South? Certainly the world knows about the nature and types of weapons used in the prosecution of these wars, where they are manufactured and by whom, the processes by which they are traded and acquired and the key facilitators of these processes, including national governments and arms merchants. What if the search for solutions focused on these areas?”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The debate so far has brought to the fore the problem of the contradiction between sovereignty and intervention. Of course, nation States, even those on the verge of evaporation, would be sensitive to the word “intervention”. But, more than that, discussion of the issue has brought out the one-dimensional nature of the treatment of some issues or problems in terms of what we include in or exclude from the definition. In this particular case, the debate so far has concentrated on war situations or armed conflicts featuring massive loss of life. What of other situations where loss of life is also of a serious magnitude but not as a result of war or armed conflict? What of the silent genocide occasioned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, epidemics and natural disasters such as famine, drought, flood, etc.?”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The dialogue of the Organization of African Unity, the Non-Aligned Movement and the G-77 with the G-8 countries has so far shown that a great deal can be achieved from that approach to the issues in question. As President Obasanjo again said in a separate speech, it is imperative for the world to seize this moment to begin to get the future right, since such a solemn moment in the history of mankind as the recent Millennium Summit, may not always present itself. We are talking of dialogue that takes the issues on board in a holistic manner, as opposed to the current practice of abstracting merely one or other manifestation of the system — for example, in the case of wars of attrition and the idea of international humanitarian intervention.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“In what ways would a typical regime in Africa be able to contribute its quota to democratic consolidation with the debt overhang, the exchange and interest rate practices in the international financial architecture, the prices offered for raw materials relative to the prices of industrial goods and services, the limited trade access and the conditionalities tied to loans and aid? As a responsible member of the international community and as the chair of the G-77, Nigeria is obliged to draw attention to the context of our present situation. What is clear to me now is that the dream of a global family cannot be attained if the present world architecture of power and the reward system continues.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“What can the little that is left do for the domestic economy? What does an economy that produces virtually nothing in industrial terms have to offer, and, moreover, how can it compete in a global economy? What is the income level of the average African, relative to that of his or her counterparts in many countries of the West, vis-à-vis the capacity to patronize the goods and services which globalization offers? How does globalization facilitate democratic consolidation? How can the core values of liberal democracy, such as the rule of law, the preservation of human rights and good governance, be sustained by a Government that lacks the resources to competently provide a minimum of social service delivery and thus 21 sustain legitimacy and regime credibility?”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The globe, which is the symbol or logo of the United Nations, depicts humanity. From the word “globe” has been derived a phenomenon called globalization, which explicitly connotes a world without national borders, with particular reference to commerce, in which humanity is one huge market. Apart from thus unfortunately associating the noble and emotive word “humanity” with the materialism of commerce and the market, globalization automatically raises other questions for three quarters of humanity outside the orbit of industrial competence. In a global economy all the actors in that economy should also be stakeholders. But what stake does Africa have in a global economy? Economically, it is heavily indebted, some of its countries committing up to 55 per cent of gross earnings to debt servicing and payment.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“There is a clear basis for this apprehension, given that the past millennium was, for most of these countries, characterized by extreme poverty, heavy indebtedness, wars of attrition and the resultant mass ordeal and anguish for both their immediate and distant victims, absolute vulnerability to epidemics such as cholera, malaria and typhoid, the rage of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the scourge of natural disasters, serious technological backwardness and a digital divide between them and the others, and by profound economic decline and infrastructural decay. In the last decade in particular, whatever hopes were raised by some initiatives aimed at mitigating African and third world underdevelopment have dwindled to nothing as the world emerged from the cold war into a more problematic concept called globalization.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“This prospect must, I am sure, have been very exciting to so many of us and must have been the basis for hailing the United Nations system for its own role in and contribution to these achievements. But as my President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, aptly observed here less than two weeks ago, “Although the world has generally become a safer place to live in, thanks to the contributions of the United Nations, we must all feel deeply worried that the message of hope which the Organization has been spreading is yet to reach the millions of humankind for whom it is intended. For the vast majority of our peoples, grinding poverty has remained a fact of their everyday existence.” (A/55/PV.7) This reality of grinding poverty has raised considerable apprehension in some United Nations Member States about their fate in the new millennium.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“For example, in many of the developing countries the United Nations manifests its potential more through the United Nations Children's Fund, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and other agencies than in Security Council resolutions, comparatively speaking. It is also from the activities of these United Nations agencies that the underprivileged sectors of poor countries benefit directly, activities from which these same countries, including those in Africa, have come to imbibe the idealism regarding the United Nations ability to harmonize the totality of progress to the benefit of all human stakeholders. To a great extent this idealism has not been misplaced. In fact, at no other time has the possibility of a global family been more real than now.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“I would also like to thank him for his millennium report, which has identified some of the pressing problems and challenges facing mankind. In the past few weeks here at the United Nations a lot of reflection and deep thinking have taken place among world leaders, all in an attempt to more coherently define the future. The end of one millennium and the beginning of another warrant all these efforts to find such a purposeful definition. Fifty- five years ago the United Nations was formed as a global bulwark against armed conflict on a world scale, such as the Second World War. Over the years its mandate of preserving international security has broadened from strictly preventing such armed conflict to cover also fundamental issues of socio-economic security for humanity.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Please allow me to share with Mr. Holkeri the joy of his election to the presidency of the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly. He can rest assured of Nigeria's support and cooperation. May I also express the same sentiment on behalf of the Group of 77. To his predecessor and my colleague, His Excellency Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab of Namibia, Nigeria and the Group of 77 wish to express our pride in and appreciation of the most distinguished manner in which he discharged his duties as the President of the fifty-fourth session. We are indeed very proud of him. May I also commend the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for the manner in which he has piloted 20 and continues to manage the affairs of the United Nations.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)