Gabon

Madam President of the General Assembly;

Ladies and gentlemen Heads of State and Government;

Mr. Secretary-General of the United Nations;

Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen.

At the outset of my remarks, allow me to extend my most sincere and warm congratulations to Her Excellency Ms. Annalena Baerbock on her election to the presidency of this 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Madam President,

I am convinced that your experience will enable you to carry out, with great effectiveness, the missions inherent to your high office.

Be assured of my country's full cooperation.

To His Excellency Mr. Philémon Yang, your predecessor, I extend my compliments for the remarkable work accomplished during his term.

Finally, I would like once again to salute the action of His Excellency Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of our Organization, for all the efforts he continues to make since taking office.

Gabon, my country, is particularly attentive to the "UN80 Initiative," which aims at operational effectiveness in the face of global challenges and the streamlining of mandates within the United Nations system.

Madam President,

A year ago, before this august Assembly, in my capacity as President of the Transition of the Gabonese Republic, I presented the political process begun in my country since the Liberation Coup carried out on 30 August 2023.

At the conclusion of the presidential election of 12 April 2025, whose process and results were unanimously praised by the international community, this Transition came to an end with my inauguration on 3 May 2025 as the first elected President of the 5th Republic, thereby laying the foundations of the democratic order.

As you know, Gabon underwent a peaceful, exemplary Transition marked by the inclusion of all the living forces of the Nation.

This peaceful transition, open to an Inclusive National Dialogue and a Constitutional Referendum, has proceeded in accordance with the timetable it set for itself, which will continue with the organization of free and transparent legislative, local, and senatorial elections.

To that end, the first and second rounds of the combined legislative and local elections will be held on 27 September and 11 October 2025;

As for the election of senators, this will take place on 8 November, with the second round set for 29 November 2025, with a view to a definitive return to constitutional order by January 2026.

We legitimately believe that this peaceful and historic process could indeed serve as a subject of teaching and study in various circles.

The Gabonese people drew the strength for this success from their history, their culture of peace, and their shared vision of the future.

This is an opportunity for me to express, on behalf of the Gabonese people and on my own behalf, our sincere thanks to the United Nations for its multifaceted support.

I also know that I can count on the UN's support in implementing Gabon's Growth and Development Plan.

This plan emphasizes increasing our energy capacity, strengthening infrastructure, developing digital technology, and youth employability.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Gabon comes before you once again with a clear message: our country has changed!

After decades of tensions and political and economic drift, the Gabonese people have chosen the path of reconciliation and renewal, thereby becoming the symbol and proof that it is possible to transform hardship into hope, dependency into dignity, division into unity — all without bloodshed.

Today, Gabon is no longer a country in suspension; it is back alongside other states, standing tall, dignified, and ready to take its full place in the concert of nations.

The new Gabon, worthy of the aspirations that my compatriots hold dear, also means that the Gabonese state must now be at the service of its people.

But our national renaissance would be in vain without the evolution of the international order.

It is no longer acceptable for African nations to remain confined to the role of suppliers of raw materials whose prices are set, and from which profits are drawn, by others.

This is therefore the place for me to invite public and private investors to accompany us within the framework of win-win partnerships.

We have decided to process our resources locally, create jobs at home, develop African industrial sectors, and engage with the world on the basis of fairness, integrity, and mutual respect, for our advancement toward prosperity.

In its march toward development, Gabon, a land of peace and opportunity, will continue to be a welcoming home for all those who commit to respecting our laws, our republican values, and to contributing in an exemplary manner to the national effort.

Excellencies, distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

This 80th session of the General Assembly, under the theme "Better Together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights," is being held in an international context marked by political, economic, environmental, and security crises that call for a more sustained and firmer collective commitment.

This is an urgent invitation to confront these concerns, in accordance with the spirit and values of the Charter of the United Nations.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The world today presents a profoundly different face. While humanity has never had so many technological means at its disposal to ensure its well-being, international peace and security have never seemed so fragile and so threatened.

It is more than time for peace to reign on earth, and particularly in Africa, so wounded by conflicts whose masterminds and financiers are found outside the continent.

May the guns finally fall silent in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Sudan, in the Horn of Africa, and in the Sahel!

In this regard, rather than always stigmatizing and condemning the states of the Sahel, the international community would do better to support them in their fight against the terrorist hydra.

Ladies and gentlemen,

On 12 December 1988, Gabon officially recognized the State of Palestine. Yesterday as today, we support the two-state solution, the only path, in accordance with United Nations resolutions, to guarantee a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians as well as international security.

Likewise, Gabon can only reiterate its position in favor of lifting the embargo imposed on Cuba because of its negative impact on the well-being of the population.

We solemnly reaffirm our full support for international efforts under way around the world to achieve peace.

These efforts should be centered on people, particularly women and youth.

Within the framework of the 2024 Pact for the Future, the UN must continue to encourage and support the crucial action of women arising from the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, whose thirtieth anniversary we celebrate this year.

Madam President of the General Assembly,

Mr. Secretary-General of the United Nations,

The triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution is an existential threat to humanity. Yet the efforts of the international community in the face of these challenges remain dramatically insufficient.

The Treaty on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), which we have just ratified, fills a legal void and offers an ambitious framework for the equitable and sustainable governance of biodiversity.

Together, we have a real opportunity to make this Treaty a true lever of transformation for present and future generations.

Gabon is the guardian of a portion of the Congo Basin, the second green lung of the planet. This exceptional heritage will not be sacrificed to financial appetites.

We call for a fair global partnership in which the protection of our forests is accompanied by just compensation for the ecological services rendered to humanity.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The New World Order is under way. The changes taking place in our societies are inevitable and can no longer continue to be ignored. International peace and justice will only be guaranteed by a revitalized multilateralism, notably through the reform of the Security Council, taking into account the African demands expressed through the Sirte Declaration and the Ezulwini Consensus, to which Gabon remains firmly committed.

Wishing our work every success, I extend my best wishes for a happy anniversary to our Organization.

Thank you.