YOUR MAJESTY, THE QUEEN;  

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE PRIME MINISTER AND MRS MOSISILI;  

YOUR EXCELLENCY  -  SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND MRS ANNAN;  

HONOURABLE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE;  

HONOURABLE SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY;  

YOUR LORDSHIP, THE CHIEF JUSTICE;  

HONOURABLE  DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER;  

HONOURABLE MINISTERS;  

YOUR LORDSHIPS, HONOURABLE JUDGES OF THE HIGH COURT;  

YOUR EXCELLENCIES , HEADS OF DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS;  

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN; 

MASTER OF CEREMONIES, ALLOW ME ON OUR BEHALF AND ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF LESOTHO  TO     EXTEND TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND MRS ANNAN A VERY HEARTY WELCOME  TO  OUR MOUNTAIN  KINGDOM  POPULARLY  KNOWN AS THE  “KINGDOM IN THE SKY”.   IT IS A PITY THAT YOUR SHORT VISIT HAS NOT ALLOWED YOU TO SEE MORE OF OUR KINGDOM’S BEAUTY AND ENJOY TO THE FULLEST THE WARMTH AND HOSPITALITY OF OUR PEOPLE.   BUT I HOPE THAT THE LITTLE THAT YOU HAVE SEEN HAS WHET YOUR  APPETITE TO COME BACK FOR MORE!!

YOUR EXCELLENCY,  

YOUR PRESENCE IN LESOTHO IS NOT ONLY SPECIAL BUT HISTORIC IN MANY  RESPECTS. FIRSTLY, YOU ARE THE FIRST UN SECRETARY GENERAL TO VISIT LESOTHO EVEN THOUGH THE UN WAS, FOR A VERY LONG TIME, A  FAITHFUL PARTNER WHEN LESOTHO STOOD ALONE AND ISOLATED AS AN ISLAND OF FREEDOM  SURROUNDED BY  A TURBULENT SEA OF APARTHEID.   WE CANNOT FORGET THE MORAL WEIGHT THAT THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY EXERTED TO UNDERPIN OUR INDEPENDENCE DURING THOSE DIFFICULT TIMES.

SECONDLY YOU ARE THE FIRST PERSON FROM SUB SAHARA AFRICA  TO HEAD THE UNITED NATIONS -  THIS MAKES US AS AFRICANS DEEPLY  PROUD.   JUST AS YOUR COUNTRY, GHANA,  WAS THE FIRST BRITISH COLONY ON THE  AFRICAN   CONTINENT,      TO    TAKE    ITS    RIGHTFUL   PLACE    AMONG  INDEPENDENT  NATIONS OF THE WORLD IN 1957, SO ARE YOU THE FIRST SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS TO BE AWARDED A NOBEL PRIZE FOR PEACE.   FOR THIS WE HONOUR AND SALUTE YOU.

THIRDLY, YOUR LONG CAREER OF  FORTY (40YEARS) AS AN INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SERVANT STANDS AS A SYMBOL OF COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION TO SERVE  HUMANITY.   YOU HAVE SERVED THE UN AND ITS MEMBERSHIP IN ITS PEACE KEEPING AND ECONOMIC OPERATIONS.   ALTHOUGH SOME CONFLICTS LOOKED COMPLEX AND DEVOID OF VISIBLE SOLUTIONS YOU PERSISTED BECAUSE YOU  BELIEVED  THAT    PEACE  AND  STABILITY   ARE    THE BASE OF SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, POVERTY  REDUCTION  AND  A  BETTER LIFE FOR ALL. 

FINALLY, YOUR NUMEROUS PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS, REFORMS AND EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF SUCH A LARGE AND COMPLEX GLOBAL ORGANIZATION MAKES YOU AN OUTSTANDING ROLE MODEL FOR A BREED OF AFRICAN LEADERS AND PROFESSIONALS WHO NEED TO  DRIVE FORWARD A NEW PARTNERSHIP  FOR  AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT (NEPAD) AND THE  AFRICAN UNION (AU).

YOUR EXCELLENCY,

LESOTHO HAS JUST COMPLETED PEACEFUL AND SUCCESSFUL  GENERAL   ELECTIONS   BASED   ON  A   NEW ELECTORAL MODEL THAT COMBINES    THE  SYSTEMS OF FIRST- PAST- THE-POST  AND  PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION.   TODAY WE HAVE AN ALL-INCLUSIVE PARLIAMENT THAT  REPRESENTS MOST OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES AND POLITICAL PERSUASIONS IN OUR COUNTRY.     YOUR  EXCELLENCY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THIS REPRESENTATIVE PARLIAMENT THIS AFTERNOON. WE COULD NOT HAVE COME THIS FAR WITHOUT THE VALUABLE SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.    FOR THIS OUR PEOPLE ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE.

YOUR EXCELLENCY,

IT WOULD BE REMISS ON MY PART IF I CONCLUDED MY  BRIEF REMARKS WITHOUT MENTIONING TWO MAJOR CHALLENGES THAT OUR COUNTRY FACES.   THE FIRST IS FAMINE.   AS YOUR EXCELLENCY IS AWARE, DUE TO A  COMBINATION  OF UNUSUALLY HEAVY RAINS AND EARLY FROST, CROP HARVESTS WERE VERY POOR.   AFTER A SURVEY OF THE FOOD SITUATION BY GOVERNMENT AND THE WFP/FAO MISSION, THE  RIGHT HONOURABLE PRIME MINISTER DECLARED A STATE OF FAMINE IN THE  COUNTRY. 

 YOUR EXCELLENCY CONVENED A SPECIAL MEETING IN NEW YORK IN JULY TO URGE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO ASSIST SOUTHERN AFRICA.   WE APPLAUD YOUR NOBLE  INITIATIVE AND HOPE THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL RESPOND GENEROUSLY.

THE SECOND CHALLENGE WE FACE IS THE HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC.   OUR GOVERNMENT HAS DECLARED WAR ON THIS PANDEMIC.   BUT TO SUCCEED, WE NEED STRONG SUPPORT AND PARTNERSHIP ON THE PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN OFFER EDUCATION, COUNSELLING, TREATMENT, MORAL AND MATERIAL SUPPORT FOR THE LARGE NUMBERS OF ORPHANS BEING LEFT BEHIND.   WE ARE DETERMINED TO PURSUE THIS MULTI-PRONGED STRATEGY AGGRESSIVELY AND HOPE THAT OUR FRIENDS WILL JOIN US IN THIS FIGHT.

YOUR EXCELLENCY,

IT IS IN RECOGNITION OF  YOUR TIRELESS EFFORTS AND SACRIFICES  FOR PEACE, AND FOR A BETTER LIFE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE  OF THE WORLD THAT WE HAVE FOUND IT BEFITTING TO NAME ONE OF OUR STATEGIC ROAD LINKS AFTER YOU.   IN ADDITION, WE HAVE DECIDED, WITH GREAT JOY AND PRIDE, TO BESTOW UPON YOU, ONE OF THE HIGHEST ORDERS IN OUR LAND, “THE KNIGHT COMMANDER OF THE MOST COURTEOUS ORDER OF LESOTHO”.

FINALLY, YOUR EXCELLENCY, MAY I WISH YOU AND MRS ANNAN A PLEASANT AND ENJOYABLE STAY AMONGST US, A SAFE JOURNEY TOMORROW, AND OF COURSE ALL OF US WISH AND PRAY FOR A SUCCESFUL AND PRODUCTIVE SUMMIT IN  JOHANNESBURG FOR THE SAKE OF OUR PLANET.

                              I TH ANK YOU.