Sierra Leone, 2025

The Assembly will hear an address by His Excellency Julius Mahada Biu, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone. I request protocol to escort His Excellency and invite him to address the Assembly. President of the General Assembly, the Secretary General, Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen. I congratulate Her Excellency Annalena Baerbock on her election as President of the General Assembly to lead this historic 80th session of the General Assembly. I thank her predecessor, His Excellency Firmino-Young, for his distinguished leadership during the 79th session. I commend the Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, for his steadfast commitment to the ideas of the United Nations during these increasingly turbulent times. Madam President, it is both an honour and a solemn responsibility to address this Assembly on the 80th anniversary of the United Nations. This Assembly is not just ceremonia. It is a call for the world's conscience to act with unity, determination and vision. Our theme, Better Together, 80 Years and More for Peace, Development and Human Rights, both celebrates and summons. It reminds us that cooperation delivers progress. It also demands that we reimagine multilateralism so that peace, dignity and equality are not promises on paper but realities in the lives of people. This anniversary is not a time for complacency but for courageous renewal. Today, we face deepening inequalities, climate crises, geopolitical fragmentation, technological disruptions and entrenched conflict. No nation can meet these challenges alone. We need bold multilateralism and a United Nations that is not only reformed but reinvigorated. The UN must be more than a meeting place. It must be a working place for people, for peace and for our planet. Madam President, Sierra Leone is a small state that has relied heavily on the United Nations chapter and our helps to uphold it. We speak with independence and conviction because we have lived the cost of its absence. I also serve as Chair of Equal Authority of Heads of State and Government and Coordinator of the African Union Committee of 10 Heads of State and Government on Security Council Reform, C10. For both myself and the people of Sierra Leone, these roles are not just titles, they are responsibilities. They reflect Sierra Leone's conviction that principled multilateralism is the surest defense of law, equity and peace. Since 1945, the charter's promise of sovereign equality, non-aggression and human dignity have been the bedrock of small states like ours. In 1961, when Sierra Leone first addressed this assembly, our founding Prime Minister, Samilti Magai, pledged that our voice would be independent and principled, guided not by bitterness but by conviction. That pledge remains our compass. We stand for justice and equality. We uphold the right of all people to self-determination. We speak truth. We speak truth to power and act in defense of humanity and the rule of law. Small states are not inherently small. Our sovereignty is equal and our responsibilities are the same. Leadership is not the loudest voice in the room. It is the clearest voice for justice. Madam President, our current term on the UN Security Council has deepened these convictions. Guided by the charter, we have championed peace through dialogue, upheld international law and promoted prevention as the first duty of collective security. We have supported efforts to stabilize the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, de-escalated tensions in the Middle East and supported political transition in Lebanon and Syria for peace and stability. We have also seen the Security Council's limits, its paralysis in the face of grave human suffering. Nowhere has this failure been heart-wrenching than in Gaza. A preventable genocide was not prevented. Mass starvation that could have been avoided was not avoided. A broadly supported two-state solution has been obstructed by division and inaction. We therefore welcome all member states that have recently announced their long-overdue recognition of the State of Palestine. Yet, much more remains to be done. We must bring an end to the war and ensure the release of all hostages and prisoners. Sierra Leone has not wavered. We have spoken with independence, voted with principle and pressed for urgent action to end atrocities and revive hope. We say again, cease fire now in Gaza. Cease fire now in Sudan. Cease fire now in Ukraine. These are not just slogans. They are calls to conscience, calls to action. In fact, they are echoes of the UN's founding pledge to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. A veto should never be a verdict against humanity. Madam President, across the world, the UN's authority and legitimacy have been tested. Selective adherence to international law, disregard for Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, deprivation of funding, attacks on peacekeepers and humanitarian workers, disinformation that corrodes trust and over-reliance on unilateral action. For countries like Sierra Leone, this is not an abstract debate. We know what a working United Nations means. At our darkest hour, during one of the most brutal civil wars in modern history, the UN stood by our side. The United Nations missions in Sierra Leone, UNAMSI, one of the largest peacekeeping operations of its time, helped disarm over 75,000 combatants, restore civilian governance, support democratic elections. The Special Court for Sierra Leone and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, both backed by the United Nations, ensured justice and reconciliation. When the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone closed in 2014, it signalled something rare in our world. A successful transition from war to peace. We saw blue helmets on our streets. We saw ballot papers returned to citizens' hands. We saw our nation breathe again. When the UN works, lives are saved. When it fails, lives are lost. We must ensure the UN delivers for all. And to do so, we must respect and implement UN decisions, protect those who serve under the United Nations flag, invest in prevention and peacebuilding, and reform the Security Council. So its authority and legitimacy match today's world. The United Nations cannot protect vulnerable people if it cannot protect its own authority. As a nation, Sierra Leone does its part and contributes troops to peacekeeping missions. We serve as elected Security Council members and offer our experience in peacebuilding to the world. Sierra Leone's story is proof that multilateral solidarity works when it is grounded in trust, mutual respect, and genuine investment in national ownership. Madam President, peace is inseparable from development. In Sierra Leone, our medium-term national development aligned with the SDGs and the African Union's Agenda 2063 prioritizes people-centered growth. We are transforming our agricultural sector to ensure food security. We are investing in a digital economy that fosters inclusion and innovation. We are deepening investment in human capital development through free quality education and in healthcare, particularly maternal and child health. We are expanding renewable energy to support industrialization and climate resilience. Climate change is an existential threat to Sierra Leone. Our greenhouse gas emissions are negligible, yet our people and our wide coast bear the cost through erosion, flooding, and pressure on food systems and fisheries. We have mainstreamed climate adaptation and strengthened disaster preparedness. In fulfillment of the commitment made at the third United Nations Oceans Conference, Sierra Leone has ratified the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty, BBNG. As the 60th state to deposit its instrument of ratification, Sierra Leone is proud of the collective endeavor to trigger the entry into force of the BBNG Treaty, a historic milestone for multilateralism and the collective stewardship of our ocean commons. We urge all countries to do the same so the high seas and areas are governed by common good. Climate justice is not charity. It is a legal and moral responsibility. If the poorest are left to pay the highest climate price, there is no justice. Developed nations must honor their commitments, $100 billion per year in climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity building. We welcome the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion on climate change, affirming states' obligation to prevent environmental harm and to protect future generations. In that spirit, Sierra Leone is proud to present the candidature of Professor Charles Cherno Jalloh to the International Court of Justice, a distinguished jurist and tireless advocate for the rule of law. We respectfully solicit the support of all member states in the November 12 elections this year. Madam President, as chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Highest Estate and Government, I proudly note our community's 50th anniversary. For five decades, ECOWAS has embodied regional integration and collective security, often acting decisively when others hesitated. ECOWAS moved early in Sierra Leone's peace process, before and alongside the UN, to end our civil war. It has done so in Liberia, the Gambia, and elsewhere to defend democracy and stabilize the region. These are African solutions to African challenges, open to global partnerships, anchored in regional legitimacy and trust. Partnerships with Africa must move from promise to practice. As chair of the ECOWAS Authority, I recently embarked on a regional tour, including a second visit to Burkina Faso in two years. This was to demonstrate solidarity and build trust between ECOWAS member states and the Alliance of Sahelian States. I commend the leadership of Burkina Faso for its willingness to engage, and I look forward to continued dialogue with the leadership of both Mali and Niger. In my role as chair of the ECOWAS Authority, I have placed emphasis on advancing and safeguarding democratic governance, with a strong commitment to upholding constitutional order and reflecting the people's will. Countering terrorism and strengthening our regional security architecture, including operationalizing the ECOWAS Stand-by Force and implementing counter-terrorism strategies. Enhancing economic integration by promoting trade, liberalization, developing cross-border infrastructure, and advancing towards a common ECOWAS currency. Strengthening the credibility of institutions through reforms that promote transparency, efficiency, and service focused on citizens. We urge the United Nations to deepen its partnership with ECOWAS and other African regional mechanisms in the spirit of Chapter 8 of the United Nations Chapter. Africa is not a problem to be solved. Africa is a partner to be empowered. During Sierra Leone's tenure as elected member of the Security Council 2024-2025, we have highlighted the urgent security challenges in West Africa and the Sahel, where terrorism and violent extremism transcends borders and destabilizes the entire region. However, Africa's lack of permanent representation continues to hinder the Council's ability to act decisively and contextually. We have advocated for a comprehensive approach to counter-terrorism in the Sahel, linking security with development, governance reforms, and regional cooperation, and strengthening the UN-EU-ECOWAS partnership. Too often, however, the Council's response has been hindered by narrow geopolitical interests, delaying action that could have saved lives. Our experience confirms a clear truth. Lasting peace requires inclusivity, ownership, and legitimacy. The Council's structural imbalance undermines its credibility and must be addressed to ensure the safeguarding of collective security. Madam President, in my capacity as coordinator of the African Union Committee of 10 on Security Council Reforms, I speak on behalf of a continent still excluded from the permanent representation on the Council. Africa, home to 1.4 billion people and the largest regional bloc in the United Nations, still has no permanent seat. This is unjust and untenable. It undermines the credibility of the Council and the legitimacy of its decisions. The common African position expressed in the Ezo-Ini consensus and SAC declaration calls for at least two permanent seats for Africa, with full rights and prerogatives, including the veto if retained, and two additional non-permanent seats. This is not a request. It is a demand for equity. It is a test of the UN's commitment to fairness and its own charter. During our Security Council Presidency in August last year, we gave this issue unprecedented prominence. As we mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations and the 20th anniversary of the Ezo-Ini consensus and SAC declaration, let this be the moment that the international community answers Africa's call. Let us not pass on to the next generation a Security Council reform that fails to reflect the world as it is today. Madam President, the United Nations at 80 must look forward. Sierra Leone stands ready, committed to principled multilateralism, committed to principled multilateralism, to speaking with independence and conviction, and to working for justice, solidarity, and the dignity of all peoples. Let this anniversary be a turning point, measured not in the many speeches we make here, but service, not in declarations, but in delivery. Let us build a United Nations more representative, more responsive, and more resilient. The world does not need a louder United Nations. It requires a braver United Nations. Now is the time to make the United Nations work for all. Together, let us forge a future of peace, shared prosperity, and human dignity. For in unity, we are not only better, we are stronger. Thank you. On behalf of the Assembly, I wish to thank the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone.