UN General Assembly
2013

mainstay of our small economies. In order to address that challenge, agriculture and food security have to be given the necessary prominence in the envisaged development agenda. Similarly, sustainable mountain development should be our ideal. To a country such as Lesotho, with over 60 per cent of its land area covered by mountains, sustainable mountain development is imperative for the people to survive. Mountains are valuable water sources with rich biodiversity. As such, international support for conservation programmes and the protection of mountain ecosystems should be at the forefront of our plans. The state of peace and security in the world is gradually getting worse. The possession of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction remains the principal threat to the survival of humankind. The widespread sectarian strife in the Middle East and elsewhere and xenophobia are some of the great challenges to global peace. Sadly, discord remains among Member States on how to overcome those problems. Of particular concern to my delegation is the situation in Syria, which poses a serious and growing