Let me begin by joining previous speakers in applauding the President for his election to preside over the General Assembly at its seventy-sixth session and for the exemplary manner in which he has guided the session so far. I also commend him for his effectiveness in making it possible for us to meet in person despite the unprecedented circumstances brought on by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The holding of a physical general debate this year, albeit with limitations, once again demonstrates that humankind and multilateralism cannot and should not succumb to the virus, and therefore that where there is a will, there is a way. That spirit is what we need going forward. It is why I support and subscribe to the theme of this seventy-sixth session, which urges all of us to build resilience through hope in order to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people and revitalize the United Nations.
As this is my maiden speech to the General Assembly, on behalf of the people and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania I would like to thank all the States Members of the United Nations for their messages of condolence to our nation following the untimely passing of our late President, Mr. John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, on 17 March. May his soul continue to rest in eternal peace. We remain indebted to all for the thoughtful and comforting messages that have helped us to prevail over that unprecedented test of our nationhood. I also want to thank the outgoing President of the seventh-fifth session for dedicating a slot on 16 April, at the 59th plenary meeting of the General Assembly (see A/75/PV.59), to pay tribute to our beloved President Magufuli. It was indeed a gesture of solidarity and brotherhood.
It is not sheer coincidence that I chose to attend the general debate for my first trip outside Africa since taking office. I did so out of my deep sense of conviction and faith in the ability of multilateralism to solve the multitude of challenges that our world faces today. I am here to assure the Assembly that under my stewardship, Tanzania will remain a formidable member of the United Nations and a dependable supporter of multilateralism. We will keep our arms open to those who embrace us and engage with us. We will continue to be the Tanzania that States have known and relied on, a Tanzania that peacefully and respectfully coexists and cooperates with all countries, big or small, mighty
or weak, rich or poor, to make this world, our world, a better place for all of us.
The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us how vulnerable we are as individual countries, regardless of our size, wealth or geography. As we meet here today, we have less than a decade ahead to meet our collective commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I note with great regret that right now, according to the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020, the world is not on track to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, mainly owing to the adverse impact of COVID-19. The report further shows that in some areas the pandemic has even reversed progress that was achieved years back. For instance, it is expected that around 71 million people who had been able to emerge from extreme poverty will be pushed back into that situation because of the pandemic. What is depressing is the fact that these effects are not felt evenly. We in the developing world are the worst affected. It is therefore imperative that we undertake concerted efforts to address this devastating situation.
Developing nations must be helped to address the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19. On that note, we are grateful to the multilateral financial institutions for their efforts to save many economies from collapsing. Those kinds of interventions are important. We cannot afford to take refuge in the excuse of COVID-19 as a pretext for not making sufficient progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Tanzania has not been spared by COVID-19. After the onset of the pandemic, we in Tanzania, and I believe in many other developing countries, were stuck in the twilight of protecting lives and livelihoods. The measures advocated by the World Health Organization (WHO) were geared to protecting lives. However, in a country like Tanzania, in which a large proportion of the population, whom we need to keep afloat, lives on a subsistence economy, my country has had to adopt all necessary measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, including joining the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Facility, in order to ensure that Tanzanians can gain access to the vaccine. The vaccination campaign started in July with the most vulnerable communities, to be followed by other age groups.
Globally, when COVID-19 vaccines were being developed, some of us were hopeful that this would mean something good for all of humankind. We have nevertheless learned that the virus is moving faster than the global production and distribution of vaccines, and that the vast majority of vaccines have been administered in high- and upper-middle-income countries. At the current pace, it is unlikely that we will meet the WHO threshold of vaccinating at least 40 per cent of people in every country by the end of 2021 and at least 70 per cent by the first half of 2022. The level of vaccine inequity that we are seeing is appalling. It is truly disheartening that while most of our countries have inoculated less than 2 per cent of their populations and are therefore seeking more vaccines for them, other countries are about to roll out a third dose, which they call a booster vaccine. We tend to forget that no one is safe until everyone is safe. It is crucial that countries with surplus COVID-19 vaccine doses share them with others. On another note, it is our humble request that the patent rights on the vaccines be waived for developing countries so that they can afford to produce the vaccines themselves. That is not only essential to ending this pandemic but the right thing to do if we are to save humankind.
On the economic front, Tanzania, like others, has not been spared by the effects of COVID-19. Before the pandemic, our economy was growing at a steady rate of 6.9 per cent, while the current rate is estimated at 5.4 percent. We are now embarking on reviving our tourism sector, which was badly affected because of the travel restrictions imposed in many countries in order to curb the spread of COVID-19. While slowly trying to revive most of the economic activities suffocated by the pandemic, my Government continues to work hard to improve the business environment and attract more investment. Aware of the nexus between economic growth and governance, we have managed to maintain peace and political stability, with a vibrant democracy and institutionalized good governance practices that uphold the rule of law and human rights.
I would like to note the Secretary-General’s report on Our Common Agenda, which raises key issues of common concern, such as gender equality, climate change and youth development. With regard to gender equality, COVID-19 is threatening to roll back the gains that we have made. For me, as the first female President in my country’s history, the burden of expectations for delivering gender equality lies more heavily on my shoulders. It is for that reason that I commend the initiative of UN-Women, France and Mexico in organizing the Generation Equality Forum
that took place in Paris in June, at which my country volunteered to champion women’s economic rights and justice. My Government is aware that being passionate about gender equality is not sufficient and is therefore reviewing our policy and legal frameworks in order to come up with actionable and measurable plans to ensure women’s economic empowerment and other aspects of gender equality and gender parity. We are also working on designing and implementing gender- responsive microeconomic plans, budget reforms and stimulus packages with the objective of reducing the number of women and girls living in poverty.
The challenges of climate change are really affecting livelihoods and peace and security and have resulted in the forced displacement of some of our people. The Government of Tanzania spends between 2 and 3 per cent of our gross domestic product on mitigation and on building community resilience, and that is a lot in a country that is still grappling with poverty, along with the COVID-19 pandemic emergency, which itself has compromised our capacity to respond to the harmful impact of climate change. Our actions today will therefore determine the future of our planet in terms of climate change. In that regard, I call for a transparent modality for financial disbursement and emphasize that developed countries should fulfil their commitment to contributing $100 billion annually by 2025 so as to facilitate the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
In conclusion, I would like to echo my country’s commitment to pursuing the principles of multilateralism as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. I urge other nations to continue supporting this great institution. The onset of COVID-19 has taught all of us the lesson that we are deeply intertwined, and that unilateralism will not get us anywhere when it comes to challenges that transcend our national boundaries. A wise person once said, and I quote, “Alone, one will go fast, but together we will go far”. Multilateralism must always prevail.