The Secretary-General of the United Nations said today that Cape Verde is an “admirable example of good governance” and sustainable development, but recognized that it is a victim of insularity and an unfair global order.
“The fundamental objective, for me, is to pay tribute to Cape Verde, a country that is an admirable example of good governance, of efforts towards sustainable development, and Cape Verde is a victim of being an island state and of a deeply unfair international order in terms of finance and trade”, said António Guterres at the end of a meeting with the President of the Republic of Cape Verde, José Maria Neves.
In statements to journalists, made only by the UN secretary general, Guterres said he wanted to “express the UN’s total solidarity with Cape Verde” and hoped “that the effort that the country has been doing in protecting the oceans, as a great maritime state, is successful and can be deeply rewarded by the international community”.
The former Portuguese prime minister was speaking at the end of the meeting with the local head of state, on the sidelines of the Ocean Race Summit, the largest and oldest regatta in the world, in its first passage through Cape Verde, and bringing together this morning in Mindelo, on the island of São Vicente, politicians, government officials, specialists and other personalities to address the future of the oceans.
On the occasion, Guterres took the opportunity to mark the centenary of Amílcar Cabral, saying: “for the UN, Amílcar Cabral is a fundamental reference, and as a Portuguese, I owe a debt of gratitude that I cannot forget in relation to Amílcar Cabral and his contribution, not only for the democratization of my own country and decolonization”.
Amílcar Cabral is considered one of the icons of the anti-colonial struggle in Africa, having imposed, as a military man, many difficulties on Portugal during the colonial war, ending up being assassinated on January 20, 1973, in Conakry, at the age of 49.
With information from RTP