UNGA 2018: President Buhari Urges World Leaders To Emulate Mandela’s Values
Lekan Paul
Posted On Sep 25, 2018
President Muhammadu Buhari, has admonished world leaders at the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), to emulate values of former South African President, Nelson Mandela, by placing human dignity at the centre of their action to build a just, peaceful, prosperous, inclusive and fair world.
Buhari said this at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, on Monday.
According to him, the Centenary celebration of the anti-apartheid icon was an opportunity for the leaders to rededicate themselves to the service of humanity by championing democracy, conflict resolution, disarmament, mutual respect, reconciliation, gender equality and the fight against poverty.
Buhari observed that even though the world is facing diverse challenges ranging from conflicts, climate change, terrorism, desertification, poverty, arms trafficking and extremism among others, it is a time of great hope and renaissance if inspiration is drawn from Mandela whose lifestyle he said symbolized uncommon humility, compassion, courage and forgiveness.
President Buhari noted that the Centenary Celebration provided an avenue to reflect on the legacies of Mandela and his unwavering advocacy for human rights, social justice and peace.
President Buhari said Nigeria want all nations to recognize that the United Nations is built on pillars of peace and security, development and human rights which are the foundations for the world’s collective wellbeing which he said also emphasize that “there can be no peace without sustainable development and no sustainable development without peace and full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.”
He also stated that by the declaration, the world recognizes the contribution of women to advancement of society and their contribution to the prevention and resolution of conflicts, saying that Nigeria is committed to the promotion and protection of the rights of all women as well as providing an enabling environment for them to realize their full potentials.
