Djibouti

Excellency Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like first of all to reiterate my warmest congratulations on your election to lead the General Assembly and to express our deep gratitude to your predecessor for the work accomplished.

We meet at a time when the consequences of multiple crises—security, economic and climate-related—continue to strike our countries. Poverty persists and worsens in certain parts of the world, ecological disasters proliferate, leaving countless victims in their wake.

We reiterate our condolences to the governments and brotherly peoples of the Kingdom of Morocco and of Libya, and reaffirm to them our full solidarity.

Technological innovations, even as we recognize the promise they hold, legitimately generate fears regarding the destructive uses to which they may be put.

All these challenges, if we are to meet them together, require greater trust, greater international cooperation, greater solidarity.

The theme chosen for this 78th session, "Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all," while noble, requires us to tacitly acknowledge that the trajectory we appear to have taken is in fact the reverse.

The deficit of trust and mutual suspicion are omnipresent and negatively affect international cooperation. Against the inclusive and integrated multilateralism that the Secretary-General has called for stands a logic of clubs and groups—what one analyst has called "minilateralism." This erosion of trust is not sudden.

It is the result of a slow deterioration due, on the one hand, to the relentless resistance to change of the global institutions born at the end of the Second World War, to a widening and entrenched inequality, and to the heightened geopolitical competition of recent years.

However, in our view, this is not irreversible. It is therefore imperative that we invest massively in multilateral efforts to strengthen trust and solidarity among States. At the heart of this effort, for us, lies the United Nations.

Together, let us imagine a multilateral system that takes into account the geopolitical realities of the moment, including the proliferation of these groups—not within a framework of institutional competition, but of reinforced complementarity and close coordination, in which all, without reservation or hesitation, commit to renewing strong and unbreakable bonds of solidarity. We must relearn to trust one another.

We must build a reformed, just and representative multilateral system in which all find their place, the powerful and the less powerful alike.

Together we must be able to send an unequivocal message, free of doubt, that we are determined to build a robust organization capable of responding credibly to the titanic challenges of the moment.

Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, Excellencies,

Urgency must guide our action! The delay in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals is damning for the credibility of the system. We are only halfway there, and far from the targets. According to some estimates, if the pace remains the same and funding levels stay unchanged, it would take another 63 years to achieve them.

Nearly a decade has passed since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.

Numerous commitments have been made since then, but unfortunately we find ourselves in a situation where our countries are in even greater need now than during the past decade.

In this regard, the IMF has stated that a third of the global economy will be in recession in 2023, and, for the first time, UNDP has also found that the Human Development Index is declining in nine out of ten countries.

In this respect, our country remains fully and constructively engaged in the intergovernmental negotiations of the Summit of the Future, which should accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Furthermore, it is important to underscore the crucial importance of reforming the international financial architecture and of putting in place measures that go beyond GDP, so that we may close the development financing gap.

The growing debt vulnerability of developing countries also requires urgent additional measures to reform the international debt architecture. Indeed, the high cost of borrowing, combined with declining public revenues, prevents developing countries and least developed countries from investing in the SDGs and also increases the risk of debt default.

We must remobilize further to achieve our goals by 2030. This plan represents humanity's hope: we cannot give in to the temptation of abandonment. We are aware that the difficulties are real; they are not, however, insurmountable!

The means to achieve this are clearly set out in the Secretary-General's SDG Stimulus package.

The urgent actions identified therein—namely, improving debt sustainability; reforms of multilateral development banks, whose support is crucial to increasing financing for the Sustainable Development Goals; strengthening the global financial safety net; reducing systemic risks to financial stability; the international monetary system; and strengthening global governance and policy coherence—constitute the foundations of a rescue plan for the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Secretary-General's rescue plan, if it has not been sufficiently heeded until now, must be given greater consideration in discussions surrounding a possible reform of the international financial architecture. In this regard, we are encouraged by the statements of support we have heard during the general debate.

The reform of the international financial architecture, particularly of the IMF and the World Bank, cannot wait. We must strengthen the participation of developing countries in international economic decision-making and in the establishment of new norms, so that we can adapt to changes in the global economy.

Together we must accelerate the "Bretton Woods moment" to which the Secretary-General referred. Dialogue must intensify around the reform of the international financial architecture between the multilateral financial institutions and the United Nations, of course while respecting the mandate of each organization.

Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General,

Despite the global economic deterioration and the difficulties outlined above, Djibouti has worked tirelessly to achieve the SDGs, and has recorded notable progress in reducing malnutrition and undernourishment, and has effectively managed the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Djibouti has integrated the SDGs into our national development plans and strategies, such as Vision Djibouti 2035. Thus, our government has taken measures to align its policies and programs with the SDG targets and indicators.

• We have also identified priority areas that correspond to specific SDGs, such as poverty reduction, access to drinking water and sanitation, as well as sustainable economic growth. In fact, our country faces challenges related to poverty, unemployment, and infrastructure development, which are at the heart of the SDGs.

• Furthermore, we have succeeded in collaborating with international organizations, donors, and other countries to mobilize resources and expertise for the implementation of the SDGs. These partnerships help strengthen support for achieving the goals. We have also worked to improve our data infrastructure to measure and report on SDG indicators.

• Our country is located in a region vulnerable to climate change, which is why we have made significant efforts in the area of climate action, in line with SDG 13 (Climate Action). These efforts include renewable energy projects and adaptation measures.

• In addition to the large-scale projects currently underway in the field of geothermal energy, Djibouti is proud to inform the friendly countries present here that we have inaugurated our very first wind farm, which will provide 60 megawatts of clean energy.

• This project was carried out through a Public-Private Partnership, and an additional capacity of 45 MW of renewable energy is already expected through a consortium of investors and with the participation of the Ports and Free Zones Authority and the Djibouti Sovereign Fund.

• The project will be the first notable international investment in the energy sector in Djibouti, amounting to 122 million USD, creating the country's first independent power producer (IPP) and serving as a model for future private investments.

• The health and education systems are also priorities, and we are striving to improve health services and educational opportunities, particularly in our remote and underserved areas.

• Infrastructure development is also crucial for economic growth and sustainability, and Djibouti has invested in transport and logistics infrastructure to strengthen regional connectivity and trade, with a view to becoming an international and regional logistics hub.

• Finally, in the field of peace and security, Djibouti has played a major role in regional peacekeeping efforts and seeks to maintain stability throughout the Horn of Africa region.

• All these commitments to the SDGs reflect our country's efforts to address pressing challenges and improve the well-being of our people while contributing to global sustainable development.

Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General,

Climate change remains an existential threat to our countries. This is a particularly acute reality in the Horn of Africa, but everywhere else in the world as well.

The earthquake that claimed the lives of several thousand people in Morocco, as well as the immense devastation caused by Cyclone Daniel, are there to remind us of this.

Hence the urgency of honoring the commitments made under the Paris Agreement. If nothing is done, the negative impact of climate change will continue to cause major disruptions, including the multiplication of extreme weather events, the depletion of resources, rising sea levels, an increase in displaced persons, and worsening hunger and poverty.

We are deeply disappointed that the promise to mobilize $100 billion annually has never been fulfilled, and we strongly call on developed countries to honor this commitment.

We welcome the crucial decision taken at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh to establish a loss and damage fund. We call for its rapid operationalization and express the hope that the recommendations of the Transitional Committee on how the fund should function can be adopted at COP28, which will be held shortly in the United Arab Emirates.

Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General,

We are encouraged by the determination of the Somali Government to implement key national priorities on the basis of dialogue, including federal taxation and amendments to the national security architecture. We urge it to continue this dialogue, particularly on the constitutional review process and all other outstanding issues.

The fight to free Somali territory from Al-Shabaab forces is a vital struggle. The mobilization of all Somali forces under the leadership of President Hassan Sheikh deserves unreserved support until the ultimate goal is achieved.

However, we fear that the gains made on this front may be jeopardized by the reduction in the number of ATMIS troops, whose courage and self-sacrifice we salute. While we understand the constraints related to available financial resources, the consequences of our decisions deserve careful consideration. Somalia, at this critical juncture, needs maximum support commensurate with the threat it faces.

We remain concerned about the deteriorating security situation in Sudan and call for the swift establishment of a ceasefire and the immediate resumption of talks aimed at ending hostilities and pursuing political negotiations for a way out of the crisis. Djibouti, as current Chair of IGAD and under the leadership of President Ismail Omar Guelleh, is determined to work for lasting peace in this brotherly country, with which we share close political, historical, and cultural ties.

In South Sudan, we welcome the signing in 2018 of the Revitalized Peace Agreement and call for the accelerated implementation of the Agreement's outstanding provisions in order to conclude the transition period.

In neighboring Yemen, we agree with the members of the Security Council that the lasting way out of the crisis is the conclusion of an inclusive peace agreement.

We welcome the transfer of oil from the decaying supertanker FSO Safer, moored off the Red Sea coast of Yemen, to a new vessel. The Republic of Djibouti committed itself from the outset, at the highest level, to advocacy with the international community so that a coordinated solution, under the auspices of the United Nations, could be put in place.

Had our region and the world not acted, the coasts of the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula would have been polluted, exposing communities to deadly toxins and contaminating the drinking water supplies of the entire region. Navigation through the Suez Canal would have been disrupted—interrupting food, fuel, and vital supplies—which would have exacerbated the already dire humanitarian conditions in Yemen.

Beyond its role as a rear base for retreat and for the coordination of delicate and crucial activities, the Republic of Djibouti served the United Nations, within the framework of the FSO Safer rescue operations, as a platform for securing and storing crude oil—more than one million barrels—transferred from that vessel to a tanker, the Nautica.

Through this collaboration, Djibouti and the United Nations spared the region an ecological catastrophe that would have been highly damaging to the environment, the economy, and the health of all the populations of the countries bordering the Red Sea. They also achieved the feat of sparing the international community an oil spill whose cleanup cost alone is estimated at 20 billion dollars.

At a time when the world is facing a multitude of urgent crises, this is a positive point and a model example of international cooperation. Now we must finish the job by removing the Safer from the Red Sea.

We are gravely concerned by the escalation of violence and the resumption of hostilities in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We are dismayed by Israel's continued illegal construction and expansion of settlements.

The resumption of hostilities and the continuation of settlement activities jeopardize the viability of the two-State solution; in the face of mounting despair, growing uncertainty, and the absence of a political horizon, we must act! The initiative to revitalize the Arab Peace Plan, led jointly by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan, the League of Arab States, and the European Union, deserves our full support!

Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General,

We have said it repeatedly from this podium. We repeat it again today. We are devoted to peace, and we remain fully willing to complete the normalization process with Eritrea, to find a lasting and peaceful settlement to the border dispute that continues to divide us, as well as the other outstanding issues.

In conclusion, I wish once again to urge the member countries of the United Nations to build together a safer, more prosperous, and more united future—a future from which war, hunger, and poverty are excluded.

Thank you for your attention.