Since 2021, this organization has been working on recommendations and calling out illegal migration across the Darien and established a base of humanitarian aid, and it looked like more of a concentration camp in the midst of the 21st century. However, in practical terms, the transit of people increased in 2022, and even more in 2023 and in the first six months of 2024. So it went from being uncontrolled migration and turned into huge illegal migration. People trafficking organizations linked to drug trafficking used and abused this space to transport more families, and the result of it was women and children, children ending up orphaned in one of the worst social disasters that my country can remember. In addition to this, we must add the ecological damage caused in a biodiversity reserve, the Darien Gap Reserve, and this has still not recovered. And this is a situation where there's more than a million people transiting across it, and since the first day I knew that we needed to resolve this issue individually, like I did, because this organization wasn't able to do it. And it's for this reason that at the beginning of my term I signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of the United States. This, at the end of the day, is a border issue for the United States also, but it was taking place in Panama. And so in the second six months of 2024, with colossal effort being made by my country, we managed to oversee a 50% drop compared to the first six months of the year. In 2025, when restrictive measures were implemented in the United States and we worked in better coordination with one another, we saw a 99% drop. So this means halting one of the worst humanitarian disgraces that Panama has ever seen in its history, putting an end to family separation, and also we stopped criminals profiting. This description is something that should not be seen as an isolated criticism, but rather as an inflection point to understand the increasingly widening gap between what citizens expect and what they are able to obtain from this organization on issues such as illegal migration, for example.

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Likewise, the Santomean diaspora is an essential part of our human wealth and a strategic partner of the country. We will continue to strengthen its ties with Sao Tomé and Principe, and to create the conditions for an even greater contribution to investment, entrepreneurship, knowledge transfer and national life. Mr. President, creating opportunities and ensuring truly inclusive development require strong institutions capable of guaranteeing peace, justice, respect for human rights and the participation of all in the life of the country. There can be no sustainable development without these conditions, nor without the full participation of women and men in political, economic and social life. It is in this context that 2026 is a year of particular significance for Santomean democracy. On July 19th, our citizens took part in presidential elections, which were conducted peacefully and transparently, and led to the re-election of His Excellency, Mr. Carlos Vila Nova, as president of the Republic. On September 27th, the people of Sao Tomé and Principe will return to the polls for the legislative, local and regional elections and will exercise their right to vote in large numbers. These elections are marked by important innovations notably automatic voter registration and the first application of the parity law, which is a significant step towards strengthening the inclusion and participation of women. With women accounting for 41.4% of confirmed candidacies, above the legal threshold of 40%, they will be able to assert a growing presence in decision making spaces. Sao Tomé and Principe reaffirms its commitment to constitutional order, political pluralism, fundamental freedoms and respect for the sovereign will of its citizens and will continue to pursue reforms aimed at strengthening justice, security, gender equality, human rights and trust in institutions. Inclusion and equality must also guide our response to the great transformations of our time.

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Migration is as old as human civilization. In many countries around the world, migrants make important contributions to the economies of both their countries of origin and their countries of destination. The government of Bangladesh is committed to ensuring regular, safe and orderly migration. Bangladesh expects stronger global cooperation to ensure the rights, dignity and well-being of migrants. Mr. president, for more than nine years, Bangladesh has been sheltering more than 1.2 million forcibly displaced Rohingya from Myanmar. This has placed immense pressure on our resources, environment, security and local communities. As a densely populated country, Bangladesh believes that the source and origin of the Rohingya crisis lie in Myanmar. Therefore, its solution also lies there. The only solution to this problem is the early safe return of the displaced Rohingya people to their homeland, Myanmar. For a lasting solution to this crisis Bangladesh expects firm and effective support from the United Nations and the international community. At the same time, I call upon the United Nations and the international community to continue life saving assistance programmes for the displaced Rohingya people until they can be repatriated to their own country, Myanmar. If the international community fails to ensure justice for the displaced Rohingya people, this could turn into a humanitarian crisis in the near future. Mr. president, Bangladesh is one of the countries most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change.

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It is a daily lived reality. It is woven into our social fabric as human ambition rooted dignity, opportunity and aspiration. Migration benefits countries of origin, transit countries and destination countries, contributing to skills development, cultural exchange and shared economic growth. We must therefore strengthen international cooperation to ensure migration contributes meaningfully to deeper human understanding and sustainable development. Guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we must guarantee the full enjoyment of human rights by migrants, regardless of status. Protecting their dignity and fundamental freedoms is not only a legal obligation, it is a moral imperative. Mr. president, we welcome progress under the UN80 Initiative and appreciate efforts to enhance efficiency, effectiveness and coherence within the UN system. As deliberations continue, reforms must remain guided by intergovernmental agreed mandates and Member States priorities. Any measures undertaken should preserve the UN's capacity to deliver across all pillars of its work and maintain meaningful impact on the ground.

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They pay for school fees, rebuild homes after lots of cyclones and sustain families between harvests. Your excellencies, they are not aid. They are the earnings of Fijians abroad and sent home. Yet Pacific corridors remain among the most expensive in the world through which to send money. In May, in this August Hall, we committed ourselves to bring transfer costs below 3% and to eliminate corridors costing more than five. Pacific corridors among those. Fiji asked that is to be treated as an obligation and not an aspiration. Labour mobility must also not become a one way transfer of the people that we have trained. Fiji does not begrudge any Fijian the chance to build a life abroad. We ask only that those who recruit our nurses and teachers, invest in the systems that produce them. And this belongs beside what I have said of reconciliation. Not every Fijian abroad left in search of work, some left in season of upheaval when they did not feel that the country was theirs. They are Fijians still, and so are their children. A supreme law that belongs to every citizen must belong to them also. Fiji's door is open. This month, Fiji declared a national HIV emergency.

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COVID-19 and the subsequent disruptions in the supply chains of food and energy, as well as the conflicts and wars, demonstrated how the interests of states are interconnected along with their peace and security. Migration is at the core of such common challenges. People's mobility strives for a better future, better job opportunities, better, better development. However, the high influx of migration and their complexity reveals the reality that should be analyzed without any exaggeration, exaggerations, and it should also preserve the unity of societies. We need an effective response to this challenge through cooperation between the countries of origin transit and destination. We have to ensure a fair share of the responsibilities and burdens and address the root causes of irregular migration, while combating human trafficking and smuggling. To contain such influxes and ensure at the same time the dignity of migrants and their rights. The solution is in our common responsibility and solidarity.

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We cannot speak about interdependence without speaking about migration. People have always moved and they will continue to do so, and governments have a duty to manage that movement and to ensure that migration takes place safely, regularly and in accordance with the law. Order is itself a matter of human rights. When migration is left in the hands of smugglers and traffickers, people are exploited, placed in danger and sometimes lost at sea. But the way in which governments maintain order matters just as much. States have both the right and the responsibility to manage the borders. They must do so in full respect of international law and fundamental rights. A person's legal status may change. Their human dignity doesn't. Every person counts. That is why countries of origin transit and destination must work together. Safe, orderly and regular migration and respect for human rights are not competing ambitions. They must go hand in hand, and we can either manage our interdependence or be at its mercy. Health crises have taught us the same lesson. Outbreaks do not recognize borders. Cooperation is a necessity. Those who refuse to cooperate weaken themselves. But if our commitments are to hold, we also need institutions capable of upholding them.

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The United Nations we seek is one that leaves no one behind, does not define need according to selective political criteria and places justice, equity, and solidarity at the core of its services to all. Guided by its firm belief in the importance of investing in people, Tunisia once again calls for a comprehensive and balanced approach to migration that takes into account its human and historical dimensions and moves beyond a narrow security perspective while addressing its root causes, foremost among them conflict, poverty, economic and social disparities lack of employment opportunities and development, and the proliferation of human trafficking networks. Such an approach would embody shared responsibility, solidarity and cooperation among countries of origin, transit and destination. In this context, the Tunisian authorities continue their efforts to save the lives of irregular migrants on land and at sea, provide them with care and create suitable conditions for their voluntary return to their countries of origin, in coordination with the International Organization for Migration, while safeguarding their dignity and rights and combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and also supporting them once they are back in their countries of origin. Tunisia once again firmly rejects becoming either a transit country or a destination for irregular migrants who are victims of human trafficking networks.

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I am pleased to announce the adoption of Micronesia's National Migration Policy with the technical support of the International Organization for Migration. Micronesia will strengthen the protection, engagement and well-being of its citizens, including members of diaspora. Micronesia also aligns itself with the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and welcomes its comprehensive framework for promoting humane, orderly and well-managed international migration. Mr. president and Excellencies, our people's health has been increasingly affected by more frequent tropical storms, heat waves, and changing tidal patterns. We are seeing a rise in illnesses linked to marine life and vector borne diseases, in particular dengue and Zika.

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This experience offer a model for national development. South Sudan doctors abroad can contribute to health care. Engineers can contribute to infrastructure. Academics can strengthen education. Entrepreneurs can invest and create employment. Technology professionals can connect South Sudan to digital economy, and successful South Sudanese around the world can mentor the next generation. To the international community, we need to create a stronger partnership that would enable South Sudan diaspora to transfer their skills and professional experience in order to contribute to the ongoing development in the Republic of South Sudan. To the South Sudanese diaspora, our message is simple South Sudan needs you. Bring your knowledge home. Bring your experience home, bring your investment home and bring your networks home. Where physical return is not possible, allow your skills and experience to contribute to South Sudan. The same spirits that brought South Sudanese athletes from around the world together under one flag can help bring South Sudanese expertise together for one national purpose.

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The same principle applies to illegal migration, which has caused mistrust in Europe and altered the political landscape in many countries. This situation is unacceptable and it cannot continue. The rule of law must be upheld and legal procedures must be followed. Our primary responsibility is to our citizens and it starts at our borders. We are not allowing uncontrolled migration and we are fighting the criminal networks that facilitate it. As an EU external border country, Croatia carries an additional responsibility and we will fulfil it with determination. Transformation is equally important in our own neighbourhood. South-East Europe remains the unfinished part of the European project.

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We will continue to advocate for full implementation of the Doha Programme of Action. Mr. president, migration is another area where our collective response must be guided by human dignity and shared responsibility. Migration contributes significantly to economic development, cultural exchange and human progress. Yet irregular migration continues to expose young people and vulnerable population to exploitation, trafficking, abuse, and tragic loss of life. We must strengthen cooperation for safe orderly and regular migration, protect the rights and dignity of migrants, and expand lawful pathways for labour mobility, as well as invest in young people, women, education, health and social protection to safeguard sustainable development and lasting peace. Mr. president, The Gambia welcomes the call for the reform of United Nations. We recognise the constraints facing the organisation with limited resources and increasing demands. This notwithstanding, the reforms would strengthen the capacity of United Nations to serve its member states and the people of the world better, as well as correct the historical injustice that continues to prevail.

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The population of Birao has more than doubled, exerting intolerable pressure on water resources and on already strained services. The town of Am Dafok last June experienced an escalation of violence that put more than 11,000 of our compatriots on the street, while the arrival of Sudanese livestock farmers fleeing with their flocks has inflamed new tensions with our rural populations over access to water and land. Tensions that armed groups eagerly exploit. My country, with its legendary hospitality, is not complaining.

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And we've done this always holding true to our principles, not even in the most difficult times, like the times being experienced by the Spanish city of Ceuta, where inequality, desperation, and disinformation has fed one of the most significant irregular migration crises in recent years. I know that in times like this, the temptation is to take shortcuts, to give in to fear, to turn migrants into the enemy, and to break the law. However, my country, Spain, will not do this. And a Spanish city like Ceuta won't do it either, because their citizens are showing that we can tackle a crisis without compromising on decency, upholding the law, and respecting human rights.

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In the late 70s, we provided temporary refuge and assistance to large numbers of Cambodians fleeing violence and famine. Today, we are giving displaced persons from Myanmar who have lived in a temporary shelter in Thailand for decades greater opportunities to work and support their families. For the Rohingya transiting in Thailand, we have adopted a community based alternative to immigration detention for Rohingya children to better protect their rights and access to services.

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Dealing with the root causes and challenges of irregular migration is a shared responsibility of all countries of the world. We approach our leadership of a regional bloc that is home to a quarter of Africa's population, the Southern African Development Community, with a firm resolve to champion greater regional integration, industrialisation and trade. We want to increase trade amongst our countries so that our citizens can share in the prosperity of our region, and our economies are better prepared to absorb the shocks of unilateralism.

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I wish to say to the international community: Venezuela is ready to walk hand in hand with those that believe in respectful international relations, relationships which exist without prejudice or interference. I wish to say the following to my young people, people that have grown up in a fractured country and which often decided to leave in search of what they couldn't find in our country. I wish to say to them that it is worth believing in the country once more. It is the time to rebuild the country that many wish to return to.

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Your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, this solidarity that we project outwards is something we also experience every day within our own borders. Since April 2023, more than a million Sudanese refugees have crossed our eastern border, fleeing a bloody conflict. Along with displaced persons from other regional crises. My country is currently hosting more than 2 million people who've been forcibly displaced.

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It is in this spirit, and in defense of the right not to be forced to migrate, that we fight against human traffickers who prey on poverty. Agreements with countries of origin and transit help us combat irregular migration, while education, training, and access to employment support safe and regular migration. A world as complex as ours can be governed in only two ways: through shared rules, or through the law of the strongest. Italy has made its choice.

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We should underline that the authorities of Cameroon have continued to multiply and consolidate these results, and I can assure you of Cameroon's constant commitment to solidarity with displaced populations, refugees and host communities, despite the multitude of limitations that affect these situations.

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One of those consequences is people deciding to migrate and set up home elsewhere. Although relocation is not part of Tuvalu's climate change strategy, it is inevitable that some Tuvaluan may decide to migrate, and it is incumbent on the government to ensure that they do so with dignity. Tuvalu has therefore endorsed the Global Principles for Climate Mobility, which are rights based, people centred and grounded in international law.

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Without enduring communities and strong families, there will neither be stable development nor long-term security. Let us do everything we can to ensure that culture and the mass media promote having children, not aborting them. I believe that the UN can be an organization where we can work together to develop ways to gradually overcome the demographic crisis, as well as other related challenges such as illegal migration, which often takes the form of human trafficking. However, an answer to demographic challenges cannot be illegal migration in itself, for it breeds misery, tensions, and unrest.

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Migration begins where there is no security, no employment, no education, no access to water, no prospects or no confidence that tomorrow will be better than today. It is not simply a matter of borders. Responsible policy must bring together security, human dignity, development and the real needs of labour markets. Climate policy, too, will have to become more grounded in reality. The green transition is essential, but if we make it socially unsustainable, we will lose the political support that is necessary to implement it.

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We will continue to protect our borders, to implement our migratory laws, and strengthen and equip our armed forces in exercise of sovereign equality that the United Nations recognizes for each state, and all of this fully respecting the international obligations that we freely assumed.

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Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen, we also re affirm our determination to mobilize Congolese living abroad. Our diaspora is a human benefit and intellectual one, scientific and economic one. Its competencies, its experience, its investments, commitment are needed to accelerate our own development. We need all of our children to realize our human capital.

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They want the worst people to come in from the worst places on earth, and we don't do it anymore. We did do it, but we don't do that anymore. It is deeply ironic that the United Nations has an entire institution, the UNESCO group of people and countries devoted to protecting cultural heritage. Yet with their ceaseless promotion of mass migration, these globalists are actively destroying the greatest cultures and most extraordinary heritage in all of history. There is no human right to illegal immigration, but there is a right to remain a sovereign nation, and we want to remain a sovereign nation. And so should you.

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It is important in this room to say it, to repeat it, that for us, human mobility is not a threat. It is a benefit. And all of the countries in this assembly have benefited from migration, even though other aspects need to be managed. So migration, mobility is a benefit for humanity.

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And for an island nation dependent on open maritime routes, freedom of navigation is fundamental. Madam president, 75 years after the 1951 Refugee Convention, we should have hoped that the need for it would be diminishing. Instead, humanitarian needs and forced displacement have reached staggering levels.

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