Guinea-Bissau, 2025

The Assembly will hear an address by His Excellency Omao O.C. Sohkan Mbahlo, President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. I request protocol to escort His Excellency and invite him to address the Assembly. Madam President, Distinguished Heads of State and Government, Mr. Secretary General, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to begin by congratulating Mrs. Annalena Baerbock on her election as President of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. I thank the outgoing President, Mr. Philemon Yang, for his service to the international community. To Secretary General António Guterres, I wish to reaffirm Guinea-Bissau's full support for his tireless efforts in favor of world peace, international cooperation, multilateralism and sustainable development. Eighty years ago, the Founders of the United Nations pledged to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. That promise, unfortunately, has not yet been fully fulfilled. Yet this commitment, undertaken by each Member State upon joining the UN Charter, remains valid and continues to be honored through the dedication of every UN peacekeeper and every humanitarian worker who often make the difference between life and death in conflict zones or following natural disasters. UN agencies such as WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, FAO, WFP, UNHCR and UNDP, among others, provide treatment, education, vaccines, food and protect everyday millions of human beings and contribute to the fight against poverty and discrimination against women and girls all over the world. The United Nations remains relevant, especially in these times of deep global uncertainty and crisis. It continues to be the only forum where all nations, large and small, have a seat and a voice. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, we live in a world confronted by multiple crises. We are witnessing what Secretary-General António Guterres has called polycrisis. Conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and other regions persist. Socioeconomic inequalities, environmental shocks, political instability and humanitarian emergencies disproportionately affect developing countries, with the greatest impact on small island developing states. Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals has slowed significantly or even stalled. The sovereign debt burden of poor countries is increasing, while development assistance is declining. Guinea-Bissau welcomes the UN80 initiative and we hope it will contribute to strengthening the organization, especially in promoting peace, international security and the achievement of the SDGs. The Pact for the Future offers a roadmap and an action plan that must not remain on paper. Madam President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, last July Guinea-Bissau hosted the 15th Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries, CPLP. I have taken on the presidency of the CPLP for the 2025-2027 term. The CPLP places high importance on its cooperation with the United Nations and its specialized agencies. During our term, we will continue to work with all partners and multilateral organizations toward the implementation of global commitments, especially concerning the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the 3rd UN Ocean Conference and the 4th UN Conference on Financing for Development held last June-July in Seville. We are convinced that two major international meetings scheduled for November, namely COP 30 in Belém, Brazil, and the 2nd World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Qatar, will serve as key platforms and opportunities to strengthen our cooperation and to advance our shared goals. Madam President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, Guinea-Bissau is scheduled to hold presidential and legislative elections on the 23rd of November this year. All necessary conditions are being put in place to ensure that these elections are held peacefully, freely, transparently and credibly. Over the past five years, I have prioritized dialogue, inclusion, political stability and the consolidation of the democratic rule of law. I am confident that these upcoming elections will reaffirm the irreversible nature of citizenship and democratic values in Guinea-Bissau. Madam President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to conclude by saying that in an increasingly interdependent world, we need, now more than ever, a world order grounded in the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter in respect for international law and in peaceful coexistence. In this regard, Guinea-Bissau reiterates our call for an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo and other forms of restrictions imposed on Cuba. Eighty years after the creation of the United Nations, the world has changed. We are no longer just the 51 countries who signed the UN Charter in 1945. Today, the United Nations is all of us, the 193 member states, plus observer states, NGOs, civil society organizations and other actors represented in this great Assembly Hall. To meet the challenges of the 21st century, the UN must undertake urgent reforms. Reforms that reflect today's geopolitical realities and global power balances. Reforms that expand and democratize the Security Council. Reforms that provide a place and a voice to the Global South. Reforms that restore confidence in the multilateralism and international cooperation. The UN continues to be a unique multilateral space where dialogue is still possible, even when diplomacy and good offices fail elsewhere and in other circumstances. The legitimacy, strength and future of the UN lie in the inclusion and full participation of all of us in deliberations and decision-making. Its core details – peace, dignity, equality, poverty eradication, cooperation and peaceful resolution of conflicts – remain alive and continue to inspire the purposes of the international community and the march of humanity. Thank you very much. On behalf of the Assembly, I wish to thank the President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.