President Muhammadu Buhari has called on world leaders to cooperate and support the United Nations in order to overcome growing global threats including terrorism, modern-day slavery and cybercrime.
The President made the call on Tuesday in his address at the 72 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
For President Buhari, the UNGA comes during “extraordinarily troubled and dangerous times” and it would take nothing short of concerted efforts to achieve global peace.
“The previous year has witnessed many far-reaching developments. Some of the most significant events include the Iran Nuclear Deal, the Paris Climate Change Agreement and, of grave concern, the North Korean nuclear crisis,” he said.
In a bid to overcome these challenges, he assured the UN of Nigeria’s support and cooperation, while also commending it for the role it has played in helping to settle thousands of innocent civilians caught in the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
“In particular, we must collectively thank the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany under the commendable leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Governments of Italy, Greece and Turkey for assisting hundreds of thousands of refugees,” the President said.
Also, President Buhari thanked the international community for the support it provided to Nigeria in reaction to the humanitarian crisis caused by the Boko Haram insurgency, which has displaced millions.
He said, “In an exemplary show of solidarity, the international community came together within my own region to assist the countries and communities in the Sahel and the Lake Chad regions to contain the threats posed by Al Qaida and Boko Haram.
“We thank the (UN) Security Council for visiting the countries of the Lake Chad Basin to assess the security situation and humanitarian needs, and for pledging assistance to rebuild lives and livelihoods. Indeed, in Nigeria, we are providing relief and humanitarian assistance to millions in internally displaced camps and those afflicted by terrorism, drought, floods and other natural disasters.
“In the last year, the international community came together to focus on the need for gender equality, youth empowerment, social inclusion, and the promotion of education, creativity and innovation. The frontiers of good governance, democracy including holding free and fair elections, and enthronement of the rule of law are expanding everywhere, especially in Africa.”
President Buhari also spoke about the importance of regional organisations in the quest to achieve global stability and protect democracy as well as the need for the UN to collaborate with these regional organisations.
“Our faith in democracy remains firm and unshaken”, Buhari said, as he recalled the role ECOWAS played recently in upholding democratic principles in The Gambia and years earlier in Cote d’Ivoire as examples of what can be achieved through cooperation.
“Through our individual national efforts, state institutions are being strengthened to promote accountability, and to combat corruption and asset recovery. These can only be achieved through the international community cooperating and providing critical assistance and material support. We shall also cooperate in addressing the growing transnational crimes such as forced labour, modern-day slavery, human trafficking and cybercrime.
“These cooperative efforts should be sustained. We must collectively devise strategies and mobilise the required responses to stop fleeing ISIS fighters from mutating and infiltrating into the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, where there are insufficient resources and response capacity is weak.”
CHANNELS TV
