Guinea-Bissau

I warmly congratulate the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the General Assembly, and wish him every success. As we face the challenges brought about by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the theme chosen for this year’s general debate could not be more pertinent. Only with renewed hope will we be able to build resilience to overcome the socioeconomic and humanitarian difficulties caused by the worldwide health crisis and to adequately and sustainably respond to the current challenges. In an increasingly globalized world, the relevance of the existence of the United Nations and its agencies has become of the utmost importance. It is therefore urgent to improve the efficiency of the Organization and adopt the necessary reforms of all its organs, including the Security Council, with a view to revitalizing the United Nations system in its entirety. That is the only way for us to work better towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which seeks to promote human development in all its aspects, particularly gender equality and respect for human rights. We must support the most vulnerable, promote the creation of adequate health-care systems and ensure that all countries, without distinction, have prompt and equal access to vaccines. Guinea-Bissau, which has for many years been supported by the international community, particularly the United Nations, the Economic Community of West African States, the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries and the African Union, is focused today on the effective achievement of its national goals such as domestic peacebuilding and the creation of better living conditions for its population, in order to provide renewed hope to the society of Guinea-Bissau. In that context and given the completion of the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau late last year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and all Guinea-Bissau’s friends and partners for their support and to affirm that, by dint of our own efforts, we have assumed the full responsibilities of the State, thereby ensuring political stability and the proper functioning of the country’s institutions. The problem of climate change is an irrefutable reality that has greater and more frequent impacts on the small island developing States, including Guinea- Bissau. It is an ongoing challenge for all nations. Therefore, my country has developed climate change adaptation plans with both medium-term and long-term perspectives, and we have extended our national land and marine protected areas to cover more than 26 per cent of the national territory. In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm my country’s commitment to working with our development partners and the entire international community to seek innovative, inclusive and viable solutions to the current challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe that together we will be able to motivate our people, revive their hope and build a more harmonious and fraternal world.