🇨🇮Tiémoko Meyliet KonéCôte d’Ivoire · UNGA 81 speech

Mr. President of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government, Mr. Secretary-General of the United Nations, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of His Excellency Mr. Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire, and of the Government and people of Cote d'Ivoire, I wish to extend our warm congratulations to the President of the General Assembly on his election to preside over the 81st session of our organization and to assure him of Cote d'Ivoire's full support in the discharge of his important mandate. And as his tenure draws to a close, I would also like to pay a heartfelt tribute to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres. Over the past decade, he has exercised his high office with profound humanity and absolute fidelity to the ideals of the Charter of the United Nations in an international context that has been among the most trying in the contemporary history of our organization. wishes to express its deep gratitude to him for the excellence of our cooperation, which has grown stronger throughout his term. Mr. Secretary-General, President Alassane Ouattara has asked me to convey to you his warmest regards grounded in high esteem and friendship, as well as his sincere wishes for success in the next chapters of your distinguished career. Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, This session is taking place against a deeply troubling international backdrop. Conflicts and hotspots of tension are multiplying and geopolitical divisions are deepening, while the rise of terrorism and violent extremism threatens an ever-growing number of regions. At the same time, climate upheavals are hitting our countries hard, not to mention the humanitarian crises and deep inequalities that are weakening our societies. Added to this are the very real risks to the survival of humanity posed by the uncontrolled development of artificial intelligence. The world is thus at a difficult turning point. It is looking on at the gradual fragmentation of its peace architecture and an alarming reconfiguration of the international landscape. Before our very eyes, multilateralism is being sorely tested, weakened by an erosion of trust between nations and trust in the institutions that underpin the world order. In these times of multilateral fracture, it is imperative to find appropriate solutions to put an end to these dangerous escalations, prioritize dialogue, and rebuild trust. With regard to international institutions, this trust is measured by their ability to translate the universality of their principles into concrete actions and to treat every state, large or small, with the same standard of fairness. The trust of peoples, for its part, is nourished by tangible results and by the certainty that the decisions taken on their behalf genuinely serve their security, their dignity, and protect their future. This year's theme therefore aptly captures the expectations of our time. It calls on us specifically to restore trust in our collective capacity to respond effectively to global challenges and to support the current changes and reforms of the United Nations architecture so that our organization is once again able to deliver concrete solutions to the concerns of all peoples. For Cote d'Ivoire, this means reinvigorating multilateralism and consequently restoring diplomacy's rightful place and credibility so that it can

effectively. In light of these challenges, a monumental task awaits the next Secretary-General of the United Nations, whose selection process is now well underway. Cote d'Ivoire hopes that this process will result in the appointment of a figure of the highest caliber, whose moral values, independence of mind, diplomatic experience, and commitment to dialogue will enable the United Nations to pursue with ambition and effectiveness its mission in the service of peace, development, and solidarity among nations. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, current international events remind us every day of the human, political, and economic cost of protracted conflicts. Cote d'Ivoire remains deeply concerned about the resumption of hostilities in the Near and Middle East, the consequences of which weigh on peace and on food, energy, and economic security throughout the world. The dire situation in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the Sudan is equally alarming with severe and endless humanitarian consequences. All these persistent conflicts are exacerbating the suffering of the affected populations and producing harmful effects that extend far beyond the borders of the states concerned. We therefore call for dialogue to prevail over arms. We also express our solidarity with the Haitian people. Cote d'Ivoire will continue to contribute to ongoing initiatives aimed at supporting the Haitian authorities and international partners in order to restore security in the sister nation so as to restore democratic legitimacy to its institutions. My country takes this opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with the United Nations Charter. And to lend its full support for the many mediation efforts undertaken by the United Nations, the African Union, and relevant regional organizations. Ladies and gentlemen, Africa is bearing the brunt of the decline of multilateralism and the difficulties the United Nations has faced in recent years. Due to a lack of support from certain partners and from the United Nations, several African countries are struggling to find lasting solutions to conflicts and to bear the cost of various counterterrorism and peacekeeping operations. Meanwhile, violent extremism, transnational organized crime, and illicit trafficking of all kinds continue to destabilize a number of regions on the continent, and in particular, the Sahel. Our experience and the realities on the ground demonstrate that no state can, on its own, overcome such threats in a definitive and lasting manner. This requires greater regional cooperation and international solidarity in order to ensure appropriate responses. These threats also call for investment in conflict prevention and for addressing at an early stage the vulnerabilities that fuel crises, including poverty, inequality, youth unemployment, and all other forms of marginalization. In this regard, we commend the efforts of the United Nations, the African Union, ECOWAS, and all the partners working on security and stabilization efforts in our region. If these institutions are to be as effective as expected, they must therefore become more representative, more inclusive, and better attuned to the demands of our time. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly difficult to explain to younger generations that organizations created in the aftermath of the Second World War can no longer faithfully reflect the political, demographic, and economic realities of the 21st century. My country once again reaffirms its support for an ambitious reform of the Security Council so as to ensure permanent representation for Africa in this important body whose decisions directly affect our peace and security. That is why Cote d'Ivoire welcomes the progress achieved through the Pact for the Future and calls for its swift implementation. The real challenge is no longer to adopt new commitments, but rather to translate those already made into tangible results for the greater well-being of our peoples. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, there can be no lasting peace without truly inclusive and equitable development. As the 2030 deadline approaches, progress towards achieving the sustainable development goals remains insufficient, while financing needs remain considerable in many developing countries. The fourth international conference on financing for development rightly recalled that the necessary resources exist. The challenge now lies in our collective ability to mobilize them and to channel them with greater equity, solidarity, and effectiveness in the service of sustainable development. Cote d'Ivoire therefore calls for an ambitious reform of the international financial architecture and a renewed global partnership. to ensure that developing countries have more equitable access to the resources needed to finance infrastructure, health, education, energy, industrial transformation, and the creation of decent jobs for young people. Climate challenges require a similar degree of mobilization. Africa contributes the least to global greenhouse gas emissions, yet remains among the regions most hit the hardest by their consequences. Droughts, floods, land degradation, and the disruption of food systems directly threaten the ways of life and the livelihoods of millions of people. In this context, honouring international commitments on climate finance, adaptation and technology transfer is an imperative of justice and solidarity. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the transformation that our world is experiencing is also a technological one. Artificial intelligence and the digital revolution are opening up considering opportunities in many areas of our contemporary world. However, these technological advances can also exacerbate existing divides if their development as well as access to them remain unevenly distributed. In this regard, Cote d'Ivoire supports the efforts of the United Nations to promote the global governance of artificial intelligence that fosters innovation while protecting human dignity, international security, and sustainable development in a spirit of inclusion, ethics, and equitable sharing of the benefits of technological progress. Mr. President, the trust that we seek at the international level must also be built within each of our states. through the strength of our institutions and our ability to create the conditions for sustainable and shared development. My country, for its part, under the leadership of President Alassane Ouattara, continues on its path towards a stronger and more diversified economy while taking care to ensure and safeguard peace and stability. This ambition is now embodied in Cote d'Ivoire's National Development Plan 2026-2030, which is part of a long-term vision aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union's Agenda 2063. Our ambition remains to build a prosperous and united nation where economic growth translates into greater opportunity, social progress and well-being for all of our people. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, as the United Nations enters its ninth decade of existence, we have a collective duty to demonstrate that multilateralism remains the best response to the challenges of our time. We must choose dialogue over confrontation, cooperation over isolation, and solidarity over indifference. We must restore trust among nations, ensure that the rule of law prevails over the use of force, place human beings at the heart of our decisions, and make our diversity a source of strength rather than a cause for division. Only then will the United Nations continue to embody the hopes of peoples and fulfill the promises that led to its creation. Cote d'Ivoire, true to its values and firmly committed to peace, dialogue, and multilateralism, will continue with humility but with determination to contribute to this collective endeavor because we believe that the destiny of humanity remains profoundly shared. Finally, it is incumbent upon us to ensure that the United Nations remains for present and future generations a true crucible of human dignity and the guarantor of a better world. I thank you.