From this rostrum and in my capacity as representative of the President of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire. His Excellency Mr. Alassane Ouattara. I would like to express, on his behalf as well as my own. warm and cordial greetings. I would also like, on behalf of President Alassane Ouattara, to warmly congratulate the President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session, not only for his election but also for the effective conduct of his work. I also wish to extend once again to the Secretary-General the gratitude of Cote d’Ivoire and the full support of the Ivorian Government for his various initiatives aimed at ensuring that the United Nations is. more than ever, a “centre for harmonizing the actions of nations”.
Our session is being held in a context of great uncertainty for our planet and for our States, which are faced with large-scale crises. That situation significantly hinders the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and limits our ability to collectively address those challenges. When it comes time to take stock, we must face the fact that the resources expected to finance that important Agenda are still not forthcoming, particularly for developing countries. Faced with that observation, we must act quickly and demonstrate solidarity to ensure the sustainability and predictability of financing for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The noble ambition of the 2030 Agenda cannot remain dependent on security spending that increases year after year across the world. That is why my delegation welcomes the relevant theme of the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly, which invites us to make greater commitments and undertake greater efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. To do that, we must immediately reduce the cost of conflicts that undermine the development of our countries by prioritizing conflict prevention and mechanisms for their peaceful resolution. At the same time, our Governments must strengthen the resilience of our economies so that they
may contribute to financing the SDGs. In that context. Cote d’Ivoire welcomes with particular interest the Secretary-General’s proposal for a New Agenda for Peace, which asks us to rethink our priorities in terms of preserving and consolidating our collective security.
It is time for the international community to mobilize and act so that the parties to the conflict in Ukraine and all their external partners commit to a political settlement of that war. Beyond the risk of escalating violence and human rights abuses, the conflict is fuelling global inflation, creating shortages of essential foodstuffs and threatening to plunge millions of people into famine. In view of its scope and repercussions and the financial flows it is diverting, the war in Ukraine is dealing a death blow to funding for the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
My country also calls on the international community to stand together with Africa in the fight against the armed terrorist groups that are destabilizing entire swathes of the continent, from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa. Combating terrorism entails a high financial cost for African countries, particularly Cote d’Ivoire, which is also host to thousands of refugees from neighbouring countries in crisis. The substantial financial resources dedicated to the latter will surely be in short supply for priority funding to achieve the SDGs. Wherever they operate, armed terrorist groups are reversing decades of progress in the key sectors of education, health, culture and labour. Moreover, they are depriving women and minorities of their fundamental rights and reject all notions of freedom and democracy. In that regard, my country calls on the United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to explore ways of financing the priority counter-terrorism plan of action adopted by ECOWAS in 2019. the implementation of which has been slow. For its part. Cote d’Ivoire is ensuring the effective operation of the Jacqueville International Counter-Terrorism Academy, which was established in cooperation with and with the support of bilateral and multilateral partners and already enjoys an excellent reputation.
Climate change remains a major issue and is having a major impact on our economies and ability to overcome the challenge of financing for development. Developing countries, such as Cote d’Ivoire, which are only marginally responsible for climate change, are disproportionately affected and are suffering the most from its consequences. As an agricultural producer, my country is committed to strengthening efforts to combat the effects of climate change in order to improve people’s resilience, which involves, first, ramping up the sustainable management of natural resources and biodiversity, and secondly, encouraging people to develop civic awareness regarding environmental preservation and the promotion of sustainable development. To that end. we urge partners that pledged their support at the fifteenth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, held in Abidjan in May 2022. to continue their support for the implementation of the Abidjan Initiative, also known as the Abidjan Legacy Programme. That benchmark initiative, which is aimed at land restoration, biodiversity preservation and the development of responsible agriculture, represents an opportunity that we must take advantage of for the benefit of current and future generations.
Faced with the challenges of today, bilateral and multilateral partners must meet their financial commitments under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and also facilitate the entry into force of the loss and damage fund agreed at the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 27). held in Egypt. Cote d’Ivoire welcomes the success of the African Climate Summit, held in Nairobi on 5 and 6 September 2023. and the outstanding work of the continent to ensure that its voice will be heard at COP 28. to be held in Dubai.
I take this opportunity to call on the international community to support the recommendations made in the Nairobi declaration on climate change, in particular with regard to increasing the continent’s renewable energy production capacity. The proliferation and consequences of extreme weather events caused by climate change in recent years have resulted in widespread material destruction and the tragic loss of human life. Such devastation — the cost of our inaction on climate change — is erasing the progress made towards achieving the SDGs. especially for the countries that are most vulnerable to the effects of global warming. That demonstrates how much more solidarity and resources dedicated to financing the SDGs will be required to combat global warming and adapt our economies and societies.
The coronavirus pandemic revealed the precariousness of our health-care systems and. among other impacts, slowed the pace of economic growth on
the African continent. Above all. it served as a reminder of the importance of building genuine international solidarity to face the multifaceted threats to which humankind remains vulnerable. The consequences of the pandemic continue to weigh down our economies and our ability to meet urgent social needs. We must draw on all the lessons learned from a scourge that could once again threaten the entire world. That is why my delegation welcomes the holding of the current session’s high-level meetings on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response; the fight against tuberculosis; and universal health coverage. With regard to universal health coverage. I would like to recall that my country has established a universal health coverage programme, which has been operational since October 2019. I hope that the sharing of experiences at the current session will provide opportunities to strengthen our health-care systems.
Under the leadership of its President. Cote d’Ivoire is consolidating its democratic progress, to which the recent municipal and regional elections and senatorial elections held on 2 and 16 September, respectively, attest. The elections enjoyed the participation of all the country’s major political groupings and were held in a transparent and peaceful environment, thereby demonstrating the political maturity of the Ivorian people. The stability, peace and democracy that reign in Cote d’Ivoire are allowing President Alassane Ouattara to pursue his project aimed at transforming and modernizing his country.
The outstanding progress made by Cote d’Ivoire in all sectors has fostered significant advances in the implementation of the SDGs. The strength of the Ivorian economy has led to a significant drop in the poverty rate, which is currently at approximately 36.5 per cent, down from 56 per cent in 2011. and is set to fall further to 20 per cent by 2030. At the same time, and since 2015. an ambitious productive social safety net project has enabled the provision of assistance to the households most in need. Similarly, the Government has adopted an ambitious social support project, called PSGouv. to combat social vulnerability. The Government’s policy and successive development national development plans have helped to improve progress towards the SDGs in Cote d’Ivoire. However, social progress has been severely undermined by large refugee flows from neighbouring countries stricken by terrorism.
We have all reached the same conclusion. Our States are far from being in a position to achieve the SDGs by 2030. The financing of our development agenda reflects the urgent need for a multilateral approach to address the current global challenges. That also forces us to consider the need for a reform of global governance at all levels and to restore the meaning of solidarity among nations — a principle dear to President Alassane Ouattara and which Secretary- General Antonio Guterres, in his opening statement for the current session, also encouraged us to embrace.