Commemoration of United Nations Day

Allow to Pay My Respects To:

His Majesty King Letsie III,

The Right Honourable the Prime Minister, DR. Moeketsi Majoro

Honourable President of The Senate,

Honourable Speaker of The National Assembly

His Lordship The Chief Justice

Honourable  Deputy Prime Minister,

His Lordship The President of The Court Of Appeal,

Honourable Ministers of His Majesty’s Government,

Special Acknowledgement to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Matsepo Ramakoea;

Minister of Development Planning, Hon Selibe Mochoboroane

Minister of Education And Training, Hon Mamookho Phiri,

Your Excellencies Members of The Diplomatic missions and international organizations,

Honourable Members of Parliament,

My colleagues from the UN

Representatives of The Private Sector, Civil Society Organizations And Media Houses,

Distinguished Guests, Ladies And Gentlemen, All Protocol Observed

Today we celebrate 76 years of the existence of the United Nations.

Happy United Nations Day 2021!

Before I deliver my own remarks, l am honored to deliver the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guetteres’ message.

“Seventy-six years ago, the United Nations was created as a vehicle of hope for a world emerging from the shadow of catastrophic conflict.

Today, the women and men of the United Nations carry this hope forward around the globe.

COVID-19, conflicts, hunger, poverty and the climate emergency remind us that our world is far from perfect.

But they also make clear that solidarity is the only way forward.

We need to come together to tackle great challenges and advance the Sustainable Development Goals. By ensuring that every person, everywhere, has access to COVID-19 vaccines sooner rather than later.

By securing and upholding the rights and dignity of all people — especially the poorest and most disadvantaged, girls and women, and children and young people.

By seeking an end to the conflicts that scar our world.

By making bold climate commitments to save our planet — and living up to them.

And by building global governance that is more inclusive, networked and effective — as detailed in my recent report, Our Common Agenda.

The values that have powered the UN Charter for the last 76 years — peace, development, human rights, and opportunity for all — have no expiry date.

As we mark UN Day, under the global them ‘Building back Together for Peace and Prosperity’, let’s unite behind these ideals, and live up to the full promise, potential and hope of the United Nations.”

Bo Mme Le Bo Ntate

On behalf of the UN Family in Lesotho, it is my pleasure to welcome you to this special occasion, as we commemorate the 76th Anniversary of the United Nations. Sunday the 24th October 2021, marks 76 years since the UN Charter was ratified in 1945. 

Throughout the three quarters of a century of existence of this indispensable institution, the world has had many triumphs in which the UN has played a key role in its four pillars of peace, development, human rights and the rule of law.

Over the years, the UN General Assemblies have achieved not only survival but progress. Rising to its responsibility, the United Nations has helped reduce tensions and helped to propel development.  Today, clouds have lifted, more with new rays of hope breaking through. The integrity of the United Nations has been publicly reaffirmed. A new global agenda – the 2030 Agenda is under way - to achieve sustainable development.

The 76th anniversary has come hand in hand with one of the biggest challenge humanities has had to deal with up until now: the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nevertheless, the UN is hard at work to stop the spread of the virus and to ensure that all get a suitable vaccine in order to annihilate this dangerous threat. The organisation also launched the  Global Dialogue at the beginning of 2020, which aimed to gather information on humanity’s hopes, fears and priorities for the future. The Global Dialogue has ended up in the adoption of a progressive and hopeful political declaration that commits all its Member States to push harder than ever to enhance cooperation between all countries during these trying times.

The challenges of humanity such as COVID-19 reminder us of how deeply connected we are. We need a more networked and inclusive multilateralism, with stronger coordination between regional and international organizations, international financial institutions, public/private alliances, local authorities and civil society as well as with we the peoples.

At the 76th UN General Assembly held last month, the UN Secretary General outlined his vision of how international cooperation needs to develop over the next 25 years, in what he has coined “Our Common Agenda”. This common agenda is ours (we- the peoples), a road- map to recapture a positive spirit and begin rebuilding our world. He calls for multilateralism as a key driver. He notes that “Humanity’s welfare – and indeed, humanity’s very future –depends on solidarity and working together as a global family to achieve common goals: For people, for the planet, for prosperity and for peace”

 Bo Mme Le bo Ntate,

I have come here today to salute the United Nations and the people of Lesotho for the progress in transforming this great Kingdom into a prosperous, peaceful and stable nation. We are all aware that we still have a long way to the optimum ‘Lesotho We want’. However, to keep the spirit and momentum, we must celebrate the steps we have taken as a nation.

The task of transforming a nation rests with the leaders and we the peoples, big and small. I want to applaud the efforts taken by the Government and the people of Lesotho to sustain progress on all fronts despite the harsh economic realities. Let us use this commemoration of the 76th UN anniversary to renew the momentum of the transformation process and stretch our political, social, economic, and cultural capacities and ambitions.

If, we can now be as bold and farsighted in our national cohesion, if ,we can gain renewed confidence and experience in concrete collaborations for transformation, then surely, we shall be on the right path of a fruitful journey.

The UN Secretary General at the 76th UN General Assembly stated, and I quote: “We face a moment of truth. Now is the time to deliver. Now is the time to restore trust. Now is the time to inspire hope.” End of quote.

Bo Mme Le Bo Ntate

I am happy to reaffirm the United Nations support to the Basotho.  We recommit ourselves to continue to promote peace and security, development and human rights and the rule of law in the Kingdom through promotion of good governance, health, gender responsive social protection systems, sustainable and inclusive economic growth, food security, decent jobs, resilience to climate, environment protection  and  eradication of  poverty.

The former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (MHSRIP) once said -Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation.

Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace.

 If, however, they are left on society's margins, all of us will be impoverished. Let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to participate fully in the lives of their societies.

I end of quote.

Today is an opportunity for us to reflect, under the local theme “Reimagine, Rebalance, Restart: Recovering together”. This theme reflects our solidarity and commitment as we together focus on the COVID-19 socio-economic recovery response in Lesotho, where no one should be left behind.

Bo Mme Le Bo Ntate

In September, we celebrated SDG week.  As part of the celebrations and together with the Ministry of Education and Training, we raised awareness on the SDGs in selected schools. Students participated in an art competition under the theme “Reimagine, Rebalance, Restart: recovering together”.  Entrants were invited to create a drawing, painting or collage of how they envisioned a better future for Lesotho.  I hope that their visions bear fruit, as they envisioned a Lesotho free from COVID-19, where children benefitted from widespread digitalisation, access to modern education, and a pollution-free, green Lesotho.

Today we shall present the winners of the SDG Art competition. Congratulations to the competitors and to the winners!

Bo Mme le Bon Ntate, today we will also have a UN Fair where the UN agencies will showcase their contribution to the development of the Kingdom of Lesotho. This will be an opportunity for us to learn from each other and find ways to collectively find solutions to complex challenges that we are facing together.

My fellow inhabitants of Lesotho: Let us take our stand on this United Nations Day, and let us see if we, in our own time, can move Lesotho to a just, prosperous and stable nation with lasting peace in the very spirit of our national philosophy - Khotso Nala Pula.

Let Khotso, Pula, Nala remain an inspiration and a reminder to our duty to work for peace and obligation to make the people of Lesotho prosper every time we mention these indelible words.

Likhomo Basotho

Khotso   Nala    Pula.