Speech by Umaro Sissoco Embalo, President of Guinea-Bissau, at the 79th Session of the UNGA. teleSUR
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00:00We will hear an address by His Excellency Umaro Sissoko Mbalo, President of the Republic of Kinnipisah.
00:14I request protocol to escort His Excellency and invite him to address the Assembly.
00:30Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, Heads of State and Government, Ladies and Gentlemen,
00:43I would like to offer my congratulations to Mr. Philemon Young of the Republic of Cameroon
00:51on his election as President of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
00:58I wish him much success in a very complex international context.
01:04I also congratulate his predecessor, Mr. Dennis Francis, for the results achieved during his term.
01:14To Secretary General António Guterres, I express our acknowledgement of his deep commitment
01:21to the service of our common ideals and goals in a very difficult international landscape.
01:31The world faces grave challenges.
01:34The obligation to follow the principles and deliver on the promises of the United Nations Charter
01:42is the burden that each one of us carries.
01:45We witness devastating wars, the intensification of regional tensions
01:52and other grave threats to international peace and security.
01:57Hundreds of millions of people continue to live in extreme poverty
02:02without the basic means of subsistence, without hope for a better future, without human dignity.
02:13It's becoming even more urgent to implement reforms in global economic and financial governance
02:19to make it more just, inclusive and equitable.
02:23This is the only way to build adequate responses to the challenges that humanity faces.
02:31We must fight more efficiently against poverty and social exclusion through concrete actions.
02:39Specifically, we must strive to finance development programmes, reduce inequalities,
02:46protect the environment and mitigate the effects of climate change.
02:53Mr. President, eight decades after the establishment of the UN in 1945,
03:00we live today in a totally different world.
03:04We continue to call for reform of the United Nations Security Council,
03:09which must consider the interests of Africa under the terms of the Esulwini Consensus
03:17and the CIRTA Declaration of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.
03:22We must reform the international financial architecture in order to promote greater inclusion,
03:29particularly in Africa, and to consider the African continent's role and contribution to the world economy.
03:37In this context, we welcome the summit of the future.
03:41We hope that the Compact for the Future can drive collective efforts
03:47to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs and Agenda 2063, the Africa we want, of the African Union.
03:59As a member of the Global Working Group on Social Protection for Nutrition, Human Capital and Local Economic Development
04:07of the Group of 7+, G7+, we will work together with the other distinguished members
04:15on eradicating hunger and progressively achieving all Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.
04:24Mr. President, the President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau,
04:31we are committed to fostering dialogue, national reconciliation, consolidation of democracy and the rule of law,
04:39as well as our country's sustainable development.
04:43Despite the negative impact of the challenging world economic and financial situation,
04:49the economy of Guinea-Bissau continues to grow as a result of sound public policies.
04:55The practice of accountability has provided greater transparency in the state's economic and financial management.
05:05We have adopted measures that, though difficult, were shown to be necessary to drive the private sector
05:13and to create a more solid foundation for an economy that is dynamic and inclusive.
05:19We are promoting greater participation of women and youth entrepreneurs.
05:25We are investing on building and improvement of basic infrastructure, such as roads and other projects.
05:33We declared war on corruption and organized crime.
05:38We were able to restore trust in our relations with international financial institutions
05:44and other bilateral and multilateral partners.
05:48We continue to place faith in strengthening Guinea-Bissau's bonds of friendship and cooperation with the world.
05:56We remain steadfast on the policy of peacebuilding and peaceful resolution of conflicts in West Africa and in the world in general.
06:05It was to this end that in recent months I made visits of friendship and work to Russia, Ukraine, Israel and Palestine.
06:16In this context, I reiterate my call for an end to the unjust and very harmful embargo
06:24that our brothers and sisters in Cuba have been subjected for decades.
06:28Mr. President, distinguished heads of state and government, ladies and gentlemen,
06:34I recently had the honor of serving Africa as president of the Alliance of African Leaders for Malaria.
06:43We made significant progress in a very difficult world environment.
06:47We endeavored to garner support to replenish the global fund.
06:53We worked with the private sector to promote the production of drugs and nets to combat malaria.
07:00We encouraged the transfer of technologies to African companies.
07:05We launched end malaria councils and funds and supported youth movements against malaria.
07:13Despite all the progress achieved, challenges persist.
07:17In the next three years, ALMA will run a $1.5 billion deficit.
07:24Global warming and rains associated with climate change are expanding the geographic reach of mosquitoes,
07:36thus exposing more than 170 million people to the threat of malaria in the African continent.
07:43I take this opportunity to congratulate the Executive Secretariat of ALMA for their remarkable service.
07:49I also thank all of ALMA's partners for their crucial support in the fight against malaria during my term in office.
07:58Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen,
08:01in closing, I would like, on behalf of the population of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and my own,
08:09I would like to reaffirm our determination to continue to contribute to strengthening the friendship among countries and peoples
08:16to promote international cooperation, multilateralism, the peaceful resolution of conflicts,
08:22the end of wars and suffering of innocent populations towards peace in the world.
08:29I thank you.