Cote d'Ivoire

Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis, President of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly; Excellencies, Heads of State and Government; Excellency Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations; Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen; Honourable Delegates;

Mr. President,

Representing at this podium the President of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, H.E. Mr. Alassane OUATTARA, I would like to convey to you his warm and cordial greetings, to which I add my own.

I would also like, on behalf of President Alassane OUATTARA, to extend our warm congratulations to you, Mr. President of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, not only on your election but also on the effective conduct of our proceedings.

To the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. António GUTERRES, I would like to renew Côte d'Ivoire's appreciation and the full support of the Ivorian Government for his various initiatives aimed at making the UN, more than ever, "a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations."

Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our session is being held in a context of great uncertainty for our planet and for our States, confronted with crises of great magnitude. This situation significantly hinders the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and limits our capacity to collectively address these challenges.

At this time of stocktaking, we must face the evidence that the resources expected for the financing of this important agenda are lacking, particularly for developing countries. In light of this observation, we must act quickly and demonstrate solidarity, so that the financing of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) may be sustainable and predictable. The noble ambition of the 2030 Agenda cannot continue to be held hostage to security expenditures that increase, year after year, throughout the world.

This is why my delegation welcomes the relevance of the theme of this 78th session of the General Assembly, which calls upon us for greater commitment and effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. To this end, we must, without delay, reduce the cost of conflicts that undermine the development of our countries, by prioritizing conflict prevention and mechanisms for their peaceful resolution.

At the same time, our governments must strengthen the resilience of our economies, so that they may contribute to the financing of the SDGs. It is with this in mind that Côte d'Ivoire welcomes, with particular interest, the Secretary-General's proposal for a New Agenda for Peace, intended to rethink our priorities regarding the preservation and consolidation of our collective security.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is time for the international community to mobilize and act, so that the parties to the conflict in Ukraine and all of their external partners commit to the path of a political settlement of this war. Beyond the risk of escalating violence and human rights violations, this conflict is fueling global inflation, generating shortages of essential food supplies, and threatening to plunge millions of people into famine. Given its scope, its consequences, and the financial flows it mobilizes, the war in Ukraine deals a definite blow to the financing of the SDG Agenda.

My country also calls on the international community to stand alongside Africa in the fight against armed terrorist groups, which are destabilizing entire regions of the continent, from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa. The fight against terrorism is costly for African countries, and particularly for Côte d'Ivoire, which, in addition, hosts on its soil thousands of refugees from neighbouring countries in crisis. These substantial financial resources will certainly be lacking for the financing of priority expenditures and the SDGs. Wherever they operate, armed terrorist groups wipe out decades of progress in the essential sectors of education, health, culture, and labour. Worse still, they deny women and minorities their fundamental rights, and reject any notion of freedom and democracy.

It is with this in mind that my country invites the United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, to examine the modalities for financing the priority counter-terrorism action plan, adopted by ECOWAS in 2019, which has yet to be implemented.

For its part, Côte d'Ivoire ensures the effective operation of the International Academy for the Fight against Terrorism in Jacqueville, created in collaboration with and with the support of bilateral and multilateral partners, which already enjoys an excellent reputation.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Climate disruption remains a full-blown reality, and strongly impacts our economies and our capacity to meet the challenge of financing development. Developing countries, such as Côte d'Ivoire, which contribute to it only marginally, are disproportionately affected and pay the heaviest price for it.

Given its agricultural vocation, my country intends to strengthen the fight against the effects of climate change in order to improve the resilience of its population; this involves, first, improving the sustainable management of natural resources and biodiversity, and second, encouraging the population to develop civic awareness regarding environmental preservation and the promotion of sustainable development.

To this end, we urge the partners who committed alongside us at COP15, held in Abidjan in May 2023, to continue their support for the implementation of the Abidjan Initiative, also known as the Abidjan Legacy Program.

This flagship initiative on land restoration, biodiversity preservation, and the development of responsible agriculture represents an opportunity to be seized for current and future generations.

In light of current challenges, bilateral and multilateral partners must honour their financial commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement (COP21), and also facilitate the entry into force of the Loss and Damage Fund, created at COP27 in Egypt.

Côte d'Ivoire welcomes the success of the Africa Climate Summit, held in Nairobi on 5 and 6 September 2023, and the exceptional mobilization of the continent to make its voice heard at the upcoming COP28 in Dubai.

This is the place to invite the international community to support the Nairobi recommendations on climate, particularly with regard to increasing renewable energy production capacity on the continent. The proliferation and succession of violent climate events observed in recent years are causing significant material destruction and tragic loss of life everywhere. This devastation, the price of our climate inaction, is erasing the progress made towards achieving the SDGs, particularly by the countries most vulnerable to global warming. This shows how much the fight against global warming will require greater solidarity and more resources dedicated to financing the SDGs, as well as the adaptation of our economies and societies.

Mr. President,

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the fragility of our health systems and slowed, among other things, the pace of economic growth on the African continent. Above all, it reminded us of the importance of building genuine international solidarity to address the multifaceted threats to which Humanity remains exposed.

The effects of this pandemic continue to weigh on our economies and on our capacity to meet pressing social demands. We must draw all the lessons from a peril that could once again threaten the entire world.

This is why my delegation welcomes the holding, during the present session, of high-level meetings on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, the fight against tuberculosis, as well as universal health coverage.

Regarding universal health coverage, I would like to recall that my country has established a scheme called Universal Health Coverage, which came into force in October 2019. I hope that the sharing of experiences during this session will provide opportunities for strengthening our health coverage systems.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Under the leadership of the President of the Republic, Côte d'Ivoire is consolidating its democratic progress. This is evidenced in particular by the smooth conduct of the recent municipal, regional, and senatorial elections, which we have just held on 2 and 16 September 2023, respectively.

These elections saw the participation of all the country's major political parties and were conducted transparently and in a peaceful climate, thus demonstrating the political maturity of the Ivorian people.

The stability, peace, and democracy that prevail in Côte d'Ivoire allow the President of the Republic, H.E. Mr. Alassane OUATTARA, to continue his work of transforming and modernizing his country. The tremendous progress made by Côte d'Ivoire in all sectors has fostered significant advances in the implementation of the SDGs.

The solidity of the Ivorian economy has made it possible to considerably reduce the poverty rate, which currently stands at 36.5%, compared to 56% in 2011. This rate is expected to decrease further, reaching 20% by 2030. At the same time, since 2015, an ambitious Productive Social Safety Nets program has been assisting the most disadvantaged households.

In this same spirit, the government has adopted an ambitious social program, the PS-Gouv, which helps combat social vulnerabilities. This government policy, along with successive national development plans, has helped improve the status of the SDGs in Côte d'Ivoire. However, this social progress is severely undermined by the massive influx of refugees from neighbouring countries affected by terrorism.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We all share the same observation: our States are far from being in a position to achieve the SDGs by the 2030 deadline. The financing of our development agenda reminds us of the urgent need to situate our action within the framework of multilateralism, which is entirely suited to addressing the global challenges of the moment. It also calls upon us to recognize the need to reform global governance at all levels, and to rediscover the spirit of solidarity among nations — a principle dear to H.E. President Alassane OUATTARA, and one to which the Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, also invited us in his opening address.

Thank you.