President Mugabe's UNGA address spot on

President Robert Mugabe must be applauded for his recent address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 72nd session in New York, United States of America (US).

Among other issues, President Mugabe called for the US government to take the issue of climate change seriously and the need to be united in fighting against, this man-aided phenomenon.

President Mugabe highlighted that climate change is a present reality and so are its effects and impacts. He called for all the global leaders to focus their attention on the issue of climate change and find best possible solutions to counter it.

President Mugabe said, "Let's work together, climate change is real." He added, "The world demands, more not less, solidarity."

Therefore, it is imperative for world leaders to take President Mugabe's call on climate change sincerely. Climate change is already having a significant impact on ecosystems, economies and communities. Harsh weather patterns such as floods, drought and violent storms have been threatening the lives of many people across the globe. Whilst deliberating on his speech, President Mugabe sympathized with the people of Puerto Rico and other nations that have been experiencing such natural disasters.

As a Pan-Africanist who is recognised in his own country, African continent and world over, President Mugabe encouraged other nations to respect the provisions of United Nations so as to bring peace and development to the world. For developing countries to grow, peace should be a key factor that comes together with development and these two are co-joined and cannot be separated.

It is worth to note that, war, violence and high levels of crime, affect people in the world, hence destroying communities and undoing years of social and economic development. Countries in conflict face far higher levels of hunger and educational deficits.

To add on, whenever there is no peace in any nation, achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) becomes a major challenge, as conflict and violence are widely recognized as the number one obstacle to achieving them.

Economic development agendas that helps prevent conflict will free up resources to promote and enhance sustainable development. If there is free utilization of resources without any interference from hostile external forces, economic growth can be achieved.

In his UNGA speech, President Mugabe said, "We believe a different and better world is possible. In proposing and inviting us to focus on prevention, preventive diplomacy, peaceful resolution of conflicts, peace building and sustaining peace, the Secretary-General is pointing us in that desirable direction."

He also added that, "We must also seriously tackle the multi-faceted and complex root causes of conflict…" Borrowing from President Mugabe's sentiments, world leaders ought to find peaceful resolutions in curbing conflicts as people living in Western Sahara and Palestine are suffering from colonial suppression and foreign occupation in their nations.

Conflicts often cause injuries, disablement, displacement and death. They also intensify poverty to those who survives as they will be deprived of their livelihood and any chance of securing an income.

To help prevent conflicts, attention must also be given to the promotion of the rule of law, peace education, capacity building, interaction and dialogue among other factors.

 One school of thought believes that an end to fighting does not always mean a conflict has been completely resolved. The process that leads to a peace agreement represents the beginning of an even longer process of peace implementation and post-conflict reconciliation. Hence, all nations must be held accountable for resolving conflicts in good faith, especially for people living in Western Sahara, Palestine and other oppressed nations.

Even after peaceful resolutions have been reached, conflict's root causes may reappear and continue to fester and sometimes even reigniting the conflict. Therefore, the UN should encourage all countries to contribute significantly to peace building so that it is enjoyed by all nations.