Zimbabwe, 2025

I now give the floor to His Excellency Amon Mwawira, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Zimbabwe. Your Excellency Ms. Annelina Fabok, President of the Eighth Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Your Majesties, Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, I am humbled to issue this statement on behalf of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. Edi Mnangagwa. Let me warmly congratulate you, Madam President, on your election as President of the Eighth Session of the Assembly. We are confident that under your stewardship, this milestone session will be remembered for renewed multilateral cooperation. Please be assured of Zimbabwe's support throughout your tenure. We also wish to pay tribute to your predecessor, His Excellency Philip Mnangagwa, for his leadership during a period marked by heightened geopolitical tensions and a retreat from multilateralism. This 80th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter is a timely opportunity for us to reflect upon the journey of the past eight decades. The resolve of the 50 nations that gathered in San Francisco in 1945 was to save the world from the scourge of war and conflict. Today, 193 nations are here to bear witness that since then, the United Nations has endured as the legitimate multilateral institution to address issues of global interest and concern. Yet, we commemorate this milestone at a time of profound uncertainty when the world is confronted by escalating conflicts, economic slowdowns, increasing poverty, and widening inequality, humanitarian tragedies, and the vagaries of climate change. Madam President, on the principle of multilateralism, it is our collective responsibility to re-commit to the principles and purposes of the UN Charter for the benefit of the present and future generations. As Zimbabwe, we have incurred our foreign policy on multilateralism, guided by the principle of sovereignty, equality, and peaceful coexistence among nations. We believe that no nation can prosper in isolation. Zimbabwe's participation in multilateral processes is therefore aimed at advancing peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development for the integrity, dignity, and prosperity for all humanity. We welcome the Secretary General's UN8 initiative on reforming the UN. The reform must allow the organization to evolve in line with contemporary realities, while strengthening and not diminishing the voice and participation of developing countries. Any reform that sidelines the aspirations of the global South runs contrary to the very spirit of the UN Charter. For the United Nations to remain effective and responsive, its reform must be member-state driven, inclusive, and incurred in the principle of sovereignty, equality of all member states. This anniversary must, therefore, serve as a solemn reminder that humanity achieves more by working together than working apart and working against each other. Madam President, on the principle of peace and security, it is clear that peace, development, and human rights can only be fully realized through the reform of global governance institutions. The global economic, political, and security architectures established after the Second World War no longer reflect today's realities. In 1945, a large percentage of the current UN member states, including Zimbabwe, were mere colonies. To this end, we reiterate Africa's long-standing call for the comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council. Africa's continued total exclusion from the permanent category and under-representation among non-permanent members is an aberration which requires urgent redress. Decisions on Africa cannot continue to be made without Africa at the table. We cannot go back to 1884 when Africa was on the menu. Madam President, Zimbabwe underscores the importance of enhanced cooperation between the Security Council and regional organizations, such as the African Union, to address the root causes of conflicts. We believe that sustainable peace cannot be achieved without advancing the women, peace and security, and youth in the agenda. In our region, the Southern African Development Community, SADC, we emphasize inclusive peace processes. We stand by the principle that peace is not merely the absence of war, but the presence of justice, equity, equality and respect for human dignity. Working with other member states, Zimbabwe has contributed towards the resolution of conflicts in the region, including the spearheading of joint diplomatic efforts with the East African Community under the auspices of SADC in the search for peace in Eastern DRC. Our consistent contribution to UN peacekeeping missions in conflict areas is a testimony to our commitment towards peace and security for all. Zimbabwean peacekeepers have demonstrated a high degree of professionalism wherever they have been deployed. Guided by this legacy of commitment to peace, Zimbabwe has presented its candidature for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the term 2027-2028, determined to share its experiences and make its contributions in promotion of a safe and secure world for all. We trust that our candidature merits the invaluable support of all member states at the election to be held in June 2026. Zimbabwe pursues a doctrine of friend to all and enemy to none. As such, we are ready and available to work with all members of the United Nations for a peaceful and just world. Madam President, Zimbabwe was born out of a protracted liberation struggle, which was armed for freedom and independence, hence its continued solidarity with the people of Palestine and the Western Sahara in their justified search for self-determination. The Palestinians have endured severe, sustained and systematic injustices under the glare of the international community. This cannot continue. Time has come for the establishment of a lasting peace in the Middle East, especially the implementation of the two-state solution for the peaceful coexistence of both Israel and Palestine. Madam President, on the issue of sustainable development, Zimbabwe has a doctrine of leaving no one and no place behind, which defines the core of our national development trajectory. Guided by our national development strategy, we are undertaking comprehensive reforms and targeted investments to transform and build our country brick by brick, stone by stone, resulting in consistent GDP growth of around 6% for the past few years. Reforms to our critical economic sectors, including agriculture, mining, tourism and manufacturing have resulted in significant levels of investment, positively changing the lives and livelihoods of our people. Strengthening our social protection frameworks remain a top priority. The empowerment of women, youth and persons with disabilities enhanced inclusivity and broad participation in national development processes by all citizens. In addition to Zimbabwe's efforts, it is mainstreaming climate action across all development planning processes. Our focus is on expanding renewable energy use, strengthening early warning systems, scaling up climate-smart agriculture, upping our irrigation systems. Zimbabwe is ready and available to share with the UN Member States our successful conservation agriculture technique, which is climate-smart as a model, which is among the best, including other economic empowerment models. Madam President, we reaffirm our commitment to the Paris Agreement and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. As we approach COP30, Zimbabwe calls on all states to demonstrate greater ambition by enhancing their nationally determined contributions. Madam President, we welcome the adoption of our WASA programme of action for landlocked developing countries. We hope our commitment will be translated into tangible actions in line with the broader objective of reforming the international economic order to make it fairer, more inclusive and responsive to the need of developing countries. The role of ICT and AI in transforming lives and accelerating development is indisputable. It is, however, equally observed that criminals are using ICT for harmful behaviour with serious destabilising consequences to society. Zimbabwe therefore remains supportive for the establishment of frameworks and strategies to combat the use of technology for criminal purposes. The global dialogue on AI governance should assist all countries. We applaud the deliberate effort by the UN Secretary General towards optimising the benefits of technology while minimising the potential harmful effects of the same. On financial architecture, we reiterate our support for the commitments undertaken at the Fourth International Conference on Financing Development in Seville, Spain. It is important that we implement these commitments and also operationalise the SDG stimulus. Without the means to implement our collective action, regression is inevitable. The global economic and financial system remains skewed against the global south, compounding debt, distress and entrenching poverty. The reform of the international financial architecture is a critical necessity to unlock development finance, especially for the developing countries that have remained peripheral to the development chain. Madam President, we emphasise the importance of a fair and rules-based international trading system that ensures equitable opportunities for all nations, particularly developing countries. On the principle of human rights, we uphold the principle of all rights – civil, economic, political and social, including cultural – that are interdependent and indivisible. We reject attempts to elevate some rights over others. We equally reject the selective, arbitrary, political and biased application of human rights frameworks and standards. We reaffirm our support through the Non-Aligned Movement for a Legally Binding Covenant on the Right to Development, an essential framework to strengthen the global development agenda. In December 2024, Zimbabwe abolished the death penalty, reaffirming our commitment to the sanctity of human life. Madam President, despite our gallant efforts towards national prosperity, we have continued to face challenges occasioned by the illegal, unilateral, cohesive measures imposed on us. We therefore reiterate the call for the unconditional removal of these unjustified and unwarranted sanctions on Zimbabwe and for Zimbabwe to realise its full potential. Our people have remained resilient against this adversity, encouraged by the unwavering solidarity and support from our sister 30 countries and the African Union and other progressive partners across the world. We are greatly indebted to this magnanimous pillar of support. Zimbabwe also stands in solidarity with other nations under UCM, especially the government and the people of Cuba in their continued fight against one of the longest economic blockades. We reiterate our call for the removal of this comprehensive embargo. We welcome the designation of 4 December as the International Day Against Unilateral Cohesive Measures. This should increase voices against the human cost of sanctions, reaffirm diplomacy over domination and advocate for a return to legality, legitimacy and multilateral cooperation. Madam President, the United Nations today stands at a crossroads amid multiple and intersecting crises. However, let us seize this anniversary to renew our covenant for peace, recommit to development and strengthen the pillars of multilateralism that truly serves we the people. The greatest lesson from COVID-19 pandemic was that no one is safe until everyone is safe. Similarly, our sustainable future is possible only when we leave no one and no place behind. Let us build the future we all want, the future we are all proud of. I thank you.