YouSaid · the spoken record

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

lines on the record: 80
first: 2010-09-24
most recent: 2014-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
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

“My Government is intensifying efforts to improve national health-care delivery by allocating substantial resources to primary health care. We look forward to a productive outcome to the High-level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases at the end of that meeting. In the same vein, I welcome discussions at the High-level Meeting on desertification and land degradation, as these issues continue to pose challenges to our development efforts. That is why Nigeria strongly supports the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity, including strategies and best practices to address this challenge.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Our national action plan on gender equality and women’s empowerment places strong emphasis on women’s effective participation in politics and adequate representation in public office. I am indeed proud to announce to the Assembly that more than 30 per cent of my Cabinet is made up of women. Let me also commend the Executive Board of UN-Women on the successful take-off of the entity. UN-Women can be assured of Nigeria’s strong support. This year, the prevention of non-communicable diseases was one of the issues slated for discussion at a High-level Meeting. Only three months ago, I attended the High-level Meeting on AIDS, where I pledged Nigeria’s commitment to health care, as part of our country’s human capital development agenda.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“In this respect, I would like to express support for the proposal of the Secretary-General to deploy a United Nations assessment mission to study the situation in the Gulf of Guinea and explore possible options for United Nations support and action. Our expectation is that a positive outcome from such a strategy will benefit not only our subregion but the larger international community as well. I am already consulting with other leaders in our subregion to boost this initiative. The United Nations strategy for gender equality and women’s empowerment, especially through the creation of UN-Women, deserves commendation and support. Nigeria’s support for UN-Women, to which we have made substantial contributions, reflects our desire to harness the potential of women in the task of nation-building.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“The danger of the proliferation of, and illicit trade in, small arms and light weapons informed Nigeria’s decision to sponsor resolution 61/89, of 2006, the principal objective being to provide a legally binding international instrument for the trade in conventional arms. We will continue to support all initiatives towards the realization of an arms trade treaty in 2012. I call on all Member States to join in this endeavour. The increasing rate of piracy and other maritime crimes, with their attendant damaging effects on security, trade and economic activities in the Gulf of Guinea and other locations, calls for coordinated regional and global approaches.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“The proliferation of small arms and light weapons is particularly worrisome, due to their easy accessibility and availability to unauthorized persons and groups, who in turn have used these arms to create instability and insecurity in most of the countries of the developing world. Even worse, the proliferation of these weapons has proved handy in the hands of terrorists. This explains our commitment to, and preoccupation with, the actualization of an arms trade treaty that robustly addresses the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, which, as we all know, are among the major causes of destabilization and conflict in Africa.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Going forward, I would like to propose the establishment, under the Secretary-General’s Office, of a conflict mediation commission, to be charged, among other things, with collating information on conflict situations across the world, identifying the dramatis 45 11-50692 personae and developing appropriate strategies for initiating the resolution of such conflicts. The commission would also develop rules of engagement, including sanctions that would apply to those who may obstruct efforts to resolve conflicts peacefully. This naturally brings me to the issue of trafficking in small arms and light weapons. If the idea of resolving conflicts through mediation is to succeed, then the problem of trafficking in small arms and light weapons must be frontally tackled.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“I also believe that, in addition to other traditional tools of preventive diplomacy, democracy and good governance can be particularly important in building a just, equitable and inclusive society. By focusing on mediation as a tool for conflict prevention, we are able to address the real triggers of conflict, without which we cannot achieve sustainable solutions. However, for the world to move from a culture of response after conflict to that of a culture of prevention, the international community must muster the political will to promote preventive diplomacy, in particular through mediation. This will necessarily entail rededicating greater human and financial resources to institutions and mechanisms that already exist, within and outside the United Nations system, for conflict prevention and resolution.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“For too long, the international community has focused too little attention on mediation and preventive diplomacy, and far too much effort and resources on the military aspects of peace and security. Yet measures to address the root cause of conflict, including dialogue and mediation, can be far more effective as a means for achieving sustainable peace and stability. I believe that cultivating peace and fulfilling the aims of Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter require early identification and appropriate intervention in conflict situations in order to build confidence and trust and to preclude the eruption of violence between opposing parties. As I see it, our goal should always be to present the peaceful alternative as a less costly and effective way of achieving political and social objectives.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Indeed, all across my country, there is a renewed sense of optimism and self- belief in our ability to recreate a new Nigeria on the principles of personal freedoms, democracy, good governance and the rule of law. Permit me to identify with the theme of this year’s debate of engaging the role of mediation in the peaceful resolution of conflicts in the world. The Assembly will recall that Nigeria was in the forefront of the campaign to promote this theme when, as the President of the Security Council in July 2010, my country adopted the use of preventive diplomacy to resolve armed conflicts across the world. This theme is apt and could not have come at a better time, when armed conflicts are increasingly taking a greater part of the time and resources of the United Nations.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“When I stood before the Assembly last year, I made a solemn pledge that Nigeria would conduct free and credible elections in the second quarter of this year. I am glad to report that last April we indeed conducted what have been adjudged to be credible and transparent general elections. Let me take this opportunity to thank the United Nations and all the other organizations, nations and individuals that helped us to achieve that feat. The elections are now behind us, and the Government that I head is well on course to implement our programmes of transformation — a strategic plan for the delivery of the dividends of democracy to citizens and for preparing our country for the challenges of the future.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“To that end, Nigeria is working closely with the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, as well as with relevant international bodies and friendly countries, in order to sharpen our response mechanisms. In that connection, the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force will launch its first project in Abuja in November, which will be aimed at preventing conflict and countering the appeal of terrorism to youth through education and dialogue. In addition, Nigeria is a member of a new global body, the Global Counterterrorism Forum, launched to galvanize and help pull our efforts together to fight this scourge in all its ramifications. We pledge to continue to work with all stakeholders as we enlarge and intensify our partnerships.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“For us in Nigeria, terrorist acts, rather than intimidating us, will only help to strengthen our resolve to develop appropriate national strategies and to collaborate even more closely with the international community in the fight against this menace. As part of Nigeria’s efforts to fight terrorism, on 3 June, I signed into law a terrorism bill and an anti-money-laundering prohibition amendment act. The new laws not only outline measures for preventing and combating acts of terrorism, but also prohibit the financing of terrorism and laundering of the proceeds of crime. Nigeria will continue to work with the United Nations and other partners in this global fight.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Over the past few months, we in Nigeria have faced an upsurge in terrorist attacks in parts of our country. Only recently, the United Nations building in Abuja housing several United Nations agencies was the target of an atrocious terrorist attack that left several dead. On behalf of the Government and people of Nigeria, I would like to convey my sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to the entire United Nations family for this barbaric and heinous attack on those who have dedicated their lives to helping others. As the United States and the rest of the world commemorate the tenth anniversary of the attacks of 9/11, we are reminded of the international 11-50692 44 dimension of terrorism and the imperative of a concerted global response to combat this scourge.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“I am confident that South Sudan will bring a unique perspective to the work of the United Nations and enrich our collective experience. Despite our initial optimism, the peace dividend we had hoped would accrue following the end of the Cold War is yet to materialize. On the contrary, the world of the twenty-first century in which we live is becoming ever more precarious, unpredictable and certainly more dangerous — perhaps more than at any other time in history. The increasing use of terror in various regions of the world as a form of political action poses a serious threat to international peace and security. We must win the war against terror because it infringes on the fundamental right of all peoples to life and to live in safety from fear.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“On behalf of the Government and people of Nigeria, I would like to congratulate the President on his election as the President of the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session. I have no doubt that under his able leadership the work of the session will be brought to a successful conclusion. I should also like to acknowledge the excellent work done by his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Joseph Deiss, who guided the affairs of the sixty- fifth session with consummate skill and commitment. I must also take this opportunity to extend my warmest felicitations to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on his well-deserved re-election, a tribute to his leadership and vision. He deserves our appreciation for the good work he is doing on our behalf. I also welcome the newest member of the Organization, the Republic of South Sudan.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Even though he is gone, his legacy lives on, as my Administration continues to implement the programmes we had jointly designed during his time as President of our country and while I was second-in- command. May his soul rest in peace.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Good governance requires participation by all nations and all peoples of the world. The early reform and, in particular, expansion of the Security Council will accord the United Nations greater effectiveness in global good governance. The exclusion of the African States from the Council’s permanent membership category can no longer be justified. I would like to reaffirm Nigeria’s abiding faith in the role of the United Nations in the pursuit of our common goals for the benefit of all humankind. We therefore pledge our continued support for the Organization, in order to strengthen it, as a way of identifying with the ideals for which it stands. In conclusion, I wish to thank all Member States for their kind words of condolence and sympathy in honour of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua at an Assembly meeting last May (see A/64/PV.86).”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“For Nigeria, a major contributor of troops to peacekeeping operations around the world, it is essential that the rules of engagement be reviewed to prevent high casualty rates among contingents. It deeply saddens us to see troops wearing the United Nations colours being waylaid and murdered because of the rules of engagement. The theme for the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly — “Reaffirming the central role of the United Nations in global governance” — is timely and appropriate. The need for the United Nations to provide leadership in addressing problems and challenges of a global nature is imperative. We urge the Organization to quicken the pace of reform, not only to better reflect current global realities, but also to ensure that it enjoys genuine legitimacy.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“We will continue to build on these achievements to consolidate stability and engender prosperity in the subregion. Nigeria chose the theme of preventive diplomacy for an open debate it convened during its presidency of the Security Council in July 2010 (see S/PV.6360) to highlight the importance that it attaches to conflict prevention. It is obvious that preventing conflicts is a cheaper option for maintaining peace and security than peacekeeping. I urge the United Nations to devote renewed attention to preventive diplomacy. The increasing financial burden of peacekeeping and the high human cost of conflict are good reasons for the United Nations to pursue with vigour the adoption of preventive diplomacy in the spirit of the provisions of Chapters VI and VII of the Charter of the United Nations.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“In general, their presence hampers economic growth because no one wants to invest in a nation or region that is prone to crisis. We know of approximately 300 companies that produce and trade such small arms and light weapons in approximately 50 countries around the world. And we believe that it is time for the United Nations to come on strong if it truly wants to help Africa get out of the woods. In my capacity as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, I am pleased to report that we have made substantial progress in bringing peace and stability to countries in the Community that were until recently embroiled in political crises. This has greatly improved the situation across the subregion, which in turn has enhanced the peace and security that are critical to development.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Nigeria calls on the United Nations to take firm action to control the proliferation of small arms and light weapons by adopting an arms trade treaty. It is estimated that there are approximately 100 million of these weapons in sub-Saharan Africa alone. These weapons have been identified as having killed more people in the African continent than any other type of weapon. However, unlike for nuclear, chemical 25 10-54959 and biological weapons, there are no global treaties or legally binding instruments for dealing with the challenges posed by small arms and light weapons. It must be underscored that the dumping of these weapons in Africa and their free use are among the greatest challenges facing African leaders today. These weapons encourage impunity, transborder crime, armed robbery, piracy, kidnapping and the rape of innocent women.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Our support for and active participation in the adoption of the Pelindaba Treaty is evidence of our commitment to the total elimination of nuclear weapons. This conforms with our status as a signatory to the major treaties on nuclear disarmament. At the same time, small arms and light weapons have destabilized the African continent, fuelled and prolonged conflicts, and obstructed relief programmes. They have also undermined peace initiatives, increased human rights abuses, hampered development and, perhaps more worrisome, fostered a culture of organized crime and violence. We note, however, that the illicit trade in and proliferation of small arms and light weapons do not receive adequate attention.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“In support of our commitment to the global effort to combat terrorism, we continue to strengthen and expand our institutional capacities to tackle all forms of extremism. In fact, we currently have two bills — a counter-terrorism bill and an anti-money laundering bill — before our National Assembly, and I am confident they will be enacted into law before the end of the current legislative year. Soon after I assumed the leadership of my country as acting President, I was invited by the President of the United States of America to a mini- summit on nuclear disarmament in Washington, D.C., in April this year. Like all previous Nigerian leaders, I share the American President’s vision of a world free of nuclear weapons, and I will continue to collaborate with him and all humankind for the realization of this laudable goal.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“As we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of our independence in a few days, we remember the sacrifices of the founding fathers of our nation, as well as our own responsibility to present and future generations. In fulfilment of these aspirations, we are firmly committed to holding free, fair and credible elections during the 2011 general elections. In this regard, we have taken the steps necessary to ensure the success of the process. I assure the Assembly that every vote will count in Nigeria. We are also working to strengthen our institutional structures for combating corruption, financial crimes, and other vices, such as human and drug trafficking. We are reforming the financial sector to make it more accountable and transparent. This will ensure that our country enjoys political stability, social harmony and economic growth.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“We will also call for the Muskoka commitment to be met now, and the Global Fund to be expanded to include MDGs 4 and 5 in support of the Secretary-General’s Every Woman, Every Child initiative. Good governance, strict adherence to the rule of law and respect for human rights remain fundamental tenets of my administration. The consolidation and safeguarding of our democracy are a task on which we are beginning to see positive results. The smooth succession of power since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, including my own ascension to the presidency of our country after the demise of my predecessor, is evidence of the commitment of all stakeholders to democratic governance in the knowledge that political stability is imperative to the economic development of any nation.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“On the positive side, Nigeria has recorded remarkable progress in the provision of universal basic education, and we are also in the process of harmonizing baseline data that will assist us in the proper monitoring and evaluation of all MDG projects. The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria continues to be a prime mechanism for addressing Millennium Development Goal 6. Accordingly, Nigeria will remain both a donor nation to and a recipient of the Fund. Having actively participated during the first and second replenishments with total contributions of $20 million, Nigeria will make further contributions of $10 million during the third replenishment.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“The outcome of the events related to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that took place recently here in New York inspires a real appreciation of the enormous scope of the task ahead for many countries, including ours. The urgency of the action needed to address the situation has been clearly 10-54959 24 and unambiguously underscored in the intervening discussions. Even though we have achieved significant improvements in the eradication of polio and other child-related diseases, Nigeria still has its own fair share of challenges to overcome. Progress on MDGs 4 and 5, which relate to the reduction of maternal and child mortality, has been relatively slow. The weakness of the primary health care system and limited referral institutions remain crucial challenges in the health care sector.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Our participation in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Congo seven days after gaining our independence was the direct and deliberate fulfilment of the international role that we had set for ourselves as a people. Since then, we have participated in numerous United Nations peacekeeping missions, as well as in similar regional endeavours. Nigeria has been and will continue to be an active participant in the work of the United Nations, striving therein to promote national, regional and global objectives. Despite many years of independence, many countries still face the daunting challenges of nation- building. It is in this connection that the Millennium Summit of 2000 adopted a set of goals to be realized by 2015.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“It is true that the United Nations played an important role in the acceleration of decolonization, in part through the adoption of many resolutions supporting the right of nations to self-determination. The independence and subsequent admission of many of these countries into the United Nations has greatly enhanced the Organization’s legitimacy, thereby advancing the noble goals of its Charter. Nigeria was one of the countries to emerge from colonialism in 1960 into a whole new world of independence and sovereignty to take on the task of nation-building and to play the international role that destiny had conferred on us.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“I welcome this opportunity to address this Assembly for the first time since I was sworn in as President of my country, Nigeria, on 6 May this year. I extend sincere congratulations to Mr. Joseph Deiss on his well-deserved election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. Allow me also to congratulate his predecessor on the skilful way in which he conducted the affairs of the Assembly during its sixty-fourth session. I also commend the Secretary-General for the quality of his leadership. I assure the President of the General Assembly of the support and cooperation of the Nigerian delegation throughout his tenure. This session coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of the independence of 17 African countries, including my country, Nigeria.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)