At the outset, I wish to extend my sincere congratulations to Mr. Csaba Korosi and his country, Hungary, on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-seventh session. I am certain that this organ will benefit greatly from the wealth of knowledge and experience he has acquired during his illustrious career in the diplomatic service, including his term here in New York as Hungary’s Permanent Representative, when he co-chaired the intergovernmental process and ushered in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
I must particularly express gratitude to the outgoing President for his close coordination and collaboration with other principal organs, particularly the Economic and Social Council, which Botswana was honoured to lead as its seventy-seventh President. I am delighted that the two Presidents worked very cooperatively on addressing vaccine equity, the sustainable development of Africa, financing for sustainable recovery and the nexus between natural resources and sustainable development, among other priorities. Close collaboration among principal organs of the United Nations is beneficial and must be promoted.
Botswana endorses Mr. Korosi’s choice of the theme for this session, “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges”. We concur with his observation that the current global challenges —namely, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the war in Ukraine, humanitarian challenges and climate change — are complex and interconnected and hence require transformative solutions. Given the interconnectedness of those challenges, it is evident that they can be effectively addressed only with a holistic approach. That further demonstrates the enduring relevance of the Charter of the United Nations, which 77 years ago established the three founding pillars of the United Nations system — human rights, peace and security, and development — as interrelated and mutually reinforcing.
As United Nations Member States, we should look no further for those solutions than in the already existing key multilateral frameworks, among them the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Declaration on the commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations (resolution 75/1), as well as the outcomes of major United Nations meetings. This session gives us an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to those solutions. In his comprehensive report Our Common Agenda (A/75/982), the Secretary-General has offered us a boost with concrete ideas and recommendations to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and to close the existing gaps in our multilateral frameworks.
I wish therefore to preface my remarks, through which I will share my country’s progress in recovering from COVID-19 and moving towards a transformative and sustainable development, by reminding the Assembly of Botswana’s road to development. Many in this Hall may only know the Botswana of now, which is an upper-middle-income country. That is a status that we are proud of, given that when we attained our independence, only 56 years ago, we were among the poorest in the world. However, we were fortunate to discover what has turned out to be the world’s largest diamond reserve across the Kimberley Belt.
For those less acquainted with the development path we have travelled as a country, that is not the entire reflection of the Botswana story. Our story is based on the humanity, principles and tenacity that we have as a people, as Botswana. It is a story of the wisdom of our forefathers, who avoided the misfortune that often accompanied the discovery and exploitation of minerals in other parts of the world and elected instead to turn the discovery of diamonds into a story for development. Botswana is a nation that would never have been able to realize its development had we not held firmly to our belief in the principles of democracy, centred on the rule of law, good governance and the protection and enjoyment of basic human rights by our people.
However, I must admit that we face an uphill battle in our investment efforts to attract investors to help us diversify our economy away from dependence on diamonds. I have stood before the General Assembly and I have engaged in different forums, when the opportunity arises, to share the Botswana story with a view to encouraging partnerships to augment our efforts towards diversification. I trust that those who are attentive to our call are more in number, and I firmly believe that they, too, aspire to share a part of our story.
In the meantime, diamonds are still the bedrock of our economy. It is in that respect that the words of
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the call for a common agenda resonate with me. I like in particular the call by the Secretary-General for a global view whereby power, wealth and opportunity are shared more broadly and fairly at the international level. For my country, that translates into a fair and equitable opportunity to use the resources that we have to develop our people and give them an equal opportunity to contribute and share in global wealth. As we continue to advocate for the Kimberley Process, I wish to remind the Assembly that Botswana’s story is unquestionable proof and living testimony that diamonds, with good governance, are for development. In fact, diamonds are a serious matter of livelihoods. I will be hosting a side event on diamonds for development later this evening, through which I hope to further broaden conversations and allow our partners within the United Nations, Governments, civil society and the private sector to join us in ensuring that my country, Botswana, will also be part of the United Nations family, espoused around shared power, wealth and opportunity, as we endeavour to realize the 2030 Agenda.
Despite our challenges, my Government continues to play its part in contributing to the international agenda and ensuring that our peoples’ access to medicines is part and parcel of their health care, while ensuring that the economy also recovers from the pandemic. Vaccine roll-out remains a precondition for a sustainable recovery, yet many countries in the global South, especially in Africa, have not met the World Health Organization target of full vaccination of 70 per cent of the population by mid-2022. That underscores the urgent need to continue promoting vaccine equity through international solidarity and addressing vaccine hesitancy by countering disinformation and raising awareness about the science-backed facts regarding the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines.
Despite the challenges that we have encountered, which are common to many developing countries, Botswana has procured enough vaccines to administer to all eligible groups, thus enabling significant progress, with 64 per cent of our population now fully vaccinated. However, much more needs to be done. It is in that context that Botswana continues to play an active role in that matter and recently also joined other Member States in co-sponsoring resolution 76/301, calling for the convening of a high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response during the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly. We also continue to actively participate in the ongoing process towards a possible elaboration of a pandemic treaty at the World Health Organization in Geneva. We believe that such a legally binding instrument would strengthen existing global mechanisms to address and react more speedily to health emergencies.
I am pleased to inform the Assembly that, as part of overcoming the challenges of global vaccine inequity and in line with our commitment to building back better and in a transformative manner, the Government of Botswana has approved the manufacturing of the patent-free CorbeVax COVID-19 vaccine and that the construction of a vaccine manufacturing plant has already commenced. Additionally, the facility will produce cancer treatment and next-generation, cell- based immunotherapy. Those initiatives have been undertaken in partnership with NantWorks, Texas Children’s Hospital Centre for Vaccine Development and Baylor College of Medicine. That partnership will enhance Botswana’s capacity in human vaccine production, contribute to our goal of building a knowledge-based economy and help in preparations for future pandemics.
Botswana’s recovery plans include strengthening the country’s vast social protection system to ensure the inclusivity of vulnerable groups, including persons living with disabilities. That will go a long way towards facilitating equal enjoyment of their rights while broadening the accountability framework as we recently acceded to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In that regard, my Government has set a medium- to long-term economic recovery and transformation plan intended to fast track recovery efforts while advancing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its goals. In order to achieve sustainable development, adequate financing is needed for the success of our recovery efforts from the pandemic and acceleration of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda during this Decade of Action. The effective mobilization of domestic and international financial resources, as well as their prudent utilization, are therefore imperative. I therefore reiterate calls on development partners to scale up and fulfil our official development assistance commitments and our efforts to attain long-term development sustainability.
In addition to international funding, it should be noted that transformative agendas require the effective implementation by Governments and associated stakeholders, as well as a sense of ownership on the
part of all stakeholders and a buy-in from the people we serve. This decisive moment of the myriad challenges we face demands that we challenge ourselves even more. My Government has thus initiated its recent agenda, inspired by the need for collective, inclusive and coordinated efforts towards the transformative agenda. We are accelerating digitalization in the delivery of services, driven by innovation and creativity. Our people are responding to the technology-driven solutions and they, too, are demonstrating the reorientation of their disposition, as well as conceptual agility to venture into new frontiers of doing things differently. A full embrace of this mindset change is an inspirational approach to the effective implementation of Government policies, programmes, projects, business activities and, indeed, the Sustainable Development Goals.
The realization of transformative solutions to the current social and economic challenges will require solidarity, both within and among countries. As Chair of the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries, many of which are also characterized as least-developed and small States, Botswana expresses solidarity with fellow United Nations Member States in special situations, particularly the distinct and peculiar challenges faced by the least developed countries and the small island developing States in their efforts to build back better and recover sustainably from the pandemic.
In line with the repeated position of our subregional body, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), I also wish to express solidarity with our northeastern neighbour, Zimbabwe, and call for the removal of unilateral coercive measures targeted at that country. While we are confident of the resilience and resolve of Zimbabwe and its economic transformation prospects, we are concerned that such measures are not advancing the cause of livelihoods of innocent Zimbabweans or the cause of our SDGs.
This year, we continue to witness extreme weather events that point to the escalating severity of the climate crisis. The decisive implementation of the bold climate action spelled out in the Paris Agreement and the Glasgow Climate Pact is therefore needed to prevent the worst implications. Botswana remains committed to our 15-per cent carbon emissions reduction target by 2030, as indicated in our nationally determined contributions and reconfirmed in our climate change policy, adopted in 2021. The policy addresses access to climate finance, clean technologies and renewable energy.
Climate ambitions will not translate into climate action in developing countries if they remain inadequately funded. We are therefore pleased that new financial pledges to support adaptation in developing countries were made at the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP) in Glasgow, United Kingdom. It is our hope that these commitments will be fulfilled expeditiously in order to enable accelerated implementation, particularly in Africa, a region that contributes minimally to climate change but is, regrettably, the most affected. In that context, we are optimistic that COP27, to be held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on African soil, will further inspire ambitious climate action and deliver more adaptation resources for Africa and other vulnerable regions.
Drawing on that inspiration, Botswana, in collaboration with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and various stakeholders, convened a climate adaptation week 2022 from 22 to 26 August in Gaborone, under the theme “Transformations in Advancing the Formulations and Implementation of National Adaptation Plans”. The expo succeeded in promoting the exchange of experiences and fostering partnerships among a wide range of actors and stakeholders on how to advance national adaptation plans.
On 2 March, Botswana was among the 141 Member States that voted in favour of resolution ES- 11/1, demanding an end to the invasion of Ukraine. With that vote, we were reaffirming the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, particularly its Articles 1 and 2, which underscore the need for peaceful settlement of disputes, as well as respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Charter is a binding instrument of international law; therefore, all peace-loving nations ought to adhere to its letter and spirit under all circumstances. We therefore continue to call on all parties to recommit to finding peaceful and lasting solutions to the conflict through diplomacy and dialogue. The United Nations-brokered talks that resulted in the Russian Federation and Ukraine signing an agreement on the Black Sea Grain Initiative are a testament to the fact that, when given a chance, diplomacy and dialogue can yield results. If nothing else, the end of the Second World War and the founding of the United Nations in 1945 demonstrated that only if we approach conflict based on solidarity and working together can we find peace.
I commend the Secretary-General and the United Nations system organizations, Tiirkiye and other stakeholders, including such neighbouring countries as Poland, for rising to the challenges to address humanitarian needs in Ukraine and other crisis situations. As we continue to seek an amicable redress of this warring conflict, it is important that the United Nations system be particularly adequately resourced, given its critical work of saving lives and alleviating the suffering of victims of armed conflict, climate change and other disasters.
We, the collective States Members of the United Nations, have the responsibility and mandate to strengthen international law, promote human rights and gender equality and, most crucial, to protect civilians in challenging peacekeeping environments. In that context, Botswana shares the same ideals with many States represented here today on the principle of the responsibility to protect. As already acknowledged at the 2005 World Summit, States have the primary responsibility to protect their own populations from genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity. As part of the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect, Botswana as co-Chair, together with Costa Rica and Denmark, and will continue to ensure that the membership of the United Nations pays attention to this important responsibility to reinforce global action.
In southern Africa, we remain actively engaged through our subregional organization, SADC, in addressing the threat posed by terrorism and violent extremism to peace and security in our subregion. To that end, SADC has deployed its security forces to thwart terrorist threats in the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique.
The United Nations response to today’s crises is a clear demonstration of its indispensability as the foremost organization in addressing global issues. From its system-wide response to COVID-19 to its swift action in relation to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and other crisis situations, the United Nations has proven to be fit for purpose. Nonetheless, there remains ample room for improving the Organization’s effectiveness in fulfilling the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. In that connection, we welcome recent reforms and proposals aimed at strengthening the United Nations system and enhancing its relevance in addressing contemporary challenges. These efforts include the Secretary-General’s development management, peace and security, human rights and humanitarian pillar reforms, which are aimed at enhancing the Secretariat’s ability, agility, accountability and effectiveness in mandate implementation.
For a small country like mine, the reform of the United Nations is important only insofar as it ensures the equal voice of Member States, regardless of their size. My Government and I personally are therefore eager to have our own people represented and employed within the United Nations system. With our presidency of the Economic and Social Council, I believe that Botswana has demonstrated its ability, including the capacity of our youth, who have received positive reviews for their support to the Secretariat of the Economic and Social Council during our tenure. We are, however, eager to see such accolades turning into real opportunities for absorption through other employment opportunities and in the hierarchy of the Organization, particularly for our youth.
As I conclude my remarks, let me reassure the President that he can count on Botswana’s support and constructive engagement towards a successful implementation of the programme of work of the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly. I hope that Botswana can also rely on the United Nations system and our development partners and the wider international community to help us realize the 2030 Agenda and transform our people and country into a developed nation by 2036.