Equatorial Guinea, 2025

We shall now continue the general debate. The Assembly will hear an address by His Excellency Todoro Nogoma Obiang Mangui, Vice President in Charge of National Defense of State Security of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. I request protocol to escort His Excellency and invite him to address the Assembly. Your Excellency, Ms. Anna-Lena Baerbock, President of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Heads of State and Government, Heads of Delegations, Excellencies, Your Excellency, Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. Ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to take the floor on behalf of His Excellency, President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, to share with you my country's most dearly held convictions at this 80th Session of the General Assembly, being held at a time in which the world is calling for a fairer, more equitable and effective international system. Madam President, 80 years ago, the founding states established this organization, aspiring to build a multilateral system based on cooperation, respect for international law and the dignity of all human beings. This commitment was enshrined in the United Nations Charter. That Charter remains a lodestar for states' collective action. Today, under the theme Better Together, 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights, we celebrate important achievements. The UN, over these eight decades, has been a universal forum for dialogue and a space for international cooperation. It has helped to avoid conflicts. It has supported decolonization processes. It has promoted sustainable development. And it has served to pique our moral conscience in service of human rights. However, this anniversary must serve as an opportunity for critical self-reflection. It would be a mistake to simply mark the anniversary and not to recognize the woeful shortcomings of our multilateral system. Excellencies, The peoples of the world trust in the United Nations to tackle the major challenges of our time. Armed conflicts, violence, climate change, growing inequalities, migration crises, cyber threats, and the lack of technological transfer are all some of these challenges. However, all too often, the response provided to those challenges has fallen short. The United Nations has been brought to a standstill by individual interests and straitjacketed by an institutional platform which no longer reflects the reality of today's world. Talking about leaving no one behind becomes meaningless if millions remain marginalized in systems of dependency and exclusion. The Security Council, the body responsible for upholding international peace and security, is perhaps the clearest example of the extent to which the United Nations is out of step. Eight years after its inception, the UN's membership structure remains rooted in the geopolitical state of play we had in 1945 and not that we see in the 21st century. Consequently, the United Nations' legitimacy and representativeness are, quite rightly, called into question. Security Council reform is an urgent need. Without that reform, the Security Council will continue to be perceived as an exclusive club of historical privileges, powerless to respond legitimately to current threats. Africa is demanding what is hers by right, full and permanent representation on the most important security organ in the world. We want to see an international governance system which serves the interests of all of us, not those of an elite. We demand a Security Council which represents the world of today, not the world of yesterday. Let us take real steps forward towards collective action which is more democratic, more equitable and effective. If not, we risk finding ourselves with a United Nations which is increasingly on the sidelines and one which holds less and less weight in the international arena. Our commitment with this organization remains intact. We believe in the United Nations. We believe in the strength of international law and the force it holds. We believe in international cooperation as the only way to address challenges which no nation, however powerful it may be, can resolve alone. Our commitment is not unthinking. Rather, it must be rewarded with results, reforms and a UN that can move with the times. On this anniversary, we must recall that peace, development and human rights are inextricable pillars. Peace is not sustainable without development. Development is false if it is not rooted in dignity and rights for all. As such, let us state here again that we remain steadfast in our support for Agenda 2030. Despite the fact that we recognize difficulties and delays in its implementation, Agenda 2030 is a collective commitment which reflects our desire to build a world free of poverty, free of hunger and with dignity for all. However, we have less than a decade to fulfill it and the pace of progress is all too slow. Excellencies, climate change is the greatest threat of our age. The most vulnerable nations pay a disproportionate price for climate change. At the same time, major emitters drag their heels with commitments. Climate justice is not a token gesture. It is a moral and legal obligation. Equatorial Guinea also defends the principle of sovereignty between states. Every people has the right to design its own development model, free of interference and arbitrary sanctions which undermine their independence. We must believe in a world of peace and create one, a world in which no country is considered an enemy for being the friend of another. Allow me to share with you a recent example of the contribution that Equatorial Guinea makes to international peace. The historic agreement reached with the Republic of Gabon on the sovereignty of the Mbanye, Cocoteras and Conga Islands. For decades, His Excellency Obiang Ndiyeba Mbasuo handled this dispute with patience and dialogue until it was resolved peacefully before the International Court of Justice. This case has not only created a historic precedent on the African continent, rather it demonstrates also that conflicts can be resolved in accordance with the spirit of the UN Charter and in line with states' political will. Excellencies, promoting human dignity is a shared responsibility. Equatorial Guinea reaffirms its commitment to the protection of the rights of the child and those of persons with a disability. Rights to food security, housing, drinking water and the sovereign exploitation of natural resources are an inextricable part of human rights as a whole. Without dignity that comes through material comfort, freedom is an empty ideal. Faithful to the principles of an inclusive international community, we insist that the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed on the Republic of Cuba be lifted. Keeping such measures in place not only gravely affects the development of a sovereign nation, it also runs counter to the fundamental principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. Excellencies, to conclude, allow me also to address businessmen and women. I wish to invite them to come and discover Equatorial Guinea as a safe destination and one which is very attractive for investment. Our country offers a climate of political stability, fiscal incentives and a clear vision of the future through our 2035 Development Agenda. We encourage you to accompany us on this journey. A journey which will not only generate shared dividends, but which will also consolidate the inclusive and sustainable development of our nation. I thank you. On behalf of the Assembly, I wish to thank the Vice President in charge of national defense and state security of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. The Assembly will hear.