Mr. President of the General Assembly, heads of State and Government Secretary General, ministers, distinguished delegates. President, on behalf of Senegal, I wish to thank your predecessor and convey to you my hearty congratulations. I also wish you every success as you steer the work of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. Moreover, I wish to once again reiterate our unwavering support for Secretary General Antonio Guterres work in service of peace, development and human rights. We commend his conduct of the organization and we wish him every success in his future endeavors once his mandate concludes.

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This year, the UAE is preparing to co-host with Senegal, the UN Water Conference, recognising the importance of concerted, coordinated international action in confronting the challenges of water, climate and food security. We are confident that the conference will mark a vital milestone in advancing real, practical solutions for water security. We invite you to participate in the conference and look forward to welcoming you in Abu Dhabi. These efforts embody our firm commitment to turning the challenge of water scarcity into an opportunity for innovation and joint international action, including through the Mohammed bin Zayed Water Initiative, which harnesses innovation, partnership and investment to deliver lasting, sustainable solutions for present and future generations.

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And we are working on a major historical memorial. The Loango Bay Memorial. From this region, countless people were torn from their families and homeland through the transatlantic slave trade. Loango must become a place of truth, remembrance, reflection, but also a place of renewal. And our ambition here is to make Loango like a Gorée in Senegal, like Cape Coast in Ghana or Ouidah in Benin, should become a bridge between Africa and its diaspora. The people of African descent worldwide can reconnect with their history, identity and dignity there. This is also the rationale of our 2025 meetings in Harlem with people of African descent.

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Against this backdrop, it is very important to focus on water in 2026, particularly as climate change intensifies: drought, floods, desertification, and land degradation across Africa. As an arid country, Namibia continues to promote the prudent use and conservation of water, integrated water resource management, groundwater recharge, and greater investment in sustainable water infrastructure. We also underscore the importance of the implementation of the Namib Declaration, adopted at COP11 in Windhoek as part of our collective response to desertification and land degradation and drought. In this regard, we are pleased to inform that Namibia is a host to the Global Water Partnership Headquarters, first-time to be located in the Global South. In our capacity as co-chair with Senegal of the AU International High-Level Panel on the African Water Investment Program, on Monday we convened a high-level side event on water investment for Africa and the globe. We believe its outcome is a meaningful contribution to the 2026 UN Water Conference to be held later in the year, and advance strong global partnership, investment, and action for sustainable water security. Mr. President, the Pact for the Future, which was co-facilitated by Namibia and Germany, provides an ambitious framework for transforming global governance and addressing contemporary and emerging challenges. While the Pact gives due consideration for the interests and the needs of the future generation, its implementation has not been as effective as we had wished.

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