President Goodluck Jonathan

Demola Ojo

President Goodluck Jonathan will today leave Abuja for the 67th General Assembly of the United Nations which takes place in New York. The Assembly has the peaceful resolution of international disputes, a theme endorsed by President Jonathan in his statement to the 66th General Assembly last year, as its main focus. President Jonathan is also scheduled to meet with the leaders of China, France, South Korea, Brazil, Bulgaria, Finland and Switzerland in New York.

The President’s delegation includes Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Philip Aduda, and Honourable Isa Ashiru Mohammed.

Also part of the high-powered delegation are five ministers: the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru;  the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke; the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke; the Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga,

The President of the 67th Assembly, Mr. Vuk Jeremic of Serbia, announced  at its opening last Tuesday that having consulted widely on the matter, he had chosen “bringing about adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations by peaceful means” as the overarching theme for the General Assembly’s  work over the next 12 months.

President Jonathan had in his 2011 address to the General Assembly called on the international community to muster the political will to promote preventive diplomacy for the peaceful resolution of international disputes through mediation.

“For too long, the international community has focused too little attention on mediation and preventive diplomacy and far too much effort and resources on military aspects of peace and security. Yet, measures to address the root cause of conflict, including dialogue and mediation, can be far more effective as means to achieving sustainable peace and stability.

“As I see it, our goal should always be to present the peaceful alternative as a less costly and effective way of achieving political and social objectives. By focusing on mediation as a tool for conflict prevention, we are able to address the real triggers of conflict, without which we cannot achieve sustainable solutions,” President Jonathan had declared in his address to world leaders at the United Nations last year.