Tunisia

**Mr President, Ladies and Gentlemen,** At the outset, I am pleased to extend warm congratulations to H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang, and through him to the Republic of Cameroon, on assuming the presidency of the 79th session of the General Assembly. I wish him success in leading its work and reaffirm Tunisia’s support for his vision of “Unity and diversity for the promotion of peace, sustainable development and human dignity everywhere.” I also extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to H.E. Mr. Dennis Francis, President of the 78th session, for his successful leadership. I further commend the continuous efforts of the Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, to restore confidence in and reaffirm the value of multilateralism. --- **Mr President,** As much as we are hopeful for the transformations and reforms needed to build a more peaceful, secure, just, and sustainable world—through initiatives under the Secretary-General’s “Our Common Agenda” and the outcomes of the Summit of the Future—we also express our deep concern and dismay over the current situation in the Middle East. The horrific humanitarian tragedy endured by the Palestinian people, who for nearly a year have faced war crimes, genocide, and systematic violations of human rights and the founding values of the United Nations—at the hands of occupation forces without accountability and amidst an appalling international silence and moral failure—demands our urgent attention. The international community’s failure to enforce international humanitarian law, despite the measures adopted by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to protect Palestinians in Gaza from genocide, places Palestinian lives in grave danger. The supposedly universal rhetoric of human rights and humanitarian concerns seems to vanish when applied to Palestinians. A secure future for all peoples begins with recognition of the equal worth of all human lives, without discrimination or double standards. We cannot build a new phase of multilateral cooperation or sustainable development based on the principle of “leaving no one behind” while the tragedy of the Palestinian people is ignored. In this regard, we call upon the international community to act immediately and effectively to stop the genocide and starvation inflicted upon Gaza, where schools, hospitals, civilian infrastructure have been targeted, and over 40,000 people have lost their lives. We call on the Security Council to overcome its paralysis, to uphold its responsibility to maintain international peace and security, to hold the occupying authorities accountable, to impose an immediate ceasefire, to end the egregious attacks against unarmed Palestinian civilians, and to halt all forced displacement, settlement expansion, and violations of holy sites. --- The war on Gaza has torn a deep wound in the conscience of humanity and undermined people’s trust in the UN system’s ability to uphold its own decisions. Tunisia recalls the advisory opinion issued by the ICJ on 19 July 2024, at the request of the General Assembly, regarding the legal consequences of Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories. That opinion affirmed the illegality of the continued occupation and demanded an end to settlement activity and the immediate evacuation of settlements. This ruling places the international community before a true test of its commitment to uphold international law and apply its principles fairly, without exception or selectivity. Tunisia reaffirms its unwavering support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, first and foremost their right to self-determination and to establish an independent and sovereign state on all of the territory of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital. Tunisia supports Palestine’s request for full membership in the United Nations and welcomes the growing international recognition of the State of Palestine. We hope this trend will help achieve that goal without further delay. We also strongly condemn the aggression against Lebanon, which threatens its people, its security, and its stability. --- **Mr President,** The principle of “leaving no one behind” cannot be fulfilled through slogans. We cannot achieve the goals of the various current processes to overcome past and present failures without a genuine desire for change and reform. This requires unified and responsible assessment of the structural causes behind the failures of the current international system to deal with escalating conflicts, extremism, organised crime, and worsening climate disasters that threaten the very survival of millions. Add to that the unprecedented spread of poverty and hunger, growing inequality, soaring numbers of refugees and displaced persons, the widening digital and development divides between North and South, and the failure of the global financial system to respond to the developmental needs of the majority of states. These are serious indicators that the current global system is off course. We all must undertake the necessary reforms to correct this state of inequality and disorder. We must adopt a participatory approach based on shared responsibilities, respect for international law, and adherence to the principles of the UN Charter and human rights—on equal terms, without politicisation or discrimination. Events over the past 80 years have shown the urgent need to reform the international system, to rethink multilateralism, and to eliminate the entrenched injustices that have brought untold suffering to millions. We must end the dominance of a minority of states at the expense of the global majority. --- Tunisia stresses the urgent need for developed countries to fulfil their commitments to fund development, support climate action, fight poverty, and build resilience and sustainability in developing countries. We also emphasise the need to end all forms of foreign guardianship, imposition of policies, and interference in the internal affairs of states. National sovereignty, independent decision-making, and the cultural and civilisational specificities of nations must be respected, as they are sources of diversity and enrichment. Only by rebuilding international relations on the foundations of solidarity, cooperation, justice, mutual respect, and equality can we face today’s challenges. We also call for strengthening the role of the United Nations and reforming its institutions—especially the Security Council, which is paralysed by escalating geostrategic rivalries—so they become more efficient and credible. --- Tunisia, driven by its genuine belief in multilateralism and the principles of the UN Charter, has engaged actively in all tracks and initiatives stemming from the Secretary-General’s “Our Common Agenda,” the Sustainable Development Summit, and the Summit of the Future. These outcomes, if implemented properly, could be a historic opportunity to address global threats and build a more peaceful and sustainable world. Tunisia also renews its call for **comprehensive reform of the global financial system**, the **reassessment of credit rating agencies**, **debt relief for developing countries**, and **facilitating access to development financing**, so that developing states can recover from global crises for which they bear little responsibility, and redirect resources toward human development. We further call for **developing international cooperation mechanisms**—bilateral and multilateral—for **recovering stolen assets** held abroad. These are legitimate assets that must be returned to the peoples they were taken from. We must also prevent further violations that continue to undermine states and fuel corruption. --- **Mr President,** The growing phenomenon of **irregular migration** in many parts of the world, especially in the Mediterranean basin, reflects the failure of global governance and the lack of political will to address the root causes of underdevelopment, climate change, and conflict. We have repeatedly called for a **comprehensive approach to migration** based on shared responsibility among countries of origin, transit, and destination—as well as international and regional organisations—to address the root causes rather than just the symptoms. Solutions must focus on tackling fragility, low education, and weak development. In Africa especially, efforts should create conditions for dignified living, decent work, and opportunities that protect youth from undertaking perilous journeys to Europe or falling into the hands of human trafficking networks. Our approach to irregular migration is based on **respect for human rights**, **rejection of all forms of racial discrimination and hate speech**, and **compliance with international commitments and national law**. We continue our efforts—within our available means—to save lives, provide care, and uphold dignity. However, we **reject any covert resettlement plans** and **political exploitation of migrants’ suffering for dubious agendas**. --- **Mr President,** Tunisia is fully aware of the challenges ahead. We are firmly committed to a path of reform, democracy, rule of law, and good governance, based on anti-corruption, national sovereignty, and human-centred development. We rely on our own capacities and the talents of our people, as well as constructive partnerships based on mutual benefit. We are committed to empowering **youth**, as a source of inspiration and pillar of the future, to take a leading role in transformative solutions and decision-making. We also continue to strengthen legislation and strategies for **women’s inclusion and economic empowerment**, expanding their participation in public life and all sectors. --- With the same resolve, Tunisia continues to actively support international efforts to promote peace and security at the regional and global levels, uphold international and humanitarian law, end injustice and occupation, prevent human rights violations, and realise development for all. We reaffirm our steadfast support for our **Libyan brothers and sisters**, encouraging dialogue-based solutions and rejecting any external interference in Libya’s internal affairs. Likewise, we call for united international action to reach **political solutions** in **Syria and Yemen**, to end the suffering of their people and restore their sovereignty and unity. We also urge an end to the conflict in **Sudan** and the use of peaceful dialogue to end the war, restore stability, and ease the suffering of the Sudanese people. For **Africa**, which is most affected by climate change, global crises, terrorism, and instability, we call for intensified support to overcome crises and achieve peace and sustainable development. Tunisia believes in **African solutions to African challenges**, and renews its call for **financial and logistical support for African Union-led peace operations** and enhanced cooperation with UN and regional bodies to realise **“the Africa We Want.”** --- **Mr President,** We are entering a new era of digital transformation and the growing use of modern technologies across sectors. While we support the **Global Digital Compact**, we also call for **greater cooperation in technology transfer** and **bridging the digital divide**, so that no one is left behind. We must also **combat digital disinformation, cybercrime, and illegal uses of technology** that destabilise societies and undermine national resilience. --- **Mr President,** We are at a critical juncture, facing grave risks to the well-being of present and future generations—and to the future of our planet. There is no more room to address global challenges with outdated tools and methods, nor to repeat the mistakes of the past. Only by embracing **solidarity, cooperation, and a shared destiny** can we overcome. Tunisia’s foreign policy and diplomacy are rooted in optimism and pragmatism. Despite the shocks and challenges facing the world, **Tunisia believes the United Nations remains our sole refuge**, the beacon of international legitimacy, and the bearer of humanity’s collective hopes—especially as we prepare to commemorate its 80th anniversary. **Thank you for your attention.**