Angola

His Excellency Dennis Francis President of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, His Excellency António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Different Heads of State and Government, Heads of Delegation, Ladies and gentlemen,

It is with great honor that I take the floor in this August Assembly of the United Nations, in a context in which the world is facing a highly complex situation that requires our organization to strengthen its role and its capacities to formulate the most appropriate responses and thus be able to face the serious challenges facing the world.

Allow me on this occasion to congratulate His Excellency CSABA KOROSI for the brilliant way in which he conducted the previous session of the General Assembly and for the contributions he leaves us as a legacy so that the present session can take place in conditions that allow His Excellency Dennis Francis to conduct our work in accordance with the expectations of the Member States.

I wish him every success during his term as President of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

I would also like to express our appreciation to Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, for the tireless work he has been doing for peace and development in very challenging circumstances.

Excellencies,

I wasn't present at the General Assembly session in 2022, I didn't have the opportunity to express, on behalf of Angola and Angolans, our concerns and vision of the problems facing the world, which were aggravated by the outbreak of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine that same year.

Although great efforts have been made to create a more peaceful and prosperous world, we recognize that almost 78 years after the founding of our organization, it has not been possible to build a solid foundation of trust between nations in order to avoid the emergence of pockets of tension here and there, which degenerate into open conflicts in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and now in Europe, where it would be unlikely that a war of such large proportions, such as the one occurring at the moment, would resurface.

The management of interests at global level in terms of security, science and technology, as well as resources in general terms, of which I would highlight strategic raw materials and energy sources, still does not meet the interests and expectations of the different nations and peoples of our planet.

It is essential that we do everything in our power to continuously promote respect for and observance of the values set out in the United Nations Charter and international law, so that we can correct the dangerous trajectory that the world took after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

In dealing with contemporary problems in international relations, we stress the importance of objectively assessing the nature and origin of conflicts and the prospects for resolving them, always with respect for the universal rules governing relations between states.

Excellencies,

One cannot fail to recognize that the gap between developing and developed countries remains an unacceptable reality, because in many cases there is no real political will to overcome it, resulting in difficulties in accessing the financial and material resources needed to carry out development projects, as well as the constraints imposed on technology transfer, which are factors that slow down the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals set out in the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

I would like to welcome the Secretary-General's call for reform of the global financial architecture and for the SDGs to stimulate at least 500 billion dollars a year to tackle emerging challenges.

Because they are not adequately represented in a large part of the institutions of world governance, developing countries are not in a position to express their sensitivities and make their points of view heard at the appropriate level and thus contribute to the formulation of realistic solutions to their problems.

This situation generates anxiety and frustration among the most vulnerable populations who, by not having their expectations met, become easily permeable to negative influences that are dangerous to the order and stability of their respective countries.

Excellencies,

In recent decades, Africa has witnessed transformations that have galvanized changes with an impact on future generations. Many African countries have resolved conflicts, invested what they could in socio-economic development and promoted the education of their citizens, making them more informed and willing to contribute to the economic and social development of their countries.

Democratic transitions have become more regular and the institutions that are essential for consolidating democracy have become more active and therefore more capable of sustaining and solidifying the democratic achievements of our nations. This is a record that should be praised and we are convinced that everything must be done to prevent a return to the models that prevailed before the advent of democracy in Africa.

However, the lack of economic and social prospects in many of our countries creates fertile ground for subversion and the weakening of our continent's fledgling democracies.

It is therefore urgent and imperative that real support is given to development through financing on favorable terms for the construction of infrastructures for the production and distribution of electricity and drinking water, road and rail communication routes, basic sanitation, the construction of schools, hospitals and others, as well as direct private investment in African economies, so that Africa can make a greater contribution to the world economy.

In Africa, we have tried to find ways out of the current state of affairs, such as the initiative to create the African Continental Free Trade Area, which has more than a billion consumers and is therefore a platform for progress on the continent.

Africa's international partners should believe in and bet on our market because they will surely see a satisfactory return on their investments in the different sectors of our economies in which they decide to invest.

We want to meet the expectations of young Africans who are forced to try to make their dreams come true outside their continent in contexts that are almost always difficult to adapt to, in addition to the high risk to life that many of them face when making dangerous crossings of the Mediterranean.

Angola has taken on the role of promoting dialogue which, in our opinion, should not be limited to political and diplomatic spaces, but should also include a wide range of protagonists, including civil society organizations, companies and individuals, with a prominent place for young people, who are the real driving force behind the changes we are aiming for in order to guarantee the progress of our nations.

It was in this spirit that Angola decided to host the Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace in Africa, organized in partnership with the African Union and UNESCO, the third edition of which will be held in November this year in Luanda.

The Forum, also known as the "Luanda Biennial", is a privileged platform for exchange between different cultures, religions and social models, through interactive and constructive sessions to identify, promote and disseminate viable and inclusive models of peaceful conflict resolution on the African continent, and can serve as a potentially inspiring reference for other regions of the world.

Excellencies,

The Republic of Angola has sought to contribute its experience in terms of peace-building, harmony and national reconciliation to the resolution of conflicts on the African continent, with special emphasis on what is happening in the DRC, where we believe it will be possible to build a basis of trust between the belligerents, which will contribute to a relaxation of tension in the Great Lakes region and lead to the longed-for peace.

These efforts to contain the spread of terrorism and other destabilizing actions entail financial costs that our countries are not always able to bear and which can therefore jeopardize the success of the peacemaking operations that are being carried out and dash the hopes that are nurtured around these processes.

It is therefore essential that we reaffirm the need for adequate, sustainable and predictable funding for efforts in the fight against terrorism on the continent, which is why I believe it is appropriate to renew the call to the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, for the use of fixed contributions for peace support operations mandated by the African Union.

Until relatively recently, the SAHEL region was plagued only by the actions of terrorist groups reinforced by mercenaries for hire, who, having found a power vacuum in Libya, settled there and expanded into neighboring countries. To add to this already dangerous situation, a wave of unconstitutional changes of power led by the military emerged in more or less the same region.

We are increasingly convinced of the existence of an invisible hand interested in destabilizing our continent, only concerned with expanding its sphere of influence, which we know does not provide the necessary support for the economic and social development of African countries.

The international community is concerned not only about the situation in the SAHEL countries, in the Horn of Africa, in Mozambique and the DRC, but also about the conflict in Sudan, which, in addition to the high number of deaths, injuries and destruction of the country's infrastructure, has caused countless internally displaced people and refugees, and has already become one of the biggest humanitarian disasters the world has ever seen, the consequences of which are being felt by neighboring countries.

The world must not forget the suffering of the Palestinian people, let alone ignore the need to resolve the conflict in the Middle East, especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, whose formula of two states living side by side in a peaceful way has already been found by the United Nations for years without any progress, and only needs to be implemented.

In Europe, the war between Russia and Ukraine deserves our full attention and the urgent need to put an immediate end to it, given the levels of human and material destruction there, the risk of an escalation into a major conflict on a global scale and the impact of its harmful effects on energy and food security.

All the evidence tells us that it is unlikely that there will be winners and losers on the battlefield, which is why the parties involved should be encouraged to prioritize dialogue and diplomacy as soon as possible, to establish a ceasefire and to negotiate a lasting peace not only for the warring countries, but which will guarantee Europe's security and contribute to world peace and security.

Excellencies,

In the last three years, we have faced a major global challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has demonstrated the importance and strength of solidarity between nations as a basis for tackling and solving major global problems.

This example should serve as a paradigm for our behavior in facing other challenges, especially those relating to the fight against poverty and the disparities between developing and developed countries in the field of science and technology, which, as we all know, are important and indispensable factors in boosting the development and well-being of the peoples of our planet.

The coordination and articulation between all the world's nations, which has been the keynote in the process of combating COVID-19, has highlighted the central role of multilateral institutions. We therefore believe that pluralism in international relations is the main guarantee of the effectiveness of the actions we take to resolve the major issues affecting humanity today.

It is clear that, from the point of view of multilateralism, the United Nations needs to be empowered to play an effective role in fulfilling its duties, and that there is an urgent need to reform the Security Council so that it reflects the reality of the times, which is totally and profoundly different from that experienced immediately after the end of the Second World War.

The Republic of Angola therefore defends the need to review the representation of the different regions of the world on the Security Council. In this area, as far as the African continent is concerned, we defend the Ezulwini consensus and the Sirte Declaration, which establish the need for Africa to be granted permanent membership of the Security Council, with all the privileges inherent in that category.

Excellencies,

For decades, the United Nations has been dealing with a series of situations in which it has adopted a series of resolutions that are simply ignored and disrespected, without this producing any consequences for those involved.

I think we need to reflect together on the need to try to create mechanisms to strengthen the UN's authority, so that we don't discredit it or weaken its decisive role in building an effective world peace and security architecture, to which all the world's nations must feel bound with a strong sense of commitment, regardless of their economic and military power.

It is therefore appropriate to emphasize the importance of complying with the current resolutions on the embargo against Cuba and the decades-long conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine.

It is important to remember that in 2021, I took part in a Security Council meeting in this city to discuss the issue of lifting the arms embargo on the Central African Republic. Since then, there has been no progress on this issue, which seriously affects the exercise of a fundamental right of countries to have their own National Army to guarantee the defense of Independence, Sovereignty and the normal functioning of the country's institutions.

Once again, I would like to reiterate the relevance of putting this issue on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council, so that a decision can be taken that will allow the Central African Republic to fully fulfill its role as an independent and sovereign state, without having to resort to hiring foreign paramilitary forces for an indefinite period of time.

Excellencies.

The Republic of Angola is chairing the OEACP Summit of Heads of State and Government, which gives us the responsibility to address some aspects of this organization.

The negotiation of the partnership agreement between the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union has been successfully concluded, and the signing ceremony is expected to take place soon, thus marking a new phase in this cooperation adapted to the current reality and the aspirations of the member states of both organizations.

This important instrument, on which cooperation between the OEACP and the European Union will be based, lays the foundations for actions in a wide range of areas, with a particular focus on environmental sustainability and climate change, human and social development and migration and mobility.

As you know, the OEACP comprises 79 countries from three continents and three oceans, representing enormous potential for cooperation for those who establish partnerships in priority areas for the Member States, thus generating reciprocal benefits. I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to investors to look to the OEACP countries as a safe destination with important advantages for their business.

Excellencies,

I would also like to take this opportunity to speak briefly about the issue of climate change, which is currently a central concern for humanity, governments and societies in all our countries.

The international community must try to fulfill as far as possible the promises made at the last two COP meetings on climate finance, so that at the COP 28 summit to be held in the United Arab Emirates, this issue no longer takes up a significant part of the agenda, so that we can focus concretely on the need to urgently implement the measures to be taken to reduce polluting gases, reduce deforestation, reduce global warming and thus save our planet Earth while there is still time.

Allow me to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Angolan government and people, to express our deepest sympathy to the authorities and people of Morocco and Libya for the sudden loss of thousands of human lives and valuable national heritage as a result of natural disasters. We express our total solidarity with the families and loved ones who feel the pain of the irreparable loss of loved ones.

Thank you all very much!