Mozambique, 2024

Mr. President of the 79th Session of the United Nations General

Assembly;

Mr. Secretary-General of the United Nations;

Excellencies, distinguished Heads of Delegations;

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. It is with great honor that I address this august assembly and

convey to Your Excellencies and all participants in this session,

a special greeting from His Excellency Filipe Jacinto Nyusi,

President of the Republic of Mozambique.

We congratulate His Excellency Philemon Yang on his election

as President of this session and wish him success in fulfilling his

mandate. Our greetings are extended to the other members of

the Bureau. We assure you of our full support in carrying out

your duties.

We also commend the positive work carried out by your

predecessor, His Excellency Ambassador Dennis Francis, which

contributed to strengthening our Organization towards a

greater approach to the Peace and Development Agenda.

4. We extend a word of great appreciation to the Secretary

General of the United Nations, His Excellency Antonio

Guterres, for his tireless dedication and advocacy in promoting

multilateralism for global peace and security.

Mr. President,

5. The current session of the General Assembly constitutes a

sovereign opportunity to reinforce multilateralism, our

collective action to consolidate international peace and

security and global stability, for the well-being of humanity.

These renewed commitments are reinforced through the

deliberations of the Summit of the Future and other important

High-Level events recently held.

6. We therefore welcome the theme of our General Debate,

which has particular importance due to its connection with the

future which requires urgency in strengthening international

cooperation so that, together, we can face the challenges faced

by humanity today to build a prosperous present and a

promising future for Humanity.

7. We are aware that in just 6 years, the 2030 Agenda will expire

and the progress made in its implementation is still tenuous. It

is urgent to mobilize the necessary resources for its financing,

as well as for other internationally agreed development

objectives, in order to achieve the Sustainable Development

Goals.

8. Therefore, we encourage all Member States to accelerate the

materialization of the commitments made, including the

reinforcement of mutually beneficial cooperation, to respond

to prevailing challenges, including the fight against poverty,

conflicts, terrorism and climate change.

Mr. President,

Excellencies,

9. We express our optimism about our collective future, where

an environment of peace and security reigns. The functioning

of our global institutions must keep up with the current

dynamics that are imposed. Thus, we align ourselves with the

voices that defend the urgency of reform of the United

Nations, especially at the level of the Security Council, for

greater inclusion, particularly, giving a permanent voice to the

African continent, thereby correcting the historical injustice to

which it has been subjected.

10. Weare encouraged by the continued collaboration between

the United Nations and the African Union to overcome

conflicts within the context of maintaining international peace

and security. Resolution 2719 adopted by the United Nations

Security Council on 21 December 2023 is a significant

milestone for African Union-led peace support operations. It

strengthens collaboration between the United Nations and the

African Union, promoting greater regional and national

ownership of peace initiatives. We hope that it will effectively

ensure access to adequate, predictable and sustainable

financing required for the operations of the African Union.

11. We believe that this collaboration will contribute to giving

greater strength to efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts

towards a prosperous and peaceful Africa, the Africa We Want,

as established in Agenda 2063 of the African Union.

Mr. President,

Excellencies,

12. The concert between nations has been feasible throughout

these times due to the collective observance of the sacrosanct

objectives and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

including the defense of the right to self-determination of

peoples, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of

States.

13. The escalation of tensions and conflicts in various parts of

the world is deeply worrying.

14. In Ukraine, unfortunately, there are still no encouraging signs

for an end to the conflict. We believe that the safest path is

dialogue between the parties. It is up to all of us, as members

of the United Nations, to persuade the parties to the conflict

to end hostilities and opt for a dialogue towards Peace

between these two countries.

15. In the Middle East, in violation of the principles of

international law and international humanitarian law, the

conflict continues to take human lives among the civilian

population, particularly children, women and the elderly, as

well as destroying civil infrastructure, causing the tragedy that

we unfortunately witness. We call for the cessation of

hostilities and the protection of innocent civilians from the

conflict. The vision of the existence of two sovereign states,

Israel and Palestine, as full members of the United Nations, is

the fairest formula that will ensure sustainable peace and

stability in this region.

16. In Africa, we are also concerned about the conflict in Sudan,

which has killed thousands of innocent civilians, including

refugees, causing an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.

We reiterate our calls to the parties to the conflict to end

hostilities and the need for dialogue to restore peace and

stability.

Mr. President,

17. The use of sanctions and other unilateral coercive measures

does not contribute to the preservation of peace, security and

sustainable economic and social development. Unilateralism is

contrary to the multilateralism of the Charter. In this context,

we reiterate our firm call for the total lifting of unilateral

coercive measures imposed on Zimbabwe and Cuba, as they

have significant negative impacts on the populations of these

countries, harming their rights and well-being, so as to allow

for a more fair and equitable development.

Mr. President

Excellencies

18. In January 2023, Mozambique assumed the biannual 2023-

2024 term as a Non-Permanent Member of the United Nations

Security Council. With three (3) months remaining until its end,

we would like to reiterate the honor and privilege we have had

in serving in the United Nations Body responsible for

maintaining international peace and security.

19. In the last two years, Mozambique has made its direct

contribution to peace and security in the world, collaborating

in addressing all topics on the Security Council’s Agenda,

including, highlighting Peace and Security in Africa, Combating

Terrorism, Women, Peace and Security and the Nexus between

Climate, Peace and Security. We presided over the body in

March 2023 and in May 2024. We are leading the AdHoc

Working Group for Preventing and Resolution of Conflicts in

Africa.

20. We will soon end our mandate. We reaffirm our

commitment to continue collaborating with a view to pursuing

the goals that guide the United Nations Security Council to

strengthen international peace and security.

21. We therefore thank all Member States for the support

provided to Mozambique during its mandate and reaffirm our

commitment to multilateralism and the principles and

objectives set out in the United Nations Charter, which have

guided our mandate since the beginning.

Mr. President,

Excellencies,

22. In Mozambique we continue to consolidate our young

democracy and citizenship, strengthening dialogue and

seeking consensus in the various forums of participatory

representation. In this spirit, the seventh Presidential and

Legislative Elections and for the Provincial Assemblies will take

place on the 9th of October.

23. In the fight against terrorism in the province of Cabo

Delgado, our vigorous action against this phenomenon has

resulted in progress, with the support of SADC and Rwanda

and international cooperation partners, despite the prevailing

challenges.

24. In this regard, we would like to reiterate our appreciation and

gratitude to all bilateral and multilateral partners who have

spared no effort in supporting us in the fight against terrorism

and for the restoration of peace and tranquility to the victim

populations and for the reconstruction of economic and social

infrastructures in areas affected by terrorist actions.

25. Furthermore, our country has faced multiple and complex

challenges that include exposure to risks associated with

climate change, such as cyclical cyclones, droughts and floods.

These phenomena cause, on average, economic losses of 1.1%

of GDP per year.

Mr. President,

Excellencies,

26. Finally, we reiterate the commitment of the Government of

the Republic of Mozambique to international Peace and

Security, which are essential factors for the well-being of

humanity and a prosperous world.

Thank you very much!