It is my honour to address the General Assembly on behalf of the Arab Republic of Egypt and to demonstrate its voice and vision, as a representative of a noble country that has made civilizational contributions throughout history and plays an essential role in promoting regional and international peace and stability.
Egypt was one of the first countries to join the United Nations and contributed to establishing the goals and principles upon which the Organization was founded. For decades. Egypt has been fully committed to the Charter of the United Nations, the promotion of international peace and prosperity and the achievement of sustainable development. However, our world today faces a persistent question: how effective is the multilateral system in grappling with current challenges? Many discussions have been held regarding the development of this international Organization, especially after developing countries, including Egypt, found themselves grappling with cascading and interlocking crises in which they have no stake and without adequate support from the international organizations created to support their legitimate development aspirations and achieve global economic stability. Having said that. I would like to share with the General Assembly the Egyptian vision, which sheds light on a number of priorities seeking to restore trust in and the efficiency of multilateral action.
First, in a world mainly characterized by interdependence and globalization, no one is secure unless everyone is secure, and no region is stable unless all regions are stable. Our collective security lies in our joint action and in the effective application of the principles of the Charter, rather than selectivity and double standards. The challenges that are facing our world, given their complexity, interrelatedness and diversity, such as conflicts, food insecurity, pervasive terrorism and the inability of the international system to find sustained solutions for them, emphasize that we are still far from realizing the purposes and principles of the Charter. The serious repercussions of the conflict in Ukraine have proved that we cannot guarantee the stability and security of any party without the other, and that settling disputes is the responsibility of all States and not the responsibility of only influential parties. Thus. Egypt has taken active steps with her Arab and African neighbours, including by creating the Arab Ministerial Contact Group on the Crisis in Ukraine and participating in the African leaders’ initiative, to put an end to the bloodshed and to find a peaceful settlement for the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.
Secondly, the international multilateral system in the post-Second-World-War era has revealed a structural deficiency in the way we address political, economic, social and security global crises. That deficiency mainly entailed the monopoly by major Powers of the ability to make international decisions and their disregard for the aspirations of hundreds of millions of peoples and communities. In that regard. Egypt and the African countries insist on the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, with a view to undoing the historic injustice done to our continent by expanding the African representation in the Security Council and securing two permanent seats for Africa with full prerogatives. Egypt has also supported the joint action mechanisms among developing countries and was at the forefront of efforts to found the groupings of those countries. We look forward to playing an active role through our new membership in the BRICS group — Brazil. Russia. India. China and South Africa — advocating for the interests and aspirations of 30 per cent of the global economy in the countries of the South that have the human wealth of young people to offer.
Thirdly, we are in dire need of restoring trust in the economic tools of the global system, with a view to enabling it to address the urgent development aspirations of peoples. The best way to prevent conflicts is through comprehensive and sustainable development. That makes it incumbent upon us to uphold the role of international organizations in supporting developing countries in facing ongoing international crises and promoting resilience against international future crises. In that regard, it is essential that the international community synergize its efforts, take constructive steps to reform the current global financial structure and develop the current international financial system in such a way as to enable developing countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). That requires establishing effective and innovative financing tools and promoting existing financing tools, including special drawing rights of the International Monetary Fund. That also calls on us to look into the best ways of allocating them, in addition to modifying the practices of multilateral development banks in order to realize three goals: increasing the amount of funds; providing funds from different sources and tools such as concessional loans and grants; and improving developing countries’ access to those development banks for achieving development in line with the national priorities of those countries. It is high time to reform the World Trade Organization and to consolidate its centrality in maximizing the returns of the rules-based multilateral trading system.
If we wish to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs. then we should take immediate steps to prevent global debt crises that not only exacerbate the weak economies of poor countries and increase
challenges for developing economies but will cause a greater global economic crisis. We must, therefore, take immediate steps to address that crisis by way of creating sustainable and comprehensive mechanisms to address the debts of low- and middle-income countries. We must also address the increase in the debt burden and complexity of its global structure while changing patterns of indebtedness, promoting cooperation with development partners for debt exchange and establishing development projects. That will eventually transform the challenges of debt into an opportunity for a just transition to a green economy.
Fourthly, the world is facing the existential threat of climate change. Climate disasters such as devastating floods, deadly hurricanes or continuous drought have become part of our daily life. International reports stress that the world is not on track to address the climate challenge, especially with respect to adequate financing for developing countries to support the implementation of their national pledges. In that regard, given Egypt’s conviction of the importance of moving from planning to implementation, we succeeded, at the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh. in mobilizing international consensus to achieve climate justice. We reached balanced decisions there, based on the agreed responsibilities and principles as per the Convention and the Paris Agreement. Moreover, as an international community, we achieved historic progress by securing funds for developing countries to confront climate-change-related losses and damage and established a track towards a just transformation in development. We also focused on the expanded use of renewable energy.
As President of COP27. we note that current efforts are not up to the existing challenge. We also note that certain countries have reneged on their responsibilities, while others have even reneged on their pledges in terms of implementing agreed pledges. Some countries have imposed protective measures and fees under the pretext of climate change. Therefore, to achieve success at COP28 in the sisterly United Arab Emirates. I would like to stress that our success relies upon implementing the pledges and existing agreements, especially by establishing a fund that provides financing for developing countries to face losses and damage and the financing necessary to achieve the goal of the 1.5°C limit.
Fifthly, our vision for developing this international system should take into consideration newer challenges such as the scarcity of natural resources, including drinking water, which was the lifeline of nearly 1 billion people at the beginning of last century. Today we need an adequate amount of drinking water for approximately 8 billion people. That is why we welcome the outcomes of the historic United Nations 2023 Water Conference.
In that regard. I would like to highlight my country’s acute water scarcity. Egypt is at the top list of arid countries that receive less rain than others in the world. Egypt’s population exceeds 105 million people. That has led to a sharp decrease in the per capita quota of water and an annual water deficit of more than 50 per cent. That compels us to reuse the limited amount of available water more than once and import proxy water in the form of food imports to the tune of nearly $15 billion annually. Egypt depends on the Nile River for 98 per cent of its water and is very vulnerable to any unsustainable use of the river’s water. Here. I would like to stress our unwavering position, which is based on international law. We reject any unilateral measures regarding the management of transboundary water — for example, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. which was built without consultation, adequate prior analysis or study of the impacts on the riparian States. Ethiopia has gone further by unilaterally filling and operating that dam. thus explicitly violating the principles of international law. the 2015 Declaration of Principles on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the 2021 Security Council presidential statement (S/PRST/2021/18). Notwithstanding those unilateral practices on the part of our brothers in Ethiopia. Egypt is keen to engage seriously in the current negotiations, which have been ongoing for more than one decade, with a view to reaching a binding agreement on the rules concerning the filling and operating of the Dam that takes into account the interests of all involved. We continue to work sincerely with Ethiopia to reach an agreement that takes into consideration the interests of Egypt, the Sudan and Ethiopia. It would be wrong to believe that we would accept a de facto situation concerning more than 100 million Egyptians.
Sixthly, one of the pillars of efforts to reform this international system is enabling it to promote human rights at the political, economic, social and cultural levels, far from politicization and double standards. There is an attempt to impose certain concepts that do not respect cultural and social peculiarities. I wonder: how is one system of values morally superior to others? We warn against the phenomena of racism, xenophobia. Islamophobia and its manifestations, including increased violence and hatred against Muslim communities. Most notable among those manifestations was the recent burning of the Holy Quran, as that is a violation of freedom of religion and faith. Laws, policies and programmes must be established to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. We commend the recent Danish initiative in that regard. We also believe in the established principles and the responsibility of the State and its institutions and of communities to promote human rights. At the national level. Egypt has made strides in promoting the rights of its citizens, most notably by launching the national human rights strategy, the strategy for the empowerment of Egyptian women and the strategy to combat violence against women. Moreover. Egypt has made tireless efforts to empower youth and persons with disabilities. Egypt also gives priority to the principle of citizenship, the fight against discrimination and the protection of religious freedoms.
Seventh, the United Nations was created to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and to create an Organization based on noble principles. Despite that, the world has. over the past 78 years, witnessed wars and conflicts that have claimed the lives of millions of innocent people. However, that should not make us lose faith in those principles. We must acknowledge the failure in implementing them and in applying policies that contradict those principles. Since we believe in them. Egypt has sought for half a century to be a pillar of stability, security and development. It was the first to make peace in the Middle East. Currently, we are concerned about the deteriorating situation in the Palestinian territories due to the practices of the occupying forces, which endanger the situation, following the recent summits held in Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh. Egypt stresses its position in support of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to establish an independent State based on the 4 June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with resolutions of international legitimacy. We call on all peace-loving Powers to seize the opportunities available to salvage the two-State solution and achieve a just and comprehensive peace.
Egypt is also working towards establishing peace in the Sudan. Libya. Syria and Yemen, according to the principles of international law and resolutions of international legitimacy. Egypt supports counterterrorism efforts on our continent. Africa, through a comprehensive approach in line with the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We intend to intensify our efforts during our co-chairmanship of the Global Counterterrorism Forum.
Cairo has launched a summit for the countries neighbouring the Sudan, with a view to coordinating their efforts to settle the current crisis and to mitigate the humanitarian repercussions thereof. We are also working towards a lasting ceasefire with full respect for the Sudan’s sovereignty and the preservation of State institutions. The Sudan’s neighbouring countries continue their efforts to reach a sustainable political solution.
Egypt supports a Libyan political solution that is in accordance with the principles of national ownership and moves the country out of the transitional period, with the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible. Egypt also stresses the importance of the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya within a time-bound period. Egypt reiterates its categorical rejection of any bypassing of the legislative role of the Libyan Parliament. We have reservations regarding any alternative solutions that eliminate the role of Libyan legislators. Egypt adheres to the mandate of the legislative authority pursuant to the constitutional declaration and the 2015 Libyan political agreement of Skhirat in order to lead the Libyan dialogue towards ending the transitional phase in the country.
In conclusion, our vision is to restore trust in this multilateral Organization by upholding the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the rules of the international law. and maximizing the role of international organizations, chief among which is the United Nations.