1 UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES REMARKS ON UN DAY BY DEPUTY SRSG AND OFFICER-IN-CHARGE OF UNMISS RAISEDON ZENENGA, 24 OCTOBER 2014, 11:30AM, UN HOUSE Your Excellency, the Under-Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ambassador Abdon Terkoc Matuet The Representative of the Chief of General Staff of the SPLA Lt. Gen. Paul Malong Awan The Representative of the Inspector General of SSNPS, Gen. Pieng Deng Excellencies, members of the Diplomatic corps, colleagues and friends, all protocols observed A warm welcome to all of you, and thank you for joining us on this important day for the entire international community. Today, we mark the 69th Anniversary of the entry into force, in 1945, of the UN Charter—the founding document of the United Nations. Our family of nations has grown bigger and stronger over the past 69 years, as new nations around the world gained independence and full sovereignty. The last to do so was our host country, South Sudan, which became the 193rd Member State of the United Nations only five days after its independence in 2011. Today, we join the people of South Sudan, and all the peoples of the United Nations, reaffirming and celebrating the principles embodied in the Charter of the UN. We reaffirm our faith in the dignity and worth of the human person; in fundamental human rights; in the equal rights of races, and of women and men. I am honored to read UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message on UN Day: [Secretary-General’s message starts] “The United Nations is needed more than ever at this time of multiple crises. Poverty, disease, terrorism, discrimination and climate change are exacting a heavy toll. Millions of people continue to suffer deplorable exploitation through bonded labour, human trafficking, sexual slavery or unsafe conditions in factories, 2 fields and mines. The global economy remains an uneven playing field. The founding of the United Nations was a solemn pledge to the world’s people to end such assaults on human dignity, and lead the way to a better future. There have been painful setbacks, and there is much work ahead to realize the Charter’s vision. But we can take heart from our achievements. The UN Millennium Development Goals have inspired the most successful anti-poverty campaign ever. United Nations treaties addressing inequality, torture and racism have protected people, while other agreements have safeguarded the environment. UN peacekeepers have separated hostile forces; our mediators have settled disputes and our humanitarian workers have delivered lifesaving aid. At this critical moment, let us reaffirm our commitment to empowering the marginalized and vulnerable. On United Nations Day, I call on Governments and individuals to work in common cause for the common good. ” [SG’s message ends] Allow me now to add a few words to the Secretary-General’s remarks. For decades, the struggle of South Sudan was inextricably linked to the UN. Through the UN’s Operation Lifeline Sudan, the South Sudanese people received life-saving humanitarian assistance. 3 The United Nations helped to ensure that the CPA was successfully implemented, and that the referendum on selfdetermination took place successfully. The UN is proud to be counted among the midwives who facilitated the birth of the Republic of South Sudan. The United Nations has also walked side by side with South Sudan, supporting the young nation after independence. The UN family contributed significantly to the initial strides South Sudan had made towards becoming a stable and democratic country, laying the foundations for development and lasting stability. Unfortunately, the initial progress and hopes have been thwarted by the current conflict, which has been running now for more than 10 months. The plight of South Sudan is among the multiple crises the Secretary-General refers to in the message I have just read. Continued fighting in the country and the delays in reaching a peaceful settlement led the Security Council to drastically narrow the UNMISS mandate in May. The Security Council authorized the four core tasks that UNMISS has been focusing on since May. These are protection of civilians; monitoring and investigation of human rights abuses; facilitating 4 the delivery of humanitarian aid; and supporting the implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. Even with the laudable efforts of the UN family and NGOs to mitigate the suffering, the humanitarian situation across the country remains dire with over 1.8 million people displaced – 1.35 million internally, including 100,000 still in UNMISS bases and 453,000 in neighbouring countries. The approaching dry season offers an opportunity for the whole UN family in South Sudan working with the Government and all key humanitarian partners to pursue sustainable solutions to enable the displaced to return home voluntarily as and when security conditions allow. Faced with these daunting challenges, we need to underline that no amount of humanitarian aid by itself can end the crisis or convince the displaced to return home. Only sustainable peace and reconciliation can. We therefore call for full compliance with the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and an end to the needless loss of lives. There is no alternative to silencing the guns and concluding, without further delay, a comprehensive peace agreement so that the country can return to the task of peace building, nation building, 5 state building, development and delivering essential services to the people. We are encouraged by the reports of a breakthrough on outstanding issues during this week’s Summit meeting of the East African Heads of State and Government, hosted by President Salva Kiir. We hope next week’s discussions will yield the long-awaited peace agreement. For now, the guns must be silenced. Peace should not be delayed for even one more day. The untold suffering of the people of South Sudan must end. The people of South Sudan deserve no less. This is how, together, the Government of the Republic of South Sudan, the people of South Sudan, and the United Nations family and all partners can contribute towards the attainment of the goals that inspired the UN Charter: to save future generations from the scourge of war; to protect fundamental human rights; and to promote social progress in larger freedom. Thank you. [END] 6