YouSaid · the spoken record

Olusegun Obasanjo

lines on the record: 130
first: 1977-09-24
most recent: 2005-09-24
sittings or episodes: 6
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

“20 We welcome the establishment by the United Nations of the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa and urge that adequate resources be provided for its mandate to be discharged effectively. The HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to ravage our continent, affecting most of all the productive segment of the population. To combat the epidemic, my Government has embarked on a major national programme of action, the highlight of which consists of a nationwide public enlightenment campaign and mass mobilization to deepen awareness and understanding of the disease, the prevention and control of its spread and modalities for providing care and support for people living with the virus. To contribute to the global programme on HIV/AIDS, Nigeria has redeemed its pledge of $10,000,000 to the Global Fund.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“I take this opportunity to thank those countries that have matched their words with actions in assisting us in repatriating looted funds. Last year, this Assembly endorsed the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) as the framework for development of the continent. We commend the Group of 8 for their Africa Action Plan to support the implementation of NEPAD and hope that this will soon be translated into cooperation on specific programmes and projects. In addition, we hope that the developed countries will also concretely demonstrate their support for NEPAD. For our part in Nigeria, the Government’s economic reform programme is a commitment to continue to make our contribution to an African renaissance, which will underpin NEPAD.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“This Convention is expected to make more resources available for development and show concretely the global commitment to eradicating large-scale corruption, which is at the origin of the funds. In this connection, I must say that the experience of my country has been one of only lukewarm cooperation by most countries where our looted funds have been traced. Our partners among the great banking nations should recognize that it is contradictory to condemn corruption on the one hand, and, on the other, to hinder us in the recovery of the plundered funds. For our economic and social reform programmes, the funds to be recovered can make a huge difference in meeting our national objectives. I earnestly appeal through this forum for maximum cooperation in repatriating the looted funds.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Neither the Bretton Woods institutions nor the Paris and London Clubs alone can provide lasting solutions and relief. I therefore believe that this issue is of such significance for the peace and development of such a large portion of the world community that we need to create a mechanism within the United Nations to address the problem in its full scope, based on the principle of the joint responsibility of debtors and creditors alike. We welcome the ongoing negotiations for a legally binding instrument on the repatriation of illicitly acquired funds stashed away in foreign countries. We call for the early conclusion of the Convention on that issue.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“While appreciating the efforts by the international community in the context of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, we must observe that these efforts have not provided adequate responses or solutions to the problems. This is even more true in the case of the heavily indebted middle-income countries, like Nigeria, for whom no special debt relief mechanism exists, although such machinery was successfully established for countries in Eastern and Central Europe, for instance. Nigeria believes, therefore, that bolder steps must be taken to resolve the heavy debt burden, which for a large number of countries has become unsustainable and a hindrance to development. I am afraid that we have no effective mechanism in place to tackle this problem.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Creating conditions of fair and undistorted trade would be the most effective way of providing additional resources to developing countries. This is particularly urgent in light of the low levels of official development assistance and the recent sharp decline in the flow of foreign direct investment. Other areas that we hope the international community will address with determination include the problem of external debt. This continues to be a major obstacle to the development of my country and many other African countries. It is evident that the various initiatives by the international community on debt relief and debt management have been able neither to address nor solve the problems.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“However, it also envisages active cooperation by our multilateral and bilateral partners. We are all too well aware that the development of our agricultural sector, by which the majority of our people still earn their living, cannot be successful as long as huge subsidies to agriculture in the developed countries continue. My Government, therefore, wishes to use this forum to call again for the reform of the system of subsidies to agricultural production, which is strangulating agriculture in developing countries. In this connection, it is regrettable that the reasonable proposals made by the group of developing countries at the recently concluded World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Cancún were rejected by their negotiating partners, leading to the collapse of the Conference.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The programme, which places people first, is aimed at laying a solid foundation for sustainable socio- economic transformation and poverty eradication. By its design, it will strengthen governance, enhance transparency, intensify the fight against corruption and develop infrastructure — especially in the areas of electricity, water and roads. It also places high priority on food security, agricultural development and the promotion of small- and medium-scale enterprises. 19 I believe that that ambitious economic reform will constitute an important national contribution to the attainment of the targets of the Millennium Development Goals and of the objectives of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). In that connection, my Government’s new reform programme is a clarion call to national mobilization and re- orientation.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“In April 2003, the people of Nigeria reaffirmed their commitment to good governance and democracy by holding successful elections. Following our 1999 elections, which marked the transition from military to civilian Government, last April’s election represented both our first civilian-to-civilian transition and a consolidation of our democratic process. I consider my re-election to a second — and under our Constitution, my last — term of office not only as a vote of confidence but also as a great challenge to deliver the dividends of democracy to our citizens. To meet that challenge, my Government has developed a programme of economic reforms, the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS).”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“An effective strategy to deal with that proliferation entails controlling the illicit trade in that category of weapons emanating from the countries where they originate, as well as controlling their transfer to intermediaries and arms merchants. We therefore call for an early conclusion of negotiations on a legally binding international instrument to control the indiscriminate supply of small arms and light weapons, especially to non-State actors. In keeping with our commitment to the eradication of those weapons, ECOWAS has already established and renewed a moratorium on the importation of small arms and light weapons. To make that moratorium as effective as intended, we call for effective cooperation on the part of all producing countries.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“I therefore wish to assure the General Assembly that Nigeria appreciates the decision taken by the Security Council in resolution 1509 (2003), of 19 September 2003, to authorize a multisectoral peacekeeping mission in Liberia in order to continue the achievement of the ECOWAS initiative. I should like to emphasize the fact that if regional organizations are to play the lead role that the United Nations is increasingly demanding, the international community will not be able to escape its own responsibility to do much more to strengthen the requisite capacities of such organizations. Let me now turn to another subject that is closely related to the conflicts in Africa. The proliferation of small arms and light weapons has been identified as one of the major factors fuelling conflicts.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The conflict in Liberia has again tested the will of the international community to respond proactively to conflicts and to the humanitarian catastrophes they leave in their wake. The decision of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to deploy troops to Liberia in the face of obvious hesitation by the international community and despite the strain it placed our resources was therefore indicative of our determination to show that we will not stand by wringing our hands when such catastrophic events occur in our neighbourhood. We are greatly relieved that our forward deployment of troops and the initiative to remove the former Liberian President from the scene have had such an immediate calming effect, which will hopefully be further reinforced by the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping force.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Even more tragically, sinister forces have taken aim at the United Nations and its dedicated staff, as demonstrated by the senseless attack on the United Nations compound in Baghdad. My Government once again joins the international community in condemning that heartless action, which claimed the lives of so many talented and dedicated staff members. We share the sorrow of the Secretary-General and his staff, and extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. In that connection, I wish to reaffirm my country’s total commitment to, and support for, our Organization. My Government is deeply concerned about the persistence of conflicts in many regions of the world, and in particular in our subregion of West Africa.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“On behalf of the Government and people of Nigeria, I would like to congratulate you, Sir, on your election as the President of the fifty-eighth session of the General Assembly. I 18 assure you of the cooperation and support of my delegation in ensuring a successful outcome to this session. Permit me also to acknowledge the excellent work done by your predecessor, Mr. Jan Kavan. I also wish to commend the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his tireless efforts, vision and leadership, and for his inspiring address to the General Assembly this morning. In recent months, many voices inside and outside of Governments have questioned the utility, relevance and efficacy of the United Nations, the only universal multilateral tool at our disposal.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Nigeria envisages a new Security Council in which it will play the role destined by its geopolitical circumstances and the challenges of the twenty-first century. In this regard, we are willing to contribute to efforts and stand ready to support others of like mind and circumstances in this endeavour.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The Organization provides the basis for our collective security, international cooperation and solidarity, which are essential for human coexistence. We must therefore continue to fine-tune its implementations to make it more responsive to the needs of the times and to prepare it for the challenges of the future, some of which could not have been envisaged by the founding Members. I am pleased to note that there is general agreement among us on the need to reform the Organization so as to make it more democratic in structure, more efficient in management and more manageable in size. Nigeria is a major proponent of the envisaged reforms, especially those regarding the structure and working methods of the Security Council.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We have always maintained that it takes two to tango and that the instances of corruption in developing countries have often been supported by encouragement, and inducements and the provision of safe havens by the industrialized countries. Thus, we are strongly advocating that efforts to establish a convention against corruption need to be expedited, so that we can have global action against corruption. There is no doubt that the United Nations has served humanity well. It has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1945. It remains the only organization to which all nations, in varying degrees and ways, are associated and committed. Humanity is the better for the existence of the United Nations.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We have also established a national agency for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS to coordinate the Government's multisectoral approach to the prevention, control and management of the pandemic. We pledge to continue to do our best in this human struggle against this powerful, destructive force, especially by generating awareness in the country about its prevention and spread. We continue, however, to count on the international community to find cures for these diseases, as well as to give assistance to many of our countries in these efforts. The leadership of the United Nations is critical to the success of these efforts. I wish once again to draw the Assembly's attention to the pernicious issue of corruption and its manifestation at the international level.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Not only is the productive population of Africa being systematically decimated by HIV/AIDS, but efforts to combat this and other diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, are also diverting scarce resources away from development programmes and projects. Massive assistance is therefore required from the international community to complement the efforts of individual countries. Nigeria will spare no effort to combat these scourges. While we are fully aware of the insidious nature of all of these pestilences, the spread of HIV/ AIDS constitutes by far our greatest source of concern. For that reason, Nigeria is active in contribution to and management of the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“This and other programmes designed to improve the living conditions of the majority of humanity may not yield the desired results if one of the greatest dangers facing humanity today is not addressed with the commitment and urgency it deserves. I am speaking here of the HIV/AIDS pandemic that continues to bring 3 havoc, misery and hopelessness on humanity, especially in Africa where the pandemic is threatening to wipe out entire generations. For example, it is estimated that out of the 36 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide, 75 per cent of them are in sub- Saharan Africa. The consequent toll on the human and material resources of one of the most impoverished regions of the world cannot be overemphasized.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“In that regard, I am pleased to state that Africa is seeking to lift itself by its own bootstraps, through the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). As members are aware, NEPAD is designed to address, in a sustained and coordinated way, many of the developmental problems associated with Africa's underdevelopment. We are encouraged by the support that NEPAD has so far received from the international community. The latest evidence of this support is the outcome of the recent meeting of the Group of 8 in Kananaskis, Canada, towards the implementation of the Action Plan. It is hoped that the United Nations high-level segment on NEPAD would record greater successes in the much expected endorsement of that initiative by the international community.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Human development indices for some of the poorest countries are, indeed, unflattering for a world that is so rich but with resources so unevenly distributed. It is our conviction that urgent, concrete action is required, if the lofty goals we have set for ourselves in the Millennium Declaration to make the world a better place are to be realized. Many developing countries require assistance from the international community in the form of increased official development assistance and foreign direct investment flows and efforts to alleviate their excruciating debt burden and enable them to develop their human and material resource base. Africa remains committed to the attainment of the goals of the Millennium Declaration.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We hold the view that any further escalation of tension would lead to very serious consequences. Nigeria, therefore, urges the parties concerned to exercise caution and restraint and that the matter be resolved in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations. There is no shortage of international good will and commitment to development. Various declarations and programmes eloquently address the need for rapid, durable and sustainable development, as well as the desire for the equitable distribution of the world's wealth. In spite of this good will and good intentions on the part of the international community, more than half of humanity lives in abject poverty and ignorance. For many countries in Africa, hunger and disease remain pervasive and deeply rooted.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The situation in the Middle East continues to pose a serious threat to international peace and security. We reaffirm our commitment to the right of the Palestinian people to their own independence, as well as the right of the State of Israel to exist within safe and secure international borders, consistent with Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). We therefore welcome the vision and the engagement of the Quartet, as well as other sponsors of the Middle East peace process. I urge the parties in the Middle East conflict to cooperate with the international community and give the ongoing peace process a chance. That becomes imperative because we cannot afford a situation of protracted conflict in the subregion. Nigeria notes with concern the threat that the situation in Iraq poses to international peace and security.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We are deeply concerned that manufacturing countries are not doing enough to limit the proliferation of these weapons through appropriate safeguards. We, therefore, call on the international community to consider elaborating a legally binding international instrument to control the supply of these weapons to non-State actors. The United Nations peacekeeping role is an invaluable one in the global effort to help contain and resolve conflicts around the world. It deserves to be sustained and strengthened. Nigeria is proud to be an active participant in this peacekeeping and peacemaking effort. We remain committed to this responsibility in the conviction that we are our brother's keeper and in the knowledge that there can be no development without peace and stability.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The international community has a responsibility, not only to design appropriate strategies for a measured and early response to snuff out these conflicts, but also to find ways and means of 2 addressing their root causes, and managing them to a peaceful conclusion. Only then will true peace and stability reign in the world. While it is true that many of these conflicts have their root causes in poverty, ignorance, real and perceived injustice and the absence of basic freedoms, it is equally evident that they are often exacerbated, especially in the case of African conflicts, by the influx of small arms into the continent. Illicit trade in small arms and light weapons has continued unabated, with disastrous consequences for many developing countries.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“It is regrettable that international terrorism continues to pose a threat to international peace and security. There is a need for reviewed and concerted efforts on our part to confront the menace until the threat is halted. The various international instruments aimed at combating terrorism deserve our full support. Nigeria remains deeply committed to the fight against terrorism. We are committed to the early elaboration of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism. Despite the best intentions and efforts of the international community, a scourge of a different nature continues to threaten many parts of the world. I refer here to the numerous theatres of conflict around the world. People continue to expend valuable energies and resources in fighting each other, often for causes that are unproductive.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“On behalf of the Government and people of Nigeria, I join other delegations in congratulating Mr. Kavan on his election as president of the fifty-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly. I have no doubt that, under his able leadership, the work of this session will be guided to a successful conclusion. Let me also acknowledge the work done by his predecessor, who guided the affairs of the fifty-sixth session with great skill and commitment. The tireless efforts of our Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, on behalf of our Organization must not go unnoticed. He deserves our profuse appreciation. I welcome the newest member of our organization, Switzerland. I have no doubt that this nation will bring unique perspectives to the work of the United Nations, which will enhance the attainment of its objectives.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We believe in the family of nations, and within that family the strong members have the responsibility to protect and strengthen the weaker members. At the close of the twentieth century and the beginning of the third millennium, there is a need for stock-taking and for proper assessment of the implementation of previous resolutions emanating especially from the major world summits and conferences which took place in this decade. Such an effort would bring us closer to the realization of the purposes and objectives of our Organization. In this regard, I stand before the Assembly and pledge Nigeria's continued contributions and positive commitment to the ideals of the Charter of the United Nations.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Although created in a different era and under different circumstances, and in spite of numerous constraints, the United Nations has continuously sought to adapt itself to the changes in the international political arena. It has been able to accomplish this to some degree, but it remains an institution whose working methods, procedures and administrative structure have in many respects become outdated. Yet the world as we know it today without the United Nations would be inconceivable. For it has come to symbolize hope for a better and more secure future for many, particularly in the developing areas of the world. Indeed, though a majority of our countries could not be members when the Organization was created, we are today its strongest defenders and advocates of the ideals for which it stands.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“How can the United Nations continue to perpetuate and justify a situation where Africa is the only continent without a permanent seat in the Security Council? In order to promote reform and democratization of the Security Council, Africa, with 53 Member States, should be allocated at least two permanent seats — commensurate not only with the continent's size and population, but with its track record also of contributing to the maintenance of international peace and security. I wish to reaffirm our belief that the United Nations is the most universal body ever designed for collectively resolving humankind's common problems. Our Organization has come a long way since its establishment 54 years ago.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The United Nations needs to do more in providing logistics and financial support to assist regional peacekeeping and peace- building efforts, as well as enhancing the welfare of refugees worldwide without discrimination. My delegation believes that it has never been the purpose of the United Nations Organization to prescribe democracy and change for its members and yet make little or no progress in the democratization of its own organs, such as the Security Council. My delegation accordingly urges the General Assembly, during this session, to conclude deliberations and reach agreement on the modalities for the reform and expansion of the Security Council so that the Millennium Assembly will adopt them next year — and not later.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“As the record shows, ECOMOG succeeded in putting an end to the Liberian war in 1997, reinstating the democratically elected President of Sierra Leone in 1998, and bringing about the current Peace Agreement for Sierra Leone signed in Lomé in July 1999. The time has come, however, for the Security Council to assume its full responsibility, specifically in Sierra Leone and other conflict flash points in Africa. For too long, the burden of preserving international peace and security in West Africa has been left almost entirely to a few States in our subregion. The non-implementation of the Peace Agreement and Nigeria's continual burden in Sierra Leone is unacceptably draining Nigeria financially. For our economy to take off, this bleeding has to stop.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It is our duty and moral responsibility to treat our citizens decently and humanely. My country has always believed that the threat to international peace and security from any corner of the globe should be considered a threat to the peace and security of the world as a whole. While the maintenance of international peace and security remains the primary responsibility of the Security Council, the Charter provision for the complementary role of regional and subregional groups has also proved to be critical to the maintenance of peace at the regional and global levels. The establishment of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) is a clear testimony of our commitment to subregional peace.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“By this declaration, we have dedicated ourselves to making the year 2000 the year when Africans direct all their efforts into effectively eliminating armed conflicts on their continent. We hope to build on the fresh momentum for peace occasioned by the budding peace initiatives in Congo, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Angola. We are also agreed on the overriding need to uphold codes of decency, ethics and minimum standards of decorum among African Governments and their leadership. Gone are the days when the OAU turned a blind eye to the excesses and abuses of power by member Governments. Forceful and undemocratic changes of Governments will no longer be overlooked or tolerated. We intend to condemn in absolute terms all violations of these codes and to ostracize their perpetrators.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The negative impact of these conflicts in human, social, economic and environmental destruction does not need to be described here. Nigeria and indeed the entire West African subregion have devoted considerable human, material, political and diplomatic resources to the resolution of these crises in the subregion, starting with Liberia and subsequently Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau. Similarly, efforts are being made in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Angola towards peaceful resolution of their conflicts. 10 Indeed, African leaders at the recent summit of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Algiers, and at the urging of the Nigerian delegation, agreed to declare next year as the Year of Peace, Security and Stability in Africa.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Our continent is bearing the brunt of this terrible disease that now kills around 2 million Africans annually, thus officially overtaking malaria as Africa's number one primary health- care problem. This situation is even more frightening in that it has now left 6 million children orphaned in the eastern and southern parts of Africa. In West Africa the disease has been spreading just as rapidly. Unlike malaria, which is location specific, HIV/AIDS knows neither climatic nor regional boundaries. Global cooperation is an imperative if we are to succeed in dealing with this scourge. Among the immediate challenges facing Nigeria and Africa today is resolving the many conflicts raging on the continent. Today, as many as 19 sub-Saharan countries are engaged in armed conflicts.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In this regard, Nigeria calls for a concerted effort by the international community, through an international convention, for the repatriation to Africa and the developing world of all capital illegally transferred from these countries. Such an international convention or agreement is legally feasible and morally sustainable. It will compel participating banks to disclose the source of the illegal accounts they hold, repatriate them to the countries of rightful ownership and subject the guilty parties to the full weight of national and international law. It is with a heavy heart that I raise the issue of the HIV/AIDS pandemic throughout Africa.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Our Administration will, however, find the task of meeting this expectation virtually impossible without substantial reduction of our debt burden, especially as we call on the same citizens to make the sacrifices that are implicit in the recent measures aimed at prudent management of our national economy. I wish to invite the attention of the Assembly to the related issue of illegal capital flight from Africa. It is an open secret that much of Africa's wealth has been illegally siphoned out of the continent by corrupt regimes and unpatriotic individuals working in collaboration with foreign partners. Nigeria and many African countries would be able to pay off large portions of their debts if only they could recover some of the capital illegally stashed abroad. We thus believe that now is the time to collectively deal with this issue.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Therefore, we propose definitive debt cancellation, not just reduction or rescheduling of the debt service regime. Eligibility should be limited to unpayable debts, which for Africa means the bulk of the $300 billion current stock of debt. There should be debt remission that is not predicated on the institutionally harsh conditionalities of structural adjustment programmes. There should be recognition on both sides of the bargaining table that lenders and borrowers share joint responsibilities for debts incurred in circumstances that are morally questionable in the first place. Debt cancellation should benefit ordinary people. Nigerians rightly expect democracy to yield perceptible dividends in their lives.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Today in sub-Saharan Africa every man, woman and child owes $357. This is a continent where millions live in abject poverty, earning around $100 a year, or 27 cents a day. Some African countries now spend as much as four times on servicing debts as they do on education and health care. Some countries spend up to 40 per cent of their national budgets on debt servicing. Furthermore, it is reliably estimated that for every dollar given in official development aid, $3 go back to the rich countries in debt service payments. I make bold to assert that calling for debt relief for developing countries is not a plea for charity, but is an urgent matter of social and economic justice. It has to be redressed if there is to be peace and stability in the twenty- first century.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Besides, the paucity of technical and financial assistance that would have enabled the developing countries to take advantage of the limited market access opportunities that exist continues to deepen Africa's marginalization in the globalized world economy. Without doubt, the biggest monetary and financial obstacle confronting developing countries is the chronic 9 debt overhang. According to United Nations figures, the global debt of all developing countries stood at $567 billion in 1980, and $1.4 trillion in 1992. In that 12-year period these countries made foreign debt payments totalling $1.6 trillion. Now, out of the 41 countries which the World Bank describes as heavily indebted poor countries, 33 are African countries, a group that some believe is richly deserving of its own special category: severely indebted low-income countries.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In participating in the historic Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations that ushered in the new rules-based trading system, the developing world had hoped that the new trading regime would enhance their trading fortunes, facilitate their effective integration into the world economy, and arrest their marginalization from the global trading system. Unfortunately, however, the vast majority of developing countries, particularly in Africa, have so far been unable to reap the benefits arising from their membership of the World Trade Organization. Africa's trade prospects continue to be hampered by the non- implementation of the special and differential provisions that favour developing countries, and the increasingly protectionist measures that are being imposed against their export products.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This trend has continued, despite the efforts of African countries to implement far-reaching economic reforms and maintain macroeconomic stability, particularly through the introduction of a more open and business-friendly investment environment, and the provision of incentives to attract foreign investment. In the quest for a better and fairer management of a globalized world economy, it is now incumbent upon us to direct our searchlight on the unsatisfactory evolution of the multilateral trading system.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Since 1992 Africa's exports and imports as a share of world trade has declined from 4 per cent to 2 per cent. Africa's development is presently straitjacketed by a debt burden of around $300 billion. The continent is experiencing import compression, weak productivity and low output. On the average, factories that are still operating do so at less than 30 per cent of installed capacity. Africa's share in total foreign direct investment inflows to developing countries has dropped from 11 per cent in the late 1980s to less than 5 per cent in the second half of the 1990s, and to a meagre 1.2 per cent of world foreign direct investment flows in 1997.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“As we approach the dawn of the new millennium, the defining feature of our increasingly interdependent world is accelerated globalization, and the liberalization of production, trade, investment and finance. But for us in the developing world the reality today is quite different. Globalization, in its various manifestations, is already experiencing a troubled relationship with the imperatives of development. It is rather tragic that Africa, the least developed of all the regions and the least able to cope with external shocks, has borne the brunt of the adverse effects of globalization of the world economy. There are grim statistics which indicate that the well-known marginalization of the African continent has turned into delinkage from the global scene.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Africa is indeed proud and glad to see the end of this century coincide with the total elimination of colonialism and the twin menace of constitutionalized racism in the southern part of the continent. The United Nations deserves our warm commendation for the crucial role it has played in this process. Let me also pay tribute to the thousands who lost their lives in the struggle for freedom so that those of us alive today can proudly say we have the destiny of the continent in our own hands. It is, however, a destiny which poses monumental challenges in our effort to improve the quality of life on our continent. We must strive to alleviate the grinding poverty and material deprivation that has persistently remained a feature of our political freedom.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Other measures that we have taken include a vigorous anti-corruption campaign; the promotion of transparency and accountability in public life; the abolition of decrees and regulations which hindered the inflow of foreign investment; the generation of opportunities for employment and income savings for domestic investment; and the privatization of key State enterprises, such as electricity and telecommunications; legislation and other measures to redress obvious cases of neglect and injustice done to ethnic minorities, particularly in the oil-producing areas of the Niger delta region, and to deal with the problems of the environment; investigation of past human rights violations, with a view to promoting and protecting fundamental freedoms; and strengthening the capacity of the law enforcement agencies to promote law and order, as well as security, and to deal more effectively with the problem of drug trafficking.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Furthermore, we have opted for a policy of inclusiveness in all our political appointments, with a Cabinet, for instance, in which all registered political parties are represented, thus moving away from the divisive practice of winner takes all. Our Administration has initiated policies aimed at revitalizing the economy in order to create an enabling environment for investment and economic growth. We have also put in place an appropriate legal framework for 8 the protection of foreign investments and repatriation of legitimate profits.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Our Administration has raised the hopes of Nigerians, and their expectations are correspondingly high. We are well aware of the enormity of the challenges that we face. But we are fully resolved to tackle our numerous social, economic and political problems head on. And, by the Grace of God, we will not fail. Since assuming office some four months ago our administration has put in place an institutional framework for the purpose of reconciling competing interests and groups in our society. Our democratic institutions are now operating effectively within the system of checks and balances enshrined in our Constitution.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)