Madam President,

Mr. Secretary-General,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of Eastern European States on the occasion of the observance of Nelson Mandela International Day, ten years after the General Assembly adopted a first-ever resolution to celebrate an individual who had the power to transform the world. This is an honour indeed, as well as an enormous task. Nelson Mandela was a human colossus, an embodiment of human aspiration to make a world a better place for all. Hardly any statement will be good enough to encompass the size of Nelson Mandela and his achievements.

Nelson Mandela was an inspirational leader who led his nation to liberation from apartheid, one of the most oppressive political systems mankind had ever known. In doing so, he fought human and political bigotry in the form of racism, discrimination and political and social disadvantages. A prisoner of conscience, he paid a heavy price for his endeavours. Yet he never gave up. All along, he took care that the shards of the shackles he broke hurt no one. His was the mission of humility, forgiveness, courage and compassion and his commitment was to peace, human rights, social justice and democracy. He was in the forefront of the struggle against poverty. A role model for all of us who profess to fight for the ideals he embraced.

Nelson Mandela was a champion of the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations: sovereign equality of States, refrain from the threat or use of force in international relations, settlement of disputes by peaceful means and respect for diversity and peaceful co-existence. We can all agree that, were he alive, he would march proudly in our ranks as we strive to promote human rights, freedom and human dignity and, yes, endeavour to achieve sustainable development and prosperity for present and future generations.

Nelson Mandela’s wisdom and work is epitomized in the Declaration unanimously adopted at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit in September last year in which we committed to the promotion of a just, peaceful and prosperous world and inclusive and non-discriminatory societies. We believe that in these endeavours no one should be left behind. We recognized the period 2019-2028 as the Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace and committed to redouble our efforts to pursue international peace and security, development and human rights in this decade and beyond.

As Nelson Mandela once said, “[a] fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.” This is our lodestar as we strive to achieve the preeminent goals of our Organization today, including the Sustainable Development Goals to preserve our Planet and ensure prosperity for each and every one in the years to come. The challenges we face today may seem unsurmountable and our goals may look difficult to achieve. Yet, “it always seems impossible,” to quote Mandela again, “until it’s done.”

I thank you for your attention.