Chad

President of the General Assembly, Heads of State and heads of delegations, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Distinguished participants, Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to begin by extending my warmest congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Abdulla Shahid on his election as President of the United Nations General Assembly at its 76th session and wish him every success in his duties. Chad assures him of its support during his term. I would also like to express our sincere gratitude and pay a well-deserved tribute to His Excellency Mr. Volkan Bozkir, outgoing President of the General Assembly, for having successfully completed his term of office, despite the difficult context marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, I would like to warmly congratulate His Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on his re-appointment on June 18 this year, as well as for his leadership. Chad reiterates its support and sincere appreciation for his excellent work during his previous term and for his dynamism in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chad commends the quality and relevance of the important reforms he has implemented in the areas pertaining to the pillars of peace and security, the development system and management, as well as to gender strategy within the United Nations system. Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, The theme of this session, “Building resilience through hope — to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalize the United Nations”, eloquently reflects the myriad of challenges the world continues to face, for the second consecutive year, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This pandemic has traumatized humankind with its multifaceted and multidimensional consequences across the globe. It continues to wreak havoc, putting a strain on our health systems, economies, public finances, basic social services, and even the very functioning and security of our States, to name but a few of those consequences. With more than 4.5 million deaths, 220 million people infected, and economies in tatters throughout the world, developing countries, in general, and those in Africa in particular, are deeply affected because of their structural vulnerabilities. We welcome the solidarity demonstrated by our bilateral and multilateral partners to mitigate the shock. However, in the light of the ongoing pandemic and its devastating consequences, mobilization and vigilance must be maintained in order to scale up the global response and sustain post-COVID-19 recovery efforts. Virus mutations and new variants must encourage us to demonstrate more solidarity, pool our efforts and resources to adapt the response, accelerate research and share equitably the vaccines that have already been developed and those to come. In this respect, I note with regret that unequal access to vaccines remains extremely profound. Rich countries have achieved vaccine coverage of more than 50 per cent, while most African countries are at less than 2 per cent. According to the World Health Organization, of the more than 5 billion doses administered worldwide, only 2 per cent went to Africa. Nothing justifies this imbalance, given the interdependence of our world and the need to eradicate the virus from the planet. In this context, it is incomprehensible, even unacceptable, that some countries stockpile surplus vaccines while others are in dire need. The virus does not respect continents or borders, and even less so, nationality and social status. Unvaccinated countries or regions will be the source of new variants of the virus and their spread. In this regard, we welcome repeated calls by the United Nations Secretary-General and the WHO Director-General to make the vaccines accessible to all. Humankind’s survival depends on it. Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, The improved prospects for post-COVID-19 economic recovery are closely linked to the improvement of the health context and the eradication of the pandemic. The expected economic recovery is also dependent on reducing the divide between all areas of the North and the South. Developing countries, severely affected by COVID-19, are already facing various recurring challenges, such as the debt burden, difficult access to resources to fund their development, unfair trade terms with the developed world, scarce foreign direct investment, reduced remittances from the diaspora, the collapse of their tourism sector, etc. In addition, least developed countries and landlocked developing countries, including Chad, are also affected by the failure to meet official development assistance commitments under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. Chad again urgently calls on all our partners in the North to honour their commitments to vulnerable countries so as to contribute sustainably to a better post- COVID-19 economic recovery and to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs, in accordance with the noble goal of the United Nations to be achieved by 2030 to “leave no one behind”. In this regard, Chad reiterates the call made several times by the member countries of the G-5 Sahel to cancel the debt of countries hard hit by terrorism and climate change, as well as by COVID-19 and widespread poverty. It should be recalled that the lack of prospects for young people in the Sahel makes them fall victim to extremist ideologies and take the path of illegal immigration to Europe, with all the attendant risks. Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to take this opportunity to speak to you about the political and security situation in my country, Chad. As you know, following the tragic demise of its President, the late Marshall Idriss Deby Itno, who died in battle on 20 April, while fighting mercenaries from Libya, Chad has embarked on a period of political transition. A Transitional Military Council was established to ensure State continuity and guarantee the country’s security, which has been under serious threat by heavily armed assailants on the prowl in southern Libya. A broad-based Government, led by a civilian Prime Minister, was established on 2 May 2021 and is working assiduously to meet the deadlines for completing the transition process. A Transition Road Map was developed and adopted in July. It is based on the following three areas. 1 — Strengthening security and defence, 2 — Organization of inclusive dialogue and consolidation of peace and national unity, 3 — Strengthening good governance and the rule of law. The implementation of this Road Map, whose cost is estimated at nearly $1.3 billion, is beyond Chad’s reach on its own, and requires substantial support from its partners, through the urgent mobilization of much needed financial resources. In the light of the enormous security, economic, financial and health challenges facing the transitional Government, Chad is calling for strong support from the international community. In the same vein, all necessary steps have been taken to hold an inclusive national dialogue. The details of its organization and procedure are currently being examined by the committee established for this purpose. In addition, in an effort to bring together all of Chad’s sons and daughters, including armed groups, a Special Technical Committee has been created and set up to prepare for and facilitate the participation of political and military groups in the inclusive national dialogue. In addition, following extensive and intense consultations, the National Transitional Council, which will assume the role of provisional Parliament, will be installed in the next few weeks. In any case, the national reconciliation process is well under way and progressing at a pace that is welcomed by national stakeholders and the majority of our partners alike. In this respect, I am pleased to welcome the return to the fold of several of our compatriots in exile and members of some armed groups, who responded favourably to the Government’s policy of extending a helping hand. I urge all our brothers who are still outside their country to return, without fear or hesitation. They will take their rightful place. Their valuable contribution to the effort of national reconciliation and the building of our country is welcomed and expected. We will welcome them all with open arms. With this in mind, and aware of our duty to history and to the Chadian people, I would like to reassure the Assembly that nothing will weaken our commitment and determination to bring the current transition process to a successful conclusion. Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, Chad, which shares more than 1,000 km of a border with Libya and is linked to this brotherly and neighbouring country by history, geography and culture, even by blood, is bearing the full brunt of the consequences of the Libyan crisis, caused by recurrent armed attacks from the south of the country. The most recent attack on Chad, which took place between 11 and 29 April and resulted in the death of the former President, the late Idriss Deby Itno, is a regrettable illustration of that fact, not to mention the chronic insecurity and instability that has persisted in the Sahel since 2012. In this regard, it should be recalled that the United Nations Security Council, during a meeting held on 29 April, at the request of its African members, established a direct link between the withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign fighters from Libya and the aforementioned painful events in Chad. With this in mind, Chad is deeply concerned about the strong pressure from the international community demanding the immediate departure of mercenaries, foreign fighters and other irregular armed groups from Libya. The departure of Chadian nationals, who were recruited, trained, supervised, armed and financed for the war in Libya, will have an impact on Chad’s security. For this reason, Chad again urges the international community, in particular the Security Council, to take all necessary measures to establish a mechanism to oversee the planned and coordinated departure of these elements. Chad supports a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process for its nationals in the pay of Libyan factions, while renouncing violence and mercenary ism, in order for them to return to their country. We look forward to the leadership and crucial role of the United Nations in this process and to mobilizing the resources necessary to fund it. Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, We cannot talk about the Libyan crisis without addressing the seriousness of the security situation in the Sahel and its surrounding areas, which remains marked by the spread of terrorism, organized crime and illicit trafficking in arms, drugs and human beings. The increase in the number of terrorist attacks against the armies of the countries of the G-5 Sahel and the Lake Chad basin, as well as the civilian populations in Burkina Faso, Mali and the Niger, demonstrate terrorist groups’ resilience and capacity to harm, which pose a serious threat to our States and jeopardize their development. The G-5 Sahel Joint Force and the Mixed Multinational Force have made major sacrifices while combating Boko Haram in the Lake Chad basin, but the danger persists and continues to wreak havoc in the area, plunging innocent civilian populations into desolation and despair. In the light of this threat, which transcends borders and puts our individual response capacities to the test, we must review our approach and unite our efforts for responses that are better adapted to the changing context and challenges on the ground. The members of the G-5 Sahel are working on that front by mobilizing their limited military, material and financial resources. Similarly, the response to the terrorist threat should address issues related to economic development, climate change, the education of young people and access to basic social services by our populations. In this regard, our countries, which are affected by the scourge of terrorism, which is considered a threat to peace and security, have every right to expect the solidarity of the international community, in a spirit of complementarity. We are compelled to act together in the face of global challenges. In this same spirit, while welcoming the efforts made by the various forces operating in the Sahel, Chad stresses the urgent need for greater support for the aforementioned joint forces and individual member States alike. To this end, Chad reiterates the repeated calls made by the Conference of Heads of State of the G-5 Sahel to the international community, in particular to the United Nations Security Council, to grant the G-5 Sahel Joint Force a mandate, under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, in order to provide it with sustainable and predictable funding. Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, Chad reaffirms its principled position on the reform of the United Nations, in particular the Security Council. This reform, which Africa has championed for several years, simply reflects the legitimate aspirations of more than 1.2 billion Africans. How can we ignore this persistent call from an entire continent that is unjustly excluded from an organ that claims to be representative of all humankind and to act on its behalf? The Security Council has the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Nearly all items on its agenda concern Africa. It is high time to end the interminable negotiations and be resolute in implementing this reform, which has been long awaited by a large part of humankind, well beyond Africa. While appealing to the sense of justice and equality among all nations — the founding values of the United Nations we hold dear — Chad reiterates its support for and attachment to the Common African Position as expressed in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration. Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, In conclusion, I would like to sincerely thank His Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, the institution and all Member States, as well as the representatives of regional organizations present in the room, for their solidarity and moral support to Chad, following the tragic and sudden death of former President, the late Idriss Deby Itno. Lastly, in the name of the founding principles of the United Nations and of friendship among peoples, Chad reiterates its call for the lifting of the unjust embargo imposed on Cuba, which is a serious threat to that country. On this note, while wishing us every success in our work, I thank you for your kind attention.