Niger

Mr President, Excellencies, Heads of State and Government, Heads of Delegation, Ladies and Gentlemen, Let me first offer my heartfelt congratulations to Mr PHILEMON YANG on his election as President of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. I would also like to extend warm thanks to his predecessor, Mr DENNIS FRANCIS of Trinidad and Tobago, for the remarkable work he accomplished during his tenure, despite a world in profound turmoil. Mr President, A year ago, at this very podium, my country was unjustly denied the right to speak, while others in the same situation were permitted—and even received with honours by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. This double standard undermines the credibility of our common Organisation. My country seizes this opportunity to speak on behalf of those who have been left behind and to defend human dignity. These concerns—central to the ideals guiding our national renewal—stem from multifaceted conflicts and violence, inequality, a lack of solidarity, and the marginalisation of large segments of the global population who aspire to a better world. In this regard, I wish to salute the participation in this session of Palestine, too often left behind. We trust that its long-overdue presence among us marks a decisive step toward the establishment of a free, independent and sovereign Palestinian state, living in peace with its neighbours within its 1967 borders. Niger reaffirms its unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and believes that only a two-state solution can end the cycle of violence and ensure peace and security in the region. My country also deplores the situation in Lebanon and calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Ladies and Gentlemen, Each year we perform the ritual of lamenting the condition of poor countries and pleading for a more equitable world. Yet it is clear that we meet too often and act too little. The poor nations “watch the clock”—or rather sink deeper into hardship—while the rich fill their pockets with our resources, continue to support corrupt, subservient regimes that rig elections, confiscate power, and plunge their people into utter misery. All the while, the international community maintains a complicit silence, once again reflecting a double standard. Against this backdrop, what does the “Pact for the Future” we have just adopted really mean? A pious wish? A new distraction? Or just more smoke and mirrors for the poor nations? In Niger, we no longer harbour illusions. Our conviction is firm: the wealthy nations have no real intention of helping the Global South escape poverty. Ladies and Gentlemen, The United Nations Charter will soon be 80 years old, yet no significant reform has been undertaken to adapt our common Organisation to today’s global realities. The Security Council—guardian of peace and security—remains the exclusive domain of five permanent members who, despite repeated professions of commitment, maintain the status quo and refuse to grant permanent seats to Africa, the only continent without such representation. Everything suggests that the much-vaunted principle of democracy, supposedly a universal value, stops at the doors of the Security Council. Let us stop relying on the great powers to implement this just and equitable demand and to reflect the peoples’ strong desire for Security Council reform. Let us give ourselves the means to make it happen. Woe to the abandoned who cannot assert their dignity. Ladies and Gentlemen, From this podium, I issue a strong appeal to the exploited and forgotten peoples: it is not for wealthy countries to find solutions for us. I affirm that the solutions lie within ourselves. They require us to renounce degrading and beggarly aid, in favour of honourable partnerships in which our natural resources are paid for at fair value and profits are reinvested for the benefit of our populations. In this spirit, my country is dealing—entirely on its own—with the damages and humanitarian crisis caused by this year’s unprecedented floods. We do not need lessons in democracy. What matters are the interests, choices and aspirations of our brave peoples. As stated by the President of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), Head of State, His Excellency Brigadier General ABDOURAHAMANE TIANI: > “No state, no intergovernmental organisation will dictate to my country what course to follow, let alone its strategic or diplomatic partnerships.” Ladies and Gentlemen, As you know, the Sahel region has, for more than a decade, faced a serious security crisis threatening the very existence of our states and constituting a clear breach of international peace and security. In an effort to face these common challenges—particularly security-related—three states, under the leadership of Their Excellencies Captain IBRAHIM TRAORÉ, President of Burkina Faso; Colonel ASSIMI GOITA, President of the Transition and Head of State of Mali; and Brigadier General ABDOURAHAMANE TIANI, President of the CNSP and Head of State of Niger, signed on 16 September 2023 the **Liptako-Gourma Charter**, establishing the **Alliance of Sahel States (AES).** We must acknowledge the strong public support and the military successes achieved on the ground by AES defence and security forces in the fight against terrorism and transnational crime. I salute the creation of the AES Joint Force and the effective coordination between its units. I pay heartfelt tribute to all civilian and military victims of violence in the Sahel. Ladies and Gentlemen, At the historic AES Heads of State Summit held in Niamey on 6 July 2024, the Alliance was transformed into a **Confederation** based on three pillars: 1. **Defence and Security**, 2. **Diplomacy**, and 3. **Development.** This new strategic integration framework—intended ultimately to become a Federation—has significant natural resource potential to meet its goals. This potential is coveted by certain Western powers that finance and arm terrorist groups to destabilise our countries. Niger reiterates its firm condemnation of these hostile acts and rejects all forms of support for terrorism—including the active and openly declared support by **Ukraine** to the terrorist coalition that cowardly attacked the town of **Tinzawaten** in Mali. This is also the moment to denounce the subversive actions and the new recolonisation strategy openly claimed by **France**, which trains, finances and arms terrorist groups in the Sahel. It offers shelter and protection to its local proxies, some of whom now illegally occupy Niger’s diplomatic premises in **Paris**, in blatant violation of the 1961 **Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations**. Far from halting the momentum in the Sahel, these destabilisation attempts only strengthen our determination to pursue our shared objectives. Despite all adversity, **the AES caravan moves forward!** Mr President, The **Confederation of Sahel States (AES)** now represents a new geopolitical reality determined to play its full role on the international stage, while upholding sovereignty and the freedom to choose its partners. As His Excellency Colonel **ASSIMI GOITA**, President of the AES Confederation, said on the first anniversary of the Alliance: > “In our dynamic of independence and recovered sovereignty, we remain open to cooperation with brotherly and friendly peoples, in a spirit of fraternity and mutual respect.” Ladies and Gentlemen, At the national level, the inclusive vision of the CNSP President, Head of State, Brigadier General ABDOURAHAMANE TIANI, is structured around four strategic axes: 1. Strengthening security and social cohesion 2. Promoting good governance 3. Developing productive capacities 4. Accelerating social reforms These aims are designed to ensure the **security, political and socio-economic sovereignty** of our country. They form the reference framework for all State and partner interventions to create the conditions for structural transformation of Niger’s economy and improved well-being for its people. To support this transformation—particularly in the mining and petroleum sectors—my country is ready to engage in partnerships with foreign investors based on a **win-win principle** and respect for the dignity of our long-neglected populations. The goal is to turn the Sahel into a zone of peace and prosperity, as President Tiani has affirmed. Ladies and Gentlemen, I cannot end without expressing gratitude to our brotherly and friendly countries: **Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, Morocco, Turkey, Russia, China, Iran**, and all those who are supporting Niger in its process of renewal. - Long live solidarity among peoples, - Long live the AES Confederation. **Thank you!**