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Statements by Angolan president João Manuel Gonçalves at the 81st Session of UNGA. teleSUR
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00:00We're going very quickly live to the United Nations.
00:03Listen to the statements of President of Angola, Joao Gonsalves,
00:06and the general debate of the first United Nations General Assembly session.
00:10Let's listen.
00:13Espero que con su gran experiencia y el profundo conocimiento de esta organización
00:20rinda un valioso servicio a las Naciones Unidas
00:24que hace frente a retos complejos
00:28que debe superar
00:32a fin de volver a asumir su papel central
00:35para hacer frente a las cuestiones principales en las relaciones internacionales contemporáneas.
00:41También doy mi enhorabuena a la señora Annalena Berbock, su predecesora,
00:47por haber asumido estas nobles funciones
00:50sin haber estatimado esfuerzo alguno
00:53durante un mandato en el que hizo gala de su gran competencia
00:58para preservar el papel de las Naciones Unidas
01:00a la hora de tratar las cuestiones que más preocupan a la comunidad
01:04que más preocupan a la comunidad.
01:06Felicita así mismo al excelentísimo
01:10I also congratulate
01:12U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres
01:15quien es trabajando tirelessly
01:18dedicándose de manera persistente a las causas mundiales
01:24working with the world causes, looking for dialogue, seeking for peaceful solutions.
01:32We highlight his exemplary contribution as a man of dialogue, as defender of the UN Charter and international law,
01:43defender of the need to defend the planet from the effects of climate change and the need for a global
01:56governance for artificial intelligence.
02:02The General Assembly of the United Nations always gathers in September.
02:09This year, the session takes place 25 years after the terrorist attack that destroyed the Twin Towers in New York
02:20and also impacted other targets in the U.S. territory that caused thousands of deaths and thousands more injuries,
02:34and many more that still carry the physical and psychological scars.
02:39I take this opportunity to condemn all forms of terrorism.
02:45Besides terrorism that remains active in countries, especially in Africa,
02:57the situation has gone from bad to worse, the current moment in which we observe with concern
03:06that the world has taken a path that brings it closer to a war conflict.
03:16With the passing of years, Angola has tried to bring its contribution for the construction for a peace in Africa
03:23and the world,
03:24for the current situation.
03:34Between these contributions, we have various initiatives.
03:45Contributions to peace are several initiatives undertaken in Africa,
03:50of which I highlight the 21st Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State of the African Union
03:56on the Strengthening of Conflict Prevention and Resolution Mechanism in Africa,
04:02recently held in Luanda, which opened serious and sound prospect for resolving the problems affecting peace and stability on the
04:14African continent.
04:17Also worthy of particular attention is the holding in July of this year in Luanda,
04:23in partnership with the United Nations Alliance of Civilization,
04:27the third edition of the initiative called for peace and to wars and respect for international law.
04:35In this same context, N'Golo will host, next October, the Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace and
04:46Non-Violence, the so-called Luanda Biennial.
04:50My country takes seriously the issues relating to peace and resolution conflict through dialogue,
04:58respect for norms governing international relations and defence of international law,
05:04sparing no efforts to bringing the conflicting parties closer and build consensus in Africa.
05:18We remain available to render our attention and contribution to resolving the conflicts that persist on the continent.
05:30Our paradigm for peace-building initiatives is based on the search for realistic and sustainable solutions within the principle of
05:42African solutions to conflicts in Africa.
05:47We call for effective implementation of the Security Council Resolution 2719,
05:54which must ensure a predictable, adequate and sustainable financing for African Union-led peace support operation
06:04authorised by the United Nations Security Council,
06:09because investing in Africa's capacity to prevent and resolve conflicts is also an investment in international peace and security.
06:22Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
06:26This session of the General Assembly is of particular significance to my country,
06:32as it takes place in the year in which we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Angola's admission
06:42as full member of the United Nations Organization,
06:46which took place in December 1976.
06:51At that time, it was a historical achievement for the Angolan people who waited more than 12 months from the
06:59date of proclamation of their national independence for the country to be accepted as a full-fledged member of the
07:07international community.
07:09That event of great significance for the history of my country took place in a global context in which Angola
07:17became a victim of confrontation between world powers in the struggle for control of the sphere of influence within the
07:27spirit of Cold War.
07:29Our entire journey towards the attainment of peace in 2002 was closely linked to disputes of that period,
07:39which hampered the fulfilment of the dreams of Angolans and their plans to building a prosperous nation committed to its
07:49own development.
07:51These facts belong to the past but have left us with a wealth of experience and lessons that we have
08:00drawn upon to build peace, understanding and reconciliation among all Angolans and to chart the course of our foreign policy.
08:10Peace and national reconciliation is now a reality as shown through concrete gestures including the holding of award ceremonies to
08:27honour the main political leaders of national liberation struggle and representatives of all segments of civil society within the framework
08:38of the 50th anniversary of national liberation struggle.
08:40National independence still within this framework, a monument in memory of all victims of the political conflict that occurred in
08:50Angola from the proclamation of national independence until achievement of peace in April 2002 will be inaugurated in October this
09:01year.
09:02Mr. Mr. President, excellencies, nowadays we are witnessing a downgrading and violation of the rules governing international relations with the
09:13logic of force, intimidation and imposition of values stemming from unilateral vision by certain countries in defence of their exclusive
09:27interests.
09:28Mr. Instability, instability being experienced in various regions of our continent is a direct consequence of that stance as it
09:37can be seen in the conflicts currently unfolding in Europe, in the Middle East, in the Persian Gulf and in
09:44Africa while tension is mounting in the Asia-Pacific region.
09:52From what we have observed, we do not discern encouraging signs regarding the likelihood of reaching any peace agreement in
10:02the near future in the wars between Russia and Ukraine, in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East and
10:10in the Persian Gulf.
10:11We condemned the genocide against defenseless population, the elderly, women, children, bedridden patients, health professionals, journalists and workers of international
10:27humanitarian organizations who are often deprived of access to most basic human rights and to essential goods for life such
10:37as water, food and medicines.
10:39The expulsion of Palestinians from their homes and lands through expansion of Jewish settlements in West Bank must elicit the
10:50strongest international outreach and condemnation.
10:56Attempts to dominate entire countries and regions of the globe by force of arms are leading the world towards a
11:05catastrophe.
11:06The food security and energy and humanitarian situation of countries and the world in general has deteriorated considerably following the
11:19outbreak of wars against Ukraine and more recently against Iran.
11:24The toll of these wars judging by the consequences arising from the strangulation of freedom of maritime navigation through the
11:36Strait of Hermes and Baba Mandeb, a situation that has created serious risk of disruption to logistic supply chains in
11:47general and to food and energy supply chains in particular with devastating effects on the most vulnerable countries.
11:54Today, today we live in an environment of global anarchy in which the use of force prevails over the force
12:02of reason and law in blatant opposition to the norms governing international relations.
12:08In view of this, there is every need for profound reflection within the United Nations, the only institutions on the
12:19planet which has legitimacy and which brings together all nations of the world in order to find the best solution
12:27for achieving global peace.
12:30Our appeal is for us to act with wisdom and courage to restore the central role of the United Nations
12:42in its responsibility and irreplaceable mission in maintaining global peace.
12:50Ladies and gentlemen, we are concerned by the unjust manner and indicative of great human insensitivity in which Cuba has
13:02been treated over a decade as a victim of an embargo that continues and worsens the living conditions of the
13:13Cuban people.
13:14However, Cuba is not a terrorist state.
13:18Cuba is not a terrorist state.
13:19It neither produces nor possesses nuclear weapons, chemical or materialistic weapons that could constitute an imminent or real threat to
13:30the national security of other countries, including the neighboring countries.
13:43On the contrary, Cuba contributed to the fall of South Africa's racist and segregationist epithet regime, a regime broadly and
13:55unanimously condemned by the international community and consequently became one of the
14:03signatories to the Quadri-Apartheid Agreement of New York of 22 December 1988.
14:14As the embargo is chiefly responsible for the calamitous situation in which Cuba and the Cuban people find themselves, and
14:24since it is inhumane, unfair and violates all the principles and norms of international law,
14:30we once again call for the end to the embargo against Cuba.
14:37Ladies and gentlemen, today we are witnessing to the direct involvement of certain permanent members of the United Nations Security
14:49Council in the bloodiest and most destructive conflicts in our time in Europe and the Persian Gulf,
14:57which constitutes a cause of concern and a bad example for the rest of the world.
15:04Those countries rendered a great service when they freed humanity from the horrors of Nazism, Fascism and the Holocaust, and
15:15should therefore preserve that capital and legacy as liberators.
15:22At a time when good governance of countries is widely advocated, the governance of the world likewise calls for a
15:32new, more democratic and just world order, one that is not only based on the power of the restricted club
15:41of victors of a war that took place eight decades ago.
15:46Since then, the world has come to know different reality.
15:53New countries have emerged, which at that time were colonies, and which today are strong economies with significant advances in
16:03science and technology.
16:03It is therefore becoming increasingly pressing and urgent to undertake a profound reform of the United Nations Security Council, in
16:14which Africa, Latin America and Asia should adequately be represented as permanent members with all the powers inherent therein.
16:35In this context, the Republic of Angola reaffirms its full support to the common African position enshrined in the Azulwini
16:49Consensus and the Third Declaration.
16:51The voice of Africans must be heard in all circumstances, at all times in strategic decision-making processes on issues
17:02of peace, global security, financing for development, as well as climate issues and global governance of artificial intelligence.
17:17Mr. President, Your Excellencies, peace and development are inseparable, which compels us to consider strategies that can help accelerate the
17:32implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
17:36The important decisions adopted under the Pact for the future and the severe commitment can help advance development programs in
17:47Africa.
17:47However, in order to achieve concrete results in this area, it is essential to ensure affordable financing, debt relief, technology
18:01transfer, capacity building and a greater participation of international financial institutions,
18:08African countries, African countries spend far more resources on the exorbitant cost of debt servicing than they are able to
18:20invest in health, education, infrastructure development programs.
18:25The situation obviously limits productive investment, deepens inequalities and economic disparities and threatens economic and social stability.
18:40In view of this, it is imperative to correct these distortions and I therefore reiterate the call for the immediate
18:52reform of the international financial architecture in order to make it fairer, more equitable, democratic and good towards the progress
19:02and well-being of humankind.
19:05These challenges are inherently complex and further exacerbated by climate change, which has a severe impact on Africa with severe
19:19and prolonged droughts, floods, desertification, food insecurity and population displacement.
19:27This situation clearly illustrates the need to establish predictable, affordable and additional climate financing without further aggravating the debt of
19:44developing countries.
19:46Today, peoples and nations have an opportunity to make a qualitative leap in their overall living conditions,
19:57through fair financing mechanism for development and tools provided by artificial intelligence in order to improve education, health, agriculture, public
20:12service, scientific research and economic productivity.
20:17In this regard, I consider that the Global Digital Compact opens new prospects for cooperation to bridge the digital divide,
20:29expand digital public infrastructure, promote training and innovation, strengthen cyber security and build more inclusive, secure and human-centered governance
20:43of artificial intelligence.
20:46To that end, I believe there is a need to strengthen North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation in order
20:58to make the digital revolution an instrument of inclusion, sovereignty and development rather than a source of dependence and inequality.
21:10Excellencies, we are drawing close to the end of the tanya of the current Secretary-General and the appointment of
21:22the next one an act of greater importance given that the person chosen must possess the qualities of independence, integrity,
21:35competence and courage to build consensus,
21:37uphold the chatter, promote conflict prevention, lead the necessary reforms and seek solutions to address the organization's financial crisis.
21:54The Republic of Angola reaffirms its commitment to the United Nations, convinced that only at the level of this institution
22:04will it be possible to safeguard the achievements of the recent decades in terms of respect for international law.
22:14Only within the framework of the United Nations can we make progress in seeking peaceful solutions to the conflicts ravaging
22:24the world within a framework in which micro-literalism serves as the mechanism for bringing together ideas, political wills and
22:36initiatives conducive to global peace.
22:38We, political leaders and rulers of today, will be judged in the future by our ability to replace confrontation with
22:50dialogue, predatory competition with cooperation, exclusion with solidarity and the force of arms with the force of law.
23:02Only in this way will we build a more just, peaceful and inclusive international order capable of ensuring progress and
23:13well-being of humankind, leaving no one behind.
23:17No weapon is more powerful than diplomacy since all others are used only to destroy lives, infrastructures, dreams and life
23:32plans, whereas diplomacy is the only weapon that exists to unite, repair, build and save lives.
23:45For example, the United Nations, and the United Nations.
23:48Games and the United Nations.
23:49For this reason, the United Nations organization must equip itself with the appropriate tools
23:57and means to fulfil the theme of this 81st session of its General Assembly, namely restoring trust, managing transformation,
24:11empowering it to become an organization that delivers for all.
24:20Thank you very much for your kind attention.
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