I have the privilege and signal honour, on behalf of Mr. Patrice Talon. President of the Republic of Benin, who is unable to be here today, to deliver this statement, as follows.
“At the beginning of my remarks. I would like to extend to Mr. Dennis Francis my warm congratulations on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. I wish him every success in fulfilling this great responsibility. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate his predecessor. Mr. Csaba Korosi. whom Benin is honoured to have supported in its capacity as Vice-President, for the remarkable way in which he presided over the work of the seventy-seventh session.
“I cannot conclude my opening remarks without reiterating my thanks to Mr. Antonio Guterres. Secretary-General of the United Nations, for his active and constant commitment to the effective achievement of the noble objectives of our shared Organization, in the context of the many pressing challenges that confront us today more than ever.
“Here we are once again, gathered at the general debate, the annual meeting of the community of nations, not only to discuss the burning issues of world affairs but also, and above all. to provide the political guidelines needed to build a viable consensus on the ways and means of resolving them.
“Before engaging in that exercise. I would like to extend to the Assembly the warmest greetings of my Government and of the entire Beninese nation, a nation that is tirelessly striving to reveal to itself and to the whole world its potential and its strengths and to fully play its part in the community of nations in the service of a more united and prosperous humankind.
“Indeed, for just over seven years. Benin has been methodically carrying out the major reforms set out in my Government’s two successive plans of action, which are anchored in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our efforts have enabled us to increase our growth rate from 4 per cent in 2016 to 7.6 per cent in 2019 and to join the category of middle-income countries as of 2020. These results deepen our conviction that underdevelopment is not inevitable.
“In order to ensure that economic growth effectively serves the cause of social development, my Government has adopted a series of measures aimed at eliminating poverty and strengthening human capital. We are working tirelessly to improve our people’s living conditions through flagship initiatives in urban development and sanitation, access to energy and drinking water and education and health care. That effort is taking place in a calmer political environment, with the successful organization in January of this year of free and transparent legislative elections that bolstered plurality in the national political landscape.
“Despite those many achievements, we remain aware that many economic challenges persist, many social issues remain unaddressed and security risks persist at the subregional level.
“Located in West Africa. Benin faces a series of challenges and complex dynamics that have a significant effect on a variety of areas, including security and political stability. It is no secret that, at the political level, the West African subregion is grappling with instability and problems of governance. Furthermore, the security threat
has intensified in several countries due to the combination of terrorism, violent extremism and piracy. Solving those challenges will require subregional and international cooperation, as well as a continued commitment to sustainable development and democracy. As a peace-loving country. Benin remains committed to the ideals that governed the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States at the subregional level and of the United Nations at the international level, and will not fail to contribute to the resolution of the problems I mentioned, which will require coordinated international responses and stronger cooperation at the global level.
“The theme that brings us together this year is “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and the sustainability for all”, which fits perfectly with the agenda of the United Nations, which conducted an assessment of progress towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the SDG summit held a few days ago. In the current global context, replete with various crises, in particular the worrisome effects of climate change, the war in Ukraine and its consequences and the political unrest in a number of countries, we are approaching the current session even as humankind continues to face a multitude of complex challenges.
“The past few years have been particularly challenging for people around the world, highlighting the fragilities of our world in the context of globalization, the coronavirus disease pandemic and its consequences. In our world, which has been shaken, divided by inequalities and weakened in the face of new threats, the United Nations must remain for the people of the planet a beacon of hope, solidarity and humanism that we must strengthen and preserve at all costs. The theme of the current session of the General Assembly brings us face to face with our responsibilities and urges us to renew our faith in the ideals of the Charter of the United Nations. It reminds us of the urgency of taking collective action to find appropriate and sustainable solutions to the challenges of our time, the most pressing of which is that of achieving the SDGs by 2030. Those challenges underline, more than ever, the crucial role that multilateral institutions must play for our prosperity and our collective security. Benin therefore supports all initiatives that will contribute to the strengthening and ambitious overhaul of global governance, through appropriate reforms along three major lines.
“The overhaul of the United Nations that we are calling for requires us to take full measure of the fact that the world has changed greatly since 1945 and that, if we want to keep the promises of the Charter, the governance of the United Nations must be reformed with a view to adapting the Organization to the challenges of our time. At this time. I wish to renew my delegation’s political support for the reform agenda proposed and launched by the Secretary-General with respect to the three pillars of peace and security, development and human rights. Furthermore, the severity of the crises shaking the world and the geopolitical changes that have occurred since 1945 require a readjustment of the balance of power at the United Nations, particularly in the Security Council. In that regard. Benin calls for an effective and immediate reform that will make that organ more representative and effective, in particular through an increase in the number of its representatives, permanent and non-permanent. in line with the African position expressed by the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration. That overhaul must also take place at the level of the multilateral trading system, with fairer trade rules for the international environment that favour developing countries and promote the production and creation of added value, access to markets and integration into all segments of the global value chains.
“Finally, there is an urgent need for an overhaul of the global financial architecture in the current context that some describe as a “great financial divide”, in which the global financial system struggles to effectively curb the impacts of global crises on the countries of the South and to promote the financing of sustainable development in a meaningful way. At the halfway mark to the deadline of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, if we want to increase our chances of achieving the goals we have set for ourselves, it will be imperative to ensure an environment that allows better access to structuring and sustainable financing. That imperative calls for an approach that goes beyond the traditional official
development assistance mechanism and towards productive direct investments, at the lowest interest rates and with the longest possible timelines.
“It is only subject to such courageous reforms, supported by firm political will, that we can effectively face the major contemporary challenges confronting us and on which our Organization stakes its credibility at both the national and the international levels. Those challenges are. inter alia, peace and security, including cybersecurity; democracy and human rights; access to water and energy in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner; health and education; the fight against poverty and inequalities, whether economic, social or otherwise; climate change, biodiversity and the environment; food safety; and migration. Those challenges are interconnected, and international cooperation, concerted action and innovative solutions will be required to solve contemporary global problems and build a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
“The credibility of our Organization will also depend on our ability to finally provide, in a fair and lasting manner, peaceful solutions to questions that have persisted for decades, including the following questions. With regard to peace and security in the Middle East, in particular the Palestinian question. Benin reaffirms its support for diplomatic initiatives aimed at creating a viable Palestinian State endowed with the attributes of full international sovereignty and living in peaceful coexistence with the State of Israel. With regard to the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States of America, my delegation is of the opinion that the relaxation, or even the lifting, of the embargo will allow the Cuban people to face the numerous crises currently disrupting our world; in that context, we call for concrete measures to be taken towards the complete and definitive lifting of the blockade, as well as the normalization of relations between those two countries, which are friends of Benin. With regard to the question of the Western Sahara, it merits increased efforts on the part of the international community to find a definitive solution, building on the achievements of the political process conducted under the auspices of the Secretary- General pursuant to the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions.
“The future of the United Nations, our shared Organization, depends on our collective responsibility to give it the means to strengthen itself and contribute to creating a more inclusive global governance system that keeps its promises and guarantees the best possible future for the people of the United Nations, especially young people. My delegation will continue to take action alongside all countries that share that ideal.”