YouSaid · the spoken record

Edgar Chagwa Lungu

lines on the record: 85
first: 2015-09-24
most recent: 2020-09-24
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

“I therefore reiterate Zmbia’s continued commitment to the ongoing efforts for peace and conflict resolution of the Southern African Development Community, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region and the African Union. We believe that the solution to African problems lies in Africa finding its own solutions. We nonetheless welcome and express our gratitude to the international community for its continued support to conflict resolution and peace processes on the continent. While Zambia believes that the United Nations should be at the core of global governance and efforts to meet the challenges of collective peace, security and development, there is a pressing need to reform the Organization so that it can reflect the contemporary realities of today’s global order.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“As States Members of the United Nations, we all have positive roles to play in promoting peace and security in order to attain sustainable development for present and future generations. However, Zambia is concerned about the fact that the world today continues to witness unbridled acts of conflict and terrorism and rising levels of poverty, which remain overarching and pressing challenges to our aspirations. We must therefore eradicate conflict if we are to attain the Sustainable Development Goals. Zambia, as a member of the African Union Peace and Security Council, will dedicate its three-year term on that important decision-making body to promoting peace and security on the African continent.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“As the Assembly is aware, Zambia held elections on 11 August, and they did indeed represent another opportunity for Zambia to demonstrate its commitment to upholding and promoting the tenets of democracy. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank the international community for supporting us during the process. Equally, I would like to thank the Zambian people for their peaceful conduct during the elections. I want to assure the Assembly that my Government will use its mandate to continue protecting our peaceful democratic legacy and meeting the aspirations of our people. My Government yearns for a community of nations that recognizes and respects the sovereign equality of all nations, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“In order to address some of the challenges that women face, we need support for the creation of lines of credit for women’s empowerment programmes, skills development, employment creation, poverty reduction, and technical assistance in fostering environmentally friendly agricultural methods. Africa needs strong institutions, not necessarily strong men. In that regard, Zambia is endeavouring to build a peaceful, just and inclusive society, particularly by consolidating democracy. The importance of democracy in our societies cannot be overemphasized. It is an extremely important aspect of our political systems that empowers people to freely participate in governance.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“At the continental level, in 2016 Zambia was among 11 countries presented with a gender award for the promotion of gender economic rights. In 2015, I was also humbled to receive the title of promoter of the He for She campaign from UN-Women in recognition of the role that Zambia has played in the area of women’s empowerment. This exemplifies the special attention and efforts that Zambia has continued to devote to issues related to the empowerment of women and young people in order to promote inclusive and sustainable growth. The measures that my Government has taken include promoting women’s participation in commerce, trade and industry.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The Zambian Government has put in place policy measures to ensure that our people have access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including family planning. In addition, my Government has increased the number of health centres, in both rural and urban areas, where these services are accessed. Zambia has made efforts to strengthen the legal framework for gender equity and equality by enacting the Gender Equity and Equality Act of 2015. That progressive law has put into effect domestically the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, and the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Gender and Development.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We are making steady progress in addressing communicable diseases such as HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. We are decentralizing primary health-care services and improving the financing mechanisms for major communicable diseases to strengthen the health systems. At the regional level, the strengthening of the Southern African Development Community Strategy on Pooled Procurement of Essential Medicines and Health Commodities is among the positive interventions that are contributing to our improved health systems. Current interventions in relation to HIV and AIDS include the prevention of mother-to-child transmission and the treatment of all children who are HIV-positive. Our overall goal is to reach a zero-infection rate, in line with the global HIV and AIDS aspirations.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Zambia also recognizes the importance of food security, and it therefore reaffirms its commitment to prioritizing a range of agricultural practices, including appropriate technologies that respond to climate change, such as conservation agriculture for sustainable and increased food production. Zambia supports calls for improved access to global and local agro-food markets, including transparent and open trading systems, as long as they do not negatively impact on local production. We therefore invite more investments in agro-processing industries to add value to our products and increase employment opportunities. Zambia is making major strides in addressing various challenges in the health sector. We want to ensure easy access to health services by all our citizens.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We have suffered energy deficits as a result of low water levels in our hydropower dams, which account for more than 98 per cent of our power production. We are therefore pursuing a greater energy mix through investment in alternative sources of energy, such as solar, wind and geothermal, among others. I also wish to join other countries that are calling for the provision of adequate resources to make fully operational the Green Climate Fund, as that would greatly contribute to climate-change mitigation and adaptation. Zambia applauds the landmark Paris Agreement on Climate Change. It calls for fulfilment of the pledges made by parties at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change .”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“In line with this, Zambia has embarked upon infrastructure development, including the construction and rehabilitation of roads, railways, bridges and airports. As the current Chair of the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries, I wish to reiterate our call for the international community to remain committed to the guidelines of the Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014-2024, which aims to improve the living conditions of the half a billion people who live in the 32 landlocked developing countries. It is evident that climate change has had an adverse impact on the growth of our economies. Zambia has been negatively affected by climate change, which has led to poor crop yields as a result of adverse weather patterns.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“There is a mismatch between the growth in the youth population and their assimilation into the job market. That is why the Zambian Government is implementing necessary policies focused on skills development, entrepreneurship, education and infrastructure development. Zambia is ready to learn from, and share with, other countries best practices to address the challenges faced by our young people. It is therefore critical that youth remain actively engaged in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The development of appropriate infrastructure is cardinal in fulfilling Africa’s desire to accelerate economic growth and in enhancing the continent’s competitiveness on the global market. Africa must expand intra-African trade and bolster its productive capacities.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“These deliberate interventions are expected to spur enterprise growth and job creation. The renewed focus on economic diversification is expected to further transform our country from dependency on primary products to the development of value-added products through industrialization. In our quest to foster economic growth, my Government has developed its seventh five-year national development plan, which will take effect in January 2017. The plan focuses on enhancing productive capacities in the agriculture sector and promoting rural development, which will improve the livelihoods and well-being of rural communities. Like most developing nations, Zambia is today faced with the challenges of population growth, and in particular the need to harness the demographic dividend.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“In our quest to address the issues of poverty, unemployment, hunger and income inequality, Zambia has taken specific measures aimed at promoting economic transformation. Those measures include, but are not limited to, the development of value-chain clusters, the diversification of the agriculture sector, the promotion of forestry and the establishment of multi-facility economic zones and industrial parks. We are strongly resolved to promote industrialization through the agriculture and manufacturing sectors in order to speed up the diversification of the economy away from an over-dependency on mining. In that regard, my Government is addressing the challenges faced by micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises, such as access to finance, markets and technology and the enhancement of entrepreneurial skills.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Africa appreciates the important synergies of the 2030 Agenda and our own Africa Union Agenda 2063 — the Africa We Want, which was adopted by the African Union Heads of State and Government at the African Union Summit in January 2015. This convergence is a clear demonstration that our continental aspirations and those of the broader international community are well aligned in terms of achieving a better world for all global citizens. My Government accords the highest priority to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and we believe that there can be no meaningful development without the elimination of poverty. In that context, special attention should be focused on the least developed countries. They are more vulnerable and need more support to strengthen their economies in order to overcome the challenges they face.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Ban Ki-moon has distinguished himself as a world leader committed to tackling key global challenges, such as reducing poverty and addressing climate change. He has been instrumental in ushering in the Sustainable Development Goals, the successor of the Millennium Development Goals. He has distinguished himself as a global leader, focused on fairness and justice for all nations. Therefore, as he winds up his onerous responsibility as Secretary-General, I would like to convey to him, on behalf of the Zambian people, our best wishes in his future endeavours. Well done. And we thank him once more for his great efforts to improve the lot of humankind. We are meeting during a special period, when our countries are embarking upon the implementation of the current global development blueprint, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It is indeed a great honour and privilege for me to address the General Assembly at its seventy-first session. May I join others in congratulating Mr. Thomson on his election to preside over the deliberations of this session. I am confident that, under his able leadership, the General Assembly will successfully address the pressing issues on its current agenda. I am also confident that he will steer the Organization in the right direction and that we will have fruitful discussions on the well-considered theme of this session, entitled “The Sustainable Development Goals: a universal push to transform our world”. Allow me to also convey my appreciation to Mr. Ban Ki-moon, who will be concluding his mandate as Secretary-General this year. Through his leadership, Mr.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We are also making efforts to address the specific social disadvantages of the most marginalized members of our society, including the disabled. We want to ensure that they can realize their potential and serve in national development efforts in the same way as anyone else. The challenges are many, but they are not insurmountable. The United Nations has been a key ally in addressing some of those problems, and indeed, to a large extent, the story of Zambia is the story of the United Nations. I am confident that through our concerted and collective efforts, determination and hard work, coupled with able and visionary leadership, we shall indeed overcome. I look forward to working with everyone here so as to ensure that our shared solutions are brought forward and implemented in the spirit of this Organization.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“In our determination to bridge the gap between the sexes, a vigorous campaign is under way to strengthen the education of girls by encouraging them to complete their schooling and unlock their developmental potential instead of being pushed into child-, early or forced marriages. The situation of our young people remains daunting, with unemployment one of the major challenges they face. To address that situation, my Government recently launched a national youth policy that seeks to lay a foundation for interventions of various kinds aimed at supporting the development of a vibrant and productive generation. We hope to create 500,000 jobs over the next five years, an effort that will depend heavily on the private-sector-led job market.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Our approach to development will not be limited to the economy but will continue to focus on all pillars of development. I welcome the fact that our traditional leaders, the United Nations system and civil society have all been seamlessly working with Governments in fighting for gender equality for our women and girls. One of the most important programmes, and one in which I have been engaged as a designated champion, is the “He For She” campaign, which seeks to address issues of gender-based violence. That project was initiated by UN-Women in September 2014 with the aim of addressing incidents of gender-based violence. In a few days, my Government will also launch the United States-supported “From Boys to Men” project, which targets the 15-to-21-year-old age group and is aimed at encouraging the development of a non-violent generation.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“In keeping with that commitment, Zambia was privileged to host a high-level meeting on the follow-up to the Second United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, held in Livingstone in June. I was honoured to officiate at the Conference and hope that the Assembly finds the time to review the outcome document, entitled “Livingstone Call for Action”. Special attention should be paid to gender and women’s empowerment. The International Conference on Population and Development Beyond 2014 Global Review Report, published in June 2013, indicates that 35 per cent of women have been victims of gender- based violence. Indeed, Zambia acknowledges that the problem extends to most nations, including our own. To that end, we are already implementing important interventions to curb that scourge.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The Conference recommended several measures meant to bridge the financing gap, including the need to exploit new sources of finance and improve tax administration systems, which would be supplemented by international support. We know that putting the appropriate infrastructure in place is very important in our quest to expand intra-Africa trade, bolster our productive capacities and enhance Africa’s competitiveness in the global market. In that regard, we must quickly identify sources to raise the $100 billion Africa needs annually to finance its infrastructure development. It is equally important, from the perspective of landlocked developing countries, to remain committed to implementing the decisions of the 2014 Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014-2024.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The primary focus in that area has been on areas with more backward and forward linkages so as to catapult the Zambian economy to higher levels of growth, leveraging regional value chains so as to 15-29437 13/26 A/70/PV.17 29/09/2015 expand trade, attract foreign direct investment, create employment, reduce poverty, promote sustainable development and thereby empower our people. Financing is one of the major challenges that faces developing countries. We need external resources to bridge the gap in the funds required to finance development projects. It is in that light that the United Nations third International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Addis Ababa in July to develop strategies for financing development, was most welcome.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Our interventions, notably the Farmer Input Support Programme, the Irrigation Development and Support Project, and other credit schemes, need additional support in order to exploit the full potential of that giant industry. We also seek to strengthen partnerships to enable the improvement of services in such areas as providing extension services, improving access to market information and facilitating the physical transfer of produce to markets. A key element of Zambia’s development agenda is industrialization. In that regard, my Government has devised measures to encourage and support the development of appropriate industries, mainly in value-added industries, in order to spur structural economic transformation and increase private-sector participation.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We should redouble our efforts, by harnessing our individual strengths in order to collectively address the rather complex challenges that confront us in our increasingly globalized and interdependent world. Given the demographic nature of our communities, poverty remains a real concern, particularly in rural areas. In Zambia, 70 per cent of the people in rural areas depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Agriculture is one of my Government’s priority areas in the county’s efforts to diversify the economy, apart from mining. The Government is therefore devising interventions aimed at improving capacities and adding value for both subsistence farmers and commercial farmers.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It is therefore important that much effort be exerted to develop mitigation strategies to counter the effects of climate change. Furthermore, developing countries are still grappling with other challenges, such as poverty, high unemployment — particularly among the youth — skewed industrial development, low intraregional trade, inadequate infrastructure, low productivity in agriculture and livestock, poor quality health services and the challenges of access to quality education. As we move forward, it is important for us to acknowledge the realities and imperatives of the world today and to renew our common resolve to sustain the core principles of our Organization as the United Nations.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Indeed, most of our countries have continued to face serious challenges in the quest to foster development and improve the quality of life of our people. The challenges are numerous, including energy shortages and the effects of climate change. The two are inseparable on the development agenda for countries such as Zambia that rely heavily on hydropower generation. The changing rainfall pattern has adversely affected power-generation capacities in most of our countries. This year, Zambia is experiencing an unprecedented energy crisis, which has already cost the nation dearly in terms of productivity, jobs and revenue. Beyond the economic limitations, the social ramifications are equally devastating to the country.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Since then, Zambia has continued to participate in peacebuilding initiatives and has supported peacekeeping efforts all around the world. We continue to share the global concerns at the unrelenting threats of terrorism, as it mostly affects the safety of non-combatants and civilian populations. I have been encouraged by the focus on development that has characterized global discourse during the past year, notably through discussions on the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Zambia has been a beneficiary of various initiatives aimed at facilitating the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, which arose from the collective resolve of the generation of world leaders at the turn of the millennium.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The United Nations must, therefore, redouble its efforts to implement Security Council reform in order to ensure that Africa can take its rightful place among the community of nations and contributes equitably and effectively to global peace and security. Zambia has continued and will continue to offer its resources for peacekeeping, including the deployment earlier this year of a large contingent of troops to the Central African Republic. Zambia comes with a long history of involvement in conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. As a landlocked country, our independence was incomplete as long as we remained surrounded by nations still fighting their liberation struggles. That gave impetus to our moral conviction to join in the liberation struggles in Africa.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The 70 years of the existence of the United Nations have seen more conflicts in Africa than on any other continent, and yet those 70 years have been characterized by Africa’s absolute exclusion from decision-making in the Security Council, despite the fact that a significant part of the Council’s agenda 12/26 15-29437 29/09/2015 A/70/PV.17 concerns the African continent. In the 70 years of the existence of the United Nations, Africa remains the only continent not represented among the permanent members of the Security Council. Goal 10 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1) on reducing inequality among countries will not be achieved without eradicating the inequality among countries in the Security Council.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“My Government looks forward to the comprehensive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which promotes poverty eradication and the creation of employment opportunities for young people and women, especially in rural communities. Over the past 70 years, the global community has become more united than ever before in its quest to push boundaries in order to attain peace and security; yet it is as divided as ever, if not more so, on the question of who makes decisions on global peace and security.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The development lessons of the Millennium Development Goals and the cumulative experience of the 70 years of the United Nations should serve as a springboard for our ambitions. Let us therefore ensure the successful implementation and attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I am confident that the invaluable lessons learned will set us on a trajectory that must inevitably lead to a safer, more inclusive, cleaner and more prosperous world. In the 70 years of the existence of the United Nations, the inequality gap among and between nations has continued to widen, as poverty and youth unemployment have threatened the prospects for peace, security and development.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We are concerned, however, that the gears for advancing the three pillars of the Charter of the United Nations are moving at a very slow pace, which has the potential to negate the gains we have achieved so far. It is therefore important that we enhance our concerted efforts to address areas of concern. We have just adopted the world’s quintessential development blueprint in the form of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1), centred on humankind, the environment and the creation of peaceful societies. Those core elements will guide its implementation, supported by the principle of leaving no one behind. I have been encouraged by the focus on development that has characterized the global discourse in recent years, as the 2030 Agenda has evolved.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“As we meet today, I also feel duty bound to thank the international community for its unflinching solidarity during that very challenging time of the past year. This year is an important one for the General Assembly, as we commemorate the 70 years of existence of the United Nations. In our deliberations, therefore, it is imperative that we take stock of the collective successes as well as the challenges of the past seven decades, in order to improve the performance of this noble Organization. I am optimistic that the seventieth session will set a tone for the future and meet the expectations of the international community as a whole. Zambia is proud to be part of the global endeavour to foster the mandate of the United Nations to promote peace, security and respect for human rights and to ensure progress in development for all.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“I should recall that, almost a year ago, my country found itself at a crossroads following the demise, on 28 October 2014, of our fifth President, Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata — may his soul rest in peace. I was elected President of the Republic of Zambia in the subsequent election, which took place on 20 January. Building on my country’s impeccable record in the area of democracy and good governance, the election was described as transparent, peaceful, free and fair, reflecting our commitment to internationally accepted standards for peaceful changes of Government and popular participation in shaping a country’s destiny. I would therefore like to thank the people of Zambia for being true champions of democracy.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“I would like to begin by thanking the Secretary-General and by expressing my gratitude for the convening of this important session, at which we mark the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Mogens Lykketoft on his assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventieth session. I am confident that, coming as he does from the great country of Denmark, he will preside over our meetings with great success. I would also like to pay tribute to His Excellency Mr. Sam Kutesa of the Republic of Uganda for successfully presiding over the Assembly at its previous session. I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to deliver my first address to this gathering of world leaders.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)