Chad

Mr. President of the General Assembly; Ladies and Gentlemen Heads of State and Delegation; Mr. Secretary-General of the United Nations; Distinguished Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen.

1. Before anything else, on behalf of the President of the Republic of Chad, my delegation and myself, I wish to extend my warm congratulations to Mr. PHILEMON YANG on his brilliant election to the presidency of the 79th Session of the General Assembly. I wish him every success in his mission and assure him of the support of the Chadian delegation throughout his term.

2. I also wish to express our sincere thanks and warm congratulations to Mr. Dennis Francis, outgoing President of the General Assembly, for the excellent work accomplished during his term.

3. I would also like to convey my very high appreciation and full support to Mr. Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, for his leadership and commitment to a renewed United Nations capable of meeting the expectations of the peoples of the world.

Excellencies; Ladies and Gentlemen;

4. The theme of this session, "Unity in diversity, for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity everywhere and for everyone," resonates deeply with the aspirations and challenges we face in Chad, in Africa, and throughout the world.

5. The promotion of peace, sustainable development and human dignity must not remain a slogan or a rhetorical exercise. This session must spur us to act with determination and compassion to build together a just and peaceful world where every individual and every community can thrive in dignity.

6. As far as Chad, my country, is concerned, as with many countries in the Sahel, peace remains a crucial issue. Although we face challenges, it is essential to recognize the efforts made by our States in the face of terrorist groups—whose origins and resources remain obscure—that threaten our institutions, hinder our development efforts, and exacerbate the misery of our populations. The lack of genuine will on the part of the international community to eradicate the terrorist disaster in the Sahel risks placing the whole of Africa under the sway of terrorist groups.

7. We are convinced that firm engagement by the international community is necessary to address this challenge. Together, we must win this fight against terrorism by strengthening our cooperation to promote the stability of our continent and, in turn, that of the common destiny of humanity.

Excellencies; Ladies and Gentlemen;

8. By the 2030 deadline, we will together assess the United Nations agenda on sustainable development. Chad, like many African countries, finds itself at a crossroads where multiple challenges converge, notably climate change, which threatens our food security.

9. Prolonged droughts, desertification, and unpredictable floods are undermining our economies and vulnerable populations. We therefore call on the international community to honor its commitments regarding financing and climate justice, as well as the transfer of green technologies.

10. Chad, under the leadership of President MAHAMAT IDRISS DEBY ITNO, democratically elected on the basis of a structured and ambitious political program, and whom I have the distinct honor of representing at this 79th session, is working tirelessly to improve access to education, drinking water, energy, health care, and economic opportunities.

11. We must combat poverty and inequality, particularly gender-based inequality, by building a renewed global partnership that recognizes the specific needs of the least developed countries and that engages in full inclusion.

12. We call for equitable access to vaccines and advanced medical technologies, because health and education are the foundations of human dignity.

13. We are also determined to promote social inclusion, the empowerment of women and youth, and the protection of human rights. In this regard, the support of the international community is crucial.

Excellencies; Ladies and Gentlemen;

14. The future we are shaping today will determine the world we wish to leave to future generations.

15. In Chad, our youth, representing more than 65% of the population, is our greatest asset. We are investing in their education and their participation in political life to prevent their being exploited by radicalism and violent extremism.

16. Furthermore, we call on the United Nations to support an open labor market and to guarantee an environment conducive to the fulfillment of youth.

17. The migration of African youth is explained by the wide gap that separates our States, even though we share a common destiny.

Excellencies; Ladies and Gentlemen;

18. As part of our domestic policy, we are proud of our political transition, crowned by free, democratic, and transparent elections that confirmed the election of the President of the Republic, MAHAMAT IDRISS DEBY ITNO, to the highest office of our country for a five-year term, on May 6th of this year.

19. This turning point testifies to our commitment to a peaceful, democratic, and inclusive governance of the country, thereby strengthening our democracy.

Excellencies; Ladies and Gentlemen;

20. Climate change also represents a major global challenge, with devastating consequences in vulnerable regions such as the Sahel.

21. The recent floods in my country, affecting more than a million and a half people, illustrate this reality.

22. Given the scale of this situation, we appeal to international solidarity to address this emergency.

23. At the same time, our country hosts more than two million refugees, representing more than 15% of our population. This situation places a heavy burden on our resources and worsens the humanitarian emergency.

24. This figure is explained by a massive influx of Sudanese refugees, a consequence of the crisis in their country, in addition to hundreds of thousands of refugees from other neighboring countries.

25. We call for stronger solidarity from the international community to support refugees as well as host populations.

Excellencies; Ladies and Gentlemen;

26. The continuation of hostilities in Sudan prolongs the suffering of the Sudanese civilian population and worsens the humanitarian situation, both in the combat zones and in neighboring countries such as Chad, which continue to see new refugees arriving every day.

27. Chad deplores the fact that the numerous calls for a ceasefire are not being heeded by the warring parties. My country is deeply concerned by the continuation of the fighting in Sudan, which is worsening the deterioration of the humanitarian situation and its repercussions on neighboring countries, including Chad.

28. Chad reiterates, once again, its urgent appeal to the parties to the conflict to immediately cease hostilities and facilitate unhindered humanitarian access to the millions of victims of this fratricidal war, and to resume political dialogue.

29. Chad remains convinced that the current crisis in Sudan cannot be resolved by arms, but through peaceful means, via inter-Sudanese dialogue aimed at lasting peace.

30. Chad reaffirms, finally, its support for all ongoing initiatives to restore peace and stability in Sudan.

31. With regard to the Libyan crisis, we call on all parties to rise above their differences in order to break the political impasse in which the country finds itself.

Excellencies; Ladies and Gentlemen;

32. Conflicts are not limited to Africa alone.

33. The situation in Ukraine, like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, underscores the dangers of this unjustified violence, which claims so many innocent victims against a backdrop of increasingly acute geopolitical tensions.

34. With regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we firmly condemn the violence and abuses committed against innocent civilians and reaffirm our commitment to the two-State solution, as well as the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, while calling for a peaceful and negotiated solution to this conflict.

35. The world cannot remain indifferent, nor can it have a clear conscience, in the face of the unbearable images coming to us from the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian localities.

36. Furthermore, we also cannot ignore the embargo on Cuba, which harms its people and hinders its development.

37. Chad advocates for the lifting of this embargo and for the promotion of constructive dialogue.

Excellencies; Ladies and Gentlemen;

38. I reaffirm Chad's commitment to the common African position on Security Council reform, as expressed in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, and I appeal to the sense of justice and solidarity of all nations to accelerate this long-desired and long-awaited reform.

39. Africa is asking for nothing other than the redress of a flagrant injustice inflicted upon an entire continent of more than one billion souls, unjustly denied its rightful place in global governance.

Mr. President of the General Assembly; Excellencies; Ladies and Gentlemen;

40. The path toward a future of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity is fraught with obstacles, but it is our collective responsibility to forge it.

41. In conclusion, Chad reiterates its commitment to the ideals and founding principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and urges the international community to strengthen multilateralism in order to build a more peaceful, more just, more equitable, and more united world.

Thank you for your kind attention.