The President of the Republic of Cameroon. His Excellency Mr. Paul Biya. did me the honour of representing him at the work of the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly and has instructed me to deliver the following speech on his behalf.
“Allow me at the outset to extend Cameroon’s WARM congratulations to Mr. Dennis Francis following his election as President of the General Assembly at this session. His extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy and his eminent human qualities allow us to believe that he will be able to lead our work efficiently and successfully. I would therefore like to assure him of my country’s support in carrying out his honourable mission.
“I take this opportunity to also congratulate his predecessor. Ambassador Csaba Korosi. who worked to prepare the numerous high-level meetings, the examination of which at the seventy-eighth session involves our future. May he rest assured of the gratitude of Cameroon.
“I am also pleased to reiterate to Secretary- General Antonio Guterres all my appreciation for the results he has obtained so far in the exercise of his high and sensitive functions. I renew Cameroon’s full support for its efforts to ensure that our common Organization effectively addresses the multiple challenges facing the world.
“Finally, from this rostrum. I would like to reiterate Cameroon’s support and solidarity to the respective Governments and peoples of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Libya following the recent natural disasters that they have
suffered, which caused very heavy material loss and claimed many human lives.
“The theme chosen for the general debate of this session is ‘Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) towards peace, prosperity, progress and the sustainability for all’. The relevance of the theme no longer needs to be demonstrated. Indeed, this seventy-eighth session is being held in a context where tensions and geopolitical rivalries are intensifying, endangering peace, economic, social and cultural development in many countries of Africa. Asia. Latin America and Europe. That is particularly the case in Ukraine and in the Sahel, the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa regions. Those situations undermine the numerous efforts made to overcome the coronavirus disease pandemic, return to growth and development, and effectively fight climate change.
“Fortunately, we can be pleased that the international community has mobilized to reach a consensus around certain major issues. That is the case with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the major agreement on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that we launched together here in 2015. accompanied by the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development. Even more recently, we adopted the Ottawa framework convention, as well as the agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.
“It is in that same dynamic that Africa is gradually implementing its Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement in order to promote a united Africa, an Africa of peace, an Africa of security, an Africa of good governance, an Africa of shared prosperity, an Africa called to play a major role in international relations by 2063.
“Despite all those efforts, the expected results are still slow to emerge. What could explain such a situation? Among other reasons, it must be recognized that action has not always followed words. By way of illustration. I note the insufficient mobilization of resources for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals or the failure to achieve the 0.7 per cent objective set for public development assistance, despite the promises made almost 50 years ago .
“Let us also recognize that, sometimes, the resources mobilized have been either late to arrive or distributed sparingly, due to conditionalities. Sometimes, too. it is the timidity of political will that is at fault, when it is simply not absent or altered by selfish considerations that may take precedence over the general interest and active solidarity among peoples and nations. Finally, the tools, mechanisms, institutions and schemes put in place following the Second World War to promote peace, security and economic and social development are no longer as effective and relevant, due to the diversity and complexity of the new realities of the world.
“What can we consider now? First, a surge of pride, self-improvement and a new political will are required, as is a new awareness — one that emphasizes the primacy of the general interest; one where science is put at the service of all humankind with a view to ensuring the well-being of each and everyone in such important areas as peace, security, health or economic, social and cultural development. In that regard, we must truly base our action on the Charter of our Organization, its ideals, its principles and its objectives.
“We must resolve conflicts through dialogue and consultation. We must promote a pact for a renovated global financial architecture. We must work tirelessly towards the advent of truly equitable global development that allows all regions of the world to aspire to prosperity and growth. That, in any case, is the ambition of Africa, through Agenda 2063 and the establishment of its Continental Free Trade Area, the success of which is expected in areas such as research, science, technology, energy, infrastructure, communications and telecommunications, agriculture and food. debt, climate financing and development in general.
“We must finally act together for Security Council reform with a view to giving the countries of the South, and in particular Africa, permanent and equitable representation. Indeed, it should be noted that Africa, in addition to being underrepresented on the Council, is the only continent not to have a permanent presence within that organ, even though two-thirds of the Council’s activities are devoted
to it. That is. frankly, an injustice that must be corrected. It is why we reaffirm our support for the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, by calling for two additional permanent and three non-permanent positions for Africa on the Security Council.
“Cameroon is. for its part, determined to honour its commitments in the context of the various circles of solidarity to which it belongs. It was one of the first countries to ratify the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and. in conjunction with the other members of the Congo forest basin, is actively working to find solutions to climate change. Cameroon is also one of the pioneers in the operationalization of the Continental Free Trade Area Agreement and has initiated an implementation plan for the SDGs and Agenda 2063 through the adoption of SND 2030. a national development strategy intended to make it an emerging country by 2035. It has also adopted all the reforms necessary for the promotion of sustainable economic and social development, good governance focused on decentralization in order to allow all citizens to participate fully in the affairs of their country.
“On the security front, the fight against Boko Haram continues actively, in concert with the member countries of the Multinational Joint Task Force of the Lake Chad Basin Commission. The results of those efforts are already observable on the ground, although additional efforts should be made. In the North-West and South-West regions in particular, peace and stability are gradually returning thanks to the diligent actions of the Government following the recommendations of the Major National Dialogue, despite episodic cases of violence or the taking of hostages for ransom, orchestrated by the separatists.
“The effective implementation by the Government of the Presidential Reconstruction and Development Plan, as well as the operationalization of the disarmament. demobilization and reintegration centres, make it possible to confidently foresee the return of lasting peace and stability and the relaunch of economic and development activities in the two regions. Those efforts will certainly not be in vain.
“We take this opportunity to thank once again our bilateral and multilateral partners, who continue to contribute to improving the situation through their support for the various plans put in place by the Government. Their valuable assistance in the fight against the financing of destabilizing activities in those two regions is also appreciated by the Government, which continues to reach out to those who have taken up arms and calls on them to lay them down.
“The world is changing. It is therefore up to us to take the appropriate decisions and orientations to make it better, for the well-being of our populations. We can get there so long as we can strengthen our solidarity in order to address our common challenges together. In this era of digital technology and artificial intelligence, we have prodigious tools at our disposal. If used wisely, they can enable us to achieve the desired results to ensure the survival of humankind and guarantee a better future.”