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Mr. president, the Secretary. General of the UN, the Deputy Secretary General, Excellencies Heads of State and Government, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, I extend my warmest congratulations to you, Mr. President, on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on your election as president of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and assure you of Nigeria's full cooperation and support. I commend your predecessors stewardship of this assembly. I also salute the Secretary General, His Excellency Antonio Guterres, and the Deputy Secretary General, Amina Mohamed, for sharing the United Nations through storms that have sharpened our awareness of the cost of inaction. None of us can pretend that countries within our borders or in lands far beyond them do not exert a price from us, such as the rich of our interdependence. Such is the urgency of this session sacred duty to restore truth in the international institutions we establish to reconcile our differences and advance our common interests.
The General Assembly has adopted a resolution after resolution, while the Security Council and Human Rights Council have repeatedly addressed the situation. Let me be clear the search for peace and security in the Middle East is of profound importance, and the suffering of Palestinian and also Israeli civilians deserves serious and sustained consideration. Every civilian life matters, but we are applying the same. But are we applying the same standard of urgency when victims are elsewhere? Last year alone, over 4800 Christians were killed because of their religion. Millions of Christians around the world suffered discrimination and persecution. In Iran, the criminal theocratic regime has brutally murdered tens of thousands of its own citizens this year alone. After 1948, more than 1 million Jews fled or were expelled from Arab countries, many amid persecution and violence. Or consider Nigeria. For more than a decade, Nigerian communities have faced mass killings, kidnappings, the destruction of villages and places of worship, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people In return, this body produced a single Security Council resolution not 70, not 71. So we must ask if every civilian life matters. Why does our urgency seem so different from one crisis to another? This does not mean caring less about one crisis, but caring more consistently about all of them. We must also be willing to ask difficult questions about how Palestine is discussed and used politically. The majority position does not by itself determine what is right. The right of a democratic state and its people to defend themselves against terrorism must be recognized and upheld, not only in the words civilian suffering is tragic and must be addressed but it can never justify terrorism or the pursuit of political objectives through violence.
The suffering of the Palestinian people remains a profound test of the credibility of the international system. The government reiterates its call for the protection of civilians respect for international humanitarian law, and unhindered humanitarian assistance. We reaffirm the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination. Membership of the United Nations, and our support for a just, comprehensive and lasting two state solution with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace, security, and dignity. Furthermore, the plight of the Rohingya people must also not disappear from international agenda. The government affirms, remains committed to accountability, justice and the protection of their fundamental rights and will continue to need the support of you all in this shared collective endeavour. On Cuba, we reiterate our long standing call for an end to the economic, commercial and financial sanctions. Dialogue, engagement and cooperation remain important instruments for improving people's well-being and strengthening peaceful relations among nations. The government also reaffirms its adherence to the one-China policy and values its partnership with the People's Republic of China, including in development cooperation, infrastructure, Southside on triangular cooperation and partnership. The leaders of our two countries have raised our bilateral relations to strategic level, and we will continue to grow and deepen this important partnership. On the question of the Moroccan Sahara, the government support sustained international efforts towards a peaceful resolution through the United Nations led political process. We encourage all concerned parties to engage constructively and in good faith. The real initiatives on Moroccan autonomy the Moroccan Nigeria gas pipeline, the Atlantic African Initiative, amongst others, have provided realistic pathways to finding a lasting political solution to the dispute over the Moroccan Sahara. By giving people the development, human rights, security and stability they need. Furthermore, the government welcomes the Kingdom of Morocco continuous commitment to the cease fire, full cooperation with Minurso and also stakeholders. All stakeholders in line with resolution 27, 97 and other relevant processes.
