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STATEMENT BY THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
THE PRIME MINISTER MR PAKALITHA B. MOSISILI
AT THE
13TH CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF STATE OR GOVERNMENT OF THE
NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT (NAM)
KUALA
LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
24 FEBRUARY 2003
Mr.
Chairman,
Allow me
to join previous speakers in congratulating you on your election and in
complementing your predecessor, His Excellency, President Thabo Mbeki, on a
job well done.
Let me
also take this opportunity to add our word of welcome to Timor Leste and
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, as new members of the NAM.
Mr. Chairman,
It is
encouraging to note that, throughout the years, our Movement has adhered
to principles and ideals laid down by its founders in the Bandung
Declaration of 1955, which were reaffirmed by the XI Summit in Cartagena, in
1995, and buttressed by the XII Summit in Durban, in 1998.
These principles remain as valid today as they were at their
conception half a century ago. Thus,
they form a necessary base in our quest to revitalize our Movement.
Mr.
Chairman,
Conscious
of our duty to enhance the role of the NAM in the changing global
environment, we should steadfastly and without any equivocation whatsoever
ensure that the Movement becomes more relevant, dynamic, responsive and
adequately prepared to face the numerous challenges facing the world today.
In
this regard, we need to popularise the NAM at the national level, to all
relevant stakeholders and civil society at large. Furthermore, for the Movement to become more efficient in
addressing economic and social issues, we should include relevant ministries
responsible for, among others, planning, finance, education and health.
At the international level, we should strengthen our relations with
among others, the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the Group of 77 and
China (G-77), the European Union, the ASEAN, and the African Union which has
given birth to the New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
In this respect, let me point out Mr. Chairman, that Lesotho like
other African countries, is proud of NEPAD and welcomes its endorsement by
the Movement.
Mr.
Chairman,
We have
identified globalization and liberalization as some of the new challenges
that loom large before us. This
Movement should not rest until the developed countries honour their
commitments, made at various major United Nations Conferences, Summits and
even at the special sessions of the General Assembly.
For years, we have had to express our concern over, inter alia,
the declining levels of Official Development Assistance (ODA), lack of
transfer of knowledge and technology to developing countries, and lack of
access to the markets of developed countries.
Lesotho
and other countries, have to contend with the problem of more than a quarter
of the population living in abject poverty, suffering from hunger and
malnutrition, and having to grapple with the challenge of unsustainable
external debt. Unemployment,
illiteracy, HIV/AIDS and other diseases are also rampant in these countries.
While measures towards the relief of external debt to developing
countries are commendable, there is still a strong need to review the list
of heavily indebted poor countries, including those on the borderline, so
that all poor countries facing debt-servicing difficulties should be
considered under the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) debt
initiative. It is imperative
that we should join forces in fighting for this noble goal.
Furthermore,
our Movement must really throw its weight to galvanize international forces
for the war against HIV/AIDS, simply because HIV/AIDS is the greatest threat
ever to human existence. It has
already killed and continues to kill more people than all the wars put
together. It renders futile and
irrelevant all other efforts aimed at the betterment of humankind.
Let this Summit, Mr. Chairman, flag HIV/AIDS as man’s enemy Number
One today and do something about it before it is too late.
Mr.
Chairman,
My
delegation is grateful that the Movement has contributed in ensuring that
the United Nations takes into consideration problems pertaining to certain
groups of countries, such as the Least Developed Countries and the
Landlocked Developing Countries. Recently,
in 2001, the Third United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries
was held in Brussels. Furthermore,
the United Nations General Assembly has decided to convene the International
Ministerial Conference of Landlocked Developing Countries, and Transit
Developing Countries with the International Financial and Development
Institutions on Transit Transport Cooperation, in August 2003.
For Lesotho, which is landlocked and also as a least developed
country, such initiatives present a new source of hope.
Mr.
Chairman,
The
Movement’s fundamental focus has always been the promotion of
international peace and security. Therefore,
its role in the United Nations system is pivotal for our interests. We must strive for the strengthening of the United Nations
and the revitalization, reform and restructuring of its principal organs.
We should as a result, push for rapid progress on the question of
equitable representation and increase in the membership of the Security
Council. This is not only
imperative but inevitable, particularly in these days when we are witness to
certain unilateral moves that imminently threaten global peace and security.
The issue of Iraq is a case in point.
It is our
submission that all Member States of the United Nations must abide by its
principles, and remember that the Security Council is the only body charged
with world peace and security.
Consequently,
no one Member State has a right to act contrary to the Council’s
decisions. It is in this spirit
that we call on the Government of Iraq to submit fully to the
Security Council resolutions for its disarmament and extend maximum
cooperation to the UN Weapons Inspectors.
By the same token, and in the most unequivocal manner, we call on all
governments, particularly those of the United States and Great Britain to
refrain forthwith, from their intentions and preparations to unilaterally
declare war on Iraq. The idea
of declaring war on a Member State of the United Nations in this day and
age, goes against the very raison d’etre for the United Nations
Organization.
Born out of the ashes of the Second World War, the United
Nations Organization’s mission is to prevent war and NOT to prosecute war.
War is simply NOT an option or alternative available to the UN, not
even as the so-called last resort. Moreover,
History teaches us that it was precisely the kind of unilateralism we see
today that destroyed the League of Nations.
We dare not allow it to rear its ugly head again and destroy the
United Nations Organization in the process.
Mr.
Chairman,
Regarding
the situation in the Middle East, it is our considered view that peace and
security cannot be achieved in that Region, unless and until the issue of
the inalienable rights of the Palestinian People is addressed vigorously,
urgently and truthfully. Surely,
Mr. Chairman, the rampant terrorism and the naked flouting of United Nations
resolutions in that Region, deserve equal attention and decisive action as
that given to the situation in Iraq.
Mr.
Chairman,
On the
issue of disarmament, Lesotho recognizes the urgent need to accomplish the
total elimination of nuclear weapons and other weapons of indiscriminate
mass destruction. We would
strongly support the convening of an international conference, the main
objective of which would be to identify ways and means of eliminating
nuclear dangers. Nuclear
capability is not only dangerous in the hands of those countries acquiring
it today. No, it is equally dangerous and must be eliminated, even for
those that have had it for some time now.
It must not, and cannot be the monopoly of a select few holy cows.
We must therefore earnestly and honestly aim for total elimination of
such dangers from our planet. We
also fully support the convening of the fourth special session of the United
Nations General Assembly devoted to disarmament.
Furthermore, we strongly advocate for comprehensive and effective
implementation of all the protocols and conventions aimed at ridding the
world of weapons of indiscriminate mass destruction.
In
conclusion, Mr. Chairman, it is through solidarity, unity of purpose
and cooperation amongst ourselves, that this Movement will defeat, in our
time, the greatest challenges ever to face humankind.
Such challenges include HIV/AIDS, terrorism, transnational organized
crime, drug trafficking and illicit trade in small arms and light weapons.
Collective joint action is also essential to tackle major
international issues, such as the UN reform, disarmament, poverty
eradication, globalization, development and the environment, in conformity
with the objectives of the Movement.
I thank
you Mr. Chairman.
17 March 2003
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