[size=18pt] Nigeria seeks end to Middle East crisis [/size]




NIGERIA led the United Nations (UN) Security Council's open debate on the Middle East on Wednesday in New York, warning that time was fast running to attain the two-state solution in that troubled region. Nigeria's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Professor Joy Ogwu, presided over the meeting at the UN headquarters. According to her, "Time is fast running out, and so is faith gradually eroding in the hope of attaining a two-state solution within 24 months as envisaged by the Moscow Quartet declaration of March 19, 2010."

The meeting, which is the monthly Security Council review of the Middle East situation, attracted speakers from a wide range of UN member-states, including all members of the Security Council. In all, there were 37 speakers. Nigeria, speaking through Ogwu, also observed that "while the last two months have been testing times in the region, the next two months may prove even more trying." Criticising the demolition of Palestinian homes last week and the approval of a new settlement in East Jerusalem, she said the action "will no doubt inflame passion and reaction." Nigeria, she said, therefore called "on Israel to refrain from deliberate acts of provocation." Similarly, Nigeria also urged "the Palestinians to exercise restraint and guard against inflammatory rhetoric or as acts of violence. “Mutual confidence is what the two sides need to proceed to direct talks building on the gains of the recent rounds of proximity talks,” she said.

Pushing for peace, Nigeria submitted at the council meeting that "now more than ever, the parties to this dispute need to demonstrate their undivided commitment to peace. They must remove all obstacles to the resumption of direct negotiations to resolve the outstanding permanent status issues." Nigeria also asked members of the UN Security Council, to maintain their supportive role in the peace process, fostering security and stability within the occupied Palestinian territory. However, Nigeria said the recent Flotilla incident and its consequences are most regrettable, but welcomed the decision of the Israeli authorities to ease the restrictions on goods entering the Gaza strip by land. Furthermore, Ogwu asked Israel for a "complete and unconditional lifting of the ban," as an imperative to bring an end to the humanitarian crisis that has resulted from the Gaza blockade. "The blockade is a collective punishment meted on innocent people in Gaza and we hope Israel will live up to its obligations under international humanitarian law," she noted.

According to Ogwu, Nigeria "shall remain firmly committed to the goal of ensuring a secure State of Israel living side-by-side in peace and security with an independent State of Palestine with recognised borders. While peace in the Middle East is attainable, it must come on the back of sustained political will and commitment. The Middle East needs peace and so does the rest of the world." Earlier, the Under Secretary-General and head of the UN Department of Political Affairs, Lynn Pascoe, briefed the Council, urging both the Israelis and Palestinians to remove the obstacles to direct negotiations. “I urge the parties not to miss the current opportunity to make progress and move to direct negotiations with active third-party involvement and close Quartet support,” the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs said at the crucial meeting. He reported that Mr. George Mitchell, Special Envoy of the United States, (U.S.) had now facilitated six rounds of proximity talks, and that both President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of Israel had visited Washington, D.C. Also, all three had met with President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt in Cairo on July18, 2010 while UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had met Netanyahu on July 7 and Robert Serry, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, had met with President Abbas in Ramallah earlier Wednesday, the UN official reported to the Council meeting.



SOURCE

THANKGOD IT IS JUST "SEEKING". . .else a commitee woulda been set-up 2 "investigate" d causes of d middle east crisis(thus turning out new billionaires in naija). . .we have our own problems here,yet they r "seeking" 4 end 2 other people's crisis. . .MSCHEEW

So those this mean Nigerian has developed over night?

Confusion! When will they "seeker" solution to Nigerian problems?

The Jos crisis, Niger-Delta, kidnapping, unemployment, 419, NEPA is not enough problem for these fools? Let's first remove the log in our eyes!

My eyes must be deceiving me.This topic cannot be real!

Most of our leaders are on drug, I swear. Cheap weed at that!

I hope this won't turn against us at the end.

Acidosis:

I hope this won't turn against us at the end.

OH what's the worse that can possibly happen?

Can they make me head of this Senate committee to "Resolving the Middle East crisis

Can we have an allocation of $20b to finding a lasting solution?

Charity starts at home.

EzeUche:

Charity starts at home.

Oh you must not give up on naija!

dayokanu:

Can they make me head of this Senate committee to "Resolving the Middle East crisis

Can we have an allocation of $20b to finding a lasting solution?

ROTFLMAO!!! And what do you propose to do with that amount of money? [OLE BARAWO]

OASN, what do you suggest to end the M.E crisis?

How can you have a solution to middle East crisis without a committee?

How can you have a committee without a budget?

How can you have a budget without allocations?

Allocate 20bn to me and the crisis would be resolved

That woman is an iddiot.

You all got it wrong!! She's doing this, so that when ibos finally return to Israel, they can live in peace and not be used as human shield against palestinian missiles!

Aigbofa:

You all got it wrong!! She's doing this, so that when ibos finally return to Israel, they can live in peace and not be used as human shield against palestinian missiles!

DONT . YOU. DARE!

Ileke-IdI:

DONT . YOU. DARE!

What??

Dont turn this thread into one of y'alls tribalistic playground.

Ileke-IdI:

Dont turn this thread into one of y'alls tribalistic playground.

Ok, I'm outta here!!

udezue:

That woman is an iddiot.

What makes her an iddiot? If she's an iddiot then all Nigerians are idiots. We all say we have a country and it participates at World Events like FIFA WC, the UN, the African Union, OPEC, and even the Islamic Conference, and those representing us carry on as if we have a "serious" country.

So please, direct your comments at the poor structure we have back in Nigeria that began in 1960.

Dear Lord!

We don't have to criticize every thing_ Haba! Ah!

@Poster

Are you on expired crack cocain or just out of touch with reality? Nigeria and her thick lipped leaders should SHUT UP! NOW!

To all who are saying that the woman is an 1d1@t, I beg to differ.

Professor Joy Ogwu is the Nigerian Ambassador to the UN and She is the former Chair of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_Ogwu
As a member of the United Nations (UN) on Security Council, she is by the subject of discussion duly carrying out her role in the resolution of dispute/conflicts in the international community which is one of the main aims of the UN - World Peace.

For me, that woman is doing her scope of work in the UN, irrespective of which country she represents. It rather shows that we (Nigerians) still have hope of quality leaders with the likes of this woman, Nkozi Okonjo Iwealla, Dora Akunyili, et al (not Patricia Eteh, Ogbonaya Onovo, who've been given undeserved awards - https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-484133.0.html, etc), who can speak up in an international matter with positive reasoning and contribution to retain the integrity of this nation regardless of this country being labeled a 'failed state'.

If anything, blame your LGA Chairmen, Representatives of your senatorial districts and constituencies in the Senate and House of Rep (who fight daily and disgrace themselves and Nigeria in the National assembly for their pay cheques), some governors and their States House of Assembly counterparts who've failed to pass a vote on the amendment of the fine tuned 1999 constitution, the NPF, some Govt. parastatals, past leaders and those currently at the helm of power who cannot implement effective plans and procedures to ensure that we have good security measures in this Country. Ogwu is doing hers, let the above mentioned bodies/peeps do theirs. Nuff said

Nigeria has done it in SOUTH AFRICA, LIBERIA, SIERIA LONE, they can extend it to middle east. Nigeria is good outside bad at home.

Its only an irresponsible parent that mediates in outside quarrel while his children are tearing their eyes out at home.

This is just soooo funny . How come we cant seek to end our own crisis . I see someone has identified another avenue to embezzle money .
Plenty nonsense

Sweet T:

@Poster

Are you on expired crack cocain or just out of touch with reality? Nigeria and her thick lipped leaders should SHUT UP! NOW!

Taiye, ori e daru. Attack the message, not the messenger.

Are we this ignorant of global affairs? well not all NAIRALANDERS shaa. Lets rejoice cos our own is speaking for the whole World, my humble opinion.

Wetin konsine fish and raincoat