Cote d'Ivoire

Mr. President of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly;

Ladies and Gentlemen Heads of State and Government;

Mr. Secretary-General of the United Nations;

Ladies and Gentlemen;

On behalf of His Excellency Mr. Alassane OUATTARA, President of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, I would like to extend to you our warm congratulations for the quality and depth of the debates of this session and for the remarkable success of the Summit of the Future.

Our general debate is taking place in a global context that is worrying from a security, economic, and political standpoint, calling on our Nations for a collective awakening. It is in this perspective that my country welcomes the pertinent choice of theme for this session, which invites our States to look in the same direction, in order to build a safer and more united world.

The world is at a crossroads, geopolitical tensions are multiplying and fueling the escalation of several armed conflicts. Violent confrontations in sensitive regions are pushing them to the brink of widespread conflagration. This situation of insecurity and setback for peace is aggravated by terrorism raging in regions such as the Sahel. These conflicts are gradually destroying years of progress and development for the populations concerned.

This is the place, for my country, to call for the mobilization of the international community on behalf of the populations of the Sahel, who are paying a heavy price in the war against terrorist groups.

True to its values and its tradition of hospitality, Côte d'Ivoire is hosting, under the best possible conditions, several thousand nationals of neighboring Sahelian countries fleeing the violence of armed groups. Beyond the Sahel, it is today the whole of West Africa that is threatened with collapse.

This trend could spread beyond the African continent if no effective measures are taken. For its part, Côte d'Ivoire is making available to all countries the International Academy for the Fight against Terrorism in Jacqueville, in order to help them strengthen their capacities in combating terrorism in all its forms.

Mr. President,

The progress achieved by our countries in terms of development and human security is today being weakened by the effects of climate change, which accentuate inequalities and poverty, and cause the forced displacement of millions of people each year.

The relentless increase in the number of climate refugees constitutes a tragedy of our time that concerns us all.

In this context, Côte d'Ivoire calls on the United Nations and all partners to increase and intensify their emergency humanitarian assistance intended for these severely affected populations.

But we must go further on the climate issue, and resolutely implement the measures that will allow us to reverse, in the short term, the dangerous curve of global warming and its consequences on our societies.

To this end, Côte d'Ivoire reiterates its call to developed countries to honor their commitments regarding climate financing and support for the energy transition. The "Loss and Damage" Fund must be replenished quickly and used to relieve populations in climate distress.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In addition to facing security and climate challenges, the world is marked by a technological revolution for which few countries are prepared. Artificial Intelligence holds promise for our societies, but it can also represent numerous threats and abuses, due to the absence of international regulation governing its use.

We must therefore ensure that this revolution does not further widen inequalities, and does not lead to the digital downgrading of a part of humanity, but rather that it serves progress and the well-being of all.

This is why my country welcomes the adoption of the Global Digital Compact, which should allow for better use of this technological advance in the service of the progress of all nations.

Mr. President,

Clearly, no country can, on its own, enable the world to overcome the global challenges that undermine the foundations of peace and security, as well as the social progress achieved over recent decades.

Faced with this observation, our collective action must be resolutely rooted in the unique multilateral framework of the United Nations.

The world truly needs a dynamic and effective United Nations Organization, representative of the diversity of peoples, and grounded in the consensus of Nations that underpins its legitimacy.

In this context, the United Nations inherited from the 20th century must be reformed in depth, in order to fully play its role in today's multipolar world. The Security Council, in particular, must open up to Africa in all categories of membership in order to reflect this reality.

It is on this condition that our world Organization will truly be able to contribute to the lasting resolution of conflicts, based on respect for international law, which remains its foundation.

The same applies to the fight against global warming, which depends on the capacity of our common Organization to mobilize Member States around this priority, and to lead them to honor the commitments made in this regard.

The reform of global governance must also extend to multilateral financial institutions, so that they provide greater support to the financing efforts for the Sustainable Development Goals of developing countries, while also addressing the debt issue. These institutions must be more inclusive in their operating and decision-making methods.

These profound transformations are inevitable and must be accelerated, so that institutions truly serve all our countries, serve our fight against poverty, and serve development.

I wish to commend here the Secretary-General of the United Nations for his courageous initiatives in preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, but also for his commitment to the reform of global financial governance.

We collectively have the tools to meet the challenges disrupting the world, and to give our youth and women the means to flourish and to contribute, more than in the past, to the development of our countries.

The future of Africa lies in its youth, and we have an obligation to build for them competitive education and training systems, and democratic institutions that protect their freedoms.

Mr. President,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

My country firmly believes in the virtues of multilateralism, which we place at the heart of our interactions with other nations. It is in this way that together, our States will be able to overcome major divisions, build consensus on difficult issues, and advance global solutions to major world challenges.

It is this vision that determines our actions and our contribution to regional community building, as well as our commitment alongside other countries, to the building of a peaceful, united, and prosperous world, for the benefit of present and future generations.

Thank you.