A/78/PV.18 General Assembly

Africa, a cradle of ancient human civilization, is also a continent of great promise for peace, human rights, prosperity and development in the twenty-first century. If given the opportunity and well supported by the international community, the continent would indeed be unstoppable, with its great potential not only for a strong take-off but also to rise. However, that promise requires us to address the urgent challenges to get the continent back on track to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063. Africa faces cascading and overlapping challenges, and I commend the emphasis placed on development financing, energy and food security in the Secretary- General’s report on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (A/78/309). While Africa is rich in financial resources, it is experiencing such a severe debt crisis that it is losing $500 to $600 billion annually. That is more than the gross domestic product of 35 African countries combined. Therefore, reforming our international financial architecture and achieving debt sustainability must be our top priority. For a continent so rich in energy resources, half the African population struggles to access energy, particularly electricity. We must intensify our efforts to ensure affordable, clean and sustainable energy across the continent, in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7. While Africa has an extraordinarily rich endowment of natural resources, almost 58 per cent of its population suffers from moderate or severe food insecurity  — almost double the world average. We will not be successful in attaining full sustainable development in Africa if we do not prioritize the implementation of SDG 2, that is, to end hunger and achieve food security. Africa is home to the world’s youngest population, with 60 per cent of its people under the age of 25. I applaud African leaders and the African Union for continuing to exert all efforts to turn that demographic dividend into a reality by making meaningful investment in youth initiatives. But, truth be told, their futures are obscured by political instability and conflicts, including armed violence, extremism and terrorist attacks, with devastating consequences for peace and prosperity. The African continent needs an enabling environment to achieve peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability and to harness its own resources and capacities for development. That is why it is so critical that we have an international financial system that addresses historical injustices and promotes an open, inclusive and fair global economy that better represents African voices in its governance. Just a few weeks ago, the general debate of the seventy-eighth session and the SDG Summit provided opportunities to directly hear African voices on how to pursue economic recovery and sustainable development. The ongoing discussions on the Global Digital Compact, the New Agenda for Peace and the Summit of the Future offer platforms to highlight peace and development efforts in Africa through a participatory effort and reinforced multilateralism. For that to happen, we need to rededicate ourselves to the basic tenets that must guide our work in that pursuit — respect for international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, and, in that regard, the critical importance of human rights law. We know that poverty and economic inequalities are a trigger of conflict. We must strive to promote economic opportunities, access to education, especially for girls, and job creation, particularly for Africa’s youth, women and marginalized communities. We must support African countries in integrating conflict prevention and peacebuilding into sustainable development efforts, recognizing that both are intrinsically intertwined. We must also provide robust humanitarian and development assistance to conflict-affected countries and regions in Africa to save lives and to help rebuild communities. I therefore call on Member States to forge a strong international partnership to address common challenges in Africa, aligning our efforts with those of the African Union and other regional organizations. I also call on development partners, stakeholders and the private sector to scale up sustainable investment in Africa’s development to ensure that no country on the continent is left behind. Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want is a blueprint to transform Africa into the peaceful, prosperous, progressive and sustainable global powerhouse that it is meant to be. Let us not forget that Africa’s development is inextricably linked to global peace and prosperity. The recent uncontrollable spate of coups on the continent takes it decades back and does not augur well for the quest for sustaining peace and silencing the guns in Africa. We owe it to the continent to continue to ensure that the special needs of Africa and its development remain at the centre of our strategic frameworks throughout the organizations of the United Nations system. That is why I have set myself the strategic objective of prioritizing least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries and small island developing States during my presidency, bearing in mind that, out of the 46 LDCs, 33 are in Africa. It is countries in special situations, particularly LDCs, that are most in need of our urgent help and support to achieve the SDGs. Together, we can pave the way for durable peace, prosperity, demonstrable progress and sustainable development for all the people in Africa. Let us commit in earnest to devoting ourselves to that task. I now give the floor to the representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its member States. The candidate countries Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina and the potential candidate country Georgia align themselves with this statement. The EU takes note of the reports of the Secretary- General entitled “Promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa” (A/78/234) and “Solving the paradoxes of development in Africa: financing, energy and food systems” (A/78/309). The African Union (AU) and the European Union have a close and long-standing partnership on both security and development, rooted in dialogue and multilateralism. Our partnership is solutions-oriented and forward-looking. Europe and Africa need each other to build a solid and lasting response to global common challenges, from climate change, financing, energy and food security to peace and security. The leaders of the African Union, the European Union and the United Nations met in a trilateral format on the margins of high-level week, reaffirming the importance of the collaboration between Europe and Africa on peace and security, sustainable development, food security, reform of the international financial architecture, Africa’s fair representation in global institutions, the diversification of supply chains and the promotion of investments. Europe and Africa are joint stakeholders in a multilateral rules-based international system. The EU and its member States were among the first to express full support for the integration of the AU within the Group of 20. The EU supports Africa in its ambitions to become a key global player. Together, the AU and the EU can be pillars in the defence of an international order based on international law and the Charter of the United Nations, in which sovereignty, territorial integrity and the right to self-determination are safeguarded. Our daily work at the United Nations to promote sustainable development and conflict prevention and resolution, including on the African continent, bears witness to how much we prioritize such issues. The EU is Africa’s biggest trade, investment and development partner. We place great value and importance on our partnership, and deepening it is one of the EU’s top priorities, as was underlined by the adoption of the Joint Vision for 2030 at the EU-AU summit last year. Peace and security issues remain at the core of the AU-EU partnership, based on mutual responsibility, national ownership and reciprocal commitment. The EU continues to support African-led peace and security initiatives, such as the Silencing the Guns road map, as well as the AU’s efforts to secure predictable resources for African-led peace operations. As top contributors to the Peacebuilding Fund, the EU and its member States are committed to ensuring adequate, predictable and sustained financing for peacebuilding, including in Africa, also through United Nations assessed contributions. Additionally, the EU contributes significant financial support and personnel to peace and security operations in Africa. For the period from 2022 to 2024, €600 million are being allocated to the African Union for those missions. In addition, 12 EU missions are currently on the ground on the African continent — in Mozambique, Somalia and the Central African Republic. The EU has also expressed its support for funding through assessed contributions to African-led peace support operations, mandated by the Security Council. We look forward to the Security Council reaching an agreement on that. Europe and Africa are at the forefront of the global effort to eliminate poverty and hunger. Yet food insecurity remains an existential threat to hundreds of millions of people. Together with poverty eradication, it must therefore remain at the top of our collective agenda, building on the outcomes of the United Nations Food Systems Summit+2. According to the 2023 report The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, Africa, with a much larger proportion of the world´s population that is food insecure, as compared to other regions of the world, faces a substantial challenge. One of the key factors that worsens food insecurity in Africa is its heavy reliance on food imports despite the region’s enormous agricultural potential. That situation of vulnerability was exacerbated by the disruptions of global supply chains following the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Therefore, we continue to offer close cooperation on the development and further research of resource-efficient and sustainable agriculture in the light of the right to adequate food. We have also been like-minded allies in our ambition to tackle global sustainability challenges, such as climate change and biodiversity loss, which have dramatic impacts on livelihoods and development opportunities in Africa. The EU recognizes its share of responsibility in addressing the climate change-related challenges, which is why we are investing heavily to curb emissions in Europe. The EU also stresses the continued urgency to limit global warming to 1.5°C, as stated in the Paris Agreement, so as to minimize further negative climate impacts that make adaptation increasingly difficult, especially for the most vulnerable. We welcome the African leadership on the issue, as demonstrated during the Africa Climate Summit 2023, co-organized by the African Union and Kenya, which took place in Nairobi in September. We welcome the African Leaders’ Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change and Call to Action and reaffirm the commitment to delivering on the Paris Pact for People and the Planet. The EU will continue to stand by the side of countries suffering from the consequences of climate change that need support in their climate transition, also acknowledging and addressing the impact of climate change and environmental degradation on peace, security and defence, while, at the same time, improving access to energy through renewables. The EU is actively engaged in the field of natural disaster risk reduction, in particular through the Climate Risk and Early Warning System Initiative. The EU also supports the AU’s Great Green Wall Initiative for climate adaptation with €700 million. We are a driving force behind the decision to allocate $100 billion in special drawing rights, or equivalent contributions, to the most vulnerable countries, particularly in Africa. As a tangible sign of our willingness to engage in a partnership that concretely benefits Africa, 33 of the least developed African countries have benefited from the most favourable customs regime, removing tariffs and quotas for all imports of goods except arms and ammunition. As of today, the EU is by far the main trade partner of the African continent, with a total volume of €268 billion in 2021 and 90 per cent of African exports entering the EU duty free. The EU is encouraged by the potential of Africa’s Continental Free Trade Area and has supported its establishment since the inception, contributing with expertise, institutional capacity and exchanges on lessons learned. It is by investing in socioeconomic development that we will address the main causes of conflicts in Africa. The overall funding for development cooperation by Team Europe went up by almost 30 per cent in 2022 worldwide, with EU assistance to Africa increasing by 11 per cent for the period from 2021 to 2027 as compared to the period from 2014 to 2020. We are committed to harnessing the EU’s Global Gateway, Europe’s fair and sustainable offer to the world, to respond to infrastructure and development challenges and to promote investments in developing sustainable, reliable, modern, inclusive, equitable and green energy systems, as well as to accelerate the digital transformation, promote sustainable growth, improve education and strengthen health systems. As agreed at the sixth EU-AU summit of February 2022, in order to strengthen quality infrastructure, nearly €150 billion of investments will be mobilized in Africa by 2027 as part of the EU-Africa Global Gateway Investment Package. Those investments are already taking place today. The EU is translating commitments made at the Summit into reality. All that testifies to the quality of the cooperation between Africa and Europe — a relationship based on principles such as national ownership, transparency, inclusiveness and respect for human rights, as evidenced by the Joint Africa-Europe Strategy and the AU-EU summits. In an era characterized by growing divisions in the international arena, the partnership between the African Union and the European Union stands as a strong example of successful multilateral engagement. The EU and its member States remain committed to their partnership with Africa. We will continue to work towards enhanced and strengthened cooperation with our African partner countries.

I have the honour to make the following remarks on behalf of the Group of African States. The Group welcomes the convening of the joint debate on agenda item 65, on Africa’s development. That enhances the debate’s visibility on Africa’s priorities and facilitates the participation of Member States in the discussions on this critical topic. We commend the reports’ focus on issues of significant importance to Africa’s inclusive growth and socioeconomic progress. Finance, energy, food security, employment and decent work are all key development priorities and critical enablers for achieving the transformational outcomes envisaged in the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and for realizing the aspirations of Agenda 2063. The thorough analysis of challenges and opportunities and the concrete policy recommendations contained in the reports demonstrate the importance of accelerating progress in those development areas and harnessing existing synergies among them and with the broader framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). First, on the Secretary-General’s report on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (A/78/309), addressing the triple paradoxes of finance, energy and food security, is now more urgent than ever. The ramifications of the current interlinked and cascading crises have disrupted energy and food markets, compounded existing challenges and laid bare the vulnerabilities of African economies to external shocks. Those shocks, along with the effects of climate change, have collectively narrowed policy and fiscal space, reduced revenue-generation capacity, heightened inflationary pressures and exacerbated the debt burden and the SDG financing gap. Many hard-won development gains made over the past two decades, particularly with regard to reducing poverty, are at risk of reversal. Moreover, such crises have aggravated inequalities and pushed millions of people into extreme poverty. Such concerns about the unfavourable global conditions and their negative development impact were underlined by our leaders during the General Assembly general debate, as well as at the SDG and the Climate Ambition Summits a few weeks ago. It is crucial to tackle the structural and institutional challenges that constrain African countries from maximizing the use of their resources. According to the report on NEPAD, the prevalence of the informal sector, weak tax administration systems and illicit financial flows, estimated to cost the continent $89 billion annually in lost revenue, are impacting the average tax- to-gross-domestic-product ratio in African countries, which remains low as compared to other regions. In that regard, the African Group underscores the importance of the process within the United Nations aimed at enhancing the inclusiveness and effectiveness of international tax cooperation, including the development of an international tax convention. Similarly, promoting debt sustainability is vital to expanding policy space and maximizing the employment of domestic resources in promoting sustainable development. According to the 2022 report on NEPAD (A/76/888), external debt accounts for 60 per cent of Africa’s public debt, with debt servicing absorbing more than 20 per cent of Government revenue on average. As highlighted by the Secretary-General in his remarks to the Africa Dialogue Series in May, Africa currently spends more on debt service costs than on health care. In the same vein, it is critical to help African countries to meet their urgent and longer-term financing needs by facilitating access to external financing, including on preferential terms and by reallocating special drawing rights through regional development banks, such as the African Development Bank. The soaring cost of borrowing and debt distress implications, besides the weak response from international financial institutions to liquidity challenges, have placed additional pressure on budgets and strained public finance, with severe consequences for social spending. Tackling the energy paradox is indispensable to securing affordable and clean energy access for all and for economic diversification and structural transformation, particularly inclusive and sustainable industrialization. Scaling up investments in Africa’s significant renewable energy potential in solar and wind, including by the private sector, must underpin the continent’s socioeconomic transformation and meet the growing demand for energy in Africa, which is driven by rapid urbanization and population growth. Secondly, on the report on the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa (A/78/234), tackling the drivers of instability and conflict is important for accelerating development and promoting economic growth that is socially inclusive. The report’s focus on unemployment and the decent work deficit as possible drivers of instability speaks to the urgency of prioritizing job creation in national and regional development plans. That is key to boosting household income, tackling poverty, reducing inequality, enhancing the resilience of African societies and accelerating progress across sustainable development’s economic, social and environmental pillars. The report underlines the importance of coordinated policies and strategies and scaled-up investments to promote job creation to meet the increasing number of young people who join the job market annually. It is projected that the labour force on the continent will reach 511 million people in 2023, with an annual growth rate of 3.6 per cent from 2021 to 2023 and an unemployment rate increasing from 6.5 per cent in 2019 to 7.1 per cent in 2022. Promoting economic diversification, reducing the reliance on the commodity sector and extractive industries and investing in human capital development, including health, education, skills development, innovation and entrepreneurship, are crucial to accelerated job creation and tackling the decent work deficit. The report highlights the fact that approximately 251 million workers, representing about 60 per cent of total employment in sub-Saharan Africa, live below the moderate poverty line of $3.10 per day. In addition, the report underscores that the decent work deficit is also closely linked to the prevalence of the informal sector, which employs about 84 per cent of workers, rising to 95 per cent in the case of youth employment. In that regard, implementing sound regulatory and policy reforms to strengthen trade and investment flows, including cross-border flows within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), holds significant potential for economic diversification. Further leveraging the AfCFTA, the growth of the manufacturing sector and agribusiness can provide the necessary impetus to tackling the challenges of unemployment and lack of decent work. It is imperative to address structural inequalities and strengthen the capacities of institutions at all levels to become more transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of their populations, including the most vulnerable, particularly women and young people. Furthermore, to address those challenges, it is critical to focus policy interventions on structural inequalities and grievance fault lines, with a particular emphasis on groups such as women and young people. Once again, we wish to express our appreciation for the thorough analysis of the challenges and opportunities and the concrete policy recommendations contained in those valuable reports.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important meeting. We support the statement made by Tunisia on behalf of the Group of African States. Let me also commend the Office of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Africa for providing strategic advice to enhance international support to Africa’s response to security and development challenges. Angola gives special attention to this debate because peace, security and stability are essential conditions for the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 of the African Union (AU), the blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future. Unfortunately, Africa continues to face major peace and security challenges, such as the increasing spread of terrorism and violent extremism; resurgence of unconstitutional changes of Government and unstable political transitions; corruption, nepotism and the failure of States to deliver basic services; the impacts of climate change intensifying competition over gradually depleting, scarce resources; and growing internationalization of conflicts due to the deepening geopolitical rivalry that undermines the leadership role of the African Union in finding solutions. The international community is increasingly recognizant of the nexus between peace, security and development, and the need to create an environment that is conducive to stability, economic growth and social inclusion as the basis for sustainable development. In 2016, the General Assembly and the Security Council adopted resolutions 70/262 and 2282 (2016), respectively, on peacebuilding, recognizing inclusive development as a critical element of peacebuilding. The global, regional, subregional and national systems dealing with conflicts have focused on preventing inter-State wars and, more and more, intra-State conflicts. However, the changing nature of conflicts and crises calls for a more comprehensive and integrated approach to responding to humanitarian crises and violations of human rights, and therefore to identifying lasting political solutions. The exchange of experiences and information on national reconciliation processes contributes to the achievement of the African Union’s strategic objective of silencing the guns on the continent. Angola has been contributing to conflict prevention, management and resolution in Africa, on the basis of its own national experience in peacebuilding and national reconciliation, by promoting diplomatic initiatives in the search for political inclusiveness and stability in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic, within the framework of its presidency of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region. The Heads of State and Government of the African Union, meeting at the sixteenth extraordinary session of the Assembly, dedicated to terrorism and unconstitutional changes of Government, held in Malabo on 28 May 2022, declared that: “We are fully cognizant of the ultra-importance of building resilient societies, social cohesion, national unity and regional cooperation, as the bedrock for lasting peace, and in the spirit of the Madiba Nelson Mandela Decade of Reconciliation in Africa; institute 31 January of each year, as ‘Africa Day of Peace and Reconciliation’; and, to this effect, appoint His Excellency João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, as AU Champion for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa”. At the inaugural commemoration of the Africa Day of Peace and Reconciliation, on 31 January 2023, the Angolan Head of State defended two main pillars for peace and stability in the continent. First, trust and unity in the diversity of the peoples of Africa are the way forward for the continent to achieve peace and reconciliation, as well as manage and resolve conflicts. Secondly, the achievement of peace in Africa is indeed a shared responsibility that requires all African citizens, young and old, men and women, to contribute to the maintenance of social cohesion and unity and to appreciate, value and encourage peace in their individual and collective capacities and environments. Angola is a peacemaking, peacebuilding and peace-loving country, having the principles of peaceful settlement of disputes and the promotion of international peace and security at the core of its foreign affairs policy. We are engaged in enhancing a culture of peace and national reconciliation by holding the Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace in Africa — Biennale of Luanda, in partnership with the African Union and UNESCO, aiming to promote democratic principles and practices, and consolidate an environment of political tolerance and inclusiveness in the continent. The first session took place in September 2019, and the next is scheduled for November 2023. In conclusion, Angola stands ready to continue working closely with other countries and all relevant stakeholders to advance lasting peace and stability in Africa.

We thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting. South Africa aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of Tunisia on behalf of the Group of African States. We wish to thank the Secretary-General for the comprehensive report on international support and progress in the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (A/78/309) highlighting some of the key development issues, such as energy, finance, food security and the environment, and on the causes of conflict in Africa. We appreciate the support provided by the Secretary-General and the United Nations at large for Agenda 2063, Africa’s blueprint for sustainable development. NEPAD highlights the need for enhanced and coordinated efforts to tackle the enormous development challenges facing the continent. The Secretary- General’s report recognizes that financing gaps for Africa’s development have widened considerably in the wake of recent crises and correctly highlights the need for reform of an unfair international financial system and the need to make domestic resource mobilization the cornerstone of financing for development. Significantly, the report points out that the continent loses between $500 billion and $600 billion annually, which is generated by Africa but not captured or mobilized. In that context, we cannot fail to mention the need for international tax justice and to reverse the scourge of illicit financial flows out of the continent, which have, for decades now, robbed African people and countries of much-needed resources for development. South Africa welcomes the focus of the 2023 report on the causes of conflict and the lack of decent work opportunities as a driver of conflict in Africa (A/78/234), a nexus that is not given sufficient attention. Recent shocks have increased the number of Africans living in extreme poverty to 463 million people. That has fed a highly regrettable increase in armed conflict, often sponsored by outside agendas, as a vicious cycle of deprivation, competition over resources and horizontal inequality have fuelled grievance and social tension, creating fertile ground for strife, with the worst effects being felt by women and the most vulnerable. We agree fully with the report’s recommendation on the need to take a development approach to conflict, with much more resources devoted to peacebuilding and prevention rather than mainly to security approaches. In conclusion, South Africa calls on development partners to refrain from and prevent any activities that impair the right to development of the people of Africa, to massively scale up support for economic transformation of the continent and to urgently reform global institutions to create an enabling international order that is conducive to development. Mr President, you can count on South Africa to continue to contribute to the creation of a peaceful environment for Africa’s development.

The future is Africa. With its young and fast-growing population and resourceful human capital, with its rich natural resources and deep reservoir of local knowledge and wisdom, among other factors, Africa presents immense opportunities for more sustained growth and sustainable development. One important driver of such growth is the African Continental Free Trade Area, with a combined gross domestic product of $3.4 trillion. According to the World Bank, the Free Trade Area could boost income by some $450 billion by 2035 and add $76 billion to the global economy. Another important driver is foreign direct investment, including in the blue and green economies, with projections for increase in 2023, especially when that foreign direct investment links up with local capital and entrepreneurial talent. What we all hope to achieve, I trust, is to bring that future, the future we want, based on The Africa We Want, closer within our time horizon. Like other regions, however, Africa faces its share of challenges that delay the timely attainment of that future. Some challenges are the legacies of an unfortunate past, others the negative impact of the global architecture, and still others a result of intracontinental factors. The Secretary-General’s report (A/78/309) highlighted other issues such as the importance of attaining financial, energy and food security. Whatever the obstacles, whatever the challenges may be, it is imperative that multilateral, interregional and regional efforts not only continue but also be reinforced to support Africa’s continuing efforts to pursue sustained economic growth and sustainable development, based on its needs and on its priorities. Regarding regional efforts, the roles of the African Union, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and subregional organizations have been vital. On NEPAD, for example, we applaud the contributions of its infrastructure development programmes, with $82 billion in investment in its first phase. As a result, 30 million more people now have access to electricity, and there are 16 per cent more intra-African exports. Ultimately, a dynamic Africa is an indispensable part of a healthy global economy, an important chapter of a successful Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) story and an integral pillar of a sustainable future for all of us. To put it another way, we cannot achieve any of that without Africa. So, in Thailand’s view, international cooperation with and support for Africa should be pursued vigorously and perhaps revolve around three clusters of actions. First is solidarity with Africa on global issues that are critical to Africa’s sustained economic growth and sustainable development. Greater financing for development to Africa is essential to ensure progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs. We therefore reiterate our call for the full and timely implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. We also urge developed countries to step up investments to Africa and fulfil their official development assistance commitments, a call echoed at the Sustainable Development Goals Summit. Other global issues that need to be tackled, bearing in mind the needs of African countries, include the global debt crisis and especially its impact on the heavily indebted countries. The Secretary-General’s call in Paris this year for a truly effective and time-effective debt relief mechanism that supports payment suspensions, longer lending terms and lower rates needs to be realized. And other important initiatives by the Group of African States here at the United Nations, such as on a global tax treaty, deserve favourable consideration. Secondly, support for a greater reform of the global architecture and system that supports greater sustainable development, trade and connectivity needs to be pursued. That will benefit Africa as it will benefit other regions. As called for by the Secretary-General and many developing countries, the international financial architecture and system needs to be reformed, with developing countries to be given a greater voice in multilateral development banks. There needs to be greater allocation of special drawing rights for developing countries and a greater focus on SDGs by multilateral development banks. Trade also helps drive income generation and sustainable development. The multilateral trading system should be geared towards securing more access to global markets for developing countries and in particular greater facilitation of trade in food and agricultural products to help fight poverty, food insecurity and, yes, even starvation. As highlighted by the three health summits here at the United Nations last month, the global health architecture should be geared towards greater universal health coverage. There should be greater and more equitable access to vaccines, especially for Africa, to help to overcome the present pandemic and prepare for future ones. Thirdly and lastly, we need stronger and more reinforced partnerships with Africa. As a developing country, Thailand continues to strengthen its long- standing ties with Africa since the days of the Bandung Conference, held in 1955. Through South-South cooperation, Thailand has launched development and training scholarship programmes in 33 African countries, encompassing areas such as food security, climate change, energy efficiency and community-based tourism, to name a few. Additionally, Thailand engages in promoting sustainable agriculture by transferring agricultural technology, providing technical assistance and sharing best practices and techniques. The launching of the Thailand-Kenya Sustainable Agro- technologies Development Centre last September is one such example. We hope that through those small efforts, we can humbly make some small contribution towards Agenda 2063 and The Africa We Want. Such cooperation is based on the spirit of partnership and always driven by local needs and priorities, because in Thailand’s view, in crafting solutions to Africa’s economic and development challenges in these areas, Africa knows best. In conclusion, Africa’s future is our future, because we are all connected. So it is our hope that through greater solidarity with Africa on global issues, greater reform of the global architecture and system and reinforced partnerships with African countries, we will be able to secure that future, the future that we want, based on The Africa We Want. Thailand stands ready to work closely with the international community to advance that aspiration.

Latvia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the observer of the European Union. I would like to add the following points in my national capacity. First, we thank the Secretary-General and his team for the reports presented today (A/78/309, A/78/234 and A/78/291). The first report on solving the paradoxes of development in Africa outlines the existing issues in financing, energy and food systems across the continent. It also explains how to reveal development potential through the mobilization of domestic resources. Allow me to introduce Latvia’s contribution in that regard. Latvia has been expanding its development cooperation to African countries by offering technology and projects related to women’s empowerment. To date, such projects have been executed or are under way in South Africa, Cameroon, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. All projects are developed with a view to contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Latvia believes that multilateral development banks have an important supporting role. Multilateral development banks are well-positioned to facilitate support in improving tax collection and tax systems. In support of lower-income countries, Latvia has significantly increased its contributions to multilateral development banks. Looking ahead, Latvia plans to contribute a 2 million special drawing rights subsidy to the International Monetary Fund’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust, helping countries which are in the most need. In our development cooperation portfolio, we recognize the crucial importance of domestic resource mobilization and capacity-building, including sound public financial management. The path towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals is fraught with challenges. It is also evident that reform of the international financial architecture is needed. Global efforts to reduce illicit financial flows must also be strengthened. The promotion of good governance and anti-corruption measures is key in this regard. On the reports on the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa, I would like to underline that Latvia recognizes the link between peace and development. Sustainable development is not possible under conditions of conflict and chaos. As a former member of the Peacebuilding Commission and as a regular contributor to the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), we call for further efforts to seek coherence in peacebuilding efforts between the United Nations and the African Union, as well as other relevant partners, including civil society representatives. We are also supportive of the efforts to ensure sustainable funding for the PBF.

Allow us, first of all, to thank the Secretary-General for the presentation of the reports contained in documents A/78/234, A/78/291 and A/78/309, of which we have taken due note. For centuries, and despite its immense potential in various areas, our Mother Africa has historically faced many challenges  — from painful armed conflicts, including those that have been the result of the interference of extraregional Powers or that have been promoted out of the economic interests of transnational corporations in plundering the natural resources of entire nations, to the onslaught of climate change and the still palpable consequences of a disastrous legacy of colonialism, subjugation and plundering. These continue to affect millions of people and, in many cases, even serve as a breeding ground for the promotion of agendas of criminal groups, whose activities, ultimately, have adverse effects on the peace and socioeconomic development of the entire African continent. That was even recognized by the President of the African Union himself last March before the Security Council (see S/PV.9296). The issue that brings us together today is thus of particular importance, especially amid the current international situation and in the light of not only the latest political developments on that continent, particularly in the sub-Saharan region, but also the growing rejection of the peacekeeping operations deployed by the United Nations, owing to well- known frustrations and a deep and growing distrust in our Organization. There is, therefore, a growing hope on the part of all our peoples, including those in Africa, to achieve their legitimate aspirations to fully and effectively achieve the goals of peace, security, justice, development and human rights. That is where our Organization continues to fail despite its authority and convening power. In that regard, we highlight the role of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is fully aligned with the Agenda 2063 of the African Union, and which provides a concerted road map to, among others, achieve more just, inclusive and equitable societies. We must recognize, however, that the African continent continues to face important challenges owing to, among others, marked asymmetries and an international financial and trade system that responds to the interests of a minority of rich countries that instrumentalize its institutions, as is the case with the International Monetary Fund, to exert pressure and domination over entire nations, undermine their sovereignty and pervert their independence with neoliberal programmes that, as history around the world demonstrates, only end up being catalysts for greater crises and social tensions. That is a reality that has given rise to, among others, over-indebtedness and limited access to energy, food and sources of financing for development, all of which are added to other important challenges that are thoroughly described in the reports of the Secretary-General under consideration today in the General Assembly. Here, we take this opportunity to express our support for the African Union, as well as other subregional organizations, and their efforts to promote lasting peace and sustainable development in Africa, including through the Silencing the Guns initiative, which posits African solutions to African problems, and the establishment of an African Continental Free Trade Area, which could help to increase the labour supply and to strengthen intra-African trade. There are many other initiatives that genuinely seek to unleash the potential of this great continent, guided at all times by core values and principles, such as solidarity, cooperation, sovereignty and national ownership. Our country is firmly committed to respecting the principles of political independence, self-determination and non-intervention in the internal affairs of States. In that regard, we take this opportunity to call for the well-being of all peoples of our mother Africa and to express our solidarity with those who today are fighting tirelessly to exercise their inalienable right to decide freely and in sovereignty their own future and path towards development, free from intervention or hegemony in any form, and with those who refuse to submit to extra-regional dictates and instead have chosen to fight, with dignity and courage, for their full and definitive independence. We also call on the former colonial Powers, which even today continue to insist on dominating and influencing the region, to shoulder their obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and the relevant resolutions adopted by the Organization’s various principal organs. We call on them to put an end to their supremacist mentality and modern neocolonial practices, particularly as regards the plundering of natural resources and the criminal imposition of unilateral coercive measures, as they are part of the reason for the current realities and challenges that many nations in Africa face. Therefore we stress once again our call to lift fully, immediately and without conditions all so-called sanctions that continue to be applied in a cruel and inhumane way to the brotherly peoples of the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the State of Eritrea, Libya, Mali, Somalia, the Sudan, South Sudan and Zimbabwe. That is a reality that many present here seek to minimize, or indeed ignore entirely, as occurred just two weeks ago in this very Hall. There can be no sustainable development so long as the criminal application of unilateral coercive measures continues. The time has come, therefore, for the cry of our peoples to be heard and for an end to be put to all unilateral neocolonialist practices and all other policies of exploitation aimed at limiting the full development of the potential of those sisterly nations, including as part of strategies to benefit third parties, the only result of which has been, as facts and history clearly show, to deepen inequality as a result of economic exploitation, or, what is even more serious, the perpetuation of underdevelopment. For those reasons, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela calls for the urgent implementation of measures that will make it possible to translate into reality a reform of the international financial architecture, in order, inter alia, to enable our developing countries to have real impact on decision-making on issues that have a direct impact on our peoples, particularly those relating to access to financial resources. We know that those resources exist; we know where they are; and we know who has them. They are vital to tackling the climate crisis, overcoming the technological gap and ensuring debt sustainability and other significant challenges, including in the area of education and training, a sector where our country has provided its modest contribution to a significant number of African countries. All those challenges must be addressed as a priority in order to ensure that peace and security are a reality for all in Africa, without distinction or exclusion. The promotion of lasting peace and sustainable development in Africa is a task that falls to us all and that requires collective efforts both by the African nations themselves and by regional and subregional organizations, including, among others, the African Union as well as other international partners such as the United Nations. Tackling the consequences of colonialism; finalizing the outstanding decolonization processes in Africa, both in the Western Sahara and in the Republic of Mauritius; and addressing the underlying structural causes of the conflicts and challenges faced by that region — including as a result of the perpetuation of an economic model based on extraction and exploitation, specifically of raw materials, which are necessary to maintain unsustainable consumption patterns in developed countries  — is vital in order to overcome those challenges and move effectively and without further delay towards building a future of peace and prosperity for all. Venezuela reiterates its commitment not only to guaranteeing that the potential of our mother Africa can be fully developed and that no one is left behind in the quest for lasting peace and sustainable development but also to correct the historical injustices perpetrated against an entire continent, including as regards the priorities identified in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, which establishes, inter alia, that: “Africans must not be wards of benevolent guardians; rather they must be the architects of their own sustained upliftment.” (A/57/304, para. 27)

Poland aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of the European Union. I should like to take this opportunity to share some additional remarks in my national capacity. Poland thanks the Secretary-General for his reports entitled “Promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa” (A/78/234) and “Solving the paradoxes of development in Africa: financing, energy and food systems” (A/78/309). They both touch on two areas of key importance to the African continent: peace and security on the one hand and development on the other. We recognize the significance of maintaining peace, stability and sustainable development in Africa, and we attach importance to the strengthening of bilateral and multilateral economic ties and supporting the endeavours of our African partners in achieving inclusive growth. After a period of relative stability, the 2020s are already proving to be a decade of a record-high number of military coups in Africa. That is a startling reminder of the fact that we urgently need a meaningful global debate on ways to strengthen existing partnerships and initiatives as well as forge new ones to achieve the noble goal of bringing various African challenges to an end. Towards that goal, Poland remains a steadfast supporter of African-led efforts to silence the guns and to implement a broader peace and security agenda. Poland seeks to deepen relations with African countries. We stand ready to share our experiences, guided by the principles of international solidarity and a shared responsibility for sustainable development. One example of that approach is the tax solidarity programme established by the Polish Ministry of Finance, in particular in the area of the implementation of modern tax technologies to improve the efficiency of the value-added tax and counteracting tax crime. The successful implementation of tax reform leads to the strengthening of the domestic resources so necessary to sustainable growth. We believe that building resilience is one of the most important tasks, especially in times of crisis. Polish development assistance is largely focused on reducing economic and social inequalities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and end poverty. Poland is also continuing its engagement in multilateral development assistance, in particular via voluntary contributions to United Nations agencies and other entities of the United Nations system. In recent years the negative aspects of centuries- long colonialism have become increasingly visible to the international community. At the same time, many tend to lose sight of contemporary forms of neocolonialism. We can observe manifestations of neocolonialism in the activities of the Russian Federation, both in its direct neighbourhood and in other parts of the world. As a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, global food insecurity has worsened, bringing back the very real threat of widespread hunger. Let us not forget that there can be no sustainable development in Africa without ensuring food security there, including stable prices and reliable supply routes. Poland is doing its part to alleviate that acute crisis stemming from the aggressive behaviour of Russia. In conclusion, let me assure the Assembly that Poland will continue to listen to African voices and respond to African needs in a true spirit of partnership. We will continue to do so and will seize even more opportunities as a member of the Economic and Social Council starting in 2024.

Let me start by saying that the reports of the Secretariat that we are discussing today continue, like some media, to contain value judgments imputing to our country responsibility for the ongoing crises in the world economy and in Africa. We see no exception to that in the two reports of the Secretary-General entitled “Solving the paradoxes of development in Africa: financing, energy and food systems” (A/78/309) and “Promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa” (A/78/234). They, too, refer to the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine for the economy and food security of African countries, as a number of other delegations have noted from this rostrum today as well. However, many unbiased experts who do not work for Western media but for prestigious independent media rightly note that the root causes of the current food and energy crisis are first and foremost the systemic errors of the largest Western economies, which, unfortunately, are used to resolving all their difficulties through uncontrolled currency emissions. The forcing of a transition to renewable sources has further exacerbated those negative trends. We must recall, as was mentioned by other representatives today, the unilateral sanctions enacted against African countries and their partners. Let me recall also that the United Nations warned of a global food crisis back in 2020. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, from 2019 to February 2022 the Food Price Index increased by 50 per cent, and the most noticeable increase in prices for agricultural products was observed in 2020. Thus we see that the statements in the report are untenable. The Russian Federation has always given priority attention to cooperation with Africa. We are linked by traditionally strong ties of friendship  and close relations that emerged in the middle of last century when the peoples of the continent were fighting for their freedom and independence. Russian- African ties are on the upswing, including a political dialogue, interparliamentary relations and trade and economic ties. Our country is participating in efforts to relieve the debt burden of the African States, which also has been mentioned by many representatives today. Currently the amount written off by Russia has exceeded $20 billion. The year 2023 is a special one in our interaction, as it has seen the second Russia-Africa Summit, held in St. Petersburg. The highly representative list of participants convincingly demonstrates the mutual desire of Russia and the States of the African continent to raise our cooperation to a new, even higher level in the areas of politics and security and in the economic and social domains. Notably, many ideas and useful proposals made by our African friends in St. Petersburg were taken on board in the Summit’s outcome declaration and in a number of thematic declarations, specifically on the fight against terrorism. The outcome document reaffirms the joint desire to combat neocolonialism, the practice of applying illegitimate sanctions and attempts to undermine traditional moral values. Russia will continue to make a real contribution to resolving current crises; preventing the emergence of new hotbeds of tension; fighting terrorism and extremism, pandemics and hunger; and working on environmental, food and information security issues. We will continue to extend assistance to African countries not only by providing food but also by promoting the development of energy, both carbon and renewable, and agriculture, to meet the growing needs of their economies. We plan to continue cooperating with our African partners to ensure that they achieve the ambitious goals set out in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development and Agenda 2063 of the African Union for the development of the countries of the African continent. Our intent is to create the strong and promising partnerships that were mentioned today by the President of the General Assembly.

We fully align ourselves with the statement delivered by the representative of the European Union. I wish now to share some brief remarks in my national capacity on the importance of joint efforts, consolidated partnerships and innovative approaches for sustainable development in Africa. We all recognize that Africa is a continent significantly affected by a triple crisis, with considerable economic, security and climate-change impacts. Romania has not turned a blind eye to our African friends but has provided concrete support to African countries by facilitating food supplies to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and we look forward to continue providing similar support to those countries most in need, using the Black Sea and the Danube River as transport corridors. Moreover, we have also organized nutrition and food safety training for African specialists, and we will continue to do so regularly to enhance skills and encourage ownership of agriculture modernization, taking into account the One Health approach. On disaster risk reduction and countering the effects of climate change, Romania stands ready to not only offer disaster-relief support but also to share good practices and lessons learned on developing and using early-warning systems. On education, we offer 500 scholarships annually for students from African countries in medicine and engineering. We will continue to do so and even try to increase our offer, if required. We are also organizing training modules for African diplomats on several topics of interest, including on countering disinformation. We provide training for technicians on green technologies, inviting a significant number of participants from African countries. In addition, today we opened in Algeria a stabilization and post-conflict reconstruction course for civil servants of African countries as part of our official development assistance efforts. Furthermore, as a Bureau member of both the third United Nations Conference on the Landlocked Developing Countries and the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States, we look forward to successful conferences next year and to their ambitious outcomes.

In recent years, African countries have enhanced solidarity and cooperation, striving to maintain peace and stability and promoting development and revitalization. As a result, they have achieved a succession of positive results, demonstrating Africa’s strength and Africa’s wisdom. The African Union has officially joined the Group of 20, and the African Continental Free Trade Area is in place. Regional and subregional organizations across the continent have played an increasing role, and Africa in general is becoming an important pillar with global influence. Africa is still encountering dire challenges such as violence and conflicts, terrorism, food and energy shortages, financing gaps and climate change, making the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the fulfilment of the Agenda 2063 of the African Union an uphill battle. Supporting Africa’s development falls to the global community as our collective responsibility. We must gain in-depth knowledge of the situation on the ground and the special needs of African countries, respect their autonomy in choosing their own development models that cater to their national realities, and provide more tailored assistance. First, we must support Africa’s efforts to maintain peace and stability. Even as we speak, the continent is suffering from a resurgence of hotspot issues and rampant violence and terrorist activities. Global crises and geopolitical conflicts have also brought about fresh shocks to its peace and stability. We should keep the maintenance of peace and stability in Africa front and centre; practice the new concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security; bridge differences through dialogue; resolve disputes through cooperation and advance political solutions to hotspot issues. We should also uphold the concept of African solutions to African issues and support the African Union and African subregional organizations in playing an active role. The international community, the United Nations and traditional developed-country donors should respond actively to the initiatives of African countries and provide predictable and sustainable funding for the peacekeeping operations of the African Union. Secondly, we should assist African countries in addressing development financial challenges. In the existing international financial system, African countries have only limited access to financing, with exorbitant borrowing costs, not to mention the negative spillover effects resulting from monetary policy adjustments in major developed economies. Developed countries should shoulder their due responsibility by honouring their official development assistance commitments and making up for their unpaid historical debt. The international financial institutions should speed up their reform process so as to truly offer effective services to developing countries, especially African ones, and help them accelerate their progress towards sustainable development. Thirdly, we must foster a just and reasonable international order. An unjust and unreasonable international political and economic order represents a deep-rooted constraint on Africa’s development. We must practice genuine multilateralism, unequivocally oppose the legacy of colonialism and acts of hegemony of all kinds; oppose the imposition of illegal unilateral sanctions on some African countries; and enhance the representation and voice of African countries in international affairs and global governance. We should all work hard for an open world economy so as to better integrate Africa into the global industrial and value chains and share the dividends of economic globalization. Fourthly, we must support African countries in building up their capacities. The repeated cycle of conflicts in some African countries and regions are cause for concern. That requires us to actively explore ideas and ways and means to promote peace through development and seek development through peace. The international community should focus on helping the countries concerned to strengthen capacity-building in such areas as conflict prevention, counter-terrorism, sustainable development and human resources development. The United Nations should lend vigorous support to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Africa, do more in areas such as poverty eradication, food security, infrastructure development, education and employment, and train more professionals consistent with Africa’s development needs, so that Africa becomes more capable of autonomous development and innovation. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the launch of China’s proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It also marks the tenth anniversary of China’s African policy of sincerity, practical results, affinity and good faith. Over the past 10 years, China and Africa have respected each other, treated each other as equals and cooperated in good faith; the achievements are visible across the African continent. China has assisted in the construction of more than 6,000 kilometres of railways, 6,000 kilometres of roads and more than 80 large-scale power facilities in Africa. A large number of landmark projects are in place, such as the Mombasa–Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, national highway #1 in the Republic of the Congo, the Kafue Gorge Lower Hydropower Station, the Lekki deep-sea port in Nigeria and the headquarters of the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. China-Africa cooperation under the BRI initiative has proved to be a strong impetus to the socioeconomic development of African countries and has brought tangible benefits to the African people. In August, President Xi Jinping attended the China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue, held in South Africa, and announced three initiatives: the initiative on supporting Africa’s industrialization, the plan for Chinese support for Africa’s agricultural modernization; and the plan for China-Africa cooperation on talent development, giving new impetus to Africa’s integration and modernization. Tomorrow in Beijing China will host the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, and we look forward to working with all parties concerned, including African countries, to draw up a new blueprint for the high-quality development of the BRI in a new area, add fresh impetus to the fulfilment of the vision of peace and development in Africa, and make new contributions to building a community with a shared future for humankind.

At the outset, I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his report (A/78/309) on the item under consideration. I would also like to thank the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) for its efforts for the benefit of the African continent. We align ourselves with the statement made by the representative of Tunisia on behalf of the Group of African States and would like to deliver the following statement in our national capacity. This meeting of the General Assembly on NEPAD is being held eight years after world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which stresses that no one ought to be left behind. The meeting is also held following the adoption by the African leaders of the 50-year Agenda 2063, aimed at achieving peace, security and development in Africa, as well as the first 10-year executive plan, which we are about to conclude. Those plans are human-centred. as people are the objective of development. In order to move from planning to comprehensive and integrated implementation, NEPAD and the regional economic commissions should play an essential role in harmonizing the agreed universal Sustainable Development Goals and the 10-year plan of the African Union, making them goals and objectives at the regional and national levels while taking account of the national, cultural and religious specificities of the peoples of the continent. In that context, we stress the need for African coordination and integration, which requires integration first at the national level and then at the regional level, as well as integration among regions, in order to achieve integration at the continental level. Despite all the efforts made on the continent and despite the progress made in some fields with the support of our development partners, the African continent continues to confront many challenges with respect to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, including poverty, violence, conflict, climate change and emigration from the continent, as well as unemployment and the coronavirus disease pandemic’s negative social and economic consequences. In order to tackle such challenges, developed countries must keep the promises that they made at the major conferences held by the United Nations with respect to the African continent. They must support African countries, promote economies, strengthen economic stability and help them to secure investments that build African capacities and do not bleed the natural resources of the continent without any positive return on the development of African human resources. They must always effectively include the private sector, facilitate technology transfer, especially in relation to food security and infrastructure, and enable young people and women to obtain the necessary skills that help them to effectively contribute towards implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, to whose achievement the continent aspires. Concerning peace and security in Africa, regrettably many African States have recently suffered a deterioration in security as well as armed conflicts, which will have clear negative repercussions on the development of the continent in the near future. Therefore, there is a dire need to support countries in conflict or emerging from conflict in order to achieve security and stability. We must work to prevent the recurrence of conflicts, preserve peace and address post-conflict repercussions. We know full well that there can be no development without security and no security without development. The African continent cannot advance economically and developmentally without peace and stability as well respect for human rights and the rule of law. My country, Libya, calls for adherence to the United Nations system and for the resolution of all disputes and conflicts through dialogue in order to reach peaceful solutions that achieve sustainable development. As a transit country, Libya, like many other countries, suffers from instability because of vast waves of illegal migration, organized crime and human trafficking, even as we are unable to control our borders. We stress that migration is a multifaceted international problem, not a national or regional one. The burden cannot be borne by transit countries  — such as mine — alone. Addressing that problem means focusing on its root causes and not its symptoms by achieving real development in countries of origin, with the help of destination countries. That should be done through the transfer of technology, skills-building, generating employment and supporting small and medium-sized projects, in addition to combating gangs that engage in the trafficking of migrants from countries of origin, transit and destination. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development stress the need to mobilize financial resources to achieve the relevant goals. In that context, many African countries, including my country, Libya, are losing large parts of their wealth because their funds and resources are being illegally smuggled to other States outside and inside the continent. Thus, there is a need for all States to which the funds have been smuggled to report them and help in returning them to their countries of origin, so that those countries can benefit from them in achieving development and improving their infrastructure. In that context, despite the many difficult circumstances my country has experienced, the latest being the tragedy of the city of Derna, the Government of National Unity, since its creation in March 2021, has considered development projects as a fundamental priority. That priority has been translated into a well- thought-out, phased pivotal plan that we call “return to life”, which aims at creating new life for the Libyan people across our regions. In conclusion, my country, Libya, believes that we are at a critical juncture at which we must move from words to action. We must take practical steps if we are truly serious and if we have the political will to promote development in African States in general and in those States with special needs on our African continent in particular. I hope that we will meet again in this Hall next year under this agenda item to discuss noticeable progress in achieving sustainable development.

Let me begin by thanking the Secretary-General for his reports on the agenda items under consideration (A/78/309, A/78/234 and A/78/291). The potential of Africa is infinite, and opportunities on the continent are enormous. There can be no debate on those issues. However, the past three years have been difficult, especially for Africa and developing nations. The challenges posed by the coronavirus disease (COVID) pandemic, the rising prices of fuel, fertilizer and food grains, the climate crisis and increasing geopolitical tensions have impacted development efforts. In addition, several countries of the continent, particularly in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and the Central African regions, continued to be marred by challenges stemming from chronic political instability; the role of external players with vested interests in the regions; weak governance structures; institutional weaknesses; ethnic divisions; and the presence of terrorist and armed groups. African countries continue to face severe challenges, which are detailed in the report of the Secretary-General contained in document A/78/309 as paradoxes in respect of financing, energy and food security, as within each of those sectors there exists tremendous potential. The main contributors to those paradoxes has been the structure of African economies, inherited from colonialism and heavily oriented towards external markets. Africa, much like the majority of the countries of the Global South, also suffers from an undeniable historical disadvantage in respect of institutional capacity. Advocacy for domestic resource mobilization, as mentioned in the report, therefore appears to be too simplistic an approach to address the financing, energy and food system paradoxes. The steadfast support of the international community for Africa is therefore imperative as countries in Africa pursue efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 of the African Union. In that context, allow me to flag the following key aspects in respect of Africa. First, Africa’s growth can be facilitated by partnerships that genuinely address its economic sustainability, without conditionalities and in line with African expectations. Secondly, international partnerships are important to securing concessional financing for development and ensuring debt sustainability in Africa. Capacity- building support to strengthen and improve regulatory frameworks will also help in domestic resource mobilization. Thirdly, financial responsibility, transparency and viability must be at the forefront when looking at financing options, including the financing of infrastructure projects, to avoid imposing unsustainable debt burdens that would add to existing vulnerabilities. It is equally important for project sustainability that they be accompanied by skill, knowledge and technology transfer. Fourthly, regional integration would help Africa address the challenges, as emphasized in Agenda 2063. In that regard, it is encouraging to see the active role being played by regional and subregional organizations in Africa. The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, with adequate infrastructure and connectivity, can increase the potential of Africa through the free movement of goods, services, labour and capital, and increase intra-African trade. Fifthly, the continuing lack of representation of Africa in the permanent category of the Security Council’s membership is a historical injustice that needs to be corrected sooner rather than later. India has accorded high priority to its relations with Africa. Our engagement with Africa continues to be guided by the 10 principles enumerated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July 2018. It is cooperation based on our partners’ priority. Currently, India is Africa’s fourth-largest trading partner and fifth-largest investor. Under Agenda 2063, India is a reliable and close partner in Africa’s journey to become a global powerhouse of the future. Being a trusted partner of Africa in its journey of socioeconomic development, India has extended concessional loans of more than $12.37 billion. In that framework, we have completed 197 projects; 65 more are currently under execution, and 81 are at the pre-execution stage. Since 2015, India has also extended substantial grant assistance. Our projects range from drinking-water schemes, irrigation, rural solar electrification, power plants and transmission lines to cement, sugar and textile factories, technology parks and railway infrastructure. To bridge the digital divide in Africa, India has provided more than 15,000 scholarships in tele-education and telemedicine. India has also established defence academies and colleges in Nigeria, Ethiopia and Tanzania. We have deployed teams for training in Botswana, Namibia, Uganda, Lesotho, Zambia, Mauritius, Seychelles and Tanzania. Approximately 4,400 Indian peacekeepers, including women, are contributing to peace and stability in Africa. We are also working together with African countries in the fight against terrorism and piracy. During the challenging times of the COVID pandemic, we supplied food items and vaccines to several countries in Africa. India is now working on the joint manufacturing of COVID and other vaccines with African nations. Whether it is cyclones in Mozambique and Malawi or floods in Madagascar, India always stands shoulder to shoulder with Africa as a first responder. To mainstream the concerns of the Global South, India invited three African countries and several developing nations as guest countries for Group of 20 (G-20) Summit held last month in New Delhi. The Summit also witnessed the historic inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G-20. The rise of Africa is, we believe, central to global rebalancing. India’s support for that process is therefore unstinting. The essence of India’s partnership with Africa lies in empowering the continent for a future grounded in inclusiveness, sustainability, peace, prosperity, dignity and mutual respect. African priorities will continue to guide our collective initiatives.

I thank President Francis for having convened this joint debate. My delegation is pleased to share perspectives on the two sub-items on the agenda — 65(a) and 65(b). Sierra Leone aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of Tunisia on behalf of the Group of African States. We thank the Secretary-General for the reports on the sub-items (A/78/309, A/78/234 and A/78/291). We are particularly pleased that the report on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) focused on the three paradoxes relating to financing, energy and food systems, which in effect should advance Africa’s development, but whose lack has actually hampered development in Africa. The analysis of the three paradoxes, the opportunities and the tangible policy recommendations contained in the NEPAD report elucidate the importance of accelerating progress in those key development sectors and harnessing existing synergies among them vis-à-vis the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The three referenced paradoxes are indeed exacerbated by an unfair international finance and trade system, hence the imperative of the reform of the international financial architecture. We are pleased to see the recommendations for undertaking the reforms needed to address the three paradoxes in order to unlock the continent’s potential to achieve sustainable development. With the NEPAD report’s analysis focused on the role of domestic resource mobilization as a game changer and of energy and food systems as enablers of sustainable development, my delegation wishes to highlight five points. First, NEPAD needs to be reoriented towards the global call for debt relief and debt cancellation where appropriate. The servicing of Africa’s sovereign debt has become increasingly unsustainable, and it is continuing to asphyxiate genuine development initiatives without exception. Secondly, upscaling the use of domestic debt that is market-oriented to supplement external debt and development aid is another viable approach that ought to be recognized in Africa’s development process. Thirdly, the use of complementary financing through public-private partnerships will be essential to Africa’s development path. The hallmark of every thriving market economy is the preponderance of private-sector capital. Fourthly, the curtailment of illicit financial flows is a major step in the efforts towards Africa’s development aspirations. That is why Sierra Leone has strengthened its Anti-Corruption Commission and anti-money-laundering agency with the necessary statutory mandate and powers to address gaps at the national level. There is, however, a need for robust action and no double standards at the international level to curtail illicit financial flows. Fifthly and finally, it is hugely important to spotlight the centrality of enhancing domestic resource mobilization as the most sustainable solution to address access to energy and to ensure food security for Africa. In that regard, Sierra Leone is pursuing a fiscal policy focused on domestic revenue mobilization and expenditure containment while protecting social spending. Domestic revenue mobilization in Sierra Leone is building on the new Finance Act of 2023 and the new revenue administration measures, all of which are anchored in the new medium-term revenue strategy. We are doing our part, but we cannot do it alone. Therefore, we call for global cooperation and partnership. Africa’s aspirations to address the fundamental problems of budget deficit, energy access and food insecurity will, regrettably, be unattainable until and unless the continent’s internal revenue mobilization is complemented by the international community’s embracing the imperative for debt relief and cancellation where appropriate. Development and peace are two intrinsic elements, because peace will be elusive without development, and development will not be secured or attained in the face of conflict. Against that backdrop, Sierra Leone will address the sub-item on the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa, noting with regret the increasing incidence of conflicts and unconstitutional change of Government across the African continent, which pose a threat to the attainment of sustainable development. The promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa thus requires the political will to overcome the problem of governance failures. Those includes challenges in providing basic services and infrastructure in sectors such as education, health care, water supply, sanitation, energy, transportation and trade. The effectiveness of Government interventions that result in effective service delivery to the public is strategic to securing enduring peace and development in Africa. We have therefore taken due note of the Secretary-General’s report on the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa, which illustrates the connection between weak or failed public-service planning and delivery, and instability in Africa. On our part, in recognition of the fundamental need to deliver on essential public goods, His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, stated during the general debate at this session’s high-level week (see A/78/PV.7)that his Government’s second mandate is focused on achieving five policy initiatives, namely, first, food security — strengthening Sierra Leone’s agricultural sector to ensure food security and promote self-sufficiency. Today President Bio launched the Feed Sierra Leone initiative and has committed 10 per cent of budgetary allocation in the next five years to agriculture. The second initiative concerns human capital development, aimed at equipping Sierra Leoneans with the necessary expertise for a thriving modern economy. The third is a youth employment scheme that recognizes the need to create ample employment opportunities and empower young people to contribute to the nation’s development. Technology and infrastructure programmes to serve as pathways for sustained economic growth constitute the fourth priority. Finally, the fifth pillar involves revamping the public service architecture through delivery, efficiency and professionalism to enhance service delivery to citizens and promote good governance. The Government of Sierra Leone believes that making sustained and substantial progress in those key areas will set Sierra Leone on a sustainable path of transformational change, poverty reduction and resilience in the face of external shocks. As President Bio stated, the aim “is to elevate Sierra Leone to a middle-income status by 2035. In this vision, we recognize the interconnectedness of our global fate. As daunting as it might seem, our mission cannot be realized in isolation. It is an urgent call for collective effort, mutual trust and a rekindling of global solidarity”. At the continental level, the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa also require a more collaborative partnership between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) Commission in particular to ensure adequate, predictable and flexible financing through assessed contributions for African Union-led peace-support operations. Sierra Leone therefore welcomes the joint communiqué signed between the Security Council and the African Union in Addis Ababa during their seventeenth Joint Consultative Meeting, held on 6 October. Sierra Leone is hopeful that by the end of the year the Security Council will adopt a resolution that will facilitate the provision of the financing needed to support African-led peace-support operations. Africa believes in the potency of African solutions to African problems, and the sustainability of financing AU- led peace-support operations through United Nations assessed contributions is critical to durable peace and sustainable development in Africa. Let me conclude by stating that successful conflict prevention lies in an awareness of potential conflict situations, the ability to analyse relevant information and the political will to take the right action when it is needed. In that regard, the importance of enhanced synergies among national, regional, continental and international early-warning structures cannot be overemphasized. The current trend of unconstitutional change of Government in West and Central Africa and the rise in the number of conflicts in the Sahel, the Great Lakes region and in the Horn of Africa are incontrovertible evidence. That is why it is important to make concerted efforts to communicate early-warning signs of conflict situations in Africa, for early interventions in the form of dialogue and mediation and to avoid the manipulation of vulnerable segments of society. In that regard, Sierra Leone sees the recently launched joint AU-United Nations Development Programme Africa Facility to Support Inclusive Transitions as another useful tool to support States going through political transitions to forestall or avoid conflict or a relapse into conflict.

I am pleased to speak in this important debate. I have a few comments to make on its timing and on the relevance and importance of the documents before us as well as the messages that are often conveyed, and, finally, I would offer some considerations on what needs to be done. But let me first emphasize that the Permanent Representative of Tunisia has expressed the views of the Group of African States on this issue, and I fully align myself with his statement. First, regarding the issue of timing, I thank President Francis for having scheduled this debate for today, because since 2019 and during the height of the coronavirus disease pandemic, it had been postponed until quite late in the second part of the session. That is inappropriate in the light of current problems and given that the development of Africa is one of the eight priorities set out by the United Nations in its programme. The postponement of this debate, usually until August, had therefore seemed incomprehensible. So once again I would thank the President for having scheduled the debate on this issue for today. That is the way it should be, because if the debate is followed by the definition of a mandate, that has an impact on and is important to the cycle of work of the United Nations, which consists of the following: first, the setting of mandates; secondly, planning; thirdly, programming; fourthly, budgeting; and, fifthly, control and evaluation. With respect to the establishment of a mandate, failure to hold a debate in a timely fashion can have serious consequences for the rest of the management process. I wanted also to say a few words about the relevance and importance of the documents submitted under this agenda item. One concerns the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (A/78/234) and another the causes of conflict in Africa (A/78/309). However, NEPAD was adopted decades ago by Africa and in 2015 was replaced by Agenda 2063 of the African Union. Consequently, the title of the document before us now should no longer reference NEPAD, which in the meantime, by the way, has become an agency of the African Union. The Committee for Programme and Coordination two years ago changed the title of programme 9  — one of the programmes that carries out activities relating to Africa  — and the new title accurately reflects the strategy for the implementation of Agenda 2063. Therefore, the titles of new programmes presented by the Secretary-General should no longer refer to NEPAD but match the new title of programme 9 in the programme implementation strategy. When one looks at the causes of conflict in Africa, there were of course terrible years  — the 1980s and 1990s, when Africa was really on the rocks and we had to identify the causes of the conflicts. Since then, many studies have been carried out, and many papers have been produced. Today we cannot say that we do not know the causes of conflicts in Africa. The report should therefore be further updated, and its contents brought into line with the Agenda 2063 action plan. Of course, when we read the two documents, there are things to be said and said again. There are things that are completely spot on and other things on which speakers before me have expressed a number of views and approaches. The fact remains that, after we put forward the NEPAD programme and the causes of conflict in Africa, both of which the Assembly has been debating for years, we are now faced with the current situation, whereby Africa is still very ill. As an indicator, we find it in the hospital of the Security Council, in which it is said that most of the Council’s activities are devoted to Africa. It can be found in the hospital of the Peacebuilding Commission, in which most African countries are patients. We find it within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where it is said that the UNDP’s raison d’être is Africa. That is the situation in which we find ourselves. When the Heads of State and Government came to evaluate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it was commonly said that it was Africa, or the countries of Africa, that were furthest behind in implementing the programme, which, itself, is already very far behind. So what should we do? This is my last point. Africa itself has not slept. It has risen and, since 2015, it has created two important documents, which serve as a compass, and we should rally around such guidance. The first of those documents is Agenda 2063, which sets out a vision. In 2063, Africa wants to be a major player in international relations. To achieve that, it has defined its course — first, peaceful Africa, secondly, united Africa, thirdly, transformative Africa, fourthly, good governance, driven by its own citizens, and, fifthly, Africa calling on its partners to rally around that vision and those guidelines. Even when on the rocks, Africa knows what it wants, and it has defined its priorities within the scope of that vision and those guidelines. It has decided to proceed by decade. The initial programmes of the first decade are now coming to an end, and Africa is in the process of developing the second two 10-year programmes. In those programmes, the priorities are, first, financing, secondly, technology, thirdly, science and research, fourthly, energy and, fifthly, agriculture. Africans themselves have taken those sectors by storm. The second document is on the Continental Free Trade Area, which Africans think they can achieve. It is therefore based on those programmes and those points. However, for years now, when we listen to the debates and messages, the first thing that emerges from those debates is a great deal of lament and crying about the fate of Africa. Yes, we are sick; we are dying. There is reason to shed tears. But the second message is that something must be done. We hear our strategic partners telling us what they are doing, except that all that needs to be done either does not revolve around Africa’s vision and priorities or revolves around those priorities and vision, but is not sufficiently advanced in terms of critical mass and is therefore not very dynamic, since anything that is dynamic must have an impact. At its previous session in May, when it reviewed the various documents presented by the Secretary for African Affairs, the Committee for Programme and Coordination said that the documents were too descriptive, saying what needed to be done, but without addressing that with an analytical framework. That is why the Committee recommended that the Special Adviser on Africa develop an analytical framework with exact indicators so that, whenever someone says that they are doing a great deal for Africa, we can compare that with the indicators of the analytical framework and see whether the progress is sufficient or insufficient to take us to our desired goal, first by 2030 and, secondly, by 2063. Without such an analytical framework with indicators to measure actions, we will hear the same messages today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow and the day after that — first, a great deal of weeping and wailing about Africa; secondly, what is being done, but without any specific concrete indication of whether the extent of the steps that we are taking is gradually bringing us to the desired destination. That is what I wanted to say on this issue. Mr. Gertze (Namibia); My delegation thanks the Secretary-General for his insightful reports (A/78/234, A/78/291 and A/78/309) under this agenda item and appreciates the recommendations contained therein. We also thank the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa for its dedication and continued engagement with African delegations in New York as we collectively work towards the Africa we want. Namibia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of Tunisia on behalf of the Group of African States and would like to add the following points in its national capacity on the respective reports. Namibia remains concerned about the number of raging conflicts in the world and the marked increase in unconstitutional changes of Government on the continent of Africa. Addressing the drivers of instability and conflict is a paramount endeavour for expediting development and fostering socially inclusive economic growth. We particularly took note of the spotlight of the report on unemployment and the deficit in decent work, which underscores the critical importance of prioritizing job creation in both national and regional development agendas. That pivotal step not only elevates household income levels, but also is critical to combating poverty, mitigating inequality and fortifying the resilience of African societies across the economic, social and environmental spectrums of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063 of the African Union. We have taken note of the report emphasizing the need for synchronized policies, strategic approaches and amplified investments to catalyse job creation, especially considering the escalating influx of young people into the labour market. Forecasts indicate a significant surge in the continent’s labour force, demanding vigilant attention as the unemployment rate trends upwards. Namibia has identified several entry points through which strategic national objectives related to job creation, economic development and social protection can be attained. We have recognized that, for national strategies to bear fruit, they need to focus on key target groups, including youth, women and vulnerable groups, such as people living with disabilities. The interconnected challenges of finance, energy and food security demand urgent attention. The current crises have not only disrupted markets, but have also exposed the vulnerabilities of African economies to external shocks. Climate change exacerbates those issues, narrowing policy space and revenue generation, while increasing inflationary pressures and debt burdens. The development gains made over the past decades, especially in poverty reduction, have been significantly reduced. Such crises further deepen inequalities and drive millions into extreme poverty. Those concerns were repeatedly highlighted by our leaders in September during the general debate of the General Assembly, the Sustainable Development Goals Summit and the Climate Ambition Summit. External debt, constituting a substantial portion of Africa’s public debt, puts a strain on Government revenues. That stark reality serves to emphasize the need for debt sustainability measures, echoed by the Secretary-General’s repeated statements on Africa’s disproportionate expenditure on debt service costs as compared to health care. Facilitating access to external finance, especially through preferential terms and reallocating special drawing rights via regional development banks, such as the African Development Bank, is critical. Escalating borrowing costs and debt-related stresses, coupled with inadequate responses from international financial institutions, add further pressure to budgets, impinging on social spending. Tackling the energy paradox is essential for providing accessible and clean energy to all, driving economic diversification and enabling sustainable industrialization. Investing in Africa’s abundant renewable energy potential, with private sector involvement in solar, wind and water projects, forms the bedrock of the continent’s socioeconomic transformation, meeting the escalating energy demands driven by urbanization and population growth. In that regard, Namibia has announced its intention to change its economic structure by leveraging innovative financial tools to mobilize sustainable climate financing to combat climate change. On the margins of the twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow two years ago, we announced the development of large-scale green hydrogen projects that would provide the world with the clean molecules needed to decarbonize hard- to-abate sectors. Today we have more than five such projects under development, looking to deploy more than $20 billion to develop our world-class renewable energy potential so as to give our future generations a fighting chance against a warming planet. Developing a safe synthetic fuels industry in Namibia is not just an opportunity to fight climate change, but indeed offers an unparalleled opportunity for green industrialization. Namibia has now attracted new industries that are looking to make use of the cheap clean electricity and molecules that will be produced in Namibia. Once again, our heartfelt appreciation is extended for the exhaustive analysis of challenges and opportunities, along with the concrete policy recommendations encapsulated in the invaluable reports. They provide much food for thought and inspiration for what can, and should, be done.

We have heard the last speaker in the debate on this agenda item. The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-items (a) and (b) of agenda item 65.