Development
Health at UNGA 81
Raised by 71 of 223 speakers. Read verbatim UN transcript quotes and select a time to hear the speech.
Speeches that raised health
Malawi · Day 6George Chapatula ChapondaThe current international financial architecture forces developing nations to choose between servicing predatory debts and investing in health, education, and climate resilience.
The current system traps developing nations in cycles of unsustainable debt, forcing governments to choose between servicing foreign loans of funding basic education and health care for their citizens.
Mr. President, the fourth opportunity for restoring trust Managing transformation and thereby ensuring a United Nation that delivers for all lies in strengthening global health security.
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Antigua and Barbuda · Day 6Walton Alfonso WebsonNon-communicable diseases cut short too many lives and diminishes the quality of lives of too many people in my country and in our region.
These diseases detecting them early, and ensuring effective treatment and national development priorities for Antigua and Barbuda.
Mental health challenges are increasing.
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France · Day 1Emmanuel MacronAnd that's why over the last few years, we've launched many more initiatives.
For instance, the COVAX initiative in response to COVID in partnership with the WHO and the African Union.
when it came to shoring up economies together with the International Monetary Fund to reform special drawing rights and make progress for African economies.
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Fiji · Day 3Ratu Naiqama Tawakecolati LalabalavuThey are Fijians still and so are their children.
A supreme law that belongs to every citizen must belong to them also.
Fiji's door is open.
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South Sudan · Day 6Cecilia Adout Majok Adenghealth care for their families, roads connecting their communities, food security and economic opportunities, justice and equality, strong institutions, and a government whose authority ultimately drives from the will of its people.
Invest in education and healthcare.
President Kiir has placed particular emphasis on agriculture, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and economic diversification.
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Argentina · Day 2Javier Gerardo MileiAnd every time they failed, rather than reviewing the model or apologizing, they doubled down, as they are already doing with the 2045 Agenda, which I say now will fail.
But perhaps the most serious example, the one that forever should shame this organization, is quite another.
That is how they managed the pandemic.
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Ghana · Day 3John Dramani MahamaAnd so climate justice demands that developed nations must fulfill their long overdue financial commitments.
Mitigation support must be operationalized with predictable, non-debt-creating grants, not loans that further embed fragile economies.
Similarly, global health security demands true solidarity because pathogens do not respect national borders.
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Mauritius · Day 4Dhananjay RamfulMr. President, Mauritius is committed to upholding the pledges made at the Social Summit in Doha last year.
Nowhere is that promise to universal social protection more concrete than in our health services.
As non-communicable diseases and a rapidly aging population place growing pressure on our health system, We are strengthening public healthcare through major investment, improved service delivery, expanded specialised care, and a greater focus on prevention.
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Botswana · Day 2Duma Gideon BokoCapital should help create opportunity where its impact can be found.
Mr. President, Health is where the promise of international solidarity is tested most directly, and Botswana speaks from hard-earned experience.
Three decades ago, our country faced an HIV/AIDS pandemic of such severity that some questioned our long-term resilience.
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Eswatini · Day 2King Mswati IIIEconomic and social progress, however, remain vulnerable to global health crisis.
The COVID-19 pandemic taught humanity a vital lesson.
No country can protect itself from a global health emergency alone.
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Democratic Republic of the Congo · Day 2Judith Suminwa TulukaWe're continuing the gradual expansion of universal health coverage, in particular through free maternity care.
improve maternal and newborn care, vaccination, access to essential medicines, the strengthening of the health care workforce, and by expanding social protections.
Mr. President, every health crisis confirms the same truth.
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Lesotho · Day 4Samuel Ntsokoane MatekaneWe further call for reform of the international financial architecture to make it more equitable, fit for purpose, and responsive to the needs of developing countries, as agreed at the Fourth Summit for Financing for Development, FFD4, held in Seville, Spain, last year.
We also urge full implementation of the outcomes of the Third Summit of Landlocked Developing Countries, held in Awasa, Turkmenistan in August 2025.
The implementation of these outcomes without further delay, together with the Pact of the Future, will undoubtedly help restore eroded trust.
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Solomon Islands · Day 4Matthew Cooper WaleWe are providing universal free education so that no child is turned away from school because their family cannot afford the fees.
We are strengthening our health system with a renewed focus on tackling the scourge of non-communicable diseases, eradicating malaria, and building a new national referral hospital.
We are prioritizing energy and other transformative infrastructure, expanding roads, ports, airports, and telecommunications to connect our scattered islands into one national economy.
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Congo · Day 6Constant Serge BoundaThe recurring Ebola outbreaks and repeated pandemics have shown that global threats are no longer solely military or economic.
Health security has become an essential component of collective security.
And here, we will continue supporting the strengthening of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville and will shoulder all of its responsibilities in accordance with the 1952 Headquarters Agreement.
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New Zealand · Day 6Victoria Louise HallumAfter three consecutive Review Conference failures, we must do all we can to preserve the health of the NPT and indeed strengthen it.
It is now 10 years since New Zealand co-led the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2286 on healthcare in armed conflict.
Ultimately, the health, relevance and effectiveness of the United Nations depends primarily on its members, not its Secretary-General.
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Grenada · Day 6Ingrid JacksonAt the heart of Vision 75 are five strategic pillars: education and skill training, healthcare, agriculture and food security, the environment and energy, and housing.
We are investing in health and wellness, education and skills, food security, renewable energy, digital innovation, and environmental sustainability.
Digital transformation and emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, offer enormous possibilities for education, healthcare, agriculture, public administration, and economic development.
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Costa Rica · Day 6Boris Vasir Marchegiani CarreroIllegal mining, spearheaded by transnational criminal organizations on our border with Nicaragua, has wrought havoc on the environment, and is producing risks to public health, the economy, and regional security.
They converge in one global crisis that is imperiling food security, public health, and development opportunities for millions and millions of people.
To conclude, President Excellencies, one and all, Costa Rica wishes peace, health, and blessings to each and every one of you.
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Vanuatu · Day 6Odo TeviFor us, security also means food security, energy security, water security, health security, economic security, cybersecurity, environmental security, and the security of our people from the impacts of climate change.
They affect food and water security, agriculture, fisheries, health, livelihoods, and the resilience of already vulnerable communities.
AI offers enormous opportunities for education, healthcare, public administration, agriculture, climate forecasting and economic development.
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Brazil · Day 1Luiz Inácio Lula Da SilvaThe World Trade Organization is being kept on life support.
When governments capitulate vis-a-vis those who use tariffs as weapons of coercion and blackmail, consequences are harmful.
In the age of misinformation, obscurantists resist the evidence of science.
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United Republic of Tanzania · Day 1Deogratius NdejembiIn that, Tanzania has made significant strides in reducing maternal and child mortality by expanding facility delivery from 51% in 2015 to 81% in 2022.
Our experience on this demonstrates that when we invest in feasible projects and remain people-centered, development can move from promises to measurable results.
It is in this spirit that Her Excellency President Samia Suluhu Hassan accepted the responsibility of championing maternal and child health for the African Union.
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Belgium · Day 1Maxime PrévotSafe, orderly and regular migration and respect for human rights are not competing ambitions.
They must go hand in hand.
And we can either manage our interdependence or be at its mercy.
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Burundi · Day 2Évariste NdayishimiyeWe also call on the international community to lend greater support to African peace and security mechanisms in particular through predictable and sustainable financing for African-led peace operations.
Mr. President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I would be remiss if I were to address this august assembly without raising the issue of water.
The African Union has designated 2026 as the year of assuring sustainable water availability and safe sanitation systems to achieve the goals of Agenda 2063.
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Palau · Day 2Surangel WhippsResilience is also about safeguarding public health.
And I commend Palau's First Lady for advancing efforts to combat tobacco and nicotine use with a focus on our youth.
Her efforts led to the formal request to the UN Secretary General to initiate a WHO review of nicotine as a psychotropic substance.
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Uganda · Day 2Jessica Rose Epel AlupoUganda remains a consistent contributor to regional stability, particularly in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region.
And our security approach is rooted in a Pan-African framework that seeks peace through collective alliances and regional cooperation.
Mr. President, investing in a healthy population remains a core strategic priority for Uganda.
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Italy · Day 2Antonio TajaniIt is not aid handed down from above, but a partnership among equals in agriculture and energy, education and training, infrastructure, and in the pharmaceutical sector.
Producing vaccines in Africa saves lives, strengthens health systems, creates jobs, and supports growth capable of generating stability.
It is in this spirit and in defense of the right not to be forced to migrate that we fight against human traffickers who prey on poverty.
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Uzbekistan · Day 2Saida MirziyoyevaAverage life expectancy rose from 66 to over 75 years.
Maternal and infant mortality decreased fourfold.
The true value of the reform is reflected in the lives of these people.
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Bangladesh · Day 3Tarique RahmanTo promote women entrepreneurship, particularly in the small and medium-sized industrial sector, the government has expanded opportunities for cash financing for women.
Free education opportunities up to the undergraduate level have been opened to women.
The government seeks to ensure not only electoral democracy but also democratization of the economy so that the benefits of economic growth and prosperity reach every family and every citizen.
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Samoa · Day 4Mulipola Anarosa Ale MoliooThese are critical to the implementation of SDG 14.
Our maritime domain is increasingly exploited by transnational criminal networks involved in illegal trafficking, including illicit drugs moving through our region.
Illicit drugs enter homes, harm young people, fuel violence, and place increasing pressure on communities and essential services.
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Saint Kitts and Nevis · Day 4Geoffrey HanleyWe are also strengthening food security to climate smart support for farmers and healthcare to our locally developed national digital health information system at the Joseph N. Franz General Hospital.
Sustainability must be practical, people-centered, and built to last.
Mr. President, there is more to do.
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Micronesia (Federated States of) · Day 5Aren PalikMicronesia also aligns itself with the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration and welcomes its comprehensive framework for promoting humane, orderly, and well-managed international migration.
Mr. President and Excellencies, our people's health has been increasingly affected by more frequent tropical storms, heat waves, and changing tidal patterns.
We are seeing a rise in illnesses linked to marine life and vector-borne diseases, in particular dengue and Zika.
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Burkina Faso · Day 6Karamoko Jean Marie TraoréOur priorities must be clearly defined, reducing the digital gap, strengthening climate resilience, investing in human capital, consolidating and strengthening educational health systems, supporting industrialization, ensuring the effective participation of youth and women in decision making.
These changes are being delivered specifically by winning back several villages and areas, the progressive return of thousands of people to their places of residence, the reopening of tens of schools, as well as returning to normal activity in healthcare centers and progressive reinstallation of the government.
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Democratic People’s Republic of Korea · Day 6Kim Son GyongThis, coupled with the spread of communicable diseases and hike in oil prices, worsened the socio-economic crisis.
During the last five years, the existence and development of humankind was severely constrained by the global pandemic, abnormal weather conditions, geopolitical confrontation, and the interlinking economic crisis.
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Benin · Day 6Marc Hermanne Gninadoou ArabaThey must accelerate their development and at the same time fund their energy transition as well as adapt to climate change, on top of investing in health, education, the digital sphere, and meeting growing social needs.
AI can broaden access to knowledge, improve health systems, support agricultural workers, and make state administrations more efficient.
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Republic of Korea · Day 1Lee Jae MyungWe will continue to respect the North on the international stage and seek cooperation wherever possible.
We hope that opportunities will emerge for us to work together in the international community in areas such as public health, disaster response, and the climate crisis.
Second, a stable, peaceful coexistence that renders conflict unnecessary.
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Dominica · Day 1Sylvanie BurtonFor Dominica, this means resilient roads and bridges, resilient buildings, reliable communications, modern water systems, strengthened health infrastructure, and disaster-ready communities.
But resilience is not only physical.
A resilient country must have resilient institutions.
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Naoero · Day 1David Ranibok AdeangAnd behind all of it, investment in health, education and sport, so that our people are not only better off, but healthier and better prepared.
We are building an economy that does not depend on any single arrangement, and by every measure of fiscal discipline, we have done what was asked of us.
Yet the measure by which we are assessed sees none of it.
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Japan · Day 1Takaichi SanaeAdditionally, Japan has been promoting initiatives towards achieving universal health coverage, UHC, across the globe.
Since 1993, Japan has co-organized the TCAD together with United Nations.
TCAD has served as a platform for reflecting Africa's voice in the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, and for Japan to first put forward the concept of VOIP.
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United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland · Day 1Andy BurnhamIt is already speeding up cancer diagnosis in the UK, but AI has the potential to go further, not just to help prevent and treat cancer, but to help cure it.
AI will also be the key to economic growth, the route to transforming education, and it will be a vital tool to keep us safe.
I am announcing today that we are developing a new AI defense partnership with the United States to protect our critical national infrastructure.
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Iran (Islamic Republic of) · Day 2Masoud PezeshkianFor our sick people, it is cure and treatment.
For the agricultural sector, it is food security.
For industry, it is advancement and progress and supply of electrical energy.
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Czechia · Day 2Petr PavelThis year has once again reminded us of the growing impacts of extreme weather, affecting people and communities across the globe.
In many regions, Climate-related challenges are threatening homes and livelihoods.
They are putting pressure on public health, food and water security, increasing living costs, and in some cases, contributing to instability and conflicts.
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Central African Republic · Day 2Faustin Archange TouaderaThis demand for justice also applies to global health.
We call for equitable access to vaccines and healthcare technologies and for strengthening health systems in the most vulnerable countries.
Restoring trust, Mr. President, is not limited to interstate relations.
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Kenya · Day 2William Samoei RutoIt helped Namibia achieve independence, supported Cambodia's transition from conflict, disarmed combatants in Sierra Leone and Liberia, and helped Timor-Leste take its place among sovereign nations.
More than two million peacekeepers have served under the UN flag, proving that peace can be built, protected, and sustained.
Its impact reached further into the lives of ordinary people.
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Honduras · Day 2Nasry Juan Asfura ZablahMr. President, since the very first day in office, we decided to govern differently with deeds.
We are reducing expenditure so that we can invest in healthcare, education, infrastructure, and security.
We're doing all of that whilst guaranteeing macroeconomic stability and guaranteeing a great deal of fiscal responsibility.
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Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) · Day 2Delcy Eloína Rodríguez GómezIf it is employed properly, it will bring about unprecedented development in healthcare, the environment, productive processes, and in the lives of human beings in general.
Governments, the technology sector, and the scientific community have the overwhelming responsibility to ensure that we do not stray from the constructive and vital purposes of IA.
the AI rather, it must benefit the citizens.
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Bolivia (Plurinational State of) · Day 3Rodrigo Paz Pereirablocking access to healthcare and education.
More than 20 people died, and this was financed by narco terrorism and by drug trafficking.
And a helpless, defenseless state that was unable to generate economic and human resources to be able to fight that narco-terrorism, narco-trafficking, which was financing it.
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Hungary · Day 3András Bálint BakaPoverty and the lack of opportunity can drive people from their countries just as conflict can.
Hungary will continue to support development that helps communities build that future based on their own needs and priorities.
We are ready to share our experience in education, health, and digital development.
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Israel · Day 3Benjamin NetanyahuI want to ask you some questions.
What genocidal regime gives a million polio vaccinations to the enemy's population?
What genocidal regime enables the distribution of 2 million tons of food into Gaza.
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Senegal · Day 3Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar FayeIts stabilization must be pursued, it cannot be forgotten.
Of course, there are worsening health crises.
The Ebola epidemic is an example of just that.
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Nigeria · Day 3Kashim ShettimaWe can deploy artificial intelligence to wage war or use it to transform healthcare, education, agriculture, governance, and economic productivity.
Much of the anxiety surrounding AI reflects the distrust we have allowed to grow amongst us.
Nigeria is investing in digital public infrastructure, broadband connectivity, innovation systems, research institutions, and technology intellectual ownership.
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Barbados · Day 3Mia Amor MottleyAI is already transforming how we work, learn, and govern.
And it is clear that its potential is extraordinary.
We have found that it has great capacity to detect disease earlier, predict disasters, improve agriculture, and expand access to education and public services.
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Netherlands (Kingdom of the) · Day 3Rob JettenAnd since 2015, we have doubled the amount of renewable energy we generate.
Child mortality has dropped sharply too because of this access.
So climate action can be a catalyst for everyone to work together on solutions that concern us all.
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Greece · Day 3Kyriakos MitsotakisFor the first time, for the first time in the history of our species, we have created a technology that openly challenges the supremacy of the human mind as the pinnacle of our evolutionary development.
I will not dwell on the positive transformational potential of this revolutionary technology.
whether in disease eradication, productivity enhancement, or fighting climate change.
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Australia · Day 3Anthony AlbaneseIts purpose is to deliver control back into the hands of people by empowering them to determine what appears in their feed, giving them the choice.
The technological development that must now be the subject of public discussion is artificial intelligence.
AI can improve lives, boost growth and productivity, provide revolutionary breakthroughs in healthcare and other fields.
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Kiribati · Day 4Taneti MaamauMr. President, ultimately, development depends on people, our most valuable resource.
Making education a vital investment, Kiribati is committed to expanding access to quality, inclusive, relevant education while strengthening skills development skills development, vocational training, digital learning, and opportunities for young people.
Health is equally fundamental.
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Maldives · Day 4Hussain Mohamed LatheefAnd it can put better health care, education, and public services within reach.
But these opportunities must be shared.
Every country must have a voice in shaping the global rules for AI.
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Papua New Guinea · Day 4James MarapeWe are working to make sure enabling infrastructures reaches all people.
We're making to make sure quality education and health services covers all people.
We are moving towards a cleaner, greener energy.
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Niger · Day 4Lamine Zeine Ali MahamanThe results achieved in this regard are very satisfactory because for the first time in decades, our country has not faced food shortages or had to call upon foreign assistance.
Through this program, we intend to halve our grain imports by the end of 2027, insha'Allah.
On health, we have reduced by 50% the cost of services in public health facilities.
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Kazakhstan · Day 4Mukhtar TileuberdiReaffirming our commitment advancing primary health care as the cornerstone of universal health coverage, we call upon the UN member states to join the Global Coalition on Primary Health Care. 2026 has been designated by this body as the International Year of Volunteers.
for sustainable development.
This initiative, originally at President Tokayev's suggestion, has given new impetus to volunteerism as a force for stronger communities, youth engagement, and environmental action.
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Mauritania · Day 4Mohamed Salem MerzougTurning to the social context, we promote social cohesion, and community unification through fighting discrimination and vulnerability while addressing any weakness inherited.
We try to promote the synergies and develop our economies to limit poverty and provide the basic services to the most needy.
We have also expanded the medical services through establishing a Medicare fund for all those who are not currently covered with medical insurance.
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Guatemala · Day 4Carlos Ramiro Martínez AlvaradoMore than 1 million students have participated in initiatives to strengthen reading comprehension.
We have expanded educational opportunities, promoted scholarships, strengthened instruction in national languages, and accelerated the digital transformation of the school system.
In health care, We have expanded and refurbished facilities, strengthened regional services, and made progress in the comprehensive treatment of chronic diseases and cancer.
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Cabo Verde · Day 5Francisco Avelino Vieira de Carvalhobecause school is where society begins to shape its future and education is a powerful development strategy.
We seek to transform knowledge into innovation, decent employment and opportunities to strengthen our education and health systems and to advance progresses in digital transformation, gender equality, energy transition, water security, and also in blue economy.
We want to create more opportunities for our young people and build an economy capable of transforming people's talent into development.
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Holy See · Day 5Cardinal Pietro Parolinwhere outbreaks of violence and extreme weather events are exacerbating the populations' already precarious living conditions.
The Holy See urges the international community to generously commit to meeting the immediate needs of the most at risk, especially women and children.
The situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo is of concern to the Holy See, particularly the protracted crisis in the east of the country and the Ebola epidemic.
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Cuba · Day 5Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez ParrillaThe obstacles and tricks to prevent the arrival in Cuba of absolutely legitimate commercial shipments, the pressures to prevent the entry of visitors and tourists, and the efforts aimed at restricting as much as possible Cuba's legitimate access to financing, technology, and markets.
It's even gone as far as the United States exerting unseen pressure on sovereign governments so that they renounce the medical services they requested from us for the benefit of their respective populations, and which are offered by Cuban professionals altruistically because the US government is opposed to such cooperation.
regardless of the impact and harm that this may cause to those populations if they are deprived of free, quality medical care, that is to say, deprived of an elemental human right.
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Brunei Darussalam · Day 5Prince 'Abdul MateenA country is strong when its people are strong.
That means equipping our people with the knowledge and skills to adapt to change.
It also means ensuring They have the security and stability to build their lives with confidence, supported by strong communities, quality health care and essential services, social protection, and a cohesive, resilient society.
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Germany · Day 5Johann WadephulAnd ultimately, It can influence decisions that determine global peace and security.
At the same time, artificial intelligence holds extraordinary promise.
It can accelerate scientific discovery, improve healthcare and education all over the world, provide opportunities for economic development, overcome inequalities, and help us address challenges that no country can solve alone.
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Tajikistan · Day 5Sirojiddin Muhriddinsomething that connects people, economies, ecosystems, and nations, water.
Mr. President, the world remains far from achieving universal access to safe water and sanitation.
Progress is being made, but not fast enough.
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Zambia · Day 5Mulambo Hamakuni HaimbeWe are alive to the fact that we should ensure that we keep this youthful and productive population healthy in order to harness positive dividends.
In the health sector, Zambia has increased domestic budgetary allocations from approximately 7% to over 10%, enabling the recruitment of health workers, expansion and modernization of health infrastructure, and improved availability of essential medical supplies.
Recognizing continued vulnerability to epidemics, Zambia calls for the expedited conclusion of negotiations on the pathogen access and benefit sharing annex under the World Health Organization pandemic agreement, alongside strengthened access to technology and preparedness capabilities to detect and respond to future health threats.
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