Roundup: African leaders voice collective demand for more space of development at UN session

by Xinhua writers Xia Lin, Gao Shan
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) — African heads of state and government on Wednesday addressed the General Debate of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, expressing a common wish that their countries proceed faster and safer along the paths of sound development while expecting the world body to spare no effort to help them overcome current obstacles and better prepare for the future.

DETERMINATION
Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo said that “Africa is not a continent of despair. She is full of great possibilities. She is required, however, to chart a new course of development. Our young population is filled with energy, creativity and ambition … The people of Africa are not asking for handouts — they are demanding opportunities in a new global architecture so they can have access to education, healthcare and jobs, to be able to build better lives for themselves, their families and their descendants.”
“It is impossible to address the challenges of today without speaking of the contradictions that exist within this global institution,” he noted. “African nations must take ownership of their security, and the African Union needs to strengthen itself to be able to respond swiftly to threats,” the president said.
Liberian President Joseph Boakai said that innate greed, insensitivity to the poor, the international drug epidemic, money laundering, dynamics of climate change and the impact of social media “must compel us to rethink our approach to global peace and security.”
“Our vulnerabilities are evident, and we need to use our collective knowledge to find solutions that will preserve the planet for future generations,” the president said.
“The threat of conflicts to our shared world underscores the importance of collaborative efforts to foster regional and global stability and peace,” he noted, adding that the member countries must support all the UN’s efforts to address peace and security issues worldwide. “Liberia is concerned about the escalating security challenges in the West African region, including terrorism and economic and political instability.”
With the recognition and the urgency for profound global transformation as the core of the Pact for the Future which was passed on Sunday at the Summit of the Future, the world body’s member states strive to rebuild trust in multilateralism with a legitimate demand to be recognized as equal partners, said President of Namibia Nangolo Mbumba. Such partners mean those who can be trusted in the fight against war, poverty, global injustice and inequality.
The theme for this General Debate — “Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for present and future generations” — “aligns perfectly with our shared aspirations for effective international cooperation,” he noted. “Namibia is working to develop a sustainable energy mix to support its ambitious industrialization agenda and to contribute to the world’s efforts to combat climate change.”

ACHIEVEMENTS
As an ocean nation heavily dependent on marine resources, Cabo Verde in the ocean decade focuses on local and global actions to promote sustainable ocean management, said José Maria Pereira Neves, president of Cabo Verde, adding that “we have been focused on the importance of sustainable ocean management, particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that are very vulnerable to climate change, and the degradation of marine ecosystems.”
For three consecutive years, the country has hosted international ocean conferences to foster partnerships between governments, the private sector, scientists, and civil society to advance ocean science and create innovative solutions to ocean challenges. It is important to bring together key stakeholders in order to boost collaborative solutions for the oceans, help develop research capacities to study the impact of climate change and ocean acidification, and promote knowledge sharing and technology transfer to improve ocean monitoring and observation systems, he noted.
The African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) has made significant progress in a very difficult world environment, and endeavored to garner support to replenish the Global Fund, said Umaro Sissoco Embaló, president of Guinea-Bissau. “We worked with the private sector to promote the production of drugs and nets to combat malaria,” said Embaló, also serving as ALMA President.
“We encouraged the transfer of technologies to African companies. We launched End Malaria Councils and Funds and supported youth movements against malaria,” he said. Despite all the progress achieved, challenges persist. “Global warming and rains associated with climate change are expanding the geographic reach of mosquitos, thus exposing more than 170 million people to the threat of malaria in the African continent,” he noted.
The international community cannot hope to advance sustainable development when some race ahead while others are left to struggle. In other words, no one should be left behind, said Seychelles’ President Wavel Ramkalawan. “Words are nothing without deeds and we have to act urgently, in unity, to make the necessary transition to a more sustainable future.”
Except for combating climate change and military expenditure rise, “it is time to move beyond discussion and implement real reforms in the international financial system to address the preclusion of some vulnerable countries, regardless of income status, from opportunities to meet development needs,” he said. “The multilateral system remains our best hope for addressing the challenges we face.”

WISH AND CAUTION
Philemon Yang, president of the 79th Session of the UNGA, told the opening of the General Debate on Tuesday that “this will be a priority for my presidency. Africa is one of the priorities of the United Nations. We must support Africa.”
The African Union’s Agenda 2063 presents a bold and transformative vision for the continent. Africa currently has the youngest population in the world. And by 2063, one in four people will be African. The generation of resources for the wellbeing of these people has been much slower than the population growth.
“We must not let Africa’s potential to go unrealized. In fact, to truly unlock Africa’s vast potential, we must actively cultivate global partnerships that align with the continent’s aspirations and drive its success. In this endeavor, I look forward to working with all Member States of the United Nations this year on keeping Africa at the heart of our agenda,” he noted.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, sensitive to the global changes, warned to the assembly that “a powder keg risks engulfing the world,” while urging country leaders, including those from Africa, to come together to find solutions.
Remarking against a cascade of crises and conflicts, he said that “our world in a whirlwind. We are edging towards the unimaginable … We see this age of impunity everywhere — in the Middle East, in the heart of Europe, in the Horn of Africa, and beyond.” He drew comparisons between the Cold War and current conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and Myanmar, saying that they all lacked guardrails and red lines.
Calling the current state of the world “unsustainable,” Guterres said that “we can’t go on like this,” but he also expressed hope, telling world leaders that “the challenges we face are solvable.”
The only path forward requires action, like overhauling international institutions such as the Security Council and the World Bank to better reflect the realities and needs of today’s world, and for countries to come together and cooperate around a common purpose, he said. “It is in all our interests to manage the epic transformations underway, to choose the future we want and guide our world toward it.” ■