It is a pleasure and an honour for me to take the floor today, on the anniversary of my country’s accession to the United Nations, to share Chad’s perspectives with the
United Nations General Assembly — the forum par excellence in which the challenges of our common future are discussed.
Before going any further, allow me to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis. Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago, on his election as President of the General Assembly at its present session and to wish him every success in his mission, during which we guarantee him our full support. I would also like to congratulate and thank His Excellency Mr. Csaba Korosi. outgoing President of the Assembly, following his brilliant term of office.
It would be remiss of me not to pay well- deserved tribute to Mr. Antonio Guterres. United Nations Secretary-General, for his commitment and able leadership in guiding the destiny of our Organization, which is facing ever greater and more complex challenges.
Our common dream of building a stable and peaceful world in which current and future generations can flourish has crumbling over the years. The better and more fulfilled life that we have all hoped for is increasingly giving way to anxiety and uncertainty. Armed conflict, terrorism, climate change, large-scale migration, underdevelopment, poverty and political, economic and financial crises are taking on unprecedented proportions. Every day. we witness atrocities and traumatic scenes that shock our human sensibilities. Thousands of refugees and displaced people, fleeing conflicts or natural disasters, must brave the cold or heat with slim hope of finding a safe haven.
At this moment, the people of Chad send their thoughts and prayers to their brothers and sisters in Morocco and Libya, victims of the latest tragedies. They offer their deepest condolences.
That is why we welcome the relevance of the theme of the seventy-eighth regular session of the General Assembly, namely. “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all”. Yes. that principal theme is highly expressive. The words chosen are symbolic as well as significant. Yes. it is time to rebuild trust and reignite solidarity, because the United Nations is increasingly showing its limits when it comes to embodying those strong values that nonetheless constitute its very essence. Yes. trust is urgently needed in our world, as our world has lost its bearings and its benchmarks, in particular due to the practice of double standards. Yes. solidarity is a top priority, as such a dear and precious value for humankind has been greatly eroded.
It is more necessary today than yesterday that nations combine their strengths and pool their energies to accelerate the implementation of projects and programmes linked to the Sustainable Development Goals. Peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all require solid investments from all of our nations, particularly those that are most developed. That course of action, which is highly recommended, should be followed without exclusion or prejudice, so that such sought-after trust becomes a tangible reality.
Allow me now to briefly share how the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is materializing in my country. Chad. Indeed, since the 2030 Agenda was adopted in September 2015 (resolution 70/1). the Government of Chad has committed to operationalizing its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). That commitment is reinforced by the relevance of the SDGs in view of the context and development challenges Chad faces, particularly in target areas such as the development of human capital, the reduction of poverty and the improvement of the population’s living conditions, the sustainable management of the environment and the consolidation of peace and stability.
With that in mind, the Government includes the SDGs among its long-term priorities in its Vision 2030: The Chad We Want and in its national development plan for the period 2017-2021. which has been extended until December 2023. as well as the new national development plan to be adopted for the 2024-2028 period.
The implementation of the SDGs in Chad is unfortunately taking place against a backdrop marked by. among other things, a fall in the prices of raw materials on the world markets; repeated attacks by the Boko Haram sect; the health crisis due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic; climate change; and inter-communal conflicts in neighbouring countries with a direct impact on our population; and the political and military conflict.
The situation has now been worsened by the ongoing war in the neighbouring Sudan. To date, we have counted more than 400.000 new refugees in addition to the 600.000 refugees who had already
been settled in Chad for several years. In addition, refugees are coming to Chad from our immediate neighbourhood and elsewhere. Therefore, out of a total population of 17 million Chadians, nearly 2 million are refugees. That is a very heavy burden for Chad to bear. My country calls for rapid, concerted and global action by the entire international community to confront that humanitarian catastrophe, which is likely the worst occurring in our world.
Furthermore. Chad welcomes the organization of two summits on the sidelines of the General Assembly: one on climate change; the other on universal health coverage.
On climate change. Chad, like other United Nations Member States, hopes that the dynamic initiated by the Secretary-General on the need for global action against climate change will enable the mobilization of the necessary resources for the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the resulting directives.
With regard to universal health coverage, to which many of our countries have been committed for a long time, it ultimately remains the most appropriate solution to meet the needs of quality health care that is accessible by all at a lower cost, as well as to strengthen our health systems already weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chadian Government is giving the matter the attention it requires.
As members know, since the sudden and tragic death of President Idriss Deby Itno — may he rest in peace — Chad has been engaged in an inclusive and transparent political transition process. The first milestones of the transition were the conclusion of the Doha agreement between the Government and the political and military movements in the country in August 2022. That agreement allowed many exiled or refugee Chadians to return to the country. The manifest political will to give our country a new start and enable its re-foundation resulted in the holding of an inclusive and sovereign national dialogue, which brought together the overwhelming majority of the nation’s active forces for 45 days.
Today the Government of National Unity that emerged from those meetings is working hard to hold a constitutional referendum, which will determine the form of the State. The adoption of the new basic law by the sovereign people will pave the way for the gradual restoration of constitutional order by the deadline set by the inclusive and sovereign national dialogue.
At the instigation of the Head of State. President of the transition, bold administrative, judicial, security and military reforms have been implemented; others are under way. In the meantime, strong gestures of appeasement, ranging from the opening up of the political space to the presidential pardon, have helped to ease the climate within the political class. That dynamic of participatory dialogue has also led to the establishment of a framework for consultation among diverse political parties.
With regard to the crisis in the Sudan. Chad reiterates its call for a lasting ceasefire. Chad believes that there is no military solution to the crisis taking place in that brotherly neighbouring country. Chad calls on all Sudanese to launch an inclusive national political dialogue.
Two days ago. more precisely on 19 September, at the opening of the General Assembly. Secretary- General Antonio Guterres questioned the global governance symbolized by the Security Council and the Bretton Woods system in strong terms:
“the alternative to reform is not the status quo. but further fragmentation. It is reform or rupture.” (A/78/PV.4, p. 2)
Who can say more given the current upsurge in geopolitical rivalries, with the risk of a new Cold War damaging world peace at a time when multilateralism is facing a serious crisis. Given that harsh reality. Chad endorses the call for reform of the Security Council, as reflected in the Common African Position, set out in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.
Finally, in the name of the founding principles of the United Nations. Chad supports the approach of a solution based on the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State, living in security alongside the State of Israel. Likewise, in the name of the same principle. Chad reiterates its call for the lifting of the embargo imposed on Cuba, which is detrimental to the Cuban people.