Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe on Thursday said the objectives of the UN Charter in the economic arena will remain unfulfilled unless member states address challenges in the developing countries,
Mugabe, who spoke at the 68th session of the UN General Assembly high-level debate, stressed the need for economic support for developing countries to enable them to meet up with development challenges, as well as boost economic growth.
He said that most of the developing countries cannot achieve the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) because the means of implementation had so far been the weakest link in making progress.
“It must be understood that in addition to national efforts, substantial international support and an enabling international economic environment are essential if the MDGs are to be achieved by 2015, especially in Africa,” he said.
The president noted that Zimbabwe had made progress towards achieving universal access to primary education, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
Mr. Mugabe cautioned, however, that the country lacked capacity, mainly financial, to address other areas, particularly those relating to the eradication of poverty and hunger, child mortality, universal access to maternal and reproductive health, environmental sustainability and access to potable water and sanitation.
“As a country, we are committed to undertake coordinated efforts to accelerate progress to complete the unfinished business of the MDGs,” he said, adding that any targets not achieved by 2015 should be integrated into the successor sustainable development agenda.
On the economic situation in his country, he strongly condemned the economic sanctions imposed by the US and the European Union, saying “our small and peaceful country is threatened daily by covetous and bigoted big power whose hunger for domination and control of other nations and their resources knows no bounds”.
The Zimbabwean leader stated: “Shame, shame, shame, to the United States of America, shame, shame, shame to Britain and its allies.”
President Mugabe said: “Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans, so are its resources. Please remove your illegal and filthy sanctions from my peaceful country.”
