YouSaid · the spoken record

Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi

lines on the record
22
first
2011-09-24
most recent
2012-09-24
sittings or episodes
2
sources
un-general-debate

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  1. “Finally, we affirm our commitment to the peaceful settlement of conflicts and to fostering international cooperation based on the principles of sovereign equality, justice and adherence to international law.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

  2. “Thirdly, political leaders and all actors need to forge national reconciliation, including through transitional justice mechanisms, as well as establishing truth and reconciliation mechanisms, which play a key role in promoting durable peace. We would also like to reiterate the need to increase the role of women and youth in the peaceful settlement of disputes, given the significant contribution they can make. On the Israeli-Palestinian question, Uganda continues to call upon both parties to negotiate and reach a peaceful settlement based on a two-State solution, with a Palestinian State living side by side with Israel in peace, security and mutual recognition.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

  3. “The linkage between development and security in peacebuilding is now widely recognized, and once conflicts are resolved, the affected communities need peace dividends in terms of delivery of basic services such as health and education as well as opportunities for employment. Secondly, efforts should be made to defuse the fear, hatred and other negative emotions that make conflicts intractable and often violent. We must collectively speak out against intolerance and extremism in order to advance mutual respect and understanding of the values and beliefs of others. Uganda condemns all acts of terrorism and violence. We strongly condemn the recent spate of violence and attacks, including targeting diplomatic missions of the United States and other Member States.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

  4. “There is no doubt that resolving conflicts requires identifying and addressing their underlying causes, which include social, political and economic factors that are often deeply entrenched and interwoven. In seeking to resolve any conflict, national, regional and international actors need to adopt approaches that take into account the following complexities. First, it is important to address the substantive issues that give rise to conflicts in the first place, such as lack of access to or inequitable distribution of resources, social or political exclusion and other grievances.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

  5. “In the recent past we have witnessed regrettable instances in which peace initiatives have been frustrated through the intransigence of the parties, with support from some members of the international community. That can only be a recipe for long-term turmoil and instability in the affected countries and neighbouring regions. In our view, in situations of armed conflict the first priority should be securing a verifiable ceasefire, followed by a political process involving an all-inclusive dialogue without preconditions. It is up to the parties, with the assistance of a mediator or facilitator, to reach a settlement that addresses their interests.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

  6. “Regional initiatives need to be complemented by international support, including assisting countries emerging from conflict to build the requisite capacities for the consolidation of peace. It is also important that such support include provision of immediate post- conflict humanitarian assistance and material input for reconstruction and development. We welcome the continuing deepening of cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations in the resolution of conflicts and the maintenance of peace and security. This positive trend should continue, and every effort should be made to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. Uganda strongly believes that conflicts that might arise between and within countries should be resolved through dialogue among all the parties concerned.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

  7. “On the contrary, external interventions often contribute to a cycle of destabilizing tendencies — which is why we are still grappling with situations like the one in eastern Congo. The African Union (AU) has shown strong political will to resolve conflicts on the continent peacefully and to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security. We call upon our partners to support the dispute resolution mechanisms, as well as the peace and security efforts of the AU and subregional organizations. Uganda’s participation in and contribution to conflict resolution in our subregion, on the African continent and on the international scene are guided by that approach, which has proved to be largely successful in resolving conflicts and wars.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

  8. “In addition, there is the international support and legitimacy that the United Nations provides. The current ICGLR initiative on the situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is based on such experience. We call upon the Security Council and the international community to give the necessary support to the decisions of the ICGLR summit held in Kampala on 8 September. That regional initiative is aimed at addressing the root causes of the conflict in eastern Congo, deploying a neutral international force and responding to the humanitarian crisis. Our preference for home-grown solutions is premised on the realization that external influences or interventions do not necessarily offer sustainable solutions for the resolution of conflicts.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

  9. “In the case of Africa those include the East African Community, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), the Southern African Development Community, the Economic Community of West African States and others. The United Nations and the international community would then provide the necessary support to subregional and regional initiatives. Our recent achievements in the peace processes in Burundi, the Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia, among others, attest to the progress we can achieve by working together. The advantages of such an approach include the use of local actors who have more discerning knowledge of the problems and those in close proximity and with a greater stake in getting the problems resolved.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

  10. “We are again seeing an increase in conflicts brought about by unconstitutional changes of Governments, disputed elections, social tensions, extremist ideologies and territorial or border disputes, among other causes. We must redouble our efforts to resolve conflicts and disputes through peaceful means and in conformity with justice and international law, as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. From Uganda’s experience over the years, conflicts are best handled, first and foremost, by the political actors and citizens of the countries in question, following democratic principles and guided by the principle of equality of all persons before the law. In cases where national actors for some reason cannot resolve the problem, then subregional organizations should step in.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

  11. “Uganda joins other delegations in congratulating Mr. Jeremić on his election as President of this body. My delegation has full confidence in his ability to steer our deliberations, and he can count on our support. I also wish to commend Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser for his effective leadership during the last session. The international community has made significant progress in reducing conflicts around the world over the two decades since the end of the Cold War and the eventual freedom of South Africa from apartheid. However, we still face challenges arising from conflicts that take a heavy toll on nations and people around the world. The theme for this session’s debate is therefore timely and pertinent.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

  12. “The outcome of this debate should include practical and pragmatic actions to address some of the challenges relating to mediation. These include, but are not limited to, issues involved in the adequacy and predictability of the requisite resources, capacity- building at the national, subregional and regional levels, the involvement of women, and the strengthening of coordination and collaboration in mediation efforts and processes.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  13. “I also call upon the United Nations to fully support Africa in that regard. Besides, the role of women in mediation must be appreciated and enhanced. Experience has shown that women can contribute a lot to efforts aimed at peaceful settlement of disputes and at conflict prevention and resolution. It is therefore vital that women become increasingly involved in mediation efforts and processes. On the Israeli-Palestinian question, Uganda has consistently called upon the Israeli and the Palestinian parties to muster the necessary courage to negotiate and reach a peaceful settlement based on a two-State solution, that is, Israel and the State of Palestine living side by side peacefully and within secure borders. We urge both parties to urgently resume negotiations in order to reach a two-State solution that will guarantee durable peace.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  14. “Specifically, in the case of conflicts in Africa, our preferred solution is peaceful settlement through mediation, not military intervention. In the case of the Libyan crisis, the African Union (AU) has called upon the National Transitional Council to establish an all-inclusive transitional Government, as proposed in the AU road map for the peaceful resolution of the Libyan conflict. Uganda would like to make a strong case to this Assembly that Africa should be given the chance to resolve its conflicts. Africa has strong political will to handle them, and any interventions should be aimed at supporting African initiatives to find peaceful solutions. It is therefore imperative that our partners recognize the existing dispute resolution mechanisms of the regional bodies in Africa.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  15. “On the contrary, the latter tend at times to contribute to a cycle of destabilizing tendencies. It is therefore important that the involvement of the United Nations, the international community and other actors take full account of the interests and concerns of all parties. Hence, there is a need for close coordination, consultation and information-sharing with the parties concerned. The support of the international community should target areas mutually agreed upon with the parties concerned. It is also important to underscore the fact that, where potential conflict situations arise and external support becomes necessary, the international community should provide a timely, adequate and robust response. It is equally necessary to build and strengthen the mediation capacities of subregional and regional organizations.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  16. “In terms of benefits, effective mediation can avert unnecessary wars and their attendant consequences, such as the loss of life and property, and contribute to building capacity for home-grown solutions to address conflict. The mutual confidence that normally results from mediation between parties can also be instrumental in achieving inclusive political and other arrangements following the conclusion of peace agreements. Once 19 11-51384 achieved, such arrangements have a positive impact on the consolidation of peace and security, as well as on sustainable post-conflict reconstruction, recovery and development. Uganda believes that potential differences between and within countries are better addressed using home-grown solutions. External influences or interventions do not necessarily offer sustainable solutions to conflict.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  17. “First, peace initiatives should be led by the region, with strong support from regional organizations, the United Nations and other relevant actors. Secondly, it is sometimes important to initially give priority to peace before justice in order to strengthen confidence- building between parties. Thirdly, peace and reconciliation mechanisms, including transitional all- inclusive administrations, need to be established to heal the wounds of conflict. Fourthly, post-conflict recovery and reconstruction programmes or projects should be instituted simultaneously so as to demonstrate the benefits of peace dividends. Mediation is a worthwhile investment. It costs much less than other undertakings, such as peacekeeping or peace enforcement.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  18. “In order to consolidate the gains realized on the ground, the United Nations and the rest of the international community must urgently strengthen support to Somalia by means of capacity- building for the Somali Transitional Federal Institutions; the deployment of the additional authorized 3,000 troops; the approval of a reliable and predictable funding mechanism and of the required aviation assets to AMISOM; and the provision of urgent humanitarian relief and assistance to meet the basic needs of the people through quick-impact projects in such areas as health care, water and sanitation. Our experience in conflict prevention and resolution in Africa is that if such efforts are to succeed and be sustainable, a number of factors come into play.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  19. “In the case of Somalia, in addition to our contribution to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Uganda continues to support the engagement of the Somali Transitional Federal Government with other actors so as to promote dialogue in the context of the Djibouti Agreement and the Kampala Accord.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  20. “It was against this background that Uganda supported and sponsored resolution 65/283 on mediation as a tool for the peaceful settlement of disputes. The resolution provides a basis for consolidating normative mediation efforts, reinforcing mediation support activities and enhancing the role of Member States. Uganda has been involved in various initiatives to bring peace to the Great Lakes region, the Horn of Africa and the African continent as a whole. Our involvement included participation in the Burundi peace process and in the negotiations, led by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, on the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which culminated in the birth of a new nation, South Sudan, which is now participating as an equal partner in the community of nations.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  21. “When actualized, the peaceful settlement of disputes saves lives and property that would otherwise be lost if force were used. Strategic interventions, such as mediation, are necessary to mitigate conflict situations and avert crises that threaten the stability not only of nations, but also of entire regions, with adverse effects on development and people’s livelihoods. Mediation is a necessary and essential tool for the peaceful resolution of conflicts, as it is aims to support disputing parties in the process of negotiating a mutual understanding or agreement. Uganda has consistently advocated an enhanced role for subregional and regional organizations in conflict prevention and resolution. When those organizations are involved in mediating disputes, they play a critical role in bringing about sustainable peace and security.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  22. “Uganda joins other delegations in congratulating Mr. Al-Nasser on his election to the presidency of this body. My delegation has confidence in his ability to steer our deliberations to a successful conclusion. I wish to pay tribute to Mr. Joseph Deiss for his effective stewardship of the work of the General Assembly during the past session. Uganda takes this opportunity to congratulate the Government and the people of South Sudan on attaining statehood and becoming the 193rd Member of the United Nations. Uganda also congratulates Mr. Ban Ki-moon on his reappointment as Secretary-General. The theme of this session’s general debate, “The role of mediation in the settlement of disputes by peaceful means”, is most appropriate in the light of the conflict situations in various parts of the world, including Africa.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)