Livingstone, 26 February 2012
:
Secretary-General: Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pleasure to see
you as I complete my visit, this very historic, very successful visit
to Zambia.
This has been very historic visit not because this was a first visit
by a Secretary-General of the United Nations to Zambia but because I
have seen and experienced myself real potential. Before I came here, I
had sort of a theoretical knowledge of Zambia’s potential. Now I am
returning to the UN with practical and convincing knowledge of the
future of Zambia.
This country, Zambia, in terms of great political and democratic
principles, they have shown a clear path, a good example, of how this
democratic principle should be. The peaceful transfer through a very
credible, transparent election last year has sent a clear message, a
strong message not only to African countries but to the whole world. I
am deeply grateful and admire President Sata’s vision and his overall
strong commitment to democratic principles.
My address to the Parliament, this was also a big [moment] and I was
very much encouraged by the way the Parliament was headed together
with the Government and also setting the agenda toward the right
direction.
Another inspiring experience for me was that I have seen the potential
of youth here. You have many promising, bright young people; human
resources.
Yesterday I visited the Fountain of Hope and also I visited very big
Youth Development Centre. Today in Livingstone, I had very impressive
and inspiring meeting with young girl students and boy students.
I was very much impressed by the way they are committed, how much they
know about democratic principles and particularly human rights. On
that basis, from their question and points of view I was convinced
that this country has a brighter future, not only because you are
having a lot of mineral and natural resources, but you have also very
good human resources in my observation.
And I am very much pleased to see the potential of partnership between
the United Nations and Zambia and I will be working even harder to
promote many goals of African countries to promote further beyond this
MDG 2015 for sustainable development for humanity, addressing climate
change, food crisis, water scarcity, energy shortages and gender
empowerment and all global issues. These are the issues or global
challenges which we have to work on together. And I am convinced that
the United Nations will continue to work very closely with the Zambian
Government and people.
Thank you very much for such a strong commitment and generous
hospitality. Wherever I went, I was warmly welcomed by the people and
I really appreciate that.
Thank you very much and I wish all the best to the Zambian Government
and people. Thank you very much.
Question: [From The Zambian Daily Mail] My question is on the World
Tourism Organization General Assembly. It will be held next year in
Livingstone here, in Victoria Falls’ town. I would like to get your
impressions on the two countries co-hosting the event, and what they
should do to improve ahead of the event.
SG: I know tourism is most important priority policy of your
government only after agriculture. The revenue that you generated from
this tourism accounts for almost six per cent of GDP. This is quite
significant. You have such tremendous resources and huge resources of
tourism, it is just beyond description how I can explain to you such
an awesome and significant and fantastic and magnificent experience I
had while visiting these Victoria Falls. I know that this is one of
the seven natural wonders in the world. I fully agree to that. This
can really give such great source of tourism capacity, including
increasing tourism industries.
The World [Tourism] Organization General Assembly meeting which will
be co-hosted by WTO and Governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe will be a
very significant occasion for the tourism, global tourism, as well as
Government of Zambia’s promotion of tourism to the world and I will
continue to work very closely to help this WTO general conference to
be a great success next year.
Q: [Times of Zambia] You have said that UN members should respect gay
rights. In Africa, most countries have serious concerns on that,
depending on the culture and Christian norms, like in Zambia, a
Christian nation, might have difficulty respecting the rights. What is
your comment?
A: I have repeatedly spoken out against any policies which
criminalize, which discriminate, against people with different sexual
orientation. In that regard, I highly commend this Parliament of
Zambia to have enacted such a very proper legislation to promote and
protect the human rights of all people.
All human beings are born with equal rights, equal dignity, and this
human rights should be protected, regardless of difference of race,
ethnicity, sex, age, wherever and whenever. This is a fundamental
principle of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I again urge
to all countries wherever this discrimination policies are practiced
against gay people should repeal such kind of practice and laws and
ensure that their human rights are properly protected as a human
being.
Thank you.
Q: I would like to find out from the SG why Western countries are
tying the aid to homosexuality rights. I would also like to find out
what he feels for Africa and what he is going to do for Africa in his
second term.
SG: First of all, first question. It is not tying any official
assistance to any country with HIV/AIDS. That is not the policy of
Western countries versus African or developing countries. What I
understand is that they are seriously concerned about the spread of
this HIV/AIDS, and they really want to see an elimination of death
caused by HIV/AIDS.
The United Nations, through its Millennium Development Goals, focuses
on reducing and eliminating the death caused by HIV/AIDS and I hope
that there should be no such misunderstandings on this aid policies.
There was a very important [meeting] on aid effectiveness in Busan
last November. The question is that, the main purpose is that there
should be some predictability of aid on the part of the developing
world so that they can use properly and wisely these aid.
At the same time, there is naturally expectation from donor countries
that this aid should be used properly, to the purpose of aid. All this
money should be used properly to the purpose, through good governance
without corruption, and by having proper and correct policies on the
part of developing world. I think this is an accountability process,
mutual accountability process, between the donors and recipient
countries.
And as I have just [been] given my second term as Secretary-General I
have laid out my five generational imperatives and priorities for
coming five years.
One is sustainable development, addressing all these climate change
issues, food crisis, energy shortages and gender empowerment and
global health, including HIV/AIDS and malaria. All these are very
important issues which we have to address.
We are now going to address all of these issues in comprehensive and
integrated manner. This is my vision.
Second of all is prevention, prevention of [loss of] human lives and
our resources from natural disasters and also manmade conflicts.
Third is full deployment of peacekeeping operations we really [need to
be] sure that this world is peaceful and human rights are protected.
And fourthly, we will focus and have to help those countries in
transition. We have seen dramatic changes last year in Middle East and
North Africa. Peoples are now speaking out to have better condition
where their human rights and human dignity are properly protected.
Youth and women and girls: they are speaking out. We have seen many
women and young girls and youth who came to the streets yearning for
their aspirations for human dignity. This is very important. We have
to help those countries who have experienced revolutions last year.
Fifth but not least, working for empowerment of women and youth. Of
course this is all related. You have seen so many youth who are not
given equal opportunities. This is not equitable society. We have to
reduce, to bridge the gaps between their rightful places as human
beings and as future leaders and we have to do more for gender
empowerment.
That is one of the issues that I have discussed with President Sata
very seriously and I am assured that President Sata and Foreign
Minister Lubinda are committed to work together with the United
Nations to achieve those five goals.
Thank you very much.