The Nigerian government says it is committed to the peaceful settlement of disputes under the United Nations Charter.
President Bola Tinubu made the declaration during the general debate at the ongoing 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The President, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima said that “dialogue remains the major tool for amicable resolution of conflicts.”
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He said: “None of us can pretend that conflicts within our borders or in lands far beyond them do not exact a price from us. Such is the reach of our interdependence. Such is the urgency of this session’s sacred duty to restore trust in the international institutions we established to reconcile our differences and advance our common interests.
“The persistence of conflict across the world recalls the purpose for which the United Nations was founded: to spare succeeding generations the devastation of war. We must therefore return to the founding principles of dialogue, mutual respect and collective responsibility. Nigeria stands by the Charter and its promise of a world in which diplomacy prevails over coercion, cooperation over isolation and international law over the arbitrary exercise of power.”
The President noted with pride the role played by Nigeria in sustaining peace in Africa as he pledged the country’s readiness to keep supporting peace initiatives across the continent.
“Nigeria stands ready to assume greater responsibility on the strength of obligations honoured and sacrifices made over decades in the service of peace. From Liberia and Sierra Leone to Darfur, Mali and The Gambia, we have committed personnel and resources when international solidarity required action. Through ECOWAS, the African Union and our Gulf of Guinea partnerships, we continue to advance mediation, democratic governance, counter-terrorism and maritime security,” he explained.
Terrorism
President Tinubu also said terrorism must be tackled headlong and Nigeria will not relent in her effort to deal with non-state actors troubling the country.
He said Africa and the rest of the world must collaborate to end the spread of terror.
“No nation, however formidable its defences, can secure itself completely against dangers sustained beyond its borders. Terrorism, organised crime, cyberattacks and illicit finance exploit the gaps between our national responses, drawing strength from the divisions that weaken collective action. Nigeria’s prolonged struggle against Boko Haram, ISWAP and other armed groups has taught us that military victories require enduring foundations in education, economic opportunity, accountable governance and communities whose rights and dignity are protected. Development cannot take root where violence repeatedly uproots livelihoods, and peace cannot endure where injustice and exclusion replenish the ranks of those who threaten it.
“Our common security therefore demands cooperation equal to the reach of the threats before us. We must exchange intelligence, strengthen institutional capacity, interrupt the financing of violence and prevent weapons from crossing borders that our responses too often fail to cross. The turmoil in the Sahel illustrates how insecurity in one territory can imperil its neighbours, displace populations and frustrate commerce, regional integration and democratic governance. As a founding member of ECOWAS, Nigeria upholds regional solidarity and African leadership in resolving these challenges, reinforced by principled international partnerships. No country can claim lasting safety while the forces capable of destabilising it retain sanctuary, resources and recruits elsewhere,” the Nigerian leader advised.
President Tinubu also used the opportunity to call for a reformed, inclusive and effective United World, which he said is indispensable to the peaceful, just and sustainable future that generations yet unborn deserve.
