Gabon

Mr. President, Majesties, Heads of State and Government, Ministers and Heads of Delegation, Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to begin by extending my warmest congratulations to Mr. Abdulla Shahid on his brilliant election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy- sixth session. I am delighted to see the hope generated by his vision and his perfect knowledge of international issues. I would also like to congratulate his predecessor, Mr. Volkan Bozkir, for the remarkable work he accomplished in a particularly difficult context. To the Secretary-General, I reiterate my warm congratulations on his reappointment and my full support for his dynamic action throughout his first term of office, as well as my confidence in his leadership in the search for lasting solutions to the many threats and challenges facing our Organization. The proposed theme for the general debate of our 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”, provides me with an opportunity to share our thoughts on major current issues. As we all know, the unprecedented health crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is still prevalent, has completely destroyed the structures our societies, our economies and our way of life together. The development of several vaccines through international collaboration and the ongoing vaccination campaigns in many countries are a ray of hope for humankind. Vaccination is the only truly effective way to stop the spread of the virus. Joining forces to overcome the coronavirus pandemic is, in my view, an opportunity to overcome other major crises facing humankind. Indeed, COVID-19 has revealed the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of our economies and health systems, forcing us to rethink our development models in order to render them more resilient. Some developed countries are already planning to relocate all or part of their strategic productive fabric in order to reduce their external dependence. Africa should also be part of that paradigm shift in order to break away from the crises that are hindering its development. That also requires the capacity to build basic infrastructures that guarantee the security of populations, a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and the efficient management of public resources. We also need to train quality human capital, invest massively and urgently in health infrastructure and finally break the vicious circle of dependence on raw materials. Our economies must therefore industrialize in order to create more wealth by taking full advantage of our human capital and natural resources. To that end, the rigorous and transparent management of debt and resources linked to the export of raw materials is essential in the transition phase. Finally, it is more vital than ever that we accelerate the digital transition and mobilize internal resources by strengthening financial inclusiveness, particularly in favour of women. All in all, we must learn the lessons of the pandemic and rebuild our societies in a more sustainable, just and inclusive way. Once again, I call on world leaders to step up multilateral efforts in order to build together a global economy that takes into account the aspirations of peoples who want to see a more equitable sharing of vaccines and technological progress. At such a pivotal phase of the dynamics of coming together, it is fundamental to meet the just demands of the universal conscience, including an equitable distribution of the benefits of technologies. Otherwise, we run the risk of seeing an international order that constitutes a source of human fragility, mistrust between nations and global insecurity. Another issue that calls for our solidarity and is a priority for us today is the climate security of our planet. The twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), which will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, in November, should therefore be an unprecedented moment of action. I recall that the objective is to halve greenhouse gas emissions and preserve biodiversity while promoting investment in green infrastructure in developing countries to stimulate and decarbonize their economies. Indeed, the consequences of climate change, notably sea-level rise, earthquakes and recurrent forest fires, are putting our societies and communities under pressure and should make us aware of the urgency of acting collectively. Those phenomena interact with socioeconomic and political problems in our countries, highlighting risks such as political and economic instability, food insecurity and large-scale migration, inter alia. States and communities should now adapt to face the challenges of climate change. Therefore, without prejudice to mitigation, the international political agenda needs a significant increase in resources for adaptation to climate change. I remain convinced that no single Government can take on climate change adaptation alone. International cooperation is therefore, in my view, essential to support local action, both as a means to enhance international security and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The link between climate change and insecurity also appears obvious to me. As members are aware, Gabon has always been committed to peace and climate security. That commitment will remain intact throughout my country’s term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2022-2023. Welcoming the confidence of the international community, I would like to reiterate my firm commitment to work tirelessly to silence the guns everywhere and to take resolute action in the ongoing search for a global consensus that will ensure the security, dignity and prosperity of the peoples of the world. Gabon will seize every opportunity to call for the advent of a fairer international order, marked by a reform of the United Nations Security Council that includes both equitable representation within the Council and an improvement in its working methods, in line with the Common African Position expressed in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration. In parallel with greater international solidarity and the expected reform of the Security Council, the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly and ECOSOC must also be carried out in order to give a new impetus to our Organization. Those reforms are indispensable as they are likely to have a considerable impact on the achievement of several of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, including the response to the legitimate aspirations of the African peoples contained in Agenda 2063. Mr. President, The hope of rebuilding our governance models in a sustainable way and to meet the needs of the planet requires the commitments made to be respected and put into practice. I am thinking in particular of the transfer of so-called clean technologies and the improvement of people’s access to renewable energies in order to accelerate their transition into decarbonized, environmentally friendly industries. Achieving those commitments is crucial to support the efforts of countries like Gabon, which has substantially mobilized its domestic resources in the implementation of climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation projects. In its investment for climate security, Gabon saves the equivalent of 140 million tons of carbon each year, while emitting only 35 million tons. Therefore, with a difference of more than 100 million tons of carbon each year, Gabon’s action is crucial for the future of all humankind. The inscription of Ivindo National Park on the World Heritage List, following Lope National Park, affirms the universal and exceptional value of our protected. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners and friendly countries, as well as all others who, through their multifaceted support, accompany our efforts to conserve and manage our forests sustainably. Mr. President, Gabon, like many oil-producing countries, has suffered the full impact of the drastic fall in commodity prices. That situation has led to the slowing down of our economic activity. In that context, I have instructed the Government to put in place the Transformation Acceleration Plan (TAP). That programme aims to revive our economy by accelerating the transition to a post-oil era and by focusing on new growth engines with the potential to be increased. Those include the mining, forestry and agricultural sectors. In addition, Gabon is strengthening its energy capacities through the imminent completion of new solar and hydroelectric power plants in order to lend new impetus to its industrialization process. Beyond the development of infrastructure, the intended effect of the implementation of our recovery plan is to ensure budgetary adjustment and the promotion of the private sector as levers for the diversification and transformation of the national economy. In the education sector, the Government continues to mobilize significant resources in order to optimize the education system and bring it into line with the real requirements and needs of the labour market. Mr. President, Inclusion is another major concern in terms of my country’s political orientation. The scope of our political programme for equal opportunities, which I have promoted in favour of more equitable development, places particular emphasis on the appreciation of women and young people, while ensuring that no one is left behind. As for the question of gender parity, Gabon is one of the countries in Africa where women are the most present and well represented in public life, including as Prime Minister, President of the Senate, President of the Constitutional Court, Mayor of Libreville and as Governors, inter alia. All of those positions, which are among the most prestigious in the Republic, are held in my country by women, in whom I reiterate my full confidence. My firm belief is that, in a globalized and competitive world, parity is a matter of social justice, equality, equity and efficiency. Indeed, a country must be able to identify, co-opt and promote its talent and intelligence, regardless of gender. Mr. President, Development cannot be sustainable without peace and stability. Yet, unfortunately, peace continues to be severely tested in many parts of the world. The price of instability, due to the impact of terrorism and armed groups, is particularly heavy for many African countries, which find themselves forced to devote substantial resources in that regard. Those phenomena are fuelled, among other things, by the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and the trafficking of wild species. I believe that a global and united approach is essential in the fight against those sources of instability and fragility in various regions of Africa. We must acknowledge the fact that a threat to one nation is a threat to all. Mr. President, Gabon remains resolutely committed, within the United Nations, as it has always been, to the promotion of stability and peace at the continental level and in Central Africa, in particular in the Central African Republic. The reform of the security sector in the Central African Republic should be supported in order to enable the country to equip itself with republican defence and security forces and the appropriate human, material and logistical resources. The aim is to allow for the strategic deployment of those forces throughout the country in order to restore State authority, ensure the security of people and property and encourage the return of displaced persons and refugees. All of that will inevitably lead to the gradual disengagement of foreign forces operating in the Central African Republic on the basis of bilateral or multilateral agreements. It is also essential to continue the operationalization of republican institutions in order to make a significant contribution to guaranteeing the non-recurrence of grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the country. Moreover, it is necessary to support the efforts of the Central African Republic authorities to strengthen social cohesion and the economic recovery of the country in order to consolidate the gains made and guarantee lasting security. To that end, we call on the international community and donors to maintain adequate financial support in order to establish stability and restore hope to the Central African people. Mr. President, The results of our efforts to build a better world will always be variable while so many peoples remain subject to harmful sanctions. I would therefore like to reiterate a solemn appeal for the total lifting of the embargo that has been imposed on the Government and people of Cuba for several decades. In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm Gabon’s commitment to multilateralism and to greater international solidarity, which I am convinced remain our most reliable assets for building a more resilient Organization that is able to effectively face the challenges and threats facing humankind. I thank you.