Gabon

Mr. President of the General Assembly; Ladies and Gentlemen Heads of State and Government; Mr. Secretary-General of the United Nations; Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen;

On behalf of the Gabonese people, I am pleased to take part in the proceedings of this General Assembly of the United Nations.

Mr. President Philémon YANG,

As I speak for the first time before this august Assembly, I would like first to extend to you my warm congratulations on your brilliant election to the Presidency of this 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, along with my most heartfelt wishes.

I offer these compliments to you both as the seasoned diplomat that you are, and as the representative of a brotherly country, Cameroon, linked to Gabon by geography, history and culture.

Be assured of my country's full support throughout your term.

Finally, I would like to pay well-deserved tribute to Mr. Antonio GUTERRES, Secretary-General of our Organization, for his tireless dedication and commitment to the ideals of the United Nations.

Mr. President,

I take this opportunity to bring to your attention that this session is being held at a time when my country, Gabon, has just celebrated the first anniversary of the Liberation Coup.

Indeed, the march toward building a new Gabon has, to this day, kept the promises made from this very podium at the last General Assembly, namely:

● The establishment of Transition institutions; ● The release of prisoners of conscience; ● Permanent inclusiveness; ● The holding of an inclusive National Dialogue; ● The drafting of a new Constitution.

The next step is the organization of the referendum in the coming months, the adoption of an electoral code, and the revision of the electoral roll, in accordance with the timetable adopted during the inclusive national dialogue.

All these advances, supported by the Gabonese people, contribute greatly to a progressive return to constitutional order through a free, transparent and peaceful election, within the best possible timeframe.

In addition to the points mentioned above, significant reforms have been undertaken in sectors directly affecting human development:

Roads, health centers, schools, the return of school scholarships, the opening of entrance examinations to the grandes écoles, the lifting of the hiring freeze, the payment of pension arrears, all of this while honoring our international commitments.

This is an opportunity for me to thank all our partners, friendly countries, and national and international donors who are accompanying us in this Transition process, despite the difficulties that characterize it.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This General Assembly, whose theme is "Unity in Diversity for the Advancement of Peace, Sustainable Development and Human Dignity Everywhere and for All," is part of the effort to build a global community and is in harmony with the principles set out in the preamble to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Gabon, true to its tradition of peace, fully adheres to this project, which aims for a more just and inclusive interactive world.

In the aftermath of the Liberation Coup of August 30, 2023, which took place without bloodshed, we advocated for the preservation of peace and national unity by calling on all the vital forces of the Nation, regardless of their origins, beliefs or social status, in efforts to build a more equitable and prosperous Gabon.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Respect for life, territorial integrity, the sovereignty of States to freely choose their partners, and the rejection of violence foster the consolidation of peace.

With regard to sustainable development, my country maintains a firm and consistent position in favor of environmental protection.

I recall that for several years now, Gabon has dedicated 13 national parks to the service of humanity, thereby contributing to the absorption of more than 100 million net tons of CO2 per year and to the preservation of endangered species.

Nevertheless, the expectations of our populations, still focused on meeting basic needs, cannot be relegated to the background.

This is why this podium is an opportunity to remind, once again, industrialized nations of the need to genuinely honor their commitments by supporting the countries that host the world's largest carbon reservoirs.

Mr. President,

On the question of security, like many of us, I believe it is urgent to provide appropriate responses to the countless conflict situations that persist around the world, particularly in Africa.

I wish to commend, once again, the adoption by the Security Council, on December 21, 2023, of Resolution 2719 on the financing of African Union-led peace support operations.

In line with the Secretary-General's New Agenda for Peace, this resolution, jointly presented by Gabon, Ghana and Mozambique, is today a crucial element of the international peace and security architecture. Its implementation is a categorical imperative!

This is the place for me to support the efforts of the Secretary-General of the United Nations aimed at reaching a realistic, pragmatic and lasting political solution on the Moroccan Sahara.

I would also like to welcome the official announcement by the United States of America of its support for the admission of two African States as permanent members of the Security Council.

However, Africa expects broader support from the other permanent members of the Security Council for this initiative, along with access to veto rights for African members, in accordance with the Ezulwini Consensus.

This would only be justice for our continent.

Beyond the African continent, I would like to invite us not to look away from Gaza. It is more than time for a lasting peace to be established with a view to the harmonious coexistence of the Palestinian and Israeli States.

Likewise, I would like to reiterate Gabon's position in favor of lifting the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed on Cuba, given its negative impact on the well-being of the population.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

As President Félix HOUPHOUËT-BOIGNY said: "Peace is not merely a word, but a way of behaving, a true state of mind." This legitimate aspiration of peoples is an ideal.

He recommends that developed countries, which have experience in conflict resolution, share their expertise with other States for a more just and balanced world.

Unity in diversity for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity everywhere and for all is, in my view, the outcome of a genuine society of dialogue, tolerance and respect for others.

This should help us build a world of peace where development would be adapted to the needs of all peoples.

Mr. President,

Regarding the economic and financial question, the United Nations 2024 Sustainable Development Report once again underscores the urgency of mobilizing massive financing in order to close the global economy's financing gap, estimated at several billion dollars per year.

It is a reality that the current international financial system does not make it possible to direct investment toward development and thus ensure the dignity of our populations, to which this year's theme calls us.

I therefore share the firm determination of several of my peers to achieve a reform of the world's financial institutions, which is crucial to freeing up financing for developing countries.

Mr. Secretary-General of the United Nations; Ladies and Gentlemen Heads of State and Government; Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen.

My country, Gabon, resolutely engaged on its path toward prosperity, intends to fully play its part in the effective advent of a more consultative human community, one that is fervently desired by all.

Together, let us pool our efforts for the hope of a better destiny, by acting differently for the preservation of the human race.

Thank you.