First of all, Mr. President, on behalf of His Excellency Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, President of the National Rally and Development Committee (CNRD), President of the
Republic of Guinea and Head of State, I should like to extend to you my warmest congratulations on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly of the United Nations at its seventy-sixth regular session. I am firmly convinced that our Assembly will greatly benefit from your rich experience, Sir, and you can count on the full support of my delegation in carrying out your important mission.
Mr. President, your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Volkan Bozkir, and his team, deserve our respectful tribute for the efficiency with which they conducted the work of the seventy-fifth session of the Assembly.
I would also like to reiterate my sincere congratulations and encouragement to Mr. Antonio Guterres on his reappointment as Secretary-General of the United Nations. Accordingly, we would express to him our great appreciation for the dexterity with which he has taken up his delicate mission. Since his accession to lead the Organization, he has never ceased to promote multilateralism as an essential tool in the management of world affairs. We reaffirm Guinea’s firm support for the reform process he has undertaken.
The theme proposed for this seventy-sixth session of the General Assembly — “Building resilience through hope — to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalize the United Nations” — is challenging in many ways. Indeed, this session of the General Assembly, like the previous one, is being held at a particular time, marked by the resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), with the appearance of new variants that continue to have a negative impact on the health, safety and lives of our populations, as well as on the economies of our States, which are already faced with a slowdown in international trade, a drop in investment and a reduction in the price of raw materials, all against a backdrop of a scarcity of sources of financing. This situation has considerably slowed down the pace of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, jeopardizing the gains made.
COVID-19 showed the world’s dependence on technology and digital connectivity, to which more than half of the world’s population does not have access. This state of affairs increases inequality, undermines the resilience of the most vulnerable and requires urgent action, including the restructuring of the international financial architecture, the building of digital infrastructure and the production and equitable distribution of vaccines.
In this context, the Republic of Guinea welcomes the measures taken by financial institutions and specialized organizations for public debt relief, in particular the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization, the allocation of $650 billion in special drawing rights and the financing of the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility, which must take into account the disproportionate consequences of COVID-19 on the States.
Like other countries, the Republic of Guinea did not sit back in the face of this pandemic. After the first case of COVID-19 appeared on 12 March 2020, the Guinean authorities drew up a contingency plan, which became a national preparedness and response plan against COVID-19, in order to better coordinate and strengthen the interventions and capacities of health services. The implementation of this contingency plan required such measures as continued screening and vaccination, the increase in the number of vaccination sites, the implementation of a priority vaccination strategy for students and housewives, and the observance of preventive measures.
With the support of its bilateral and multilateral partners, and with its own funds, the Republic of Guinea has endeavoured to improve the vaccination rate. However, in the light of the scale of the challenge, we still are requesting the support of the international community so that the entire Guinean population can have access to vaccines. Guinea is grateful to all donors who have been willing to assist it in this difficult phase.
Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty in all its forms and dimensions, hunger, climate change, terrorism, irregular migration, violent extremism, intolerance, racism, conflict of all kinds and inequality continue to plague the world. These scourges that inhibit our hopes warrant our sustained attention and a vigorous response. It goes without saying that peace and security have been undermined in various places around the world, despite the international community’s immense efforts. Indeed, the Sahel region has been experiencing an upsurge in terrorist attacks for some time. Armed groups present in border areas continue to plunge the population into grief and undermine republican institutions. We therefore reiterate our full support for the actions of the Joint Force of the Group
of Five for the Sahel and renew the call for increased assistance from the international community.
The situation in the Middle East remains worrying. The resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict requires the creation of two States living side by side within secure and internationally recognized pre-1967 borders.
In Haiti, the assassination of President Jovenel Moise remains engraved in our memories. We reiterate our deepest sympathies to the people and the Government of Haiti and call on the international community to do more to help this country as it faces a cycle of violence and natural disasters.
The Republic of Guinea reiterates its constant solidarity with the Cuban people in their legitimate struggle to lift the unilateral economic and trade sanctions that have been imposed on them for decades.
Never before has our planet been so threatened with the corollaries of deforestation, greenhouse-gas emissions and climate change. As we prepare to join the twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, scheduled to take place in Glasgow, Scotland, my country, which has held the presidency of the Group of 77 and China since 18 January, is concerned about the delay in climate financing, as well as the failure of major polluters to meet their commitments. As the spokesperson for 134 States, my country intends to play its full part at this global meeting, which will allow for the review of global programmes aimed at reducing pollution, protecting health and promoting national economic recovery plans. We will not cease to insist on the need for the developed countries to support the developing countries, which are the main victims of global warming. We take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude to all the Member States that have placed their trust in our country to preside over this important group, whose role is increasingly important in defending the interests of developing countries.
On 5 September, the CNRD, under the leadership of His Excellency Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, took over the destiny of the Republic of Guinea. Since its accession to power, the CNRD has reaffirmed its dedication to all of Guinea’s international commitments by extending a hand of cooperation to the international community. In the ardent desire to respond to the legitimate aspirations of the people of Guinea for peace and democratic progress, the CNRD has therefore initiated, since 14 September, national consultations leading to an inclusive and peaceful transition for a return to constitutional order. These consensual consultations, for which real enthusiasm is giving rise to hope, will make it possible to draw up a road map for a transition, including the formation of a Government of National Unity, the revision of the electoral rolls, the drafting of a new Constitution and the holding of free, fair and universally accepted elections.
The CNRD has already taken measures to ease the sociopolitical and economic situation, including the release of people arrested during opposition demonstrations and the reopening of air, land and sea borders to ensure the free movement of people and goods and promote good-neighbourly relations. Steps were taken to allow political parties and civil society to operate freely.
In order to leave no one behind, the CNRD has invited the Guinean diaspora, wherever it may be, to make its contribution to the building of strong and sustainable institutions. In this historic undertaking to rebuild the country, the new Guinean authorities are asking for the support of all bilateral and multilateral partners, with a view to making Guinea a true State based on the rule of law.
In our common struggle to build a new world, Guinea values the promotion of multilateralism, the only way to lead humankind to a better tomorrow, within the framework of a reformed, revitalized and more democratic United Nations, conducive to inclusive and supportive cooperation.
The issue of Africa’s representation on the Security Council must finally be resolved for the sake of the effectiveness of the United Nations and for the justice that Africa and Africans deserve. To that end, my delegation reiterates its full support for the Common African Position as outlined in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration. Shared prosperity and peace in the world are at stake. As in the past, Guinea will spare no effort to make its modest contribution to realizing a world of peace, justice and solidarity.