🇬🇦Marie-Édith Tassyla-Ye-DoumbenenyGabon · UNGA 81 speech

Mr. President of the General Assembly, Mr. United Nations Secretary-General, Excellencies, Heads of Delegation, Ladies and Gentlemen. President of the General Assembly, Allow me to begin by conveying to you the warm congratulations of His Excellency Mr. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, President of the Gabonese Republic, on your outstanding election to preside over this 81st session of the General Assembly. I wish to assure you right now of my delegation's full support and express the hope that your term of office will be marked by a spirit of listening and dialogue and by the tireless pursuit of compromise in the service of international peace and cooperation. As the Secretary-General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, comes to the end of his second term, the President of the Gabonese Republic pays special tribute to him for his steadfast commitment to multilateralism and to upholding the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. Ladies and gentlemen, Gabon fully aligns itself with the theme for this session, "Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All." This theme comes at a pivotal time in international history. Our world is beset by numerous, profound and interconnected crises. Armed conflicts are becoming more protracted, geopolitical tensions are intensifying, inequalities persist, climate change is accelerating and humanitarian emergencies are multiplying. These challenges are compounded by the economic and social consequences of successive crises, food insecurity, the forced displacement of populations, the risks associated with cybercrime, and the upheavals brought about by emerging technologies. These realities are severely testing the international community's ability to act together. In this uncertain environment, there is one value that can still guide us, trust. For Gabon, restoring trust among nations requires more than ever a return to the fundamental principles of international law in general and of the Charter of the United Nations in particular. In this spirit, my country reaffirms its commitment to the principle of non-interference in the domestic affairs of States and to the respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity. Against this backdrop, Gabon once again welcomes the adoption of resolution 2797 of 2025, which has injected fresh impetus into the settlement of the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, based exclusively on the autonomy plan under Moroccan sovereignty. Mr. President, restoring trust depends above all on concrete action that enables us to address together global challenges relating to peace and security, climate change, sustainable development and pandemics. Accordingly, in the face of human tragedies across the world and particularly in Africa, greater collective engagement is essential. This need for inclusiveness is particularly important in the Gulf of Guinea, a maritime area whose importance to international trade is growing by the day. Consequently, Gabon calls for a substantial strengthening of security in this strategic area, which represents a foundation for shared prosperity. Mr. President, Gabon, in its capacity as member of the African Union's Peace and Security Council, stresses the urgent need to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2719 on the financing of peacekeeping operations. on the continent. Fulfilling this commitment would help consolidate peace in Africa and strengthen cooperation between the UN Security Council and the AU's Peace and Security Council. Trust also depends on honouring commitments made at the regional level. Under the leadership of His Excellency, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, President of the Republic, Head of State and Head of Government, Gabon has made dialogue, peace and respect for its international commitments, the guiding principles of its diplomatic action. Ladies and gentlemen, managing transformation as the theme of our session calls on us to do, also means knowing how to guide change at the national level. In this regard, under the leadership of the President of the Republic, Gabon is continuing its social, environmental and economic transformation as set out in our National Growth and Development Plan, the PNCD, for 2026-2030. This development plan also stresses improving the living conditions of our people, particularly through new administrative, hospital and educational infrastructure in keeping with the Sustainable Development Goals. In light of all of the above, my country calls for a renewed partnership based on mutual respect, shared responsibility and concrete commitments. Such a partnership must promote the local processing of our natural resources, the diversification of our economy, technology transfer and the strengthening of national capacities. President Restoring trust also involves reforming the international financial architecture, making it more equitable, inclusive and better tailored to today's challenges. Without this reform, it is becoming almost impossible to mobilize development funding, particularly green finance. Gabon, a country with extensive forest cover and a low deforestation rate, as well as being a major carbon sink, therefore calls for greater recognition of its contribution to global climate regulation and the ecosystem services that it provides to humanity. These must be properly valued and give rise to fair, adequate, predictable and sustainable financing. Mr. President. While it's true that digital transformation offers considerable opportunities, it also entails risk, infringements of privacy, disinformation, cyber crime, and the irresponsible use of emerging technologies. The absence of an effective international legal framework leaves the way open for all of these abuses to arise, posing a direct threat to the security of our states and the fundamental rights of our citizens. Having already suffered from these various pernicious effects, Gabon has had to introduce more appropriate and secure regulation of the digital and artificial intelligence sectors through temporary and proportionate measures motivated solely by the imperative of protecting our citizens. Our aim remains to build an open and secure digital ecosystem that respects freedoms and is fully consistent with our international commitments. Mr. President, if the United Nations is to deliver results for all, it cannot ignore historical debts. Gabon therefore welcomes the adoption of UN General Assembly resolution 80/250 on the African slave trade, characterizing it as the gravest crime against humanity. An organization that delivers results must also be able to reform itself from within. The UN must therefore demonstrate its ability to adapt to the international context and effectively address the challenges facing the world. This commitment to institutional transformation must take into account the urgent need to reform the Security Council. Indeed, Africa must take its rightful place within the very restricted circle of permanent members. For Gabon, there can be no legitimate global governance without equitable African participation in decisions concerning international peace and security. Mr. President, Gabon's vision is one of inclusive and reformed multilateralism that takes into account the aspirations of peoples, particularly women and young people. It is within this framework that the fundamental right of every state to chart its own course must be guaranteed. And, pursuant to this principle, Gabon here wishes to reaffirm its support for Cuba. Gabon joins the repeated calls by numerous States for the lifting of the embargo. Mr. President, I wish to conclude by saying that Gabon, faithful to its regional and international commitments and confident in a more peaceful future for all, founded on trust, intends to contribute to building a new global order that is more peaceful, more just, more equitable, and more united. Thank you.