Speech by the representative of Angola at the 79th session of the UNGA. teleSUR
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00:00And we go now live to the UN General Assembly, once again, to listen to the leader of Angola
00:05give his speech.
00:10Philemon Yang, President of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
00:18Your Excellency António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Distinguished Heads
00:23of State and Government, Heads of Delegation, Ladies and Gentlemen,
00:31It is with very special sense of honour that I address Your Excellencies and all participants
00:40in this 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, which is taking place within
00:47a very international, worrying context, where international relations, the tensions are
00:56worsening due to the prevailing multiple conflicts of different nature and intensity in various
01:02parts of our planet.
01:05It is understandable that in face of such a high level of instability and insecurity,
01:13it would be much more difficult to attain the major sustainable development goals and
01:19other goals that we set by this organization, with a view to achieving all the targets that
01:26we have set for ourselves.
01:28Allow me to extend a special greeting to His Excellency Philemon Yang on his election as
01:36the President of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, which is
01:42of special significance for the entire African continent and for his country, the Republic
01:49of Cameroon, as the duties he has performed there with proven dedication and efficiency
01:57put him in a position to successfully guide the proceedings of this session.
02:06Allow me to extend my sincere best wishes of success in this position, convinced that
02:14his commitment will make an important contribution to strengthening the role of our organization
02:20as a decisive and replaceable player in global governance.
02:26I also want to congratulate the outgoing President, His Excellency Denis Francis, to whom I address
02:34a word of great appreciation for the way he has performed his duties and for the results
02:40he has achieved during his term of office.
02:43I also would like to praise and commend Mr. Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of
02:50the United Nations, for his great dedication to our common cause of building a world of
02:56peace, security, harmony and concord, development and equal opportunities for all.
03:04We value much his work even more as it is being carried out within a complex global
03:12context full of challenges and threats that he has managed to deal with pragmatism, responsibility
03:21and great wisdom and courage.
03:25Excellencies, since the founding of the United Nations after the end of the Second World
03:31War, the people of our planet have longed for peaceful coexistence on a global scale,
03:40believing that episodes that could jeopardize universal harmony, peace, security would be
03:47subject of careful attention and pre-emptive measures taken within our organisation so
03:56that they would not degenerate into conflicts and wars that would revive the distressing
04:03moments experienced during the period from 1939 to 1945.
04:13After almost eight decades, what we objectively can observe today is that not only has this
04:23perspective not been realised, but we seem to be moving away from the founding purposes
04:32of the United Nations.
04:38In view of this reality, we need to see where we have failed and what collective measures
04:45we should take to make the United Nations more active and effective in seeking solutions
04:53that contribute to preventing conflicts, strengthening global peace and security, boosting international
05:02trade and cooperation and ensure the prosperity of our nations and well-being of the peoples
05:10of our planet.
05:12Today we are witnessing an attempt to undermine, ignore or even to replace the role and importance
05:20of the United Nations in resolving the major issues that afflict humanity, particularly
05:28those related to universal peace and security.
05:35In this context, there is no more appropriate stage, other than this August Assembly, to
05:42reverse this reality and to accept the urgent need to reform this institution with a special
05:50emphasis on adapting the Security Council to the realities of the contemporary world.
05:59Its current format and composition still reflects the post-war reality that has been largely
06:07overtaken by time and development in other regions of the planet, many of which were
06:15colonised countries that are now independent member countries of the United Nations.
06:24The reform of the United Nations Security Council and the international financial institutions
06:30that emerged from Brinton Hood seems to be urgent and pressing in order to give voice
06:37to the countries of Global South, namely Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and
06:45the Indian subcontinent.
06:49The imperative of multilateralism must prevail as the only framework truly capable of safeguarding
06:58the common interests of all humanity, within which we must reaffirm our resolute commitment
07:06to diplomacy, inclusive dialogue and the use of peaceful means to resolving conflicts.
07:15It is within this spirit that the Republic of Angola is deeply committed to the process
07:21of seeking solutions to conflicts in Africa, notably the great efforts at this moment is
07:29focused on the conflict prevailing in the East Democratic Republic of the Congo, without
07:36neglecting those occurring in Sudan and in the Sahel region.
07:42As part of the Luwanda process, a ceasefire was reached in the Eastern DRC, which came
07:50into force on 4 August this year.
07:54In order to consolidate the gains achieved, a draft peace agreement was put on the table
08:05by the Republic of Angola, involving the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of
08:13Rwanda.
08:16The said agreements have been discussed by the parties at ministerial level, with the
08:21aim of reaching an understanding that would give rise to the holding of a summit meeting
08:30to seal the signing of the final peace agreement and re-establishment of relations between
08:39the DRC and Rwanda.
08:41We are very concerned about the situation prevailing in Sudan, where a violent war is
08:49being waged with dramatic humanitarian consequences, despite a certain apathy of the international
08:57community, which must seek to combine its efforts and act in coordination with the African
09:04Union to promote and achieve a long-lasting peace.
09:11We are using the experience gained by Angola in resolving its internal conflict, which
09:20after several decades was definitively resolved through inclusive dialogue between the warring
09:29parties to benefit peace in Africa.
09:33We have learned from our own conflict that there is no peace without dialogue and no
09:38peace without trade-offs on both parties.
09:42This is a path that cannot be neglected in the context of all efforts to be developed
09:50to resolve the serious security crisis that the world is currently facing.
09:57Russia's war against Ukraine has seriously and profoundly shaken Europe's stability
10:06and security, with strong repercussions to the rest of the world in terms of economic
10:12stability and food and energy security.
10:17We have witnessed a continuous escalation of that conflict, which has been escalating
10:26in a worrying manner, with devastating effects on the internal situation of the warring countries
10:33due to the use of increasingly lethal weapons, without these heralding any prospect of solution
10:41to that intricate problem.
10:44Despite the increasingly sophisticated military and other means being used in the theatre
10:51of operations, no military victory is in sight in this war, which is likely to spread to
10:59the rest of Europe unless a negotiated solution is found based on compliance with the principle
11:08of the United Nations, which safeguards the sovereignty of states, the indivisibility
11:16and territorial integrity of the countries.
11:22Failure to upholding the principles of the United Nations Charter is the root cause of
11:29many of the problems and tensions that are proliferating throughout our planet, where
11:35particular geopolitical interests and ambitions, contrary to the values advocated by the international
11:42community, often affect the security and stability of entire regions of our planet.
11:52In the Middle East, we have witnessed and condemned the killing and kidnapping of defenceless
12:00Israeli civilians on 7 October last year.
12:04As a result of that, although Israel has the right to protect its territory, to guarantee
12:11the safety of its citizens and to seek to rescue the hostages whose whereabouts are
12:17still unknown, it should do everything it can to prevent the genocide that the world
12:26is witnessing live in Gaza Strip and the attacks on settlements and expansion of settlements
12:33in the West Bank.
12:35In that conflict, the main victims are defenceless and vulnerable human beings, namely children,
12:42women, the elderly and sick, who are killed indiscriminately, not only by the air and
12:50artillery bombs, but also because they are deprived by force of arms from accessing and
12:58supplying the most basic rights, such as access to food, drinking water, medicine, housing
13:06and medical and pharmaceutical assistance, and destruction of the main infrastructures
13:13such as schools, hospitals, houses, energy and others.
13:21We are witnessing the death of alarming numbers of journalists from international networks,
13:27UN employees and workers from international humanitarian organizations, which is unacceptable
13:36and condemnable.
13:39We cannot continue to allow that in just 11 months, in a small territory without scape,
13:47nearly 43,000 people have been killed and that their perpetrators have not been held
13:54accountable by the international community.
13:58The international community cannot be indifferent to the situation that threatens the existence
14:04of the Palestinian people, who have the same right to live in peace and security in the
14:10territory of their ancestors, such as the Jewish people.
14:17We are concerned about the spread of that conflict to other countries, because it threatens
14:23peace and security throughout the Middle East and opens up the dangerous possibility of
14:29direct involvement of the major world powers and thus render the conflict inter-world one
14:37with all possible consequences on a global scale.
14:41We are faced with the fact that once again highlights the role of the United Nations,
14:48its decisions and resolutions, which, if strictly and rigorously upheld, would resolve the impasse
14:56surrounding the creation of the sovereign state of Palestine, the only way to put a definitive
15:05end to the problem that the Middle East has been facing for decades.
15:12I would like to take this opportunity to once again call for an end to the embargo against
15:22Cuba and the sanctions on Zimbabwe, the current chair of our regional economic community,
15:29the SADC, because they are unjust and inhuman, as they increase the suffering of their people
15:37and greatly hinder the economic and social development of those countries.
15:43Excellencies, as a part of the collective efforts undertaken by the nations of our planet
15:51to consolidate peace, African countries have been increasingly sought to contribute effectively
15:58to the United Nations missions aimed at bringing stability to countries and regions in conflict.
16:09Such peace operations are often not carried out within the time frame and effectiveness
16:16required due to financial constraints faced by the countries willing to participate.
16:22Fortunately, this situation seems to have eventually been overcome at the Security Council,
16:31representing a decisive step towards strengthening the operability and effectiveness of the African
16:39Union-led peace-building missions, which now has a financing mechanism more suitable
16:47to its operations.
16:50I warmly welcome these developments, especially because Africa wants to be increasingly present
16:58not only in the discussion but also in the decision-making and resolution process of
17:06major global issues.
17:10Excellencies, we intend to be part of the construction of a new international financial
17:17architecture within which a closer collaboration among states is essential with a view to effectively
17:25fight the list of flow capital and the recovery of assets, which is often difficult for the
17:36countries that hold the funds under their control, even without a plausible justification.
17:41It is important to note that funds that come from asset recovery processes have a direct
17:48impact on the implementation of sustainable development goals and, consequently, on improving
17:55the general living conditions of our populations.
18:00Angola has made significant progress in the fight against corruption, with specific cases
18:07of citizens who have been tried and convicted who saw their assets forfeited in favour of
18:13the state by virtue of sentences handed down in courts and confirmed by the competent courts
18:20of appeal.
18:23As regards asset recovery, we have had two successful cases in which we countered with
18:32a highly responsible attitude and respect for our sovereignty by the United Kingdom
18:38authorities, who have returned to Angola US$2.5 billion that were sitting in a bank in London,
18:48and it is befitting to acknowledge this fact publicly from this World Forum.
18:55Unfortunately, not all countries that agreed to accept these proceeds from corruption without
19:04questioning their origin at the time, today, respect the rulings of our courts, which are
19:11binding.
19:14Some of these countries even claim the right to question the credibility of our courts,
19:23almost wanting to review the sentences issued by our courts as if they were extraterritorial
19:31appeal bodies.
19:33These assets are the property of our states, already impoverished during the colonial period.
19:42We will therefore continue to fight with all our strength to recover the assets that were
19:50embezzled from public treasury that are sorely needed for the construction of infrastructure
19:56such as school, hospital, energy and water facilities, roads, amongst others.
20:02Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the Republic of Angola advocates for the urgent implementation
20:10of reforms that will lead to a fair representation of African countries within the main international
20:19financial institutions in order to stand for the decision-making and development of policies
20:27that have impact on the daily life of the populations of the concerned countries.
20:34We are firmly committed to leaving no one behind, acting together to promote peace,
20:42sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations.
20:51In line with this motto of the 79th session, we must mobilize efforts, capabilities and
20:59all resources at our disposal to promote policies, measures and programs that make
21:05it possible to materialize the intentions contained therein.
21:10Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the Republic of Angola is making a great effort to put
21:21the country on the path of progress and development based on policies that establish priorities
21:30contained in the National Development Plan whose main pillars are economy diversification,
21:39public debt reduction, mobilization of domestic revenues, optimization of public expenditures
21:46in priority sectors such as health and education and implementation of special social protection schemes.
21:56The tasks that we have proposed to carry out in the areas that I've just mentioned are complex.
22:03They require time and sufficiently qualified human resources to carry them out successfully
22:11but despite this situation we are making encouraging progresses whose benefits will be felt over time.
22:23Among the successful initiatives I would like to mention the construction of water transfer
22:29systems to areas severely affected by droughts in the south of Angola where poverty and misery
22:39are paving the way for a prospect of prosperity and a more dignified life for the population
22:45who can now count on water available in sufficient quantities to transform arid zones into areas
22:54for agricultural production and livestock farming without the previous risk that used
23:00to jeopardize human and animal survival.
23:05As part of the government of Angola's action to improve the national social situation and
23:13create factors that boost the development of industrial agriculture we have embarked
23:18on the path of electrification of the country in all its latitudes.
23:24We have invested in production of clean energies with construction of large hydropower plants
23:30and photovoltaic parks meaning that 60% of the country's energy metrics will be now coming
23:41from clean sources with a trend to phase out the thermal power plants still in operation
23:49over the next three years.
23:53In terms of clean energy production in addition to the more than 6,500 megawatts produced
24:01currently we are building the Kukulka bath hydro power plant which will produce more
24:07than 2,000 megawatts and will soon begin the construction of the country's largest photovoltaic
24:15park with financing of 1.5 billion US dollars from the US Ex-Im Bank to supply off-grid
24:25power to a considerable number of locations in the provinces of Willa, Kunene, Namib and
24:31Kwaku Bango.
24:34With this additional energy production project underway our biggest focus at the moment is
24:42on public investment or public-private partnerships to build high and medium voltage transmission
24:50lines to the east and south of the country with a view to interconnect with the SADC
24:56power grid to the east via Zambia and to the south via Namibia.
25:04We currently have a considerable supply of electricity production which requires transmission
25:11and distribution networks to take it to potential beneficiaries in all parts of the country
25:19and also to the southern African countries which need this resource for their development.
25:29Interest investors now have the opportunity to sell electricity produced in Angola to
25:36customers in the mining areas in the DRC and Zambia as well as to SADC countries in
25:43general with a focus on the largest industrial and domestic consumer which is South Africa.
25:52Angola is developing a number of initiatives that are part of the effort to ensure the
25:58implementation of the international climate agenda with a focus on climate change mitigation
26:05and adaptation measures always taking care to exploit our fossil resources in a responsible
26:15manner in order to ensure the development and well-being of our populations.
26:22It is important to highlight that we've made a major public investment in Angola in the
26:30health sector throughout the country with a rapid construction of well-equipped hospital
26:36infrastructure at all three levels and with an ambitious training and recruitment program
26:43for health practitioners for our national health system.
26:49Ladies and gentlemen, in the current times, among the major priorities of the African
26:58continent is the issue of development based on trade promotion intensification which is
27:07essential to build infrastructure that ensure connectivity among African countries, mobility
27:16of economic operators and favour the free trade amongst all within the scope of the
27:23African continental free trade area.
27:27Within this perspective, the Republic of Angola has established partnerships at international
27:33level to ensure the operationalisation of the Mingela Railway, the mining and commercial
27:41ports of Lobito within the framework of the major transnational transport and logistic
27:47project of the Lobito Corridor which will ensure the faster, safer and more competitively
27:54priced flow of minerals, agricultural and industrial products produced in the Democratic
28:03Republic of Congo, Zambia and Angola across the Atlantic Ocean to the rest of the world.
28:10This is a catalyst project that will change the economic landscape in Angola and in the
28:17southern Africa by allowing the emergence of a number of various enterprises along the
28:24Lobito Corridor with direct impact on the economies of the southern sub-region of Africa
28:32and other regions of our continent.
28:36Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the Republic of Angola is a hospitable country open to
28:43the world and always ready to act as a proactive partner to help increase global cooperation
28:52in favour of the development and implementation of joint and complementary actions which help
28:59to respond to the permanent challenges in the fight against international terrorism
29:06and other threats to peace, world security and sustainable development.
29:12With improvement of the business environment in recent years, we are open to tourism and
29:19direct private investment virtually in all sectors of our economy that are of interest
29:27to investors.
29:29You are welcome to Angola and thank you very much for your attention.
29:36On behalf of the Assembly, I wish to thank the President of the Republic of Angola.