Democratic Republic of the Congo

Madam President,

Mr. Secretary-General,

Excellencies, Heads of State and Government,

Distinguished delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I would first like to extend my warm congratulations to Ms. Annalena Baerbock on her election to the presidency of the 80th regular session of the United Nations General Assembly. Her leadership and her commitment to multilateralism will be decisive for the success of our work.

I also take this opportunity, offered to me by this podium, to pay strong tribute to her predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Philémon Yang, whose commitment and dedication marked the previous session.

Finally, I reaffirm my country's full confidence in the action of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. António Guterres, for his constant efforts to strengthen our Organization and to promote solutions to the challenges threatening peace, security, and prosperity in the world, particularly in Africa's Great Lakes region, of which the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a part.

Madam President,

I welcome the relevance of the theme chosen for this 80th session — "Better Together: more than 80 years in the service of peace, development and human rights." It highlights eight decades of joint efforts by an Organization devoted to peace, development, and universal well-being, founded on an unwavering promise of collective security.

The 80th anniversary of the United Nations, guarantor of that security since 1945, is an opportunity to reaffirm the virtues of effective multilateralism and to pay tribute to the ideal of peace, human dignity, and solidarity among nations that inspired its founders. While the United Nations remains a pillar of the regulation of international relations, of conflict prevention and resolution, and of the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms, it is today confronted with systemic challenges that test its credibility and its capacity for action.

The profound changes of our era, notably the persistence of armed conflicts, climate disruption, recurring humanitarian crises, and multifaceted transnational threats, remind us that multilateralism is no longer an option but an unavoidable imperative. We remain convinced that the responses to the challenges of the 21st century can only emerge from collective solutions, founded on cooperation, justice, and shared responsibility.

Madam President,

Following its election last June, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is preparing to sit as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2026–2027 term. I reiterate, on behalf of my country, our most sincere thanks to the member states for the trust and solidarity expressed.

Our participation will be resolutely constructive and holistic. It will be structured around two inseparable priorities: peace and security, on the one hand, and conflict prevention and resolution, on the other. We also intend to actively contribute to the development and implementation of the New Agenda for Peace, in order to bring, in light of our potential and our experience, momentum to the reform of peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations, as well as to the adaptation of the United Nations collective security system.

On the reform of the Security Council, my country reaffirms the common African position, as set out in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration: Africa must be granted two additional seats in the non-permanent member category and two seats in the permanent member category, with the same rights — including the right of veto — the same privileges, and the same obligations as the current permanent members. With its 54 states and more than 1.2 billion inhabitants, Africa cannot remain on the sidelines of decisions concerning international peace and security.

Madam President,

Another priority concerns the illegal exploitation of natural resources, one of the major and persistent causes of conflict. The Democratic Republic of the Congo intends to place at the heart of the debate the exemplary governance of its strategic minerals, in order to guarantee their exploitation in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, economic sovereignty, and the well-being of populations.

On a global scale, breaking the toxic link between mining rents and the financing of non-state armed groups requires an integrated approach based on: the harmonization of due diligence and traceability rules, from mine to consumer; full transparency of supply chains and beneficial owners; independent control and audit mechanisms; strengthened operational cooperation between customs, judicial, and financial authorities; targeted and effective sanctions against traffickers and their facilitation networks; and a determined fight against corruption, supported by good governance standards, contract disclosure, and payment traceability.

Naturally, the dimensions of human rights and transitional justice, as well as the "Women, Peace and Security" and "Youth, Peace and Security" agendas, remain inseparable from this action. Their effective consideration is the condition for a just, lasting, and inclusive peace.

Madam President,

On the eve of the establishment of the Independent Commission of Inquiry decided by the United Nations Human Rights Council into the massacres perpetrated a few months ago by our aggressors and their proxies in the east of my country, I make a solemn appeal to the international community: it has the moral and political duty to support this essential effort in order to establish the truth, deliver justice to the victims, and lay the foundations for a lasting peace, anchored in memory and shared responsibility.

Madam President,

As the planet warms, as marginalization intensifies, and as conflicts multiply, the diagnosis that inspired the Secretary-General's vision for the New Agenda for Peace in July 2023 remains fully relevant. The world is now confronted with deep, multifaceted crises; the fundamentals of prevention have weakened; and international law, once powerfully upheld by the United Nations Charter — which enjoins states to refrain from the threat or use of force — is too often flouted. Our system of collective security is shaken as a result: it cannot survive without a renewed surge of solidarity of interests and respect for the rules.

In this context, warlike rhetoric is gaining ground, and we are powerless witnesses to the return of old demons: armed aggression, wars of resource predation and conquest of "living space," which spare no continent. While the war between Israel and Hamas ravages the Gaza Strip — with the risk of regional expansion — and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict continues, other flashpoints are igniting in Yemen, Myanmar, and Syria.

The armed conflict that persists in my country is a tragic illustration of this. For three decades, peace and security have been broken in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This war has become a predatory enterprise: it has long since gone beyond purely military or geopolitical dimensions; it aims to plunder our resources, erase our collective memory, and destroy our communities.

The consequences are disastrous: millions dead, families decimated, nearly seven million displaced persons, women and children targeted, villages wiped off the map, generations sacrificed. In several regions of the East, all the markers of a project of extermination are present.

The United Nations itself, through the Mapping Report, documented the scale of these atrocities. This is not merely a conflict: it is a silent genocide that has struck the Congolese people for more than thirty years. As recently as this past July, more than three hundred civilians — including forty-eight women and nineteen children — were massacred in the territory of Rutshuru by the AFC/M23 with the support of the Rwanda Defence Force. These crimes are not isolated; they form part of a macabre continuity. I thank the United States of America for having taken the initiative, last month, to convene a special session of the Security Council to examine these massacres documented by Human Rights Watch.

To put an end to this conflict, the Security Council, through its resolution 2773 of 21 February 2025, notably demanded the withdrawal of M23 from the cities of Goma, Bukavu, and all areas under its control, the dismantling of the parallel administrations established in violation of the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the cessation of all support, direct or indirect, to M23.

I salute, in this regard, the leadership of President Donald Trump, who created the conditions for a dialogue that led, on 27 June 2025 in Washington, to the signing of a Peace Agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.

This Agreement expressly commits Kigali to a complete and verifiable withdrawal of its troops, and to the lifting of its so-called "defensive" measures. It also provides for the disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration of non-state armed groups into the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Congolese National Police, the establishment of a joint security coordination mechanism, as well as a framework guaranteeing respect for territorial integrity and the cessation of hostilities. The withdrawal of Rwandan troops, the end of their support for M23, and the return of Congolese state authority over all occupied areas are non-negotiable conditions for genuine peace.

I ask the United Nations to ensure the strict application of this Agreement, now inseparable from the implementation of the aforementioned resolution. As long as these decisions are not carried out, the blood of the innocent will continue to flow.

In the same spirit, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the AFC/M23 signed, on 19 July 2025 in Doha, a Declaration of Principles committing the parties to work together toward a peaceful solution. I would like to express my gratitude to His Highness the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, for his dedication and his commitment to peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the Great Lakes region.

Finally, I wish to express my high appreciation for the coordination provided by His Excellency Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Council of Ministers of Togo, within the framework of the Lomé process. This momentum stems from the convergence of the efforts of the Luanda process, steadily led by His Excellency João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola and current Chairperson of the African Union, and the Nairobi process, facilitated by His Excellency Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, former President of the Republic of Kenya. Together, these initiatives have laid the foundations for a unified regional facilitation mechanism.

This is momentum we intend to continue in order to preserve continental cohesion, strengthen coordination between African initiatives, and consolidate a harmonized framework of action to durably restore peace in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Our objective remains unchanged: to achieve a just, lasting, and verifiable peace — not a false and fleeting lull which, for nearly thirty years, has too often disappointed the hopes of our people. We expect the international community to stand, with constancy and courage, on the side of the law. It is at this price that truth will prevail over impunity and that peace will once again become possible.

Madam President,

It should be made clear that the diplomatic process engaged with all parties to the conflict in no way excludes the pursuit of justice and reparation. If the world still hesitates to name our pain, we will not wait. We are its first witnesses; we will be its first agents of justice. But we need your solidarity, your support, and the full and complete respect of international law.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo asks for neither charity nor pity: it demands justice, truth, and dignity.

Our country has extended its hand: we have signed peace agreements, accepted dialogue, made commitments to reconciliation. But a false peace, built on impunity and forgetting, is only a precarious armistice. History will not judge our speeches, but our capacity to recognize mass crimes, including genocides, and to end impunity.

Madam President,

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country of life, of natural wealth, and of human resilience. We want to contribute to world peace, but peace begins with the recognition of our own tragedy. I address a solemn appeal to this Assembly: recognize the Congolese genocide, support our fight for truth and justice, and help us finally build lasting peace at the heart of Africa.

We ask that the United Nations establish a regime of targeted sanctions against the perpetrators of economic crimes, as well as war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes of genocide committed in the east of my country, and that it support all actions aimed at drying up the illicit mineral supply circuits that have, for decades, financed this war and human tragedy.

These actions must be conducted with the support of the African Union, the United Nations, and our development partners, involving neighboring states, the companies that buy and process these blood minerals, the financial institutions through which these flows pass, and civil society organizations.

I say it solemnly before this Assembly: the international community has the moral and political duty to recognize this tragedy for what it is — a genocide — and to act accordingly. Silence and inaction in the face of these crimes amount to complicity. We call for the immediate establishment of an independent international commission of inquiry, with adequate resources, to establish the truth, deliver justice to the victims, and break the cycle of impunity that has fed this tragedy for decades.

Madam President,

Terrorism remains a serious threat to international peace and security: no region of the world is spared. After Asia, Western Europe, and North America, this scourge is taking root in Africa and destabilizing several sub-regions. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, though weakened by international action, retains capabilities in grey zones and continues to spread its influence. Boko Haram in northern Nigeria and Al-Shabaab in Somalia maintain significant territorial control.

In Central Africa, after the ravages caused by Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo suffers the abuses of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan terrorist group that has pledged allegiance to the "Islamic State." These extremist groups have left a heavy human toll behind and continue to threaten regional stability.

As a member of the Global Coalition against Daesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo calls on the United Nations to engage more resolutely in implementing the recommendations of that Coalition and of the Aqaba Process, namely: enhanced intelligence sharing, cutting off financing, combating propaganda and safe havens, and increased support for affected communities, in full compliance with international humanitarian law.

Madam President,

In the face of the climate emergency, the Paris Agreement remains the essential legal framework for holding states accountable on emissions and adaptation, in order to keep warming within 1.5°C. In this regard, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has adopted its National Adaptation Plan 2022–2026.

We have committed to halting and reversing forest loss and land degradation by 2031, while promoting sustainable development and inclusive rural transformation. Since December 2021, a set of measures has supported the restoration of forest landscapes, notably the "School Garden" Programme for one billion trees by 2030, designed to strengthen CO₂ sequestration and ecosystem resilience.

We welcome the adoption of decision 5/CMA.5 establishing new financing mechanisms, including the Loss and Damage Fund, to complement existing sources and provide concrete responses to the most exposed countries.

With a unique environmental potential in the world, the Democratic Republic of the Congo stands at the heart of the solutions: it is ready to mobilize its natural assets in the service of the global climate, provided that financial commitments are predictable, accessible, and commensurate with ecological and human imperatives.

Madam President,

Allow me also to address the question of energy challenges and the protection of our ecosystems by recalling that the Congo Basin is home to the world's second-largest tropical forest — considered by many scientists to be the world's leading terrestrial carbon sink — as well as a vast hydrographic network dominated by the Congo River, the world's second by flow volume.

These vital resources are gravely threatened by destructive activities — deforestation, illegal exploitation, pollution — often fueled by recurring armed conflicts, amounting to veritable crimes against nature. That is why the Democratic Republic of the Congo supports the initiative led by Vanuatu, Fiji, and Samoa to establish, at the international level, ECOCIDE as an autonomous offense to sanction illicit or arbitrary acts causing serious damage to the environment.

Madam President,

The adoption of the Pact for the Future recalls the urgency of accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals with five years remaining until the 2030 deadline. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has placed this imperative at the heart of its action through the National Strategic Development Plan 2024–2028, which places the Congolese people at the center of priorities and integrates the three dimensions of sustainable development — environmental, social, and economic. This plan is structured around clear directions, namely: consolidating security and democratic governance, modernizing infrastructure and the business climate, protecting the environment, and guaranteeing access to basic social services (water, sanitation, education, health).

The record remains mixed — only SDGs 12 and 13 still appear achievable by 2030 — but tangible progress has been made: free education has enabled more than five million children to return to school; Universal Health Coverage is expanding access to quality care; women's empowerment policies are reducing socio-economic disparities. These gains, however, remain fragile due to persistent insecurity in the east of the country and the vulnerability of our economy to external shocks.

Our economy must therefore transform to become a lever of sustainability and prosperity. As a solution-country in the face of climate challenges, my country intends to leverage its forests, peatlands, and biodiversity within a climate economy oriented toward green, resilient, low-carbon growth. In this regard, the Grand Inga project — one of the largest hydroelectric complexes in the world — embodies our ambition and strengthens the positioning of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a solution-country: providing clean, competitive energy to electrify our territories, decarbonize our industry, support regional energy integration, and open the way to new uses, including green hydrogen. This trajectory relies on the development of integrated carbon markets, attracting responsible investment, and creating decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods for our communities.

A major obstacle remains, however: the financial constraint. The growing burden of African public debt, combined with illicit financial flows, reduces our room for maneuver. The additional needs to achieve the SDGs in Africa are estimated at 1.6 trillion dollars; at the same time, illicit capital outflows undermine our currencies and our macroeconomic stability.

Hence the need for an urgent reform of the international financial architecture to guarantee developing countries fair and predictable access to concessional financing, aligned with their national trajectories — including through better recanalization of SDRs, capitalization of multilateral development banks, countercyclical liquidity facilities, and a strengthened fight against illicit flows.

Madam President,

Since I took up the highest office in my country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I have driven a new dynamic in the conduct of public affairs, systematically integrating the gender dimension at all levels to ensure a greater presence of women in decision-making bodies. As an illustration, the proportion of women in the Government rose from 17% in 2019 to 32% in 2025.

Madam President,

In a strategic, multisectoral approach aimed at mobilizing youth in the service of national progress, my Government has adopted a National Youth Policy. This enshrines the state's commitment to making the full and complete participation of young people in the life of the Nation a cross-cutting priority, accompanied by clear and measurable objectives.

Madam President,

The Democratic Republic of the Congo aspires to peace, justice, and development. It is ready to act, alongside you, for a stronger, more inclusive, and more just United Nations. Strong in its human, natural, and strategic assets, my country intends to put them at the service of a better future for coming generations and for our common home, planet Earth.

May God bless humanity and grant us the grace of a true and lasting peace among all the nations of the world.

Thank you.