UNGA 2015: President Nyusi's Disappointing Speech

The Mozambican President, Filipe Nyusi, delivered his first speech before the UNGA; where he congratulated the UN for its 70th Anniversary (both lauding its achievements and pointing out its failures), called for the reform of the UNSC, focused on the UN Development Strategy post-2015 programme, addressed the Migrant Crisis and the US-Cuba Relations, and congratulated Mozambique for the 40th Anniversary of its independence.

Criticising the UN

"We will not be fair to ourselves and to our peoples and future generations, if we ignore the challenges and failures to be overcome. The United Nations failed to guarantee international peace and security in its fullness. Old and new challenges emerge, inter and intra-state conflicts proliferate, particularly in Africa and Middle East."

I applaud President Nyusi for having had the courage to criticise this international institution (after Pres. Putin painted it with rosy colours). As an African leader, he had the obligation to do it when, for instance, UN Peacekeepers raped, and continue to rape, the children and women they were/are supposed to secure. Furthermore, while the UN has succeeded in preventing destructive wars in the West, it has failed (from inception) to prevent wars elsewhere in the world (Selah).

"Decolonisation is yet to be completed, underdevelopment, exacerbated by the problematic of refugees and illegal migration, are far from becoming history."

“Decolonisation is yet to be completed” - I sincerely hope that Filipe Nyusi is referring to the unfulfilled dream of independence (much due to dependence on international aid and to African corrosive corruption). I also hope he's not following policies influenced by the Pakistani friends of Mozambique (i.e. Drug Lord Suleimani & Cº).

"We will not be in a position to identify effective actions if we fail to recognise that we have failed as international community." 

All right, the international community failed: then what does Mozambique propose? What are the solutions to these problems? President Nyusi didn't offer any solution, and he didn't tell us how the Mozambican leadership intends to contribute to make Africa, this world, a better place.

Mozambique's Accomplishments

"For Mozambique, in the area of international peace and security, the commitment to action includes, among others, the adoption and implementation of effective structures for prevention and management of conflicts, as well as the need to conclude a Convention against terrorism. Emphasis should be in preventive diplomacy."

Meaningless verbosity. What effective structures are those? How can Mozambique push for the conclusion of a Convention against Terrorism? Preventive diplomacy: how can Mozambique contribute to reach that goal? These are the questions that Pres. Nyusi's speech just didn't answer.

"Similarly to other countries, I believe, Mozambique has achieved remarkable progress (..) Worth highlighting is the expansion of access to education, gender balance in the access to primary education and compliance with the target on infant mortality reduction."

From what our sources tell us, access to College studies has increased as well; which means that Mozambique will have a trained industrial and services labour force; however, Mozambique still has many issues that stand in the way of real progress: high mortality rates due to diseases (mainly HIV); low average life expectancy; sky-rocketing crime rates (kidnappings and assassinations); and corrosive corruption. It's time to move beyond the Western-oriented talk and actually “commit to action” (the UN's theme for 2015).

"In this regard I am pleased to announce that Mozambique has successfully completed the Demining Programme."

Congratulations. This is truly an accomplishment that opens doors to an expansion in agricultural programmes and creation of industry, for example.

UN Development Strategy Post-2015

"The Development Agenda Post-2015 embodies our collective ambition to transform the world by 2030. The Agenda brings back human dignity by fighting poverty, protecting people and the planet."

Pres. Filipe Nyusi spent most of his speech circling around this agenda – I don't want to sound dismissive but all that played in my mind was “how much is the leadership going to make from it?” and then the President lost my attention, mainly because without solving the above mentioned existing problems, it's worthless moving on to a new programme.
Mr Nyusi should've focused more on informing the world what he intends to do to increase the private business sector in Mozambique (because only the creation of industry, of jobs, will ultimately end misery [not necessarily poverty] and foster sustainable human development; not UN aid programmes).

UNSC Reform

"The Security Council reform is one of the concealed pillars for the success of implementation of the Development Agenda Post- 2015 which cannot be underestimated."

UNSC Reform: to be replaced by whom, by countries that have no real development (i.e. human development) like Brazil, Mali, Malawi, Zimbabwe? Forget about democracy, I'm talking about universal access to drinking water, sewage systems, stations to treat residual waters, infrastructures, transportation systems, internet, a fair wage, free education and national health systems etc – for example, does Mozambique have widespread access to all these? No. Therefore, Mr President, don't lose focus.

Migrant Crisis

"Today we are committed to adopting measures that will minimise the plight of these people (migrants)"

What does this mean in concrete terms? The President didn't explain.

Independence Anniversary

"The year of 2015 is also special for Mozambique. On 25 June this year we celebrated 40 years of independence. We are a State which is no longer an adolescent. On 16 September this year we
celebrated 40 years of cooperation with the United Nations, therefore we are jubilant in this house and the United Nations should feel proud for the stability and growth of our country. UN should perpetuate its support."

Congratulations for the Anniversary, Moza. It's too bad that in 40 years, almost half was spent on fighting a senseless civil war and the other half is being spent on corrosive corruption and an nefarious ideology that arrested the potential of a rich country like Mozambique. For instance, why doesn't Mozambique have an absolute free market (with free movement of capital); why force investors to have a native associate (usually from the ruling party)? Marxist ideologies must be purged from the Mozambican market for good – not just partially to please international bodies, such as the UN and the EU, to get more “aid” funds. Nevertheless, congratulations to ONUMOZ for its successful mission.

Final Evaluation: President Nyusi's speech was slightly disappointing as he failed to address core issues (i.e. his efforts to normalise the political environment with RENAMO and the Corruption plaguing his country [and the ruling party]). He didn't make a proper case for prospective investors either. If he is to be the President of Change, he needs to step up his game to make Mozambique a relevant player in the 21st century. This speech belittled the country.

(Image Dowloaded from gadebate.un.org)