Madagascar

Excellency Mr. President, Excellencies, Heads of State and Government, Mr. Secretary-General of the United Nations, Honourable Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Moved by a profound sense of honour and responsibility, I address you today, strengthened by the mandate entrusted to me by His Excellency Mr. Andry RAJOELINA, President of the Republic of Madagascar, and on behalf of the Malagasy People.

I would like to salute the election of His Excellency Mr. Philémon Yang to the presidency of this 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Your exemplary career and your profound knowledge of international issues are invaluable assets to guide our work. Rest assured, Excellency, of Madagascar's support in the accomplishment of your noble mission, Madagascar being a newly elected Vice-President of this General Assembly for the 2024-2025 term.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The theme chosen for this session, "Leaving no one behind: acting together for the promotion of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations," resonates with particular acuity in these times of grave uncertainty in and for the world.

Today, how forcefully this reminds us of the interconnection of the various global challenges and the need for a collective, united and resolute response. Indeed, peace, the fragile foundation of a world beset by divisions, is today undermined by a multiplicity of crises with dangerous and profound geo-strategic ramifications. Far from being a regionalized conflict, the war in Ukraine is shaking the international order, exacerbating geopolitical tensions, worsening food and energy insecurity, and endangering world peace and security.

Terrorism and transnational crime continue to sow terror and desolation, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable populations. The proliferation of weapons and drugs, particularly in conflict zones, feeds an infernal cycle of violence and instability, thereby hindering long-term development efforts and jeopardizing the future of entire generations.

The climate emergency has become a tangible and devastating reality. The increase in extreme weather events, the degradation of ecosystems and the loss of biodiversity are so many alarm signals that must push us to act with determination and speed.

Growing inequalities, on an international scale, constitute fertile ground for social tensions, conflicts and instability. The Covid-19 pandemic, far from having been a "great leveller," has exacerbated existing fractures, highlighting the vulnerability of the health and social protection systems of many countries, and further widening the gap between rich and developing countries.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Faced with these threats, we cannot give in to either fear or fatalism. Multilateralism, embodied by the United Nations, remains our best weapon and our collective instrument for building a safer and more peaceful world. However, and unfortunately, it must be observed that the current multilateral system, dating from the post-war era, struggles to respond effectively to the challenges of a rapidly and profoundly changing world. A courageous and ambitious reform of the United Nations, particularly of the Security Council, is more indispensable than ever. Africa, a continent undergoing demographic and economic growth, cannot remain on the periphery of the world's decision-making centres.

The effective implementation of the Paris Agreement and the strengthening of commitments made regarding the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are categorical imperatives to preserve the future of our planet and guarantee the well-being of future generations. To this end, the President of the Republic of Madagascar, Mr. Andry RAJOELINA, recalled during his address in Glasgow at COP 26 in September 2022 the need to accelerate the mobilization of the 100 billion USD under the Paris Agreement to finance an energy transition policy in Africa. The fight against climate change cannot therefore be separated from the question of development. It is imperative to support developing countries in their transition towards a green and resilient economy, by providing them with adequate financial and technological resources, and by recognizing their right to development.

It is imperative and urgent to promote a more inclusive and equitable model of development for the world, one that leaves no one behind. Beyond words, the time for action has come. It is time to translate our commitments into concrete actions, especially for Africa, by investing massively in education, health, drinking water, social protection for all, infrastructure, innovation and job creation, particularly for young people and women. For inclusive multilateralism, it is time to promote fairer and more equitable international trade, to promote and guarantee equitable access to knowledge, technologies and fairer financing and investment systems. This is what social justice and lasting peace in the world depend upon.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Madagascar, aware of these planetary challenges and of the urgency of providing concerted and lasting solutions, is committed with determination alongside the United Nations and its Member States to build a more just, more united and more sustainable world.

"Fihavanana," the art of living together deeply rooted in Malagasy culture, guides our action. It expresses our profound aspiration to live in harmony, in mutual respect and solidarity, ensuring that no one is left by the wayside, never forgetting the most vulnerable, thereby working for a more just society.

The General State Policy of Madagascar, thus reflecting the vision of H.E. Andry RAJOELINA, President of the Republic, places Human Capital as the first pillar of development. Over the past 5 years, Madagascar has invested enormously in education and teaching, health and family planning, security, innovative and inclusive social programmes, the fight against malnutrition, and infrastructure to make up for the development lag and thereby break the vicious circle of poverty. The country continues to invest massively in these areas, which constitute the basic pillar of our action in favour of human development.

True to its tradition as a country with a peaceful and tolerant people, Madagascar has made democracy, respect for the rule of law and good governance crucial tools for maintaining stability, strengthening peace and security, and consolidating its path towards sustainable development. Of course, this explicitly and amply justifies the ranking of the Global Peace Index, which places Madagascar in second position among the most peaceful countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024.

Certainly, the challenges are numerous for my country; nevertheless, the leadership of H.E. Andry RAJOELINA, President of the Republic, is equal to the hopes of my fellow citizens, who gave him a new mandate in 2024 for the agricultural and industrial transformations of Madagascar, in order to create more jobs and decent income for young people and rural populations, to generate more added value for the Malagasy economy, and to engender more peace and sustainable development for the country.

Today, Madagascar is the 3rd largest rice-producing country in Africa, but we have the ambition to become the first, with the Government's new rural development policy orientation, by relying on the optimal exploitation of all the country's rice-growing basins, by relying on new knowledge and technologies regarding the use of agricultural inputs by all farmers and the improvement of irrigation infrastructure in order to double or even triple productivity in the short term, and by relying on agricultural aggregation to better attract private investment in the intensive production of rice and other agricultural crops, such as potatoes, dry grains, etc.

With regard to development challenges, Madagascar intends to strengthen its tireless efforts to improve its road network, in particular by building the "Route du Soleil" [Road of the Sun] linking all the regions of the eastern side of the Great Island. This will further boost the growth of public and private investment, the smooth flow of trade, the tourism promotion of the regions, the accelerated transformation of regional economies, and the strengthening of the country's peace and security.

These efforts, concerning road infrastructure, fall within the Government's priority action of building major structuring projects for my country. Renewable energy is thus among the priorities to which my Government is devoting itself today in order to carry out its industrialization plan and its multiple actions aimed at improving the living conditions of the population, particularly the rural population, thereby substantially and sustainably reducing the State budget subsidizing the cost of electricity production, so as to allocate it wisely to development projects. To this end, we are currently accelerating the implementation of the Solar Park for 47 districts across the country, and the start of construction of several hydroelectric plants and solar plants with private investors and development partners, which could achieve an additional production of nearly 500 MW over the next 4 to 5 years.

The objective sought is to double both the shares of the agricultural and industrial sectors in Madagascar's GDP, in order to generate genuine growth that creates jobs and sustainable income for young people and rural populations, thereby transforming the economy and substantially reducing poverty for a new development boom for the Great Island.

Aware of the threats posed by climate change to peace, security and development, Madagascar, although a low emitter of greenhouse gases, is among the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, suffering the full brunt of cyclones, drought, coastal erosion and biodiversity loss. This risks considerably reducing or even wiping out the economic and social progress generated by the agricultural and industrial transformations currently being driven by the country. As Madagascar is one of the rare countries that is saving the planet, with a negative carbon footprint thanks to our forests, one of the true green lungs of the African continent, I therefore urge the international community to intensify and accelerate climate adaptation financing for all vulnerable countries, particularly island countries, of which Madagascar is one. Madagascar is thus determined to preserve this precious natural heritage for future generations.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

In conclusion, Madagascar calls, more than ever, for a strengthened and fairer multilateralism, a multilateralism founded on dialogue, cooperation and solidarity. Madagascar will continue to work tirelessly, alongside the United Nations and its Member States, to build a world of peace, development and dignity for all.

Thank you for your attention.