General Assembly: Plenary

General Assembly: Plenary

Note: Full coverage of today's meetings of the General Assembly plenary will be available after their conclusion.

Statements

MOKGWEETSI ERIC KEABETSWE MASISI, President of Botswana, said Member States should look no further for solutions to global challenges than to already existing key multilateral frameworks. Among them are the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals therein, the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as the outcomes of the Organization's major meetings. Botswana is an upper-middle-income country, he said, adding that it is proud of this status given that when it attained its independence only 56 years ago it was among the poorest in the world. It was fortunate to discover what has turned out to be the largest diamond reserve across the Kimberley Belt. Noting that his country turned its discovery of diamonds into a story of development, he said: "Botswana would not have been able to realize its development had it not held onto its belief in the principles of democracy centred on the rule of law, good governance and the protection and enjoyment of basic human rights by its people."

However, Botswana is facing an uphill battle to attract investors to diversify its economy away from a dependence on diamonds, he said, pointing out that that resource is still the bedrock of its economy. He voiced support for the Secretary-General's call for a world in which power, wealth and opportunity were shared more broadly and fairly at the international level. His country advocates for the Kimberley Process, he said, highlighting that: "Botswana's story is unquestionable proof and living testimony that diamonds with good governance are for development." Diamonds are a serious matter of livelihoods, he added, noting that later today his delegation is hosting a side event on diamonds for development. It aims to further broaden conversations with partners including the United Nations, Governments, civil society and the private sector, to ensure that Botswana would also be part of the United Nations family espoused around shared power, wealth and opportunity as it endeavours to realize the 2030 Agenda.

Many countries in the Global South, especially in Africa, have not met the World Health Organization's (WHO) 70 per cent vaccination rate by mid-2022, he pointed out, stressing the urgent need for vaccine equity. Vaccine hesitancy must also be addressed by countering misinformation and raising awareness of the science, safety and effectiveness of vaccines. As his country has procured enough vaccines to administer to all eligible groups, 60 per cent of its population is now fully vaccinated. Moreover, his Government has approved the manufacturing of the patent-free COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax. Noting that construction of a vaccine manufacturing plant has already commenced, he said the facility would produce cancer treatment and next-generation cell-based immunotherapy. The initiative is being undertaken in partnership with NantWorks, the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and the Baylor College of Medicine, he said, noting that the partnership will enhance Botswana's capacity in human vaccine production, contribute to its goal of building a knowledge-based economy and help in preparation for future pandemics.

He went on to say that Botswana's recovery plan includes strengthening its protection system to ensure the inclusion of vulnerable groups and persons living with disabilities. As adequate financing is needed to achieve sustainable development, the effective mobilization of domestic and international financial resources, as well as their prudent use, are imperative. He called on development partners to scale up and fulfil their official development assistance (ODA) commitments. His Government is accelerating digitization in the delivery of services and the country's people are demonstrating conceptual agility to do things differently. He expressed solidarity with fellow Member States in special situations. He called for the removal of unilateral coercive measures targeting Zimbabwe, voicing concern that such actions were not advancing its people's livelihoods, nor the cause of the Sustainable Development Goals. Turning to the climate crisis, he said his country remains committed to its target of a 15 per cent carbon emissions reduction by 2030 indicated in its nationally determined contribution.

MOHAMED BAZOUM, President of Niger, stated that due to climate change the African continent is being exposed to worsening food insecurity, displacement of populations, recurring droughts and pressures on water resources. He welcomed that the international community has recognized that the upcoming Conference of the Parties will be a unique opportunity to redress this imbalance. In this regard, he expressed his country's commitment to the proposal brought forth by African negotiators towards a new goal of allocating $1.3 billion by 2025 to face climate change in the Sahel.

Turning to security issues, he mentioned that the situation in the Sahel has worsened in recent years. Since the fall in 2011 of the Libyan regime, he continued, the State has never been able to exercise authority through a stable Government. The south of Libya has become a platform for transnational organized crime, and "we see a blossoming of trafficking in arms, drugs, fuels and migrants," he noted. He also stated that Mali has never been able to recover from the violence coming from Libya, and in turn has become a breeding ground for terrorism.

The Sahel has been deeply affected by climate change, he continued, threatening the practice of industrial farming in the region. Many young shepherds have turned to terrorism. He emphasized that violence has led to the recent fall of democratically elected Governments in Mali and Burkina Faso. His country also faces another terrorist threat around the Lake Chad Basin, where groups belonging to the Boko Haram operate. In that context, he stressed that his country's experience of organizing transparent elections and handing over power in a democratic fashion has shown that "the best way to ward off the effects of terrorist violence is to strengthen the democratic system, and nothing else." He went on to thank France, the United States and Germany for their support towards his country's fight against terrorism. Meanwhile, he stressed that the commitment of the international community to fight terrorism in the Sahel still shows "great gaps". He emphasized that it is high time that the great Powers in the region, as well as the international community, worked together towards effective actions in fighting drug- and arms-trafficking in the Sahel.

He went on to emphasize that demography, insecurity and terrorism are closely linked in his country. Highlighting that Niger sees an annual population growth rate of 3.9 per cent, an average fertility rate of seven children per woman, and the first pregnancy for around half of the girls happening before the age of 15, he stressed that his country is committed to improve access to education as well as its quality, which in turn slows down the rate of population growth. Becoming emotional and speaking about terrorist violence will not be enough. "We have to act by investing in the resources that we need in education in order to fight the violence of today and prevent the violence of tomorrow," he said.

ADAMA BARROW , President of Gambia, said that the current cost-of-living crisis around the world requires an immediate global response to alleviate the suffering. He welcomed the establishment of the Global Crisis Response Group, expressing hope in concrete action-oriented recommendations and solutions. Amid current socioeconomic challenges, such as a decrease in its tourism sector, heightened inflation and food and energy insecurity, and only modest economic growth, Gambia is developing its National Development Plan 2022-2026. The new plan will advance the pursuit of national priorities, including the Sustainable Development Goals and the Agenda 2063 of the African Union.

Despite its size and economic status, Gambia is at the forefront of fighting climate change through ambitious national action plans. "As a continent, our collective goal is to have a peaceful Africa where the people enjoy the dividends of peace, stability and prosperity," he said. Africa must be provided with adequate equipment and the means to fully play its peace enforcement role on behalf of the international community. As a longstanding troop- and police-contributing country, it will continue to support the Secretary-General's Action for Peacekeeping initiative. He went on to emphasize the importance of addressing the frequency in deadly attacks against peacekeepers by giving those missions realistic mandates.

The complexity of the challenges in the Sahel requires forward-looking solutions, he continued. Contending parties on the ground in Libya will enable its people to live and coexist in peace. He reaffirmed his country's strong support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative, which "serves as a realistic compromise in accordance with the United Nations resolutions". Underscoring that developments in the Horn of Africa continue to be a source of serious concern, he called on the leaders of the region and the international community to explore new options to restore peace in the area. Turning to other regions, he called for ending the longstanding embargo imposed on Cuba by the United States, and also for the revival of the Arab Peace Initiative, emphasizing that the Palestinians deserve a State of their own. Speaking on the "plight of the Rohingya", he said that it remains a matter of grave concern and called on the Government of Myanmar to comply with the rulings of the International Court of Justice and end all human rights violations against the Rohingya. He reiterated that his country considers Taiwan as part of China and advocated for the adoption of the One China Policy.

He underscored that the cost-of-living crisis, "biting" inflation and food and energy insecurity continue to devastate economies and frustrate pandemic recovery efforts in Africa and elsewhere. He said that the debt burden has reached crisis levels and called for general debt relief. "We implore Russia and Ukraine to heed the global plea for political dialogue and end the war," he said. "Africa is simply asking for global peace and friendly relations. Our survival and progress depend on global peace and stability," he added.

Statement by Yemen to come.

TANETI MAAMAU, President of Kiribati, welcomed the recent establishment of the Organization's multi-country office for the Northern Pacific region, describing it as a "symbolic notion of bringing the United Nations closer for effective and tailored delivery of United Nations services". He also thanked the countries that have pledged support for and made contributions towards the two initiatives that his country had proposed in relation to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons: establishing a voluntary trust fund to assist those affected by nuclear testing and creating a scientific advisory body to help provide the science needed to address health and environmental problems arising from nuclear tests. "Humanity should be free now and forever from the tests and use of nuclear weapons," he added.

He went on to state that a cloud of uncertainty and fear continued to loom over humanity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and the war in Ukraine. On the pandemic, he stressed that solidarity had underscored the sustainability of science and its advances, as shown through the production of vaccines, which have saved millions of lives. However, he continued, that solidarity was still lacking for climate action, which continued to be the "stumbling block" to address the global climate change emergency. The targets agreed upon in the Paris Agreement continued to remain "out of reach". The war in Ukraine had added to the despair and uncertainty through the unnecessary loss of lives, scarcity of food grains and increases in food and fuel prices, he added.

He emphasized that these challenges, along with many others that have caused much human suffering in the past seven decades, had been "curated" by people in positions of power and influence. "Broken humanity cannot be fixed by wonderful speeches, meetings, resolutions, nor international instruments, but an interplay of greater compassion and solidarity," he continued, adding that the escalating geostrategic competitions meant that regionalism and solidarity were at risk of being used to serve specific national interests.

Furthermore, he underscored that his country's efforts to prepare for its graduation from the least developed country status, as recommended by the Organization, were being "scrutinized". Though Kiribati had been committed to driving its development agenda and ensuring sustainability, it had continued to be "oppressed by neo-colonial thinking that does not take into account our needs, our priorities and our national context". He continued to state that a system of "global thinking" remained steeped with legacies of environmental destruction that his country's peoples had inherited, as in the case of the mining of Banaba Island. He called on the international community to work together to ensure that the solutions and actions to correct such legacies work hand in hand with those for today's interlocking challenges.

EMMERSON DAMBUDZO MNANGAGWA, President of Zimbabwe, said that, despite all the illegal economic sanctions against his country, it has successfully implemented a COVID-19 national response strategy. Furthermore, it has made significant strides towards ending poverty and hunger, implementing various policies and programmes to support and empower communal and small-scale farmers, which contributed to household and national food and nutrition security. Noting that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement "should remain the primary platforms for negotiating collective global response to climate change", he expressed concern about inadequate financing for those initiatives, which leaves the scope for effective and just transition to renewable energy among developing countries under serious threat. He hoped that the upcoming 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference would deliver more concrete action on adaptation, loss and damage, climate specific finance, technology transfer and capacity-building. "Zimbabwe is making concerted and deliberate efforts to integrate climate action into national policies," he said.

Zimbabwe is implementing an ambitious programme to increase its number of dams for irrigation, designed to create greenbelts across the country to reduce dependence on rain-fed agricultural activities and increase its export-led production and productivity, he continued. In addition, the country's comprehensive Agriculture Transformation Strategy has increased production and productivity across its agriculture sector. That has resulted in his country being self-sufficient in its wheat production as well as allowing it to export its horticulture. The "Zimbabwe is open for business mantra", he said, "has fostered strong partnership between the Government and the private sector for inclusive and sustainable development". Massive infrastructure development projects, such as dams, energy plants and roads, have broadened its national economic asset base and enhanced regional connectivity and integration.

An increasingly unsustainable debt burden, the prohibitive cost of borrowing, illicit financial flows, and the exploitation of natural resources from developing States "have all combined to relegate developing countries to the periphery of the global financial system", he said. Accordingly, he called for a just and more inclusive global financial system responsive to those challenges. Underscoring that the international trade architecture under the World Trade Organization (WTO) remained indifferent to the needs of developing countries, he highlighted the role the African Continental Free Trade Area played in stimulating the continent's economic growth and development. He further on called for the liberalization of services and strengthening of competition policies and intellectual property rights, along with the adoption of digital trade.

"More work needs to be done globally to close the gender gap," he said, underscoring that proportional representation for women in Parliament is enshrined in Zimbabwe's Constitution. To further strengthen participatory democracy and good governance, the Government introduced a 30 per cent quota for women in local authorities. Zimbabwe is modernizing, industrializing based on local resources and its human capital base, as it also continues to entrench democracy, good governance and the rule of law. Despite this success, the ongoing effects of illegal sanctions continue to hamper the country's progress, including being able to realize sustainable and inclusive development. Zimbabwe's engagement and re-engagement policy underpins the principles of mutual understanding and respect, he said, noting his country's desire to be "a friend to all and an enemy to none".

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