The transcripts are AI-generated from the UN's English audio and can contain mistakes. We are checking them against the statements the missions publish; some errors are still expected.
Own country · at 5 min · 6 mentions in this passage
For Dominica, this is not an abstract question. When a hurricane destroys our infrastructure, when international energy prices rise, when access to capital becomes more expensive, when global markets change, or when climate finance remains beyond our reach, the consequences are felt immediately in our homes, in our businesses, in our schools and hospitals, and in the very lives of our people. Yet, Mr. President, I do not come before this assembly to speak only of vulnerability. I wish to speak of transformation and resilience. Dominica has made a choice. We have chosen not only to rebuild after disaster, but to build differently, build better, build stronger. We have chosen not only to adapt to climate change, but to demonstrate what a climate resilient economy and country can look like. And we have chosen to move from dependence to greater resilience. Mr. president, in 2017, category five Hurricane Maria demonstrated with devastating force the vulnerability of small island states like Dominica. The economic and human consequences were enormous. Hurricane Maria, however, also taught us an important lesson resilience should never begin after the disaster. Resilience must begin before disasters. The international community must therefore move from a model that primarily finances reconstruction after catastrophe to one that invests systematically in resilience before disaster strikes. For Dominica, this means resilient roads and bridges, resilient buildings, reliable communications, modern water systems, strengthened health infrastructure and disaster ready communities. But resilience is not only physical. A resilient country must have resilient institutions. It must have resilient public finances. It must have resilient energy systems and must have resilient food systems. Above all, a resilient nation must have people who possess the skills and confidence to withstand shocks and move forward. That is the Dominica that we are building. Excellencies.
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And we thank the former president, Annalena Baerbock. Mr. president, one year ago, standing at this very podium, the Prime Minister of Grenada addressed this General Assembly not only as a head of government but as a proud son of the Caribbean. He reminded us that our region continues to literally and figuratively weather storms, yet continues to rise with resilience, dignity, and hope. Today, as I stand before you representing the people of Grenada, I speak of transformation because resilience alone is no longer enough.
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It starts at home. And Indonesia has long understood this for decades. In the 1960s, Indonesia developed the concept of national resilience to safeguard our identity, to protect our sovereignty and unity, and to sustain our development in the face of challenges and obstacles. At the heart of our resilience are our people. A nation is resilient when families can provide for their households, when farmers can produce, when workers can find decent jobs, and when children can learn, grow and dream about their future. For Indonesia, this means building greater self-sufficiency in food and strengthening our energy security. Most importantly, it also means investing in the future of our people, ensuring our children receive quality education and ensuring our people have access to essential health care. At the same time, we are building an economy that can withstand shocks and create opportunities more jobs, stronger industries, and greater productive capacity. Central to our resilience is our ability to manage differences and preserve our unity. As a nation of more than 280 million people, Indonesia has learned that diversity is not something to overcome. It is something to manage, respect and turn into strength through democratic participation, dialogue, and respect for differences. We preserve our unity from Aceh to Papua, from Miangas to Rote. Indonesia is one people. Indonesia is one nation. We also continue to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights through our national mechanisms and our commitment to international human rights obligations. This goes hand in hand with building our national resilience, because human rights are not only the absence of violence. They are also about ensuring that people have food, education and healthcare. To our neighbors, friends and partners, let there be no doubt Indonesia stands strong today, grounded firmly in democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. And when nations are resilient at home, they have greater capacity to contribute beyond their borders. A food secure Indonesia can contribute more to regional and global food security. A more energy resilient Indonesia can contribute more to the global energy transition. A stronger economy opens greater opportunities for cooperation and shared prosperity. This is how national resilience becomes collective resilience.
The first is the Tuvalu Digital Nation initiative that utilizes digital technologies to sustain our sovereignty, institutions and our capacity to deliver services to ensure that our national identity is not lost in the transformation. The second is the Tuvalu Digital Ark initiative, which seeks to preserve Tuvalu's culture and historical heritage in digital form. Mr. president, less than 24 hours ago, Member states endorsed in this very building the landmark United Nations political declaration on sea level rise, a monumental and gratifying achievement for Tuvalu, because Tuvalu was at the forefront of global efforts demanding such a declaration. For Tuvalu, sea level rise is not a future threat. It is a present reality. Tuvalu is therefore overwhelmed with joy and warmly welcome the commitments the declaration entails. Namely. Firstly, it affirms the continuity of statehood and sovereignty despite sea level rise. Secondly, it safeguards the permanence of maritime zones and rights established under the UN convention on the law of the sea. Thirdly, it recognises and protects the rights, dignity, culture, identity and heritage of affected people. Fourthly, it commits to strengthened adaptation and resilience. Fifthly, it calls for accessible, predictable and needs based climate finance. And sixthly. And it supports science, technology, data and knowledge systems that enable informed decision making and long term planning for vulnerable countries. The declaration affirms that Tuvalu's nationhood is not negotiable, that our maritime rights are not erasable, and that our people should never be forced to choose between their homeland and their future. Mr. president, for the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, Tuvalu is seriously concerned that the world is not on track to achieve them, because the consequences of such shortfall will be acutely felt by small island developing states. Of the SDGs, Tuvalu underscores the urgent need to accelerate progress on SDG 14 life below water, which is the least funded and least progressed. Yet it is the most fundamental to the survival and prosperity of small island developing states. Tuvalu calls on member States to expedite implementation of the commitments of the Third United Nations Ocean Conference, and to build momentum towards the fourth Conference in the Republic of Korea in 2028. Mr. president, climate change is and remains the single greatest existential threat to Tuvalu's survival, security and sustainable development.
Mr. president of the General Assembly, Mr. Secretary general Excellencies. Ladies and gentlemen. Mr. president, I have the honor to address this Assembly on behalf of the government and the people of the Republic of Vanuatu. I bring with me the voice of a nation of more than 80 islands, of many indigenous communities and languages, and a nation whose identity has been shaped by the ocean, by custom, by faith, by resilience, and above all, by commitment to peace. Mr. Secretary general, this session also carries a particular significance for us because it is the final high level General assembly of your tenure as Secretary General of the United Nations. On behalf of the government and people of Vanuatu, I wish to convey our profound appreciation for your service to the United Nations and your engagement with the people of the Pacific. Your visits to our region reflect an understanding that the concerns of small island developing states deserve to be heard at the highest level.
Pacific leaders have charted a practical roadmap through the Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity, UBPP. Launched at COP28 and reinforced by the Pacific Leaders' Ocean Statement adopted in Palau, UBPP unites 22 Pacific countries and territories to mobilize accessible catalytic investment for 100 percent sustainable ocean management, robust food systems, and resilient livelihoods, advancing our shared 30-by-30 commitment. We continue to seek and expand investment to the UBPP to meet its goals and deliver lasting resilience for our communities. Palau is translating that UBPP vision into national action. We have launched our Sustainable Ocean Policy that commits 100 percent effective, science-based, and adaptive management of our ocean, balancing protection with production to deliver the optimal benefits for our people. In line with this effort, with support from partners like Japan, we are working to develop fishing ports and other critical infrastructure to truly capture the value of resources harvested in our waters. As Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum and AOSIS, and through Palau's leadership on the High-Level Panel for Sustainable Ocean Economy, we continue to call for an ocean agenda that meets the scale of this challenge.
There, I appealed that it is essential for countries to acquire the capabilities to freely determine their own futures and resilience across economic, social and security domains. Japan places particular emphasis on following three pillars that embody this idea. First, Japan is engaged in strengthening the resilience of supply chains for energy and critical minerals. For global energy security, it is crucial to ensure free and transparent energy trade, engage in international coordination on strengthening oil stockpiling and enhance collaboration between producing and consuming countries. Japan has also launched the Partnership on Wide Energy Resources Resilience Asia POWERR Asia to strengthen energy and resource supply resilience in Asia, and has been promoting cooperation in areas such as stockpiling, capacity development and credit provision. Furthermore, Japan is currently formulating a comprehensive cooperation plan aimed at strengthening the economic and energy resilience of Gulf countries in the Middle East. Through this initiative, we will work to further strengthen the collaboration between the Asia Pacific region including Japan and the Gulf countries, to ensure a stable global energy supply. Moreover, concerns about arbitrary export restrictions are growing throughout the international community.
However, national efforts alone cannot dismantle the structural barriers built into the global economic architecture. Developing nations require deliberate, scaled investment in industrialisation, sustainable infrastructure and regional value chains to transition from primary commodity exporters to diversified industrialised economies. In addition, we cannot achieve sustainable development while drowning in debt. Malawi, therefore, calls for immediate, comprehensive debt relief and restructuring. The current international financial architecture forces developing nations to choose between servicing predatory debts and investing in health, education and climate resilience. This is a moral failure. Mr. president, we also call for a massive scaling up of concessional development financing. We need targeted investment in our key productive sectors, namely agriculture, industrialisation and infrastructure development as follows agriculture, modernisation through mechanisation and commercialisation to guarantee food security. Secondly, building local industry so that we stop exporting raw materials and create decent jobs for our youth who make up nearly 40% of the Malawi population. And thirdly, developing robust transport, energy and digital infrastructure to connect Malawi to regional and global markets. We therefore call upon our international partners to align their support with national blueprint like the Malawi 2063, in order to generate meaningful job creation and shared prosperity.
Through the 2050 strategy for the Blue Pacific continent, we have set our own course and identified our thematic priorities. For Tonga, investing in the ocean and nature is foundational in achieving its development, ambition. Protecting and restoring them builds our climate resilience. It strengthens our food security and enables a sustainable blue economy.
Mr. president, peace and stability provide the foundation for economic development. Zambia is positioning itself as an attractive destination for investment and trade with opportunities in mining, critical minerals, agriculture, agro processing, manufacturing, energy infrastructure, tourism and digital services. Our ambition is to move beyond the export of raw materials and primary commodities towards value addition, industrialisation, job creation and technology transfer as key enablers of our economic transformation agenda. We welcome investments that creates jobs, develops skills and builds sustainable value chains. Our message to investors is Come to Zambia, invest with us, produce with us trade with us and grow with us. We are open for development. Mr. president, I now turn to climate change and environmental resilience, water and sanitation. For Zambia, climate change is not an abstract concept.
That's what I want to talk to you about this evening, how the world can come through the turbulence of today to reach towards something better in the decade ahead. Overcoming the forces of division and instability starts with national security. So we will keep investing in our defence, meeting our NATO commitments and strengthening European capabilities. We will be relentless in building up our hard power and deterrence. But we will not play Russia's game of trading escalatory rhetoric. Unlike Russia, we do not seek confrontation. Instead, we will be prepared, but not panicked, clear eyed but cool headed and unflinching in defending our people and our allies. True resilience depends on this military strength. But the last ten years tells us that it is also about something deeper as well. It is about the strength of the social fabric that binds us together. There is no national security without a strong, cohesive society underneath it. That's the starting point for everything we hold dear and everything we want to achieve.
Mr. President, the sustainability of our oceans and fisheries is closely linked to the changing climate, and the pressures we face on our marine resources are increasingly compounded by its impacts. Climate change remains one of the most pressing challenges to our development and way of life. Sea-level rise, coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion and extreme weather events continue to place pressure on our communities, infrastructure, water security and livelihoods. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report reinforces the urgency of these challenges and particularly the risks faced by small island States. Through our long-term national development vision, the Kiribati Vision for 20 years, and our national priorities under Te Motinnano policies, we continue to invest in resilient infrastructure, water security, coastal protection, disaster preparedness, renewable energy and community-based adaptation. Our objective is clear: to continue building a wealthy, healthy and peaceful Kiribati, where our people can live with dignity, in peace and with opportunities. Renewable energy is increasingly important to Kiribati’s development and energy access. We therefore see greater investment in renewable energy as an important opportunity to reduce our reliance on imported fossil fuels and strengthen the resilience and sustainability of our energy sector. But national action must be matched by international action. We call for greater ambition, stronger support for adaptation and climate finance that is adequate, predictable and accessible, particularly for Small Island Developing States. Kiribati recognises the importance of international law in addressing climate change. The International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on climate change advances climate justice by affirming that all States have binding duties to protect the climate system and achieve deep, rapid, and sustained greenhouse gas reductions consistent with limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. We welcome growing recognition that climate resilience must be locally owned and driven. The Pacific Resilience Facility is a Pacific-led, Pacific-owned mechanism that strengthens the region’s capacity to finance climate and disaster resilience. The Pacific’s co-hosting of COP31 with Türkiye later this year further demonstrates the value of local action.
Small nations are being asked to finance both development and survival. No nation should have to borrow its way out of a crisis it did so little to create. Excellencies. The world is facing a growing development financing crisis. The gap between commitments and delivery continues to widen, and too often we simply rebrand and recycle old ideas while failing to deliver tangible progress. Meanwhile, multilateralism is under siege and international financial commitments are being eroded. The current international financial architecture was designed for a different era. It struggles to adequately recognize vulnerability and fails to fully account for the realities faced by SIDS. A fairer financial system is not only in the interest of developing countries, it is in the interest of global stability and shared prosperity. The implementation of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index MVI in financing decision making is essential if we are to genuinely address the financial challenges facing developing countries. We thank the Secretary General and UN DESA for their proactive efforts in moving this issue forward with international financial institutions IFIs, and we look forward to the pilot project to demonstrate the MVI can help developing countries in their financing challenges. On debt, we need to build a sustainable, equitable and fair debt regime, starting with a robust mechanism for debt restructuring. Debt forgiveness must be linked to measurable progress on resilience-building. And investment in resilience today will reduce the cost of disasters tomorrow. Samoa supports the incorporation of states contingent clauses in debt instruments, allowing for suspension during crisis. Excellencies. Energy is both a driver and accelerator for Samoa's sustainable development ambition.
But we must also understand why this disaster matters beyond Nepal. Nepal contributes less than 0.1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. We did not create this crisis, yet we are paying a colossal price for it. Our glaciers are retreating, our mountain slopes are becoming unstable, our rivers are becoming less predictable, and every major disaster threatens to erase years of development. For Nepal, climate catastrophe is not just a humanitarian event, but a development emergency. It destroys roads, bridges, schools, homes, farms, and livelihoods. It destroys clean energy infrastructure that we need to fuel our future. And it forces a poor country to borrow money to repair damage it did not cause. But we are not here to blame any country or continent. We are not here to turn climate change into another geopolitical battlefield. We are here to ask everyone to recommit to shared responsibility and solidarity. Through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the international community has already agreed to the principle of common differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities. Those who have historically contributed more to the problem, and those with greater capacity to respond, must do more. Climate justice cannot remain a beautiful phrase in a United Nations document. People of our country be allowed to build their future instead of constantly rebuilding their past. Excellencies, the Hindu Kush Himalaya is home to nearly 2 billion people. These mountains provide water, ecosystems, agriculture, and livelihoods to populations far beyond Nepal. The Himalayas are not peripheral to the planet; they are part of the planet's life support system. That is why, as an urgent first step, we propose that we establish a Himalaya Climate Resilience Mechanism led by Nepal, India, and China. Through this mechanism, let us share satellite data and expertise, let us monitor dangerous glacial lakes, let us strengthen joint early warning systems, and when disaster strikes, let us coordinate assistance across borders. Let the Himalayas become a laboratory of international cooperation rather than a frontier of fragmented information. Remarkable for a least developed country, Nepal is already playing a global role exceeding its ecological share. We have restored forests that cover nearly half of our territory. We are installing hydropower at a pace enough to power all clean energy needs and displace dirty sources abroad. We are promoting electric mobility with an adoption rate to match parts of Europe. We are strengthening climate adaptation at the local level, and we shall do more to withstand increased intensity and frequency of climate disaster. But Nepal cannot build resilience alone against a crisis made worse by the failure of global governance. This is why this assembly must note six words: relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction, and also responsibility, reparation, resilience. The first three are what we need after disaster. The second three are what we need to ensure that disaster does not become a permanent condition. When a climate-driven disaster destroys infrastructure of a poor country, the answer cannot simply be another mega loan or a patchwork of small grants. We need adequate grant-based support from the world. The Loss and Damage Fund, the Global Environment Facility, and other financing mechanisms remain grossly inadequate. Climate finance must not become another bureaucratic maze through which vulnerable countries spend years that they need help. When the house is burning, we do not ask family to complete 50 forms. We act. This is what climate justice must mean.
These are the strengths which our multilateral system needs now more than ever. Mr. president, for Jamaica, the consequences of global challenges are not theoretical. On the 28th of October last year, Hurricane Melissa struck our island. In a matter of hours, the most catastrophic hurricane in our modern history inflicted damage and loss estimated at 56.7% of our GDP. Think about that. In a matter of hours, more than half the value of an entire year of national economic output was damaged or lost. A single event. Jamaica had prepared. Years of fiscal discipline had allowed us to build buffers. We had put in place disaster risk financing, including catastrophe insurance and an independently sponsored catastrophe bond. Those measures gave us immediate liquidity, but no level of prudent national planning can fully insulate a small, developing state from a climate event of that magnitude. And therein lies the fundamental inequity faced by small island developing states. We can do everything right. In fact, Jamaica's reforms balanced economic orthodoxy with innovation and expanded support for the most vulnerable. And yet, one hurricane could erase decades of progress. We are deeply grateful to our international partners, our CARICOM family, our Jamaican diaspora, and the thousands of individuals and organizations which stood with us during our hour of need. Jamaica has not simply resolved to recover. We have resolved to rebuild better and differently. Our resilience must not be measured by how much suffering we can withstand. It must be measured by how well we prepare, how quickly we recover, how intelligently we adapt, and whether we emerge stronger. That is why the government of Prime Minister Andrew Holness established the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority, NaRRA. Its mandate is to drive reconstruction at speed and scale to coordinate major infrastructure projects, crowd in investment and, critically, to embed resilience in the Jamaica we are rebuilding. We are not simply replacing what Melissa has destroyed. We are building the Jamaica that must withstand the storms of tomorrow.
The time has come to move from promise to proof. I come not only to speak about what the world must do, but to account for what we are doing. Mr. President, last year our Prime Minister, the Honorable Dr. Terrance Drew, spoke of our Sustainable Island State Agenda—SISA— our national blueprint for transforming Saint Kitts and Nevis into a more resilient, sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous society by 2040. Today we return to demonstrate that it is becoming a record of delivery. Earlier this year, our second voluntary national review in the United Nations High-Level Political Forum showed stronger government coordination, closer alignment with Sustainable Development Goals, and tangible progress for our people. Water provides one of the clearest measures of that progress. One year ago, our 2 million gallon per day solar power desalination plant was nearing completion. In February, we commissioned it. Through semi-airborne drone surveys, we have also identified 17 new potential groundwater sources, and in August completed drilling at the first rural site. Together with distribution upgrades, these investments are strengthening water security. In 2022, only 25% of our households had 24/7 water; today, approximately 75% do. This is transformation. On the island of Nevis, we are advancing a 30-megawatt geothermal power development, with drilling expected by early 2027, and Icelandic drillers contracted to begin the process. In Saint Kitts, plans for a 50-megawatt solar PV and battery storage project are well advanced. These investments will reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and strengthen economic resilience. We are also strengthening food security through climate-smart support for farmers, and healthcare through our locally developed national digital health information system at the Joseph N. France General Hospital. Sustainability must be practical, people-centered, and built to last. Mr. President, there is more to do. But our experience proves that small states are not powerless. With investment, partnership, and political will, small nations can deliver big solutions.
Mr. president, the stakes are perhaps greatest in international peace and security, one of the foremost purposes for which this organization was created. If diplomacy can bring countries together to find common ground on difficult questions on global development, then surely we can summon the same political courage to prevent conflicts, resolve wars, and build lasting peace. The Gambia speaks on this not merely from principle, but from experience. In 2017, our country stood at a moment of acute constitutional uncertainty. The democratic choice of the Gambian people faced a grave challenge. At that critical moment, the preventive diplomacy of the United Nations working in partnership with African Union and ECOWAS, helped uphold the will of the Gambian people and support a peaceful democratic transition. We have not forgotten that solidarity. It taught us that preventive diplomacy is not an abstract concept. It is a practical instrument for preventing confrontation, creating space for dialogue and protecting institutions. Sometimes it can change the course of a nation. That experience also gives us an obligation. If the international community could stand with The Gambia at a moment of fragility, then countries facing similar moments should be able to count on the same solidarity. Across the world, however, conflicts continue to destroy lives, displaced populations and reverse decades of development. Civilians bear the greatest costs, while humanitarian workers operate under increasingly dangerous conditions, and the resources available to respond to crisis remain far below what is required. The protection of civilians, respect for international humanitarian law and humanitarian access are not political conveniences. They are legal obligations and expressions of a shared humanity. We need stronger early warning systems that enable us to act before crises escalate, timely mediation before positions become entrenched, and peace building that addresses the conditions that allow conflict to take root. The question before us must therefore not only be how to end the ongoing wars, but how to prevent the next war from beginning. Prevention should not have to wait for a crisis to become sufficiently destructive to attract international attention. It is infinitely less costly in human political and financial terms to prevent conflict than to manage its consequences after violence has begun. We therefore welcome the Secretary-General's continued good offices and preventive diplomacy and call for these efforts to be matched with predictable and sustained resources. Mr. president, peace must be built and nurtured through institutions that command public confidence, societies in which trust can be restored and justice pursued, and a future in which women and young people have a meaningful voice and economic opportunity is within reach. The Gambia has experienced the value of peace building firsthand. Since our democratic transition, the Peace Building Commission and the Secretary-General's Peace Building Fund have been steadfast partners in our nationally led efforts to strengthen institutions, advance transitional justice and consolidate peace. We therefore support a stronger and more responsive Peace Building Commission, adequately resourced to support countries emerging from conflict or navigating delicate political transitions. The implementation of the outcomes of the Peacebuilding Architecture review must translate into stronger prevention, greater national ownership and closer coordination across the United Nations system. We also reaffirm our support for United Nations peacekeeping operations, and pay tribute to the men and women who serve under the UN flag, including Gambian military and police personnel who have contributed with distinction, international peace and security. Their safety and security must remain a priority, alongside performance, accountability and strict adherence to international law. Partnerships between the United Nations and regional organisations, particularly the African Union, must also be deepened with sustained and predictable funding. Mr. president, the ongoing conflict in Sudan remains a matter of profound concern to The Gambia. Together with continued instability across part of the Sahel, it reminds us that peace cannot be separated from development and governance. The suffering of civilians in the affected conflict zones globally demands sustained international attention and renewed diplomatic efforts towards de-escalation, dialogue and a durable political settlement. In the Sahel and other conflict zones, our response must be comprehensive and holistic. Security measures are necessary but they must be accompanied by increased support for democratic governance, institution building, education job creation, development and climate resilience. Mr. president, for millions of people around the world, poverty, lack of human rights, democratic governance, etc. continue to pose greater insecurity.
Poland has no colonial past. Our historical experience is different, marked by the struggle for our own freedom and resistance to domination imposed by force. In international relations, we advocate an approach based on mutual respect, sovereignty, and equality of states. Poland does not seek an advantage over others. On the contrary, it builds cooperation that strengthens all participants. In a world of growing geopolitical rivalry, we need more partnerships that create real value rather than deepening dependencies. That is why Poland consistently works toward a model of international cooperation that gives countries room to develop, strengthens their resilience, and allows them to make sovereign decisions. This approach is reflected both in our own regional policy and in our global engagement.
Solomon Islands therefore recognises the need for an inclusive and transparent international governance framework on AI. Mr. president, year after year, Pacific leaders have stood at this podium and urged the world to act on climate change. And yet, global action continues to fall short of what the science demands. For every passing COP, the impacts grow more severe. Our islands are being lost to the sea. Disasters are more frequent and more devastating. Food and water security is under threat and communities are being forced from their ancestral lands. Solomon Islands knows this reality firsthand. This year, Tropical Cyclone Maila, a category five storm, tore through our communities, destroying homes, schools, infrastructure and livelihoods. My government has just approved US$9.38 million for shelter recovery. That is money our essential services urgently need now diverted to deal with the impacts of this climate extreme. Like many Pacific Island countries, we are trapped in a relentless cycle of response, recovery and rebuilding. This is not sustainable, nor is it just. My people did the least to cause this crisis, yet they pay its earliest and heaviest price. That is the moral ledger that lies before this assembly. Last year, the International Court of Justice confirmed in its landmark advisory opinion that states have legal obligations to protect the climate system. Major emitters must make deep emission cuts and transition away from fossil fuels. Climate finance, including support for loss and damage, must be grant based and channelled through our national budget systems. Project based financing of climate action is unsustainable and out of step with the scale of a crisis we did the least to cause. Vulnerable countries should not have to choose between climate action and educating our children, caring for the sick or securing food and water. Yet that is the choice we face with every dollar we spend. We therefore call for the full capitalisation of the Pacific Resilience Facility, and an ambitious and timely third replenishment of the Green Climate Fund. Our region has long led on climate action, and we will continue to lead. The Pre-COP31 meeting, to be hosted in the Pacific by Australia in partnership with Fiji and Tuvalu, will bring the reality of climate change directly into the heart of the global process. I call on all parties and partners to come to that meeting and to COP31 with stronger commitments and concrete action. The communities on the frontline of the climate crisis deserve nothing less. Mr. president, Solomon Islands welcomes the convening of the second high level meeting on sea level rise and the adoption of the first political declaration on sea level rise. Every day our people are defending their coastlines, strengthening their resilience, protecting their food and water security and their cultural heritage, and, where there is no other choice, relocating. But we cannot do this alone. I call on this assembly to match the courage of our Pacific communities with collective international resolve to scale up adaptation and resilience finance, and to support communities facing climate mobility needs.
In short, a United Nations that delivers for all. If multilateralism is to deliver, it must first secure the peace upon which all human progress depends. Without peace, sustainable development is an illusion. Conflict destroys lives, uproots communities, and diverts vital resources away from health care, education and climate resilience. We must reject the normalisation of perpetual conflict and the selective application of international law. International law must apply equally to all, without exception, bias or double standards. This principle is vital to maritime security. The oceans are the lifeblood of global trade. When maritime routes are threatened by piracy geopolitical friction or armed aggression, the shocks ripple far beyond regional waters, devastating vulnerable island economies. Freedom of navigation and maritime security must be preserved under international law. Small and vulnerable states like ours should never bear the collateral economic costs of conflicts in which they have no part.
Mr. president, the gap between commitment and delivery on climate change equally tests the credibility of multilateralism. Although the Lao PDR has contributed only a small share of global greenhouse gas emissions, our people are increasingly affected by floods, droughts and extreme weather conditions. The Lao PDR remained fully committed to the Paris Agreement and its nationally determined contributions. However, climate ambition must be matched by adequate, predictable and accessible climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building to enable vulnerable developing states to adapt, build long term resilience and pursue low carbon growth pathways.
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No. 22
Saudi Arabia09/26 · first at about 3 min3 mentions
Crises arise not so much from an absence of resources and opportunities, but rather from a lack of commitment to the principles agreed upon by the international community. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the countries of the region have been subjected to flagrant Iranian attacks, targeting their security resources and civilian and economic facilities. The Kingdom reiterates its full right to protect its security and sovereignty, its citizens and residents, and its national resources. We call upon the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in confronting all threats to international peace and security. The security of the Gulf region is part and parcel of the security of the region and the world at large. The stability of this vital region is directly linked to global energy security, the steadiness of international trade, and the resilience of global supply chains. Mr. President, safeguarding international navigation and the resilience of global supply chains is a shared responsibility that requires serious international cooperation to prevent risks that could affect the global economy. In this regard, the Kingdom stresses the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation in all international waterways, foremost among them the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. We must restore the situation in the Strait of Hormuz to its pre 28th of February status, without the imposition of any fees or restrictions. The Kingdom rejects the use by any party of these vital waterways as an instrument of pressure, threat or harm to the interests of states in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions. Mr. President, efforts to restore security and stability in the region and to build sustainable relations among its countries cannot be based on domination, influence or exploitation of crises. Rather, they must be founded on mutual respect, common interests, good neighbourliness respect for the sovereignty of states, and full compliance with international law and international humanitarian law. In this vein, the Kingdom supports efforts and initiatives that contribute to de-escalation, foremost among them the efforts of Qatar, Pakistan and other sisterly and friendly countries. This would contribute to restoring stability to the region and creating conditions conducive to dialogue and diplomacy. We stress the importance of ensuring that any arrangements on the regional security must be comprehensive, effective and sustainable. They must clearly address the root causes of threatened instability. We stress the need to ensure that the entire region is free of weapons of mass destruction, and that peaceful nuclear programs are subject to international oversight, verification and safeguards. As such, we would enhance confidence and safeguard regional and international security. The continued suffering of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and the targeting of civilians by Israeli occupation, the obstruction of humanitarian assistance, attempts at forced displacement and the continued expansion of illegal settlements all constitute serious violations of international law and international humanitarian law. The Kingdom rejects any attempts at forced displacement or changing the status quo of the Palestinian territories. We stress that a just and lasting peace can only be achieved through the implementation of the two state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Kingdom stresses the need to support efforts aimed at reaching a comprehensive political solution that will ensure the stability of Yemen and alleviate the suffering of those brotherly people. We have provided humanitarian and development assistance to the Republic of Yemen, amounting to more than 29 billion USD. We were the first among humanitarian donors to the Republic of Yemen in 2025. The Kingdom in this regard welcomes the statement issued by the members of the Security Council including the condemnation of the missile and drone attacks carried out by the Houthi terrorist militia against the Kingdom and against commercial vessels. The Kingdom calls upon the international community to reject and condemn all the Houthi terrorist militia's aggressions and criminal acts that threaten the security of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait. With regard to Sudan, the Kingdom stresses the importance of Sudan's stability, territorial integrity and unity while maintaining its natural resources and institutions. The solution to the crisis must be an intra Sudanese political solution that respects the sovereignty and unity of Sudan. It must be based on supporting Sudanese state institutions, thus fulfilling the aspirations of the Sudanese people, alleviating their humanitarian suffering and enhancing their security and stability. The Kingdom supports all efforts aimed at strengthening Syria's security and stability and preserving its territorial integrity. The Kingdom welcomes the USA's announcement of removing Syria from the list of states sponsoring of terrorism, in view of its contribution to strengthening stability and reconstruction and development. And we have to condemn and reject any effort at undermining efforts to restore security and stability within Syria. In Lebanon, the Kingdom reiterated support for the Lebanese state and its legitimate institutions, the implementation of the Taif Agreement, the restriction of arms to the state and preservation of its sovereignty security and stability. We also attach importance to Iraq's role in promoting cooperation and stability in the region, and support all efforts to contribute to achieving security and stability and prosperity. And we have to ensure that weapons will only be restricted to the state to ensure security and stability in Iraq.
Croatia brings the experience of a nation that within one generation endured aggression and occupation, defended its freedom, and rebuilt itself. It joined UN, NATO and the EU and developed a flourishing democracy and a growing economy. Our path and our transition were neither straight or easy, but we made it. Over the past decade as Prime Minister, I have seen Croatia translate those experiences into progress at home and more responsibility abroad. They have reinforced three convictions that speak directly to the theme of this session. First, rules are our common compass. Second, transformation help us build resilience. Third, trust is earned only through delivery.
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We have devised resilient, flexible economic plans and remained committed to our development projects, despite the severe adverse impact of the war and the heavy price it has exacted. At every juncture and in every crisis, we have chosen to combine resilience with flexibility and to place the interests of our nation, our people and those residing on our soil above all else. Our values are not mere slogans we proclaim, but a reality we live by. They are values that we put into practice. At their core is the conviction that the dignity of the nation cannot be compromised, and that wisdom and firmness are two sides of the same coin. This approach is firmly anchored in our nation. This approach has been championed by the leaders of Qatar, from the founder, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani, to His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, our Emir from 1995 to 2013. May Allah have mercy on his soul. He passed away this year and was mourned with profound affection and gratitude by his people and all peace loving nations and people across the region and around the world. On this occasion, I would like to thank the United Nations General Assembly for convening a special session in honor of his memory and in recognition of his legacy. The experiences and challenges we have confronted have demonstrated that resilience is the outcome of prior planning, preparedness and investment in people and national capabilities. Accordingly, over the years, we have worked on assessing risks, securing supply chains, strengthening the capabilities of our national institutions, developing strategic reserves and forging trusted international partnerships. Recognizing the nexus of peace, security, development, human rights and the rule of law, the State of Qatar maintains its investment in development, education, health, security and economic diversification in conformity with the Qatar National Vision 2030. Your Excellencies. There can be no talk of a just international order, as long as Palestine remains a blind spot within it.
It can be designed to serve the common good and measured against what our people actually need. Dignity, opportunity, and a fair share in what they help to create. Or it can be left to reproduce what came before and call it progress. We have the knowledge to choose the first path. What is needed now is the will. This Mr. President, is where the trust in multilateralism is won or lost. Belize has shown that debt can be reduced. That conservation can be financed innovatively, and that national reform can succeed. Yet we still borrow in a system that prices our vulnerability as risk, rather than treating resilience as an investment. Belize does not seek special treatment. We seek accurate treatment. Income per capita does not reveal how much of an economy sits in a hurricane's path. What it costs to serve dispersed communities, or how quickly a climate shock can reverse fiscal gains. The Multidimensional Vulnerability Index must become a working instrument across the international financial system. In eligibility for concessional finance, in debt sustainability analysis, and in the decisions of the institutions that allocate capital. Vulnerability should be legible in financial decision making, without small states being required to prosecute their own case again and again.
Furthermore, Mongolia has made tangible contributions to global efforts to maintain international peace and security through its active participation in the United Nations Peacekeeping operations and other international missions, having deployed more than 23,000 military and police personnel to hotspots around the world since 2002. Even today, our troops are serving in the Gang Suppression Force multinational police and military mission deployed to Haiti. Mongolia has been actively advancing the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 women, peace and security, and has become one of the few countries to have reached 15% women's participation and representation among its military personnel serving in UN PKOs. Since 2006, when Mongolia deployed its first female peacekeeper to the UN Mission in Western Sahara, Mongolian women have made valuable contributions to global peace over the past two decades through their courage, resilience and ingenuity. In this connection, Mongolia plans to host the second International Conference on Women's Participation in UN Peacekeeping Operations in Ulaanbaatar in 2027.
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No. 27
Burkina Faso09/28 · first at about 2 min3 mentions
It is with my heart full of the memory of thousands of children women and men from Burkina Faso Mali and Niger, innocent victims of terrorism that I am taking the floor here this morning. But it is also with a sense of pride, inspired by the resilience of the populations of the Sahel and the hope of the bravery of the defence and security forces of the Confederation, as well as the crucial role played by volunteers for the defense of the homeland that I am speaking here and having the noble mission of delivering this statement, I also wish to pay tribute to the families in mourning, to the long suffering communities and all of those whose lives have been affected by terrorist barbarism. For more than a decade, this blind and sustained violence has been sustained, armed, financed and instrumentalized by criminal networks and their supporters intent on subjugating the Sahel through fear. But they must understand that they will never succeed here. I bow down with profound respect before the memory of the Defence and Security Forces of the Confederation of Sahel states. Our volunteers, defence volunteers working for the motherland and all patriotic forces who have fallen in the field of honour. Evoking their memory, I spare a thought and pay tribute to Army general Sadio Camara, who was assassinated, murdered, cowardly on the 25th of April 2026, and pay tribute to his commitment to peace and to Mali and the Sahel.
Mr. President. Mr. Secretary General. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, dear friends of Georgia, it's a privilege to stand before this assembly on behalf of Georgia, a nation shaped by centuries of history, resilience and engagement with the changing world. We meet at a time of considerable change in the international environment. Developments in different parts of the world are challenging existing arrangements and raising questions about the future of the international order. In this context, maintaining peace and strengthening international cooperation remain key priorities.
I will switch— The same principles that underpin international law, human rights, the rule of law, and democratic governance are the principles that helped transform my country. Romania's evolution over the past 37 years proves the crucial importance of upholding these principles. Millions of Romanians know, from their personal experience, the difference between a communist system that oppressed them and stifled their initiative and freedom of choice, and a democracy that rewards work, innovation, and personal responsibility. This choice has turned Romania into one of Europe's most dynamic destinations in Europe for investment and industrial development. Romania has aligned itself with the standards of the OECD: leading global companies have established manufacturing, engineering, technology, and service centers in my country, attracted by our conducive business environment and highly skilled workforce. Our most important strategic asset is our people: Romanian scientists, engineers, physicians, and technology specialists are shaping the industries of the future—artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, defense technologies, advanced manufacturing, and robotics. Moreover, Romania is strengthening Europe's resilience: we are developing significant reserves of natural gas, critical minerals, and other strategic resources essential for securing supply chains and reducing dependence on unpredictable energy sources. Next year, we will begin extracting and exploiting 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the Black Sea. Romania is a gateway between Europe and the rest of the world, located at the intersection of the Danube, the Black Sea, and major trade corridors. My country serves as a strategic hub for trade, energy, and transport. Economic growth is all the stronger when it is based on partnership. Our message is simple: Romania is open to business and innovation.
Likewise, we underscore the relevance of a dedicated representation for Small Island States and Low-Lying Coastal Developing States. Mr. president. Regional and international partnerships remain indispensable to achieve our economic and social objectives as Suriname continues to actively engage in various regional bodies and mechanisms including CARICOM, CELAC, ACTO, and Brasilia Consensus. As Suriname prepares to be the chair of the Caribbean Community CARICOM in 2027, we are also committed to further strengthen our partnership globally in different areas of shared interest. Our regional priorities are practical food and energy security, climate resilience, improved connectivity and movement of skilled people, transportation of goods and services. These are essential to economic integration and our ability to withstand external shocks.
Rising sea levels pose a direct and growing threat to our populations and ecosystems. Djibouti, like many developing countries, makes only a marginal contribution to global emissions, yet remains particularly exposed to the consequences of climate disruption. This situation highlights a profound injustice. Those countries that have contributed least to climate change are often those that suffer its most severe consequences. We must therefore accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement and strengthen our adaptation and resilience efforts, including through resilient coastal infrastructure, better protection for marine and coastal ecosystems, early warning systems, and simplified predictable and equitable access to climate finance. For Djibouti, climate action must not be separated from development. On the contrary, it must help to transform our economies, develop renewable energy, create jobs and open up new opportunities for investment and innovation. And it's in this spirit that the government is working to operationalize the mechanisms provided for under article six of the Paris Agreement through a robust, transparent and credible national framework for carbon markets with a view to mobilising new resources, attracting investment, promoting technology transfer and strengthening national capacities. This transformation however, requires resources.
Conflict is not the only threat to sovereignty. Forces beyond our borders can also limit a State’s freedom to shape its own future. For SIDS like the Maldives, none is more consequential than climate change. For SIDS, climate change is altering the very physical foundations of our nations. Sea level rise is therefore not simply an environmental concern. It is a matter of national planning and national security. It is a matter of sovereignty. Let there be no doubt: rising seas may alter our shores, but they will not erase our statehood. They will not reduce our rights. They will not weaken our maritime entitlements, and they will not diminish our national agency. Our response must be to adapt, innovate and build. But resilience demands the means to act. That means finance must reach those who need it, at the scale, at the speed and on the terms needed to build resilience. That is why COP31 in Antalya must be a COP of delivery. Implementation must be the measure of commitment.
Parallel to health security is the fundamental crisis of climate change, which is another defining challenge of our generation. Developing countries contribute minimal to global emissions, yet bear the brunt of drought, floods, shifting weather patterns, and climate-induced shocks. Therefore, climate action must be accompanied by climate justice. We call for stronger international cooperation in climate adaptation, resilience, technology transfer, capacity building, and access to predictable, affordable climate finance. We must protect our environment not only for our present generation, but for those yet unborn. In our region, we are currently confronted by what has been predicted as one of the most severe El Niño weather patterns on record. Addressing this requires us to draw deeply upon strained national resources to protect our people and preserve their livelihoods. Directly linked to climate resilience is our commitment to food security.
Water security is fundamental to the well-being and the resilience of our societies. Water underpins public health, food and energy security, climate resilience and peace. Yet despite its fundamental importance, global water governance remains fragmented. The recent devastating floods in the mountainous regions of Nepal and China remind us of the growing risk associated with water and climate related disasters. In this context, President Tokayev has proposed the establishment of International Water Organization under the auspices of the United Nations. The purpose is to make international water governance more coherent, accountable and capable of effective implementation. Kazakhstan calls for inclusive, member state led process to explore options for strengthening the institutional architecture for water within the United Nations. We will continue to advance this discussion in the lead up for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference in Abu Dhabi. Kazakhstan stands ready to work with all member states and partners to advance this common agenda. Distinguished delegates Artificial intelligence and rapid technological change present another area where urgent international cooperation is needed.
We carry no larger agenda other than to ensure that the United Nations will do better. Mr. president, as we face a world in which scientists tell us overshooting the 1.5 degree temperature limit that we agreed in Paris is increasingly likely. We all need to wake up and act. Our focus now must be on preventing or minimizing the overshoot. Shortening the time we spend above 1.5, and doing everything possible to fight our way back. As we gather in Tuvalu, Fiji and Türkiye for this year's climate pre-COP and COP, our response to the threat of overshoot must be overwhelming. A much accelerated transition away from fossil fuels is the only logical response. Continued investment in fossil fuels is not only immoral but irrational. Technologies exist which provide secure, stable, zero emissions energy. We are employing them in my own country, where in the next 18 months, renewable energy will cut fossil fuel use in our remote outer islands by 88%, giving many access to electricity for the first time. We must do everything in our power to accelerate the deployment of renewables and to reduce fossil fuel production and consumption with equal speed. This includes shipping, where we have the opportunity at the International Maritime Organization to adopt binding regulations that will place international shipping on a clear path to net zero by 2050, and generate the revenue required to ensure a just and equitable transition. Mr. president, the denials and delays that have slowed the transition away from fossil fuels mean that countries like mine are already experiencing grave challenges. We have developed our national adaptation Plan, working across ministries and with our people to determine how to make a safe future. Adapting is costly and takes time. Even as we've seen schools destroyed by rising seas, salt water poisoning our wells, and disease outbreaks linked to environmental change. This injustice must be addressed. Our communities deserve restitution. The Marshall Islands and vulnerable people everywhere need sufficient, timely and accessible finance for adaptation and loss and damage. Those who have profited to the detriment of the many must pay. We have created homegrown institutions that are ready and willing to respond, like the Pacific Resilience Facility, a regionally managed platform, and the Marshall Islands Adaptation and Resilience Trust Fund, designed to enable donors to support our adaptation efforts. Mr. president, the crisis has the power to divide us or to prove that we all remain willing to achieve common goals. This week, the Marshall Islands convened the High Ambition Coalition, a diverse group of countries committed to a rigorous response to the climate crisis. We are united in the view that the best available science must lead the decisions we make, the importance of a 1.5°C temperature limit, an urgent transition away from fossil fuels, and the need for adequate and accessible climate finance, especially for adaptation and loss and damage.
SIDs need finance, technology, capacity and institutions that would recognize vulnerability and work with us. The SIDs Centre of Excellence will help turn ABAS commitment into practical solutions through the better data in innovation, investment and support for sustainable development. ABAS must move from commitment to implementation and SIDs must move from vulnerability towards resilient prosperity. Mr. president, international financial architectures must also change. The fourth International Conference on Financing for development, in which was held in Sevilla, Spain, placed debt and development finance close to the centre of the international agenda. That progress must now become action. Small states cannot develop sustainably when they must repeatedly borrow to rebuild. We cannot fulfil the promise of ABAS when carrying unsustainable debts. Nor can we build resilience when the cost of capital itself penalises vulnerability. For too long, the international financial architecture has asked vulnerable countries how much debt can they carry? It must also ask how much development can they achieve? How can countries realise their potential when debt services, repeated shocks and high borrowing costs consume the resources needed for schools, hospitals and resilient development and transformation. Finance must create fiscal space for development. Vulnerable states need greater access to long term affordable and predictable financing, together with debt solutions that respond to these real circumstances. Antigua and Barbuda called for the launch of the Intergovernmental process on debt agreed upon in Seville. Madam president, there can be no sustainable development without peace. But peace begins long before guns fall silent.
Mr. President, for Benin the issue of security has a very concrete, very tangible dimension. Terrorism has hit our subregion. It seeks to exploit our vulnerability, to take advantage of our borders, and to progressively extend its clutches to new areas. Benin understands full well just how grave this threat is. On this note, I would like to solemnly commend the bravery and commitment of our defence and security forces, as well as the resilience of the people of Benin. Our response is resolute. We are strengthening our defence and security capabilities. We are bolstering the surveillance of our territory and our borders. We are also stepping up our cooperation with our neighbours and our partners. However, our region's experience has taught us one very important lesson when faced with the fast evolving threat, we must act very quickly before that threat becomes a crisis. For that reason, prevention, early warning and upstream action should all be part and parcel of our security policy. This requires better intelligence sharing, strengthening cross-border cooperation, improving coordination between national, subregional and continent wide mechanisms. Inter-State solidarity, regional cooperation, the action of the African Union, the support of the United Nations, we need all of the above to be better coordinated.
For us, the European Union is not simply a destination we wish to reach, but a value-based journey that we have embarked on. When the European perspective of the Balkans was reaffirmed at the Thessaloniki Summit in 2003, the world looked very different. Multilateralism and international cooperation were expanding back then. The European Union was one of the most attractive political projects in the world and would welcome 13 new member states over the following decade. At the same time, the Balkans was still emerging from the devastation and divisions of the '90s. More than two decades later, we live in a profoundly different international environment. The international order is entering a new and uncertain phase, and this is why enlargement of the European Union is an act of strategic foresight. It is one of the best investments Europe can make in peace, security, and long-term stability. And Montenegro is proud to stand today at the forefront of that process, ready to serve as an example for the other countries, not because our journey has been without difficulties, but because our journey demonstrates something essential: that progress is possible, that reforms matter, and that democratic political culture pays off. Earlier this year, leaders from across Europe gathered in Montenegro for the European Union-Western Balkans Summit. For Montenegro, that gathering carried a meaning far beyond the protocol. It demonstrated how far our country has traveled and how close our European future has become. And it also sent an important message about our region: that the future of the entire Balkan region lies within the European Union. Our region has carried the weight of division for too long, and a new chapter is being written through cooperation, connectivity, economic opportunity, and European integration. And my generation has a responsibility to help complete that chapter. These responsibilities are not important because of the titles they carry. They are important because of what they allow us to contribute: to reconciliation, connectivity, democratic resilience, and the European future of our region. And lasting reconciliation cannot be built on denial, selective approaches to justice, or the glorification of those convicted of war crimes. It requires respect for the judgments of international courts and equal dignity for every single victim, regardless of their identity or background. And in a world searching for proof that cooperation still works, Montenegro is contributing to the vision that the Balkans become that proof. Excellencies, the principle that guides us at home guides us here as well, in this very organization. Our engagement with the United Nations system is guided by the same principles. Montenegro is a reliable, credible, and predictable partner, committed to an effective multilateral system with the UN Charter at its core, aligned with the European Union's Common Foreign Security Policy, and working closely with our NATO allies and EU partners in support of international peace and security.
Of course, significant challenges remain, but the progress Greece has made is impossible to overlook. Seven years ago, my country was still emerging from the most painful economic crisis in its modern history, having lost more than 25% of its GDP. Today the economy is growing much faster than the European average, while Greece is attracting significant foreign direct investment. Public finances are solid, and our fiscal performance has become a positive example in Europe. Our public debt is declining faster than any other OECD country. Structural reforms and digitalisation of the state, which has helped reduce bureaucracy, have transformed the public administration and restored trust among investors. A few days ago, two leading rating agencies upgraded their outlook of the Greek economy. And at a time of great turbulence in the global bond markets, this says a lot about the progress that Greece has made. Not many people would have bet a few years ago that today Greece's borrowing costs would be lower than that of four G7 countries. This transformation was not easy. It was made possible by the hard work, the resilience and the determination of the Greek people. Economic growth is vital because it expands a nation's strategic leverage. It enables a state to bolster its defence, a core commitment this government is proud to adhere to, to modernize its infrastructure, to invest in innovation, all while safeguarding social cohesion. Economic resilience is therefore inherently intertwined with robust institutions and credible deterrent capabilities.
We're continuing the gradual expansion of universal health coverage, in particular through free maternity care, improved maternal and newborn care, vaccination, access to essential medicines, the strengthening of the healthcare workforce, and by expanding social protections. Mr. President, every health crisis confirms the same truth. Health sovereignty is built before emergencies. It is based upon accessible healthcare systems, robust epidemiological surveillance, high-performing laboratories, well-funded research, and above all, the trust of the population. In this regard, the Ebola virus outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain remains a major test for our country. For the DRC, fighting this epidemic is an absolute priority. After having contained 16 previous outbreaks, the DRC is mobilizing recognized scientific and operational expertise. And thanks to national mobilization and the support of our partners, the response has recently begun producing tangible results. In addition, clinical trials are now underway to evaluate vaccines and treatments for this strain in particular. I'd like to pay tribute to the Congolese and foreign healthcare workers, researchers, communities, and our partners, especially the WHO and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the Africa CDC, for their invaluable support to the DRC in eradicating this disease and strengthening resilience to it. Mr. President, this need for resilience does not stop at the boundaries of health. It is also vital when it comes to climate disruptions, whose effects are already putting our societies under growing pressure: flooding, droughts, and erosion, not to mention population displacement, are threatening our stability.
As part of fulfilling our commitment to enhance resilience to climate shock, we were able to produce an improved climate-resilient wheat variety seed. In a very short period, we have transitioned from a wheat importer to one of the largest wheat producers in Africa. At a time where food provision has become a political battleground and the global food supply hangs precariously in the balance, we send a clear message that Africa can feed itself. Since the launch of the Green Legacy Initiative in 2019, we were able to plant 56 billion trees, which is not only expanding our forest coverage but significantly restoring our ecosystem.
We stand at the dawn of an unprecedented technological era. Harnessed responsibly, frontier technologies and AI can accelerate sustainable development, optimize resources and bridge deep global divides. But AI also presents profound and systemic risks. Without robust governance and enforceable ethical standards and strong legal guardrails, it could deepen inequalities and become an existential challenge. We echo the growing call across industries that we need robust AI governance with enforceable standards, and we need it now. Advanced capabilities must never be allowed to pose unacceptable risks to human lives, human rights or democratic integrity. Effective governance must also address deep developmental asymmetries. We are not entering the AI era from the same starting point. Managing this revolution requires closing critical gaps in digital infrastructure, computing resources and technical expertise so that developing countries are not left behind. We need AI systems that uplift the vulnerable, strengthen national resilience, promote gender equality, and foster human centered partnerships, not exclusion and fragmentation. Put a face to the tireless migrant workers and seafarers who keep the global community afloat. Millions of migrant workers leave their homes to search for a better life, contributing immeasurably to the sustainable development of countries of origin, transit and destination. They are entitled to full human rights and fundamental freedoms, regardless of status, and deserve steadfast protection from trafficking and exploitation along perilous migration routes. Among them, our seafarers form an indispensable lifeline of global commerce. Nearly 90% of world trade moves by sea, supported by close to 2 million seafarers, more than 25% of whom are Filipinos. They are essential workers, yet increasingly vulnerable to conflict and attacks at sea. Just recently, an incident in the Strait of Hormuz claimed the lives of Filipino seafarers and injured many others.
We have heard that this also requires United Nations Security Council able and willing to discharge the responsibility entrusted to it. As I said at the opening of this debate, in the eyes of the world, when the Security Council works, the United Nations works. Excellencies. Development, another pillar of the United Nations, featured prominently throughout the debate, but the message was clear time is running out and promises remain unfulfilled. We heard that only a few of the Sustainable Development Goals are on track. We heard that progress has stalled, and we heard the question that should trouble us all. Should we have done much more? The answer must be a resounding yes. The burden is not shared equally. Those speaking most urgently about development were often the countries facing the heaviest debt burdens, the narrowest fiscal space, the greatest climate vulnerability, and the least voice in the institutions that shape the global economy. Debt was spoken of more forcefully by those who bear it not by those with the greatest ability to resolve it. We have heard that we must honor the Sevilla Commitment to reform the international financial architecture, provide affordable and accessible finance, expand fiscal space, strengthen productive capacities, and invest in people. And we must deliver on the promise of Paris. Climate disasters are erasing hard earned development gains and deepening inequality. For small island developing states, low lying coastal countries, least developed countries and climate vulnerable nations, adaptation and resilience are not optional expenditures.
Mr. president. My country has refused to let the crisis surrounding us undermine the world leading achievements we have built over decades. We have pressed ahead with progress across every sector, for this nation was forged not in the absence of challenges, but in defiance of them. The peoples of the region aspire to stability and prosperity in an environment defined by cooperation, moderation and tolerance, not by violence, hatred, extremism or terrorism. The UAE model has demonstrated its resilience and its capacity to deliver tangible results by investing in key pillars of national strength, foremost among them strategic independence, industrial capabilities, advanced defense systems and world class infrastructure and logistics. This is complemented by the empowerment of human capital, building a knowledge and innovation based economy, and the harnessing of the opportunities offered by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreements concluded between the UAE and 38 nations and other frameworks to diversify markets and supply chains, and to broaden horizons for trade and investment. We will continue to strengthen the UAE's role as a global hub, connecting markets and capital, opening ever broader horizons for growth.
Three decades ago, our country faced an HIV/AIDS pandemic of such severity that some questioned our long-term resilience. Through determined national leadership, bold public investment, and sustainable global partnership, Botswana built one of the world's most comprehensive HIV/AIDS treatment programs. We achieved the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets ahead of schedule, and we became the first African country to achieve World Health Organization silver-tier status for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Our experience demonstrates that when national ownership and international solidarity converge, seemingly impossible challenges can be overcome. This kind of practical solidarity restores confidence in multilateralism. We stand ready to share the lessons of this experience through South-South and triangular cooperation. Botswana attaches particular importance to preserving UNAIDS, an indispensable partner in our national response, through evidence-based policymaking, technical assistance, resource mobilization, and global advocacy. That partnership helped to mitigate an epidemic by means of one of the world's most successful national responses and placed Botswana firmly on the path toward ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
It's. Being vulnerable directly affects the means of subsistence of millions of people. We would therefore urge developed countries to uphold their commitments in terms of adaptation, resilience, loss and damages, and technology transfer financing. Mr. president, the clear ambition that my country has for its development can only be achieved with peace, stability and security in our region and also in the world.
The Pacific's experience underscores this imperative. Climate impacts are steadily eroding development gains and placing progress across the goals further at risk. The recent typhoon and severe flooding in our states, and more frequent king tides affecting our low lying islands demonstrate that these are no longer isolated events, but recurring pressures that test the resilience of our communities on the frontline of climate crisis. For us, achieving the SDGs requires accelerated action.
Mr. President, Africa is ready for the future. Our resilience, our ingenuity, our youthful population, our natural wealth and our expanding markets can make us a major driver of global growth in this century. The African Continental Free Trade Area offers exceptional scope to deepen regional integration, accelerate industrialization, and strengthen our place in global value chains. Developing countries must be recognized as indispensable partners whose contributions to global solutions and shared prosperity extend far beyond their need for assistance.
European integration has become our national project. Moldova has been a candidate country since 2022. Accession negotiations are underway and we are moving quickly. Our ambition is clear to anchor Moldova firmly in the European family. For us, joining the European Union is not about replacing one sphere of influence with another. It is the opposite. It is our citizens exercising their right to choose. Choose democracy, choose prosperity, choose peace. The European choice goes hand in hand with a strong transatlantic partnership. For Moldova, these are not competing directions. The United States has been an important partner in strengthening our security, energy independence and resilience. We want the next chapter of that relationship to be increasingly about trade, investment, technology and building things together. But membership is not only about what Europe can give Moldova, it is also about what Moldova can bring, a democracy that has learned to resist interference, an emerging economy, a country contributing to stability on Europe's eastern frontier, and a small state willing to experiment, reform and move quickly.
Supply chains built up over decades of interdependence are being reorganized or fragmented as a result of geopolitical tensions. The multilateral trading system has been weakened, and the WTO can no longer fully carry out some of its essential functions. Yet what is at stake here is not merely a technical issue of trade policy. The question is whether relations between states will continue to be governed by common rules, or if they will increasingly depend on the weight and power of each individual state. For Switzerland, this is a fundamental issue. That is because my country is an open economy with few natural resources. A large part of its prosperity, therefore depends on trade, but also on the stability and predictability of the rules that make such trade possible. Economic resilience requires us to diversify relationships, forge new partnerships, and keep trade between different regions of the world as open as possible. This is particularly important for economies with fewer resources or limited market access. Access to markets knowledge and technology can create opportunities that would not otherwise exist. These abstract concepts encompass quite concrete realities a business that can take on an apprentice, a family that can secure a more stable income, a producer who can trade beyond their local market. Young people for whom the range of possibilities suddenly widens. That is also what we mean when we talk about a global economy. Trust is built when the rules offer everyone a genuine opportunity to participate.
When Thailand joined this organization, the postwar international order was still taking shape. Today, it is being reshaped once again. Many of its old certainties are giving way. But what comes next is not yet settled. We are seeing many transformations taking place. Power is becoming more fragmented. Strategic competition is becoming sharper and international rules are under strain. At the same time, technology is transforming our societies, while climate change is testing our resilience. Our institutions, however, are struggling to keep pace. Confidence in our ability to work together is weakening, and that is why this year's theme speaks directly to the task before us. Managing the transformation requires trust: trust between countries, trust in the rules we share, and trust that our institutions can deliver. But trust cannot be taken for granted. It must be earned. Trust weakens when principles are applied selectively, when countries have little say in decisions that shape the future and when promises made in this Assembly fail to improve lives beyond it. Rebuilding trust means addressing each of these concerns. We must uphold common principles and consistently, we must give countries a genuine stake in the international system, including a stronger voice for the global South. And we must take shared responsibility for turning commitments into results. Mr. President, the UN's purposes remain as relevant as ever to promote peace and security, human rights and dignity, sustainable development and cooperation among sovereign equals. But we cannot build lasting peace if security is assured for some and denied to others. Universal human rights lose their meaning when applied selectively.
Trinidad and Tobago brings a distinctive perspective as we understand that climate resilience, energy security, affordability and economic development must advance together for us in Trinidad and Tobago. Progress cannot be measured only by how quickly the world changes, but it must also be quickly. It must also be in terms of who benefits from that change. Consequently, the transformation should create greater opportunity, strengthen security and support development rather than deepen inequality, indebtedness or dependence.
In this area, Turkmenistan will continue to promote multilateral dialogue by proposing the establishment of the Ashgabat Climate Dialogue, an open multilateral platform for regular political and expert engagement, the advancement of practical climate initiatives and the strengthening of international relationships. We believe particular attention must be paid to strengthening the climate resilience of regions severely affected by drought and water scarcity. This requires coordinated solutions combining modern technologies, financing, data exchange and regional cooperation. In pursuance of the General Assembly resolution entitled Key Role of Reliable and Stable Energy Connectivity in Ensuring Sustainable Development, Turkmenistan will continue consultations in preparation for the high level Forum on Sustainable Energy for all. We view the forum as an effective platform for developing practical approaches to ensuring a reliable, affordable and sustainable energy supply. In the socioeconomic sphere, Turkmenistan will continue its active and responsible work as a member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council for the period 2026 2028, as well as its constructive engagement in the work of the council's subsidiary bodies. Ladies and gentlemen, Turkmenistan attaches great importance to the humanitarian dimension of international cooperation.
Our efforts to address climate-related challenges continue to face unjustifiable obstacles, mainly from those contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Global efforts to address climate challenges are being frustrated by withdrawal of financial contributions supporting climate adaptation measures and initiatives by international and regional institutions, as well as individual states. Let us prioritize delivery on the pledges for climate action by increasing long-term concessional financing and deployment of new technology. On this agenda, Tanzania chose to address the just energy transition component through different measures. Some of these measures include, implementation of the national renewable energy strategy that comprises 2,115MW Julius Nyerere Hydro Power Project, 650MW solar and wind power projects, 130MW geothermal power projects, and the National Clean Cooking Strategy, which aims to ensure that 80% of households adopt clean cooking by 2034. In our efforts to reduce the use of fossil fuels, we have also opted for the electric railway to link the port of Dar es Salaam and neighboring countries of Burundi and DRC. We, therefore, appeal that climate financing be provided as grants and concessional financing to step up efforts on climate action. Tanzania joins Small Islands and Coastal States in pushing for a workable solution to address sea-level rise. We commend the President for convening today the HighLevel Event addressing the existential threats posed by sea-level rise, and we look forward to the adoption of the UN Declaration on Sea-Level Rise, which will provide a comprehensive framework for international cooperation, scientific advancement, adaptation resilience, and legal stability.
Andorra experiences them from its mountains. Our geographical realities are very different, yet we share the same certainty: climate change is no longer a scientific projection, it is a reality that has already transformed people's lives. This year, Andorra has had the honor of hosting the global meeting of the Mountain Partnership, culminating in the adoption of the Andorra Declaration, which highlights the importance of improving connectivity in mountain areas, narrowing the digital divide, and strengthening resilience to natural hazards. We undertook this effort, convinced that mountains can no longer remain a peripheral element of the international climate agenda. They are far more than landscapes; they are freshwater reserves on which hundreds of millions of people depend, havens of exceptional biodiversity, and a privileged indicator of the effects of global warming. This very summer, we experienced temperatures that exceeded all known records. We have witnessed with concern the major wildfires that have affected regions very close to our country, and the catastrophe in Nepal has highlighted the dramatic effects that rising temperatures are having on glaciers and, consequently, on mountain regions. And we have once again confirmed that climate change is not a challenge for future generations; it has been part of our present for a long time. And the voices of mountain territories will be heard in major international climate negotiations. Our contributions may be modest in scale, but ambitious in commitment. We are moving toward a more resilient energy model, increasing, year after year, our renewable energy production, and preparing for a third voluntary national review on the SDGs. Ladies and gentlemen, artificial intelligence represents one of the most profound transformations humanity has ever known.
The election took place under special circumstances of external information manipulation and a number of external and internal forces had developed and were implementing a plan to seize the state using mass disinformation, hybrid and other tools, and applying also the distribution of mass voter bribes. But the democratic and institutional reforms we have implemented in recent years proved their strength. Armenia's state institutions demonstrated high resilience, preventing state capture, and giving the people of Armenia the opportunity to have their say. The people of Armenia owned up the peace, and we must consistently engage in the further strengthening and institutionalization of peace.
Ladies and gentlemen, as global challenges become increasingly complex, no country can address them alone. And yet the growing limitations of multilateral mechanisms continue to undermine our collective ability to respond effectively to current and emerging threats. Meeting these realities requires joint action but true transformation is impossible without first restoring trust in the international order and demonstrating that multilateralism can once again deliver tangible results for all. In an era marked by division, growing intolerance and stark double standards, Azerbaijan advocates for a reinvigorated and reformed multilateral system underpinned by strict adherence to consistent and non-selective application of universally accepted norms and principles of international law. Azerbaijan supports a more effective UN capable of delivering tangible results for member states, especially in peace and security development, climate resilience and humanitarian action. Through inclusive multilateralism, all states, large or small, particularly developing countries, must have the opportunity to participate equally in global decision making. In this context, reform of the UN Security Council is essential to make it more representative, effective and responsive. Ladies and gentlemen, restoring global trust begins first and foremost with respecting international law, sovereign equality, and peaceful coexistence.
Unfortunately for us, in the context of the war in Ukraine, this topic is becoming ever more urgent. Resilience and balance within the marine ecosystems of the Black Sea are jeopardized by the harmful consequences of the military conflict. Bulgaria urges political commitment and compliance with Resolution 77/104 of the UN General Assembly, adopted on December 7, 2022, on the protection of the environment during armed conflict. For Bulgaria, investment in education, science, and culture means an investment in the long-term viability of our societies.
We are supporting efforts to reduce poverty, to strengthen resilience, to promote gender equality, to defend the rights of 2SLGBTQI+ persons and create economic opportunities. The United Nations system plays a essential role in this regard, but the UN is not and must not be a static organization. While the UN is experiencing major changes, we should ensure that it is ready for the future. We would like to thank Mr. António Guterres for his efforts over the past decade. We are very much looking forward to cooperating with the new Secretary-General, be that a man or a woman. Dear Mr. President, distinguished colleagues. Looks very different today than it did when I was growing up in rural Nova Scotia. The tide has turned. We could spend our time wishing that it had not. But to indulge in nostalgia or to give in to despair would be to let our people down. That's not an option. Instead, Canada chooses to move with confidence and strength. Though some would build higher walls and retreat from international engagement, we believe that long term partnerships are the way to prosperity and security. Though some are turning away from the principles of the United Nations, we remain committed to them, and though some would rather ignore the rupture that we see before our very eyes, we are willing to see the world as it is rather than yearn for days gone by. Let us together take this opportunity to do right by our people and build together.
Cooperation is therefore the only answer. This is the purpose of Cyprus's regional initiative on climate change: to bring together countries of the region, thus strengthening our collective capacity for adaptation, mitigation, and resilience. Another manifestation of this is the Cyprus Regional Aerial Firefighting Station, hosted at Paphos Air Base and supported by the European Union. It offers an operational hub for aerial firefighting and rapid response, and a center of excellence for training, interoperability, and capacity building.
Mr. president. The historic ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea was held with a splendor in February this year in Pyongyang the capital city of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The Congress reviewed with pride the achievements made over the past five years and set out a new, innovative goals for overall development in the next stage. During the last five years, the existence and development of humankind was severely constrained by the global pandemic, abnormal weather conditions, geopolitical confrontation and the entailing economic crisis. They were harsh times for our state too. Yet we have thoroughly and consistently maintained the characteristic principle and approach of self-reliance. Our resilience grew stronger. We overcame all difficulties and challenges before us, and ultimately made remarkable advances by leaps and bounds. The five year plan for the development of the national economy was successfully accomplished. The economic foundation for production boost was reinforced. Numerous monumental projects were completed. Policies for the people that our government invariably pursues are implemented at higher level. We are seeing the upward trend of comprehensive development conducive to a simultaneous and balanced growth in all sectors, fields and regions of the country. As the first hand witnesses of the above realities, all our citizens have become all the more confident that the path we have trodden is the most accurate path, and the self-reliance and self-sustenance of our choice are the surest shortcut to prosperity. Under the unique leadership of Comrade Kim Jong Un, president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, our people have now confidently embarked on new, massive projects aimed at building on the successes in pioneering a era of comprehensive development and leading it to new heights. The path ahead of us is laden with numerous challenges and difficulties, presented by inhumane acts of certain forces that disfavor the DPRK's very existence, let alone her development. Yet we will surely attain all that we plan to, relying entirely on our own efforts, regardless of changes in the situation. This is the confidence that every Korean is assured of.
Conflicts, poverty, drought, natural disasters and the growing effects of climate change are pushing millions of people from their homes. And just as needs are increasing, funding is falling. With development cooperation and humanitarian assistance we are investing in stability. We are investing in resilience and peace.
Your excellencies, some things demand our immediate attention, others demand sustained attention. Injustice demands both. Jordan understands this all too well. We know what it means to live in a region where one crisis arrives before the last one has receded, and we know that we cannot choose between responding to the emergency before us and building the future beyond it. So we're doing both. We are strengthening connections from the Gulf to the Mediterranean as a hub for trade, industry and technology while responding to humanitarian crises. We are confronting terrorism in the region and beyond, while developing our own defenses and remaining a frontline against threats like narcotics. We are protecting Christianity in its communities and heritage, in its native and historic land, while promoting the true image of Islam against the voices of hate. And through it all, we will not abandon our commitment to a just peace. We will continue to support Palestinian resilience, we will continue supporting UNRWA, and we will continue to uphold the Hashemite Custodianship and historic and legal status quo at Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. Most importantly, Jordan is striving to build a different model principled, open and steady at a time when certainty is rare and politics can shift by the day. A country the world can count on, true to our principles, true to our word, ready to talk to everyone and ready to work with anyone seeking peace. However, our bias towards diplomacy will never supersede our commitment to human values and should not be taken for granted or mistaken for weakness. My friends, whether in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, or anywhere people live with war, displacement and fear. Whether crisis began weeks ago or has endured for decades, our principles cannot change with the world's attention. Military force cannot deliver meaningful solutions. It cannot feed the hungry, return the displaced, or build peace, nor can it repair our planet, manage mass migration, or guide technological progress.
The biggest strength of the United Nations is that it is firmly grounded in rules we have all agreed on, and that we have all agreed apply to all of us. This foundational agreement is increasingly challenged, with alarming trends to dismiss and ignore international law altogether, which can only result in a world where might makes right. This would result in catastrophic human costs, a further proliferation of conflict, and have devastating effects on development and on human security. We hope that both small and medium sized states will come together in our common interest for a strong multilateral system on the basis of respect for international law. This is the moment for us to unify in support of what the United Nations is built on. President. Naturally, we are also strong supporters of international courts, the indispensable enforcement mechanisms of international law. Liechtenstein joined the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice four decades before we joined the UN. We have made more submissions to the court over the past decade than in its entire history before. We strongly support its work and its competence in both its advisory and dispute settlement functions. We encourage all to join us in submitting to the compulsory jurisdiction of the court. Liechtenstein is also strongly committed to the International Criminal Court, the first permanent international court with jurisdiction over the most serious crimes under international law, genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. We will continue to support the court and its mandate to ensure accountability and its central message that nobody is above the law. In joining the ICC, we have exercised our sovereignty and delegated the jurisdiction we have ourselves to an international court which we have helped create. We are proud of the way the court has addressed the challenges to its resilience over the past year, in the face of relentless political attacks and unprecedented sanctions. We hope that more states will join this project, which is one of the landmark achievements in the history of international treaty making. The Rome Statute also criminalizes the supreme international crime, the crime of aggression, which complements the prohibition of the illegal use of force, the core piece of the UN Charter. At the international level, by signing the UN Charter, we have all agreed to refrain from the threat of, or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state. This is the most ambitious collective commitment to end war that has ever existed. Amidst accelerating human suffering the world over, it has never been more important for us to implement this commitment. President.
Development must receive the same urgency as security. Ladies and gentlemen, is it not an irony of fate that Pakistan contributes less than 1% of global emissions, yet repeatedly bears the horrific consequences of climate change? Developed countries must therefore honour their climate finance commitments without delay, fund loss and damage speedily and ensure support for adaptation and resilience.
Climate disasters and extreme weather patterns threatens our people, our prosperity, and our hard won development gains. In the last year, 2 million people in the Southern African Development Community suffered a combined and debilitating impact of floods, cyclones, wildfires and disease outbreaks. Our responses are severely constrained by a climate finance architecture stacked against developing nations. Global action on disaster resilience and predictable financing for a just energy transition is essential if international cooperation is to deliver for all. Our continent has the world's largest reserves of critical minerals.
They move and they arrive at someone's border. Protection, prevention costs less than rebuilding or relocating. The Bahamas is taking action, but no nation acting alone can hold back the tides. Nor can we build resilience inside a financial system designed at Bretton Woods in 1944, which still declares us too prosperous to help until the next storm makes us poor. The Vulnerability Index exists.
Although Bangladesh has contributed little to global carbon emissions, it is bearing the adverse consequences of climate change. In these circumstances, Bangladesh has chosen the path of building resilience and developing the capacity to survive and adapt. Therefore, Bangladesh expects stronger global cooperation at COP31 on climate justice, climate finance and adaptation support. The Government of Bangladesh has strengthened its programmes for environmental protection. As part of these efforts, the government has launched a programme to plant 250 million trees across the country over the next five years. Emphasis has been placed on the use of clean energy and solar energy. With the aim of freeing the country from the scourge of floods and droughts, the government has also launched a programme to excavate 20,000km of canal across the country.
Ladies and gentlemen, one of the biggest tests for the UN's relevance is Russia's aggression against Ukraine. For more than 12 years ago, since the illegal annexion of Crimea and occupation of eastern Ukraine in 2014, a permanent member of the Security Council of the Russian Federation has been perpetrating a war of aggression at the very heart of Europe. That aggression disregards the principles of the United Nations Charter to its very core. It violates the respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and the prohibition of the use of force against another state. The consequences of Russia's aggression, however, extend beyond Ukraine and Europe. For example, by increasingly targeting Ukraine's Black Sea ports, commercial shipping, grain infrastructure, and alternative export routes, Russia is putting global food security at grave risk. As such, this is a concern for all of us, and rightly so. Russia's actions have been condemned by a large majority of this Assembly. But condemnation is not enough. We need to collectively force Russia into peace in Ukraine, to force into a negotiation table by raising the cost of its aggression. For this, we can and should use the diverse instruments at our disposal, be they economic, diplomatic, or political. I strongly encourage more of my fellow heads of state and government to use this occasion to call on Russia to cease its aggression. Those of you who have done so already, be it the Global South or North, you have my appreciation. The principles of the UN Charter cannot be trampled on. It is our collective task to stand up for them. We should also support the efforts of international mechanisms to document the war crimes, ensure accountability, and provide assistance to those whose rights have been violated. Estonia is doing its part. We have completed all national procedures and taken the lead in discussions in Strasbourg to establish the special tribunal as soon as possible. A UN member state whose armed forces have been repeatedly cited in the UN Secretary-General's reports for grave violations against children and conflict-related sexual violence should have been no place in UN peacekeeping operations. This is a matter of ensuring that perpetrators' actions have consequences. But it is equally a matter of retaining trust in and the integrity of UN peacekeeping. I therefore call on the UN to stop reflecting and instead take appropriate actions immediately. Ukraine requires assistance in defending itself, but also in rebuilding the country. Estonia, together with its partners, have worked closely to support Ukraine's cybersecurity and resilience, in responding to evolving threats through the Tallinn Mechanism and the IT-Coalition. Estonia is also proud to be hosting the Ukraine Recovery Conference in 2027, organized in cooperation with our closest friends in the Nordic-Baltic region. Building on the outcomes of earlier conferences, next year's event will be advancing in practical terms long-term international support for Ukraine and its recovery. As such, it will be a multilateral effort and example of true cooperation for international peace and security. My fellow leaders, while it is the situation in Ukraine and Ukraine's security that affects Estonia most directly, we are neither indifferent nor unaffected by the impact of other wars, threats, and conflicts. The situation in the West Bank and Gaza remains of great concern. Innocent civilians and children must not bear the devastating human cost of war. Estonia has consistently called for upholding international humanitarian law and ensuring safe, rapid, and unhindered access of humanitarian aid for those in need. We remain a stable donor in UNRWA and are committed to a credible political process leading to a negotiated two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace, security, and dignity. We have provided food aid to hospitals in Gaza and stand ready to offer our digital transition expertise in its future reconstruction. Estonia has consistently condemned the attacks by Iran against our close partners, the Gulf states, and has shown its readiness to contribute to ensuring freedom of navigation in the region. This is an issue that affects us all. We also see instrumentalization of migration as a means of exerting pressure on countries, whether on the European Union's eastern and southern borders or elsewhere.
For small island developing states, regional cooperation is not an optional layer of diplomacy. It is a practical necessity, separated by vast distances with small populations and narrow economic bases. And what is difficult alone becomes possible together. We must take it further still through connectivity, food and energy security and Pacific-led financing, such as something the Pacific has built. The Pacific Resilience Facility is the first climate and disaster financing facility owned, governed and hosted by the states it serves. Its treaty entered into force in May, and it is seated in the Kingdom of Tonga, and its first grants are already reaching our communities. It exists because a village seawall does not need a three year accreditation process. All it needs is money that arrives or will arrive. Its initial capitalization target is 500 million USD by December, of which 173 million has been pledged. I thank all those who have come forward, and I ask those who are able to close the gap to do so willingly. Cooperation of this kind does not diminish our sovereignty.
Mr. president, in pursuit of a stronger and safer region, Guyana is honoured to be a founding member of the Shield of the Americas, launched by President Trump in March 2026. Since the founding of this initiative, Guyana has worked closely with the United States and 13 other like minded nations that believe in building a Western Hemisphere that values freedom, peace, economic prosperity, and a shared responsibility and commitment to fighting transnational crime and criminal networks. It is our collective responsibility to never allow our region to be overtaken by gangs or criminal networks. We understand that it is only through partnership, shared intelligence and cooperation that we can effectively tackle the threats they pose to our economies and the livelihoods of our citizens. This week, I am pleased to join members of the Shield of Americas in adopting a joint communiqué, which underscores our collective resolve to strengthen the resilience of our region in economic, security and multilateral coordination.
We advocate stronger links between efforts to combat desertification, food security initiatives, water management, conflict prevention, and resilience building. Mr. president, the world is experiencing extraordinary technological advances, including generative artificial intelligence. It is something that comes up in debate after debate. AI offers enormous opportunities, and we acknowledge that, but also significant risks. We must be lucid here. We must not simply consume AI technology. We must master it, adapt it to our realities, and contribute to its development. This requires, uh, defining and creating appropriate legal and ethical frameworks for us. Digital and technological sovereignty has become an essential dimension of national sovereignty. We must invest in skills, in research, in innovation in infrastructure, so that young people can participate fully in this transformation. For this reason, the head of state of the Republic of Mali, Assimi Goita, has established Mali's Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics to promote our country's digital sovereignty. On the issue of international migration, Mali, which is a country of origin, transit and destination at the same time, Mali therefore reaffirms its attachment to international cooperation and considers human mobility is a benefit for humanity.
All those who provide them with support, financing or arms must be held accountable. Mr. president, there can be no way to sustain peace and development without effectively addressing the challenge of climate change, which is no longer a future threat. It is already affecting water and food security, as well as the stability of territories, economies and the living conditions of populations. Despite its limited contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, Morocco remains among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Accordingly, in line with the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, the Kingdom has adopted a proactive policy based on the continued construction of dams, the interconnection of water basins, seawater desalination, the reuse of treated wastewater and the rationalization of water resource management, particularly in the agricultural sector. This national effort forms part of an international commitment to climate action. On that basis, the Kingdom has set for the period 2026 2035, a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 53% by 2035, while placing adaptation and the strengthening of territorial resilience at the top of its priorities. This effort has extended to the African continent, which suffers from the devastating effects of climate change. The Royal Initiative to establish three African climate commissions for the Congo Basin the Sahel region and the African island states, has generated promising momentum to strengthen African climate action and coordination among the states of the continent in addressing these challenges. However, addressing climate change cannot rely on national efforts alone. It requires the provision of affordable and accessible financing, technology transfer and genuine international solidarity, enabling developing countries to fulfill their responsibilities towards present and future generations alike. Mr. president, Madam President, the Palestinian question remains a constant priority in the foreign policy of the Kingdom of Morocco, based on its belief in the justice of this, that this is a just cause and it is central to achieving peace and stability in the Middle East region.
We also want to make sure that developed countries can fully fulfill their commitment to development and financial action. For Mozambique, as one of the countries that is more vulnerable in the world, climate change translates into losses in life, displaced families, destroyed crops, and damaged infrastructures cyclically. The cyclones demonstrate that resilience is now an environmental, economic, and food security, social, and development issue, and increasingly one of peace and security in all the world. We therefore reiterate the need to increase funding for adaptation, facilitate access to climate funds, operationalize the loss and damage mechanisms, and invest in early warning systems and resilient infrastructure. Mozambique remains highly vulnerable to extreme weather events— floods, inundations, cyclones— and we are concerned with the El Niño that might have potential severe impacts in the central and southern parts of the country, especially when it comes to drought, food insecurity, and livelihood. Their preparedness and international cooperation will be essential to mitigate these impacts in a context where humanitarian needs are already facing a severe funding shortfall in the whole world. Mr. President, digital transformation demands the same solidarity that we are talking about, because Africa must not limit itself to supplying the minerals that fuel the world's innovation hubs. We need to have investment in connectivity, computing capacity, scientific research, training of young people in Africa, technology transfer, governance, ethics for AI, in the spirit of partnership that builds capacity and promotes autonomy of our sovereign states.
We need more flexible coalition of states and partners who are willing and able to move forward, whilst remaining open to others to join when they are ready. Such coalitions already serve large and small economies alike. The RCEP, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, is the largest trade agreement in the world. The CPTPP, the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership now stretches from Asia to Latin America to the United Kingdom, and in July 19th, small and medium sized trading nations of the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership met in Auckland. Not to negotiate a grand bargain, but to systematically reduce trade frictions and to strengthen supply chain resilience.
We now have capable people, institutions, policies that are proudly guiding our national transformation agenda. We must also ask ourselves why we continue to mobilize vital resources to respond to crisis, while investing far less in preventing them. The UN office for Disaster Risk Reduction estimates that every $1 invested in proactive measures, resilient infrastructure or early anticipatory actions saves between 3 to 15 USD in future damages and response costs. Therefore, we cannot remain trapped in a cycle of financing the consequences of the conflict while neglecting the peacebuilding or responding to humanitarian emergencies while underinvesting in resilience and anticipatory actions. Prevention is more cost effective, it's more humane, and it's more sustainable. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. Now El Nino is strengthening and is likely to bring another period of significant climate stress across the world, with disproportionate impact on nations like Somalia.
For many of us in the developing world, the United Nations is also an expression of a fundamental promise that every nation, large or small, has a voice that every people has a right to dignity and development, and that in an interdependent world, no country should be left to confront global challenges alone. For more than eight decades, amidst its flaws and with much room for improvement, the United Nations has given practical meaning to that promise. However, genuine faith in multilateralism requires the courage to acknowledge where the system has fallen short, the humility to listen to those who feel unheard, and the determination to make our institutions more effective, more representative and more responsive. In this regard, Sri Lanka supports the UN80 Initiative as an opportunity to renew and strengthen the United Nations and advance meaningful reform. Mr. President, managing transformation cannot mean managing change for some, while asking others merely to adapt to its consequences. The transformation taking place in our world must be inclusive. It must narrow rather than deepen the divides between north and south, between those who shape new technologies and those who merely receive them, and between those who possesses resilience and those who are most exposed to global shocks. My country comes to this assembly not with the expectation that the United Nations can solve every problem but with the conviction that there are problems which no country can solve alone. Our answer must therefore, be a renewed faith in multilateralism, and a United Nations that listens more closely, represents more fairly, and delivers for all.
Mr. president, we in Sudan are a peace loving nation, but we also seek a just peace. Therefore, from this UN hall, we reaffirm that comprehensive, lasting and just peace in Sudan in a manner that ensures the non-recurrence of conflict cannot be achieved without ending persistent external interference, halting the flow of weapons, ammunition and mercenaries into Sudan, dismantling the terrorist militia, stopping its attacks against civilians, cities, civilian objects, infrastructure, dams, medical centers and hospitals. Disarming this militia and ensuring that arms remain exclusively in the hands of the state and its established legitimate national institutions. We also call for the support for the steady progress being made by the Sudanese government in the protection of civilians and the peace building process. Mr. president, peace and stability in Sudan cannot be discussed while the destructive war waged by terrorist militia against the Sudanese people continues. The international community's silence and its failure to take steps to deter the atrocities and violations committed by the rebel militia in Sudan, despite the availability of documented and credible evidence and its disregard for legitimate calls to designate it as a terrorist organization and its failure to take decisive measures to stem the flow of weapons, material and mercenaries supporting the terrorist militia across our borders are the factors that prolong the war and encourage the militias continued aggression. Silence regarding the atrocities committed by the terrorist militia in Sudan is not only shameful, unethical and complicit, it is a betrayal of the civilian victims of women and girls who have demonstrated unprecedented resilience in enduring suffering beyond description, and indeed, of an entire people. Mr. president, the call for a comprehensive, nationally owned Sudanese-Sudanese Dialogue to achieve peace represents one of the key pillars of peace and the optimal path for resolving the current crisis. However, a conducive environment must be established to ensure its success and the achievement of its intended outcomes. This should be through the following Parallel and measurable measures to protect civilians, reduce polarisation, de-escalate tensions and contain political estrangement among civilian, political and military forces. Constructive confidence building measures to provide the dialogue with credibility and legitimacy. The dialogue being conducted through a purely Sudanese will free from external interference and free from bargaining, intimidation and coercion practised by some parties, at least at present. The implementation of the provisions of the Jeddah Declaration regarding the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, including fundamental obligations under international humanitarian law, the facilitation of humanitarian action, meeting the needs of civilians and affected persons, and ensuring the safe and voluntary passage of civilians leaving areas of hostilities. Mr. president, past experiences and the wars imposed upon Sudan have taught us that peace is not achieved merely through the signing of peace agreements, without addressing the root causes of the crisis and eliminating its underlying drivers, thereby preventing its recurrence. Rather, peace is a process requiring patience, determination and commitment to addressing the root causes of conflict, removing sources of instability, disarming armed groups, restricting arms possession to the state, and building peace. The state has already begun preparations and creating a conducive environment for this dialogue, aimed at reaching common ground through free discussion and placing the country on the path towards the most appropriate and inclusive political transition that excludes no one except outlaws and traitors.
Less than two years into my administration, through disciplined governance and fiscal prudence and an uncompromising fight against corruption, Ghana has achieved a dramatic economic turnaround. Indeed, some circles describe it as a Ghanaian miracle. Our macroeconomic stabilisation measures have restored growth, drastically reduced inflation, stabilised our national currency and significantly lowered our public debt burden. This remarkable economic recovery story has been independently validated by all the multilateral financial institutions and major international credit rating agencies, all of which affirm that Ghana has moved from economic vulnerability to sustained recovery, resilience and growth. Mr. President, macroeconomic indicators mean little if they do not translate into real improvements in our people's daily lives. Economic growth and progress must have a human face and that is why we are pursuing an aggressive national infrastructure agenda under our Big Push programme to build roads, expand digital connectivity, construct schools and health facilities. This strategic investment is opening up the length and breadth of our country, bridging the rural urban divide and unlocking agricultural potential and guaranteeing equitable access to basic services for every Ghanaian, no matter where they live in our country. Through our flagship 24 hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme and the soon to be launched New Ghana, New Economy policy, we are transforming Ghana into an industrial high productivity hub while incentivising round the clock commercial operations driving value addition in agriculture, mining and creating sustainable, dignified jobs for our vibrant youth and women. And central to our national reset is a revolutionary expansion of social protection, universal health care, delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG one on poverty SDG three on good Health and well-being, and SDG ten on reduced inequalities. And so Ghana has officially launched a historic free primary healthcare programme, ensuring that every Ghanaian can access essential primary health care services at their community level at zero cost. This programme has been hailed by the World Health Organisation and the United Nations as a benchmark paradigm shift for the global South, and this model is currently being studied by other nations that are seeking to achieve true universal health coverage. Alongside our National Health Insurance Scheme, we've introduced a specialised fund officially named Ghana Medical Trust Fund, but popularly referred to after my name Mahama, that guarantees Ghanaians suffering from non-communicable diseases such as renal failure, cancers, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
We thank them all for their staunch commitment side by side with the Haitian people. President, before this august Assembly, I am bringing to you the voice of a people that has etched its name in the annals of history by daring to do what was unthinkable, breaking the chains of slavery and bringing to life, on a land conquered by sacrifice, blood and sweat, the first free black republic of the world. This epic story is the eternal proof that no empire can be more powerful than the thirst for freedom of a people. How can we forget the destiny and the hidden tears of Toussaint Louverture, torn violently away from the land of his birth, cast into icy solitude and a dungeon in Fort de Joux, made to suffer hardship and humiliation. This all brought down Toussaint Louverture, but his fight for freedom remained alive through Dessalines, Christophe, Pétion and all of our other founding fathers and mothers. Toussaint Louverture predicted it. He said, in overthrowing me, you have done no more than cut down the trunk of the Tree of Liberty in Saint-Domingue. It will spring back from the roots, for they are numerous and deep. The tree did grow back. It got larger. It has gone through the centuries and is continuing. And even though today criminal violence is threatening its roots and trying to strip our children of the fruits of this liberty so dearly won, Haiti will resist. Haiti is standing tall. It is standing tall because the peoples born in light have never given in to the forces of chaos. Haiti is standing tall because the people born of sacrifice know the price of liberty, peace, and security. Haiti knows because it felt it in its own flesh, that these gains are never definitively won, and that when they are under threat, one must have the courage to defend them. This is the struggle that Haiti is undergoing today, and that's why we call upon the world not to save it, but to stand side by side with it while it takes its own destiny into its own hands. Mr. president, I am bringing to you the voice of Haiti, but also the voice of those peoples who our world too often asks to bear the weight of crises that they did not create. For small states such as Haiti, the cost of climate change has become unsustainable. This is a deep injustice. The fact that those who historically contributed the least are among those who are paying the heaviest price, often to the detriment of their own development. Resources devoted to adaptation and resilience need to be commensurate with these challenges. No people must have to choose between responding to an emergency and financing its development. Access to capital, to markets, and to technologies need to be more fair. Our international financial architecture must evolve to better respond to the needs and realities of the most vulnerable countries. Artificial intelligence offers up colossal opportunities, but without regulations or ethical guardrails, it risks deepening existing rifts. Technology must remain a tool for shared progress, and it must serve humanity. We need to be the masters of technology and never its subjects, and no people should ever be left behind.
Of machines, of the technology shaping all our lives. Yet the challenge of how we can manage to trust that technology and the organisations behind it is rapidly becoming the most pressing challenge of our age. The sheer spread and the sheer power, the sheer speed of artificial intelligence is mind blowing. It appears to be moving far too fast for anybody let alone governments, to manage to keep pace. It can seem, whether from the perspective of a leader, consumer or parent, to be overwhelming. There is no escaping that. This is the biggest change and the biggest challenge that any of us will experience in our lifetime. So much so that we barely have the words to describe how monumental a disruption it is proving to be. The usual phrases step change, paradigm shift just don't seem to capture the scale. And we should also be under no illusion that the currently existing rules, the traditional models of governance are in any way or manner up to grappling with the revolution that we are living through. Which is why, if we stand any chance of helping to build citizens trust in these advanced technologies, we need to begin by being honest and transparent that governments, just as individuals, we are still finding our way, that we don't have all the answers. What we do have, what we must have, is the will and determination to act and the right values to underpin those actions. And of course, it almost goes without saying that no state, however micro or mighty, has any chance of getting a grip if they try to go it alone. We only stand a chance as humanity on getting a grip on technology that seeks to ape our humanity if we collectively work together. Acknowledging that the rules need to be set globally and they need to be stuck to. Even as they develop, as the tech develops. If we are to stand any chance of securing public confidence that AI can enhance and not destroy humanity, we need a set of international rules that reflect international law. So Malta, my country, wholeheartedly supports the implementation of the global Digital Compact and wider UN efforts to strengthen international digital cooperation. To fragment is to fail, and that applies equally to fighting the new threats from the new frontline in global conflict and disruption. Cyber attacks, attacks on critical infrastructure, disinformation, the cutting of the underwater cables that connect us all to each other. These are not theoretical threats. They are constant and existential threats. For a small nation like Malta, a small island in the Mediterranean that relies on our connections to the rest of the world. They are, yes, existential threats. Tackling them must be a priority. The priority for this United Nations. We need to embrace every emerging technology that can help us fend off those threats and build our digital resilience today. The guardians of our democracy, of our freedoms are just as likely to be found coding at a keyboard as marching in uniform. Both must work in lockstep together. Security will always, of course be physical.
It will be also shaped in laboratories, in schools, in factories, in energy grids, in data centers, and in the ability of societies to make sense of the changes that technology is bringing. Artificial intelligence is no longer a subject of the future. It is infrastructure for today, for the present. Today, the world is once again recognising the value of resilience, of reliable energy, of infrastructure, of diversified transport routes, of nearby and trusted supply chains.
Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, The faultlines in our world are widening. Cracks have become canyons. Over the last decade, wars erupted with devastating consequences and dragged on with despicable cruelty. Civilians were targeted. Human rights trampled. Hunger weaponized. Humanitarians killed. International law cast aside. Geopolitical divides have deepened. Inequalities have intensified. Trust has frayed. The climate crisis went from distant warning to daily reality. And artificial intelligence moved at a speed that has blindsided even those who created it. These are not separate crises. They are chapters of the same story. The story of power. Who has it. Who is denied it. How it is used. And how it is changing. Excellencies, Power is being reshaped in three fundamental ways. First, among States. New centres of economic, political and technological influence have emerged. Second, we are witnessing an extraordinary transfer of power away from governments to a handful of private corporations and individuals. Their reach now extends across politics, economies, information flows, technological development, and the civic space on which societies depend. And, third, humans are increasingly handing over power to machines – with Artificial Intelligence agents going rogue, and lethal autonomous weapons going from science fiction to military reality. Yet our institutions and systems of global governance continue to reflect the power realities and interests of a largely bygone age. That is the defining challenge before us. At the very moment when humanity faces an unprecedented convergence of threats, our mechanisms for collective action are under growing strain. Excellencies, We are clearly moving towards a multipolar world. And that movement is irreversible. But there are different ways that multipolarity can take shape. One possibility is a world of fragmentation and transactionalism. A world of rising tensions and deepening mistrust. Of fractured markets and weakened institutions. Of shrinking cooperation and zero-sum calculations. In many respects, that is the trajectory we are on today. But there is another path. A path towards networked multipolarity. A world built on interdependence – and sustained by a dense web of economic, political, social and technological connections. A world in which multiple centres of influence coexist within a common framework of international law and shared rules. Such a world can help us avoid hegemonic tendencies and what I have called the Great Fracture: The division of the world into two rival blocs with separate economic, technological and security systems. A networked world recognizes that no power can solve today’s challenges alone. Of course, competition will remain a permanent feature of international relations. But competition does not have to mean confrontation. Healthy competition can drive innovation, strengthen resilience, and expand opportunity. But only when it operates within frameworks that preserve stability and enable cooperation where cooperation is indispensable. Building a networked future begins with a recognition, especially by superpowers: That their power isn’t so super. That their power has limits. The events of recent years have made that unmistakably clear. Military power alone cannot secure peace. Economic power alone cannot command stability. And technological power alone cannot guarantee security. A networked multipolar world can create the conditions for more balanced and representative global problem-solving. But it requires a multilateral system centred in the UN that is balanced and representative. Strong, effective institutions that reflect the realities and the progressively changing relative weight of countries and economies in today’s world – not the power arrangements of 80 years ago. Fortunately, we are not starting from scratch. We already have a binding foundation: The Charter of the United Nations. And the principles that give it life. The primacy of international law. Upholding human dignity. And the pursuit of justice in all its dimensions. These are the backbone for the effective, legitimate and responsible exercise of power in the 21st century. Excellencies, It comes down to this: Will we act to ensure that power is governed by law or by force? By cooperation or coercion? By responsibility to young people and future generations or indifference to their fate? Because the defining challenges of our age are not separate from the question of power. They are expressions of it. And they will determine whether we drift deeper into division and instability – or move toward cooperation, justice and collective security. Looking ahead, our future will be shaped by how we address four great tests of power: The power over war and peace. The power that concentrates wealth and drives inequality.
Believing that climate change is a major factor affecting development, security and stability, Tunisia emphasizes that addressing this challenge requires a genuine climate justice, particularly since developing countries bear severe consequences despite their limited historical responsibility for emissions. Accordingly, countries with the greatest responsibility must fulfil their commitments regarding climate finance while maintaining a clear distinction between climate financing and development financing. Tunisia believes that achieving climate justice, comprehensive development and pandemic preparedness and response requires reform of the international financial architecture to make it more equitable, inclusive and fair, thus ensuring developing countries have easier and fairer access to financing, and enabling them to invest in scientific research, technology innovation and digital transformation, thereby reducing their debt burdens, strengthening their resilience and empowering them to relying on their own capacities and shaping their future.
Russia's bet on cruise missiles and Shaheds didn't work the way Putin planned. They still caused damage, but they didn't break us. We built our defense. What is truly difficult for us now is Russian ballistic missiles and their new jet-powered Shaheds, Iranian technologies. Just imagine this: since the beginning of this year, Russia has already used more than 2,100 missiles of different types against us, against Ukraine, our people, and our children. More than 950 of them were ballistic missiles. In 8 months of this year, Russia used 63,000 attack drones of different types against Ukraine, our people. And more than 7,700 of them were jet-powered Shaheds. Truly destructive and very dangerous weapons. Just think about it. The Russians launch jet-powered Shaheds every hour, every hour, against our cities, our economy, our infrastructure. Our combat aircraft are fighting them 24/7. And this is part of Russia's strategy: to create an air threat every hour, to make life harder for the economy, and to disrupt people's lives, and to stop children from being able to study, just to study at school. Would your country survive if, God forbid, you had to face something like this? Ukraine has. Our soldiers have already successfully tested four new jet-powered interceptor drones against Russian jet-powered Shaheds. So we are scaling up production, and we will build, of course we will build, protection against these threats too. We have also launched an anti-ballistic program, FREYJA, together with our partners. Ten countries are already part of it: Ukraine, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands. Last week, I invited Poland to join. And we are also in consultations with a couple of other allied governments who want to join FREYJA. And we remain open to every country that can contribute to building protection against ballistic missiles. Our FREYJA program does not replace proven and effective systems, like, for example, Patriot systems or upgraded anti-ballistic SAMP/T systems. We want to build a system that can be produced on a much larger scale and at a lower cost, a system that can become an integrated part of Ukraine's defense and Europe's defense. One that can help any freedom-loving nation. The global waiting list for anti-ballistic systems is very long. There are more and more ballistic threats, and the industrial capacity of those who choose war is very large. So we need to produce enough protection so that every person sitting in this hall can say," My people are truly protected." That is our approach to security. Today, even the richest countries in the world can't find enough missile interceptors. Current production is simply not enough. And even those who spend years building up interceptor stocks have already used a large part of them. Unfortunately, this is the reality, even in the Gulf, where countries really worked to build strong anti-ballistic system, anti-ballistic defense. So we need a new program. We need FREYJA. Join these common efforts. And yes, sometimes it may seem that Ukraine is focused only on war, because we speak about weapons, we speak about defense and sanctions against the aggressor. But Ukrainians did not choose this war. We choose not to die, not to lose our country, our families, not to lose our independence, our freedom. And we are defending ourselves. And this matters not only for us, I'm sure. Most of you here are like Ukraine was before this war. You are peaceful nations. And you do not think about war every second. But that does not mean you are weak. And those who may wish you harm should not make that mistake. Most of you do not have nuclear weapons. You do not have a habit of attacking your neighbors. And you may not have the money to finance years of war. But that does not mean you have no chance to stay safe, to deter those who may threaten you, to make anyone who may threaten you think twice, and to protect your life and, of course, protect your people. Ukraine has proven that even against a much bigger enemy, you can stand and survive. And we also have the drone deal format. This is not simply about selling drones. Not, of course. It is cooperation with other countries to build a modern, integrated defense system against drone threats in the air, at sea, and on land. And this is not only about protecting the sky. Drones help us control our borders, it's important, mountain areas and, of course, roads, and without them, this would simply be impossible. And it is also about protecting infrastructure, critical infrastructure, about resilience, about organizing resources and defense forces so that critical infrastructure and transport can keep working even in the most difficult conditions, this is also part of the deals we offer. These are ready-made security formats that we adapt to each specific country and each specific region. We are already working with partners in the Gulf, the South Caucasus, and across Europe through drone deals. Today, I signed a drone deal, serious drone deal, with Finland, and this is significant. Also, today, I signed a security agreement with Australia, and drones are part of it too. And we are preparing drone deals with Canada and with other countries as well. When Russia started this war, it could never have imagined that Ukrainian long-range drones would one day reach its factories, its military factories, somewhere in Siberia and on the Yamal Peninsula, thousands of kilometers from our borders. Thousands. No Russian admiral expected that we would be able to sink Russia's pride cruisers that were supposed to dominate the sea but could not survive our naval drones. And along with different types of drones, we also produce a wide range of conventional weapons quickly, at lower cost than in many other countries, and tested in modern war. Ukraine is building its security so that we reinforce our role of a real provider of security and help others get the protection that has already worked for us and that can truly reduce the space for starting and spreading wars in the world. Peace through protection. Ladies and gentlemen, just think about it. No Russian official ever imagined that Army General Winter, which had fought on Russia's side for centuries, would one day switch sides and support those defending themselves from Russia. We will make that happen this winter if Russia continues to target our energy system and our heating. Ukrainians understand that this winter could be very harsh for us. But in response, we will have no choice but to make it painful for Russia too. And that's exactly why we say that de-escalation steps are important, are needed before winter, now. We need diplomacy, and we need strength. And step by step, we are closing the gaps in both. Yesterday, we met with the President of the United States, and this is exactly what we discussed. Unfortunately, we have not had a chance to speak directly with the leader of China, who is in America today, but not here. And he is someone who can influence Russia too, more than many, many others can. And we would like him to want peace as much as we do in Ukraine. We believe the world has the power to make this happen. We are sure the world needs this. This is about energy, about critical infrastructure. This is about food security.
This cannot be fair. So that, believe me when I say that change is possible. As we have seen consistently with measures from the Bridgetown Initiative in less than one year, Barbados as chair of the climate Vulnerable countries, the V20 countries, along with the OPEC Fund for International Development, designed and launched the Vulnerability to Viability Compact on four pillars, bringing about 74 countries along with 16 development finance institutions globally, to expand access to affordable long term capital for education projects, health projects and water infrastructure. The CVF also had its governors of the central bank meet to establish the Lifeline Fund, which will shortly be operationalized. It seeks to provide rapid liquidity when climate shocks create balance of payments pressures for countries. So we are moving to help ourselves. We have been resolute, and the reason for it is that we know that you cannot build hospitals and schools and water infrastructure with ten and 15 year money. It crowds out critical investments for our people and leaves you flat footed. And that is why this important initiative represents real progress. But mechanisms such as this one cannot, on their own, address the underlying flaws of the international financial architecture. I repeat that for almost five years, the Bridgetown Initiative has consistently argued that climate resilience, debt sustainability and access to affordable finance cannot be treated separately. For many vulnerable countries, the problem is not simply the availability of capital, but whether we have the fiscal space to borrow and to invest on reasonable terms.
