United Nations A/73/ PV.9 General Assembly Official Records Seventy-third session 9th plenary meeting Wednesday, 26 September 2018, 3 p.m. New York President: Ms. Espinosa Garcés.................................... (Ecuador) The meeting was called to order at 3 p.m. from where we get news, virtually every day, of young people, children and women who have abandoned their Address by Mr. Jorge Carlos De Almeida Fonseca, homes out of desperation and ventured into the world in President of the Republic of Cabo Verde search of a better life only to face subhuman conditions; the impact of climate change on human security; The President: The Assembly will now hear an conflicts and other threats to peace coming to us from address by the President of the Republic of Cabo Verde. all quarters of the world; and the glaring situation of Mr. Jorge Carlos De Almeida Fonseca, President poverty, which continues to be a reality that puts our of the Republic of Cabo Verde, was escorted into global capacity to leave no one behind to the test. the General Assembly Hall. In order to mitigate those and other problems that The President: On behalf of the General Assembly, all of us present here in this Assembly face, the United I have the honour to welcome to the United Nations Nations has worked tirelessly under the leadership of His Excellency Mr. Jorge Carlos De Almeida Fonseca, our Secretary-General, to whom I would like to express, President of the Republic of Cabo Verde, and to invite once again, our profound gratitude. To address those him to address the Assembly. problems, the President of the General Assembly could not have proposed a more appropriate theme for her President Fonseca (spoke in Portuguese; English presidency than “Making the United Nations relevant text provided by the delegation): I would like to to all people”, while also promoting multilateralism, congratulate you, Madam President, on your election, which I define here as combining efforts and taking a and wish you great success as you embark on your noble path to global leadership and shared responsibilities in and challenging mission. I also wish to congratulate order to build the peaceful, equitable and sustainable Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, of the Republic of Slovakia, the societies that we all desire. outgoing President of the General Assembly, for his excellent work during his term. We will celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December. Next, I would like to express my utmost appreciation However, hate, discrimination and violence are still to the Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, for his alive and present. As the Director-General of UNESCO smart and competent stewardship of our common house, has stated: and to reaffirm our full trust and profound respect for his leadership, particularly amid the many difficulties that “Hundreds of millions of women and men are the world currently faces. I am referring, for example, destitute, deprived of basic livelihoods and to terrorism, which is spreading in many countries; the opportunities. Forced population movements are migration crisis, particularly on the African continent, violating rights on an unprecedented scale. The 2030 This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the translation of speeches delivered in other languages. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room U-0506 ([email protected]). Corrected records will be reissued electronically on the Official Document System of the United Nations (http://documents.un.org). 18-29877 (E) *1829877* A/73/PV.9 26/09/2018 Agenda for Sustainable Development promises to existence of the death penalty in the twenty-first leave no one behind — human rights must be the century demands profound, careful and responsible bedrock for all progress moving forward.” reflection from all of us. It is a fact that the search for a new universal conscience will lead us to rethink The date of 10 December, Human Rights Day, our understanding of the purposes and motivations is strategically important in that human rights have behind human coexistence, but they should always be established a universal standard for society to achieve, based on respect for life and the immanent dignity of one that is globally inclusive and socially emancipating, human beings. enabling all human beings to realize their free and full development. The fact that universal standards and The Constitution and justice system of Cabo Verde principles of human rights are integral to the legal do not provide for life sentences or the death penalty. order of many countries is a major advancement for In fact, the death penalty has not been applied in our humankind. However, that does not mean that such country since before the last quarter of the nineteenth standards and principles are fully and effectively century. Our unique historical and social condition accepted. In fact, human rights achievements translate has instilled in us cultural principles and values that into a framework of rights that combine with cultural or promote the right to life under all circumstances. In historical conditions to weave a non-linear history that that regard, we wish to reiterate our absolute support is at times contradictory but always open and never- for the recent appeal by Pope Francis to the conscience ending. of State authorities around the world to seek an international consensus on the abolition of the death Respect for the Universal Declaration of Human penalty. In addition to calling for the unequivocal, firm Rights therefore constitutes an unquestionably noble and exemplary repudiation of capital punishment, Pope goal and, at the same time, remains one of the greatest Francis also spoke against the so-called extrajudicial challenges of our time. Although the struggle for its executions, or illegal killings that are being committed. effectiveness is intensifying, violations have virtually been institutionalized in many parts of the world. Such In the name of clemency and prudence, we firmly violations have also been observed in situations of war, believe that capital punishment is not an appropriate and which unfortunately afflicts many parts of the world, fair instrument, nor is it efficient in achieving justice, especially Africa, taking on unacceptable dimensions in the light of its insurmountable conditionalities and through increasingly common practices such as human weaknesses. As a superior value, life cannot be left at trafficking, including the trafficking of children, the mercy of presumably fallible judges, who, unaware organized transnational crime and acts of genocide of the laws of clemency, imprudently insist on donning and other war crimes. Despite those unfavourable the soiled robe of the executioner, succumbing to the conditions, we raise the banner of hope and fight to dim light cast by a law that, in terms of relative values, defend and promote fundamental human rights, driven, is certainly not above the value of life and the ethics above all, by our faith in the capacity of humankind that it embodies. to creatively mould reality to our will, notwithstanding Moreover, we also believe that, based on an causalities and constraints. unwavering and optimistic anthropology, human beings Our country’s choice to pursue a policy of peace, can be rehabilitated and that, in the modern world, there dialogue and understanding to prevent and resolve exist institutional conditions and less grievous forms conflicts acknowledges and reflects those values. of punishment that are still suitable and effective and Furthermore, it emanates from the very nature of the which avoid the shameful radical solution of ending the Cabo Verdean people — from the culture of tolerance life of a fellow human being. Viewing criminal justice that has allowed our policies to be shaped by such values in the context of the rule of law, capital punishment is and principles over four decades of history as a sovereign therefore unjustifiable. It is along those lines that we nation. In our day-to-day lives, we have demonstrated fully subscribe to the plea by the Holy Father Pope that tolerance is possible and that the sharing of values Francis for a universal moratorium on executions. is a reality, even in the face of adversity. Through the 43 years of its independence, Cabo We profoundly regret to see that the death penalty Verde, a small island State with major shortages of still exists in many countries around the world. The resources, is proud to be a democratic country built on 2/62 18-29877 26/09/2018 A /73/PV.9 the rule of law through the sacrifice and determination international financial crisis, which contributed to of Cabo Verdeans residing in the country and abroad. our missing the window of opportunity created by our I believe that my country can contribute, even if graduation. Since then, the structural vulnerabilities modestly, to the quest for solutions to major problems afflicting our country have become not only aggravated that currently afflict our troubled world. More than a but also more complex. We see this situation in our model of the political stability that characterizes our growing regional asymmetries, which are exacerbated country or of the democratic regime that we have built by the lack of territorial continuity that goes with and consolidated, the nation of Cabo Verde, which being an island nation, the nefarious effects of drought, predates the creation of the Cabo Verdean State, may desertification and other climate changes, as well as be considered an example of peaceful coexistence among people from different countries and with weak production capacity, unemployment of young different beliefs who have been blended into a unique people, social and gender inequalities, the excessive and diverse culture that is open to the world and to the burden of external debt on the budget, and the sharing of values.