Senegal, 2025

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Dioumay Diakafaye, President of the Republic of Senegal. I request Protocol to escort His Excellency and invite him to address the Assembly. President of the General Assembly, Colleagues, Secretary General, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, President, on behalf of Senegal, I wish to thank your predecessor and also extend to you our warmest wishes for success in your presidency of this, the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. I would like to reiterate to the Secretary General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, our constant support in the exercise of his noble mission to benefit Member States. We are meeting today in this symbolic place of universal dialogue, aware that we carry the burden of history and the urgent nature of the task before us today. The theme of this session, Better Together, 80 Years and More for Peace, Development and Human Rights, reminds us indeed of the founding pact of the United Nations. It is a pact of peaceful coexistence, collective security and an international order based on the law. On this foundation, the United Nations has made undeniable progress in cooperation and solidarity to prevent conflict, promote international peace and security and to settle disputes. Equally, significant progress has also been made in the codification of universal norms for the protection of human rights and to create a safer and more peaceful international order. But 80 years after the creation of the United Nations, the world is teetering again, as if we had been caught in the same currents that dragged humanity into two major disasters in the space of one generation. We are living in turbulent times. There are new challenges and multiple uncertainties, the spread of terrorism, old and new conflicts, climate change, far-reaching economic crises, falling international solidarity and a higher risk of the collapse of multilateralism. Not forgetting either the resumption of the arms race, including in cyberspace. The most concerning, of course, is the appalling dehumanisation, a world that feels selectively according to geopolitical interests and stakes. There can be no justice based on law when what is taken to be the international order is governed by double standards, by the right of the mighty and a spirit of us versus them. In this worrying context, Africa remains confronted with armed conflict, terrorism particularly in the Sahel, cross-border crime and political instability. When faced with so many challenges, our approach should be an integrated one, one that combines prevention with resilience and a targeted response. Peace and security have a price. Let us give ourselves the resources to afford them with predictable and sustainable funding of African peace support operations, with suitable equipment and robust mandates and rules of engagement. That is the only way of tackling the scourge of terrorism and of rebuilding a minimum level of security and stability in the areas affected. Here I wish to reiterate Senegal's solidarity towards our brotherly countries who are working day in, day out to fight terrorism. In the Middle East, the Palestinian people continue to live through the worst of tragedies, now indescribable. Under the daily shower of bombs, all lines have now been crossed. We cannot stay silent nor look away because Gaza is no longer alive. Gaza, a land of blood, sweat and tears, has become hell for thousands of souls of all ages trapped in an open-air prison. Men, women and children are in agony every day, deprived of food, water and healthcare. Senegal reiterates its strong condemnation of this tragedy that nothing can justify. In its capacity as Chair of the Committee for the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Senegal believes that only the creation of an independent and viable Palestinian state will bring lasting peace for all parties, each of them within safe and internationally recognised borders. Ladies and gentlemen, 80 years ago the founding fathers of the UN committed, when they created the UN, to spare succeeding generations from the scourge of war which, twice in a quarter of a century, had caused millions of deaths and innumerable suffering. On behalf of Senegal, I wish to pay tribute to those pioneers and all of those who have embodied the universal values of our organisations, often at the cost of their own lives. In this world in crisis, our principles and our actions must remain the same – peace over conflict, justice over indifference and partnership over struggles for power. But this is only possible if we have a strong and revitalised multilateralism to make a single framework for action in favour of peace, stability, dialogue, cooperation and the peaceful settlement of disputes. For multilateralism to survive, it needs to rediscover its very foundations – shared responsibility and proactive solidarity, the respect for international law and universal justice, in line with the statutes of the International Courts of Justice and the International Criminal Court. In addition, we also cannot ignore the need for reform of the global political, economic and financial governance systems. The UN, through its universal vocation, must take the lead on this, to make deliberations and decisions more democratic, legitimate and better representative of its Member States. In 1945 there were 51 of them, and today there are 193. Here I wish to reiterate the support of Senegal for the Izzouini Consensus, for a fairer and more equitable representation of African countries at the Security Council. It is high time that the global economic and financial governance is more just and more inclusive, for it to meet the real needs of funding sustainable development. We know full well that public aid is not the solution. Other tools exist, for example, an equitable global fiscal framework, so that taxes are paid in the place where wealth is produced. Access to credit on sustainable terms, so that debt burdens do not hinder development efforts in our countries. Finally, the effective implementation of the Seville Commitment, the Pact for the Future and the Sustainable Development Goals, to ensure better access to health care, water, food, education, energy and digital technologies. Global heating also deserves our attention. It is not simply a threat, but it is an existential question, a reality that hits those who contributed to it least the hardest. Africa only contributes 4% of global emissions. And however, drought, flooding, coastal erosion, food insecurity are part and parcel now of the lives of our peoples. This is a double burden that has become untenable. Senegal would like to reiterate its commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement and calls for a just and fair climate transition through the use of available resources to ensure universal access to electricity and launch competitive industrial development. The fight against climate change will, of course, need significant funding for adaptation, improved access to climate funds and also guarantees for technology transfer. Senegal welcomes the creation of a loss and damage fund and calls for greater solidarity on an international level to replenish the fund so that operations in the field can be financed. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, faced with the emergency and urgent challenges and numerous challenges before us, we are not helpless. The world does have the necessary means to feed the hungry, to raise our children, to heal the sick and to silence the guns. The real obstacle isn't a financial or a technical or a material one. It's a question of political will, the will to make multilateralism a tool for collective solidarity, for cooperation over confrontation, the will to build a future where human dignity is at the heart of every decision we take. So at this, the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, let's not just state that the world order is tired, but let's springboard for new hope, a hope for a more effective organisation to benefit the people it represents. Senegal remains committed to work to this end with all members of the organisation. We are ready to build bridges, to enact reforms and to continue our common endeavour to build a world of peace, justice and solidarity. I wish every success for the work of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly and I thank you for your kind attention.