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teleSUR English
  • 3 years ago
21/09/2023
FTS 12.30
*World debt soars for second half of 2023
*Syrian president Al Assad pays official visit to China
Transcript
00:00:00 Hello from the headquarters of Telesur English in Havana, Cuba.
00:00:13 This is From the South.
00:00:14 I'm your anchor, Gladys Quezada.
00:00:16 And now we begin with the news.
00:00:39 The general debate of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly continues
00:00:43 on Thursday, with world leaders speaking out in support of peace and the implementation
00:00:48 of the 2030 Agenda.
00:00:50 On the third day of the general debate of the United Nations General Assembly, hosted
00:00:54 interventions focused on the search for equality in access to health, science and technology
00:00:59 applied to development as ways for food security, the redesign of the international financial
00:01:05 architecture, as well as the rejections of policies of economic sanctions to countries
00:01:10 such as Venezuela, Cuba and Zimbabwe.
00:01:12 On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that on Wednesday, several African leaders
00:01:16 took the floor and offered their overview on the global situation from their continental
00:01:21 perspective.
00:01:28 And the President of the Central African Republic, Fustino Kanto-Adera, at the UN General Assembly
00:01:33 referred to the sanctions policies affecting his nation, as well as coercive measures against
00:01:38 natural resources.
00:01:40 I remind you and I rue the fact that arms embargoes and diamond embargoes that have
00:01:45 been renewed for the last 10 years happen in parallel with the suspension of budgetary
00:01:54 and economic support.
00:01:55 And both of these factors are a real obstacle for my country's achievement of the realization
00:02:00 of Agenda 2030.
00:02:02 Here we repudiate this denial of our right to self-determination and permanent sovereignty
00:02:07 over our wealth and natural resources, rights guaranteed by the relevant legal instruments
00:02:13 of the United Nations.
00:02:15 Please do away with these trumped-up mechanisms, which thinly veil a desire to allow insecurity
00:02:24 to reign and to continue a strangehold over our natural resources for the benefit of foreign
00:02:30 powers.
00:02:31 These mechanisms ultimately legitimize armed groups and give them the status of being a
00:02:36 subject of international law.
00:02:39 The President of Malawi, Lazarus Makardeh Chawera, during his speech at the 78th edition
00:02:44 of the United Nations General Assembly, highlighted the country's economic and social path taken
00:02:49 by the nation.
00:02:51 As a nation, we took the SDGs and aligned our nation's aspirations to reflect them.
00:03:01 So even though we have our sights set on the Malawi 2063 vision, we also created an implementation
00:03:11 plan for the first 10 years that coincides with the decade of action on SDGs in the context
00:03:19 of Agenda 2030.
00:03:22 And our focus has already started yielding fruit, because in the past few years we have
00:03:28 stayed on track with our quest to end hunger in line with SDG 2, to safeguard the good
00:03:36 health and well-being of our citizens in line with SDG 3, to improve quality of education
00:03:44 in line with SDG 4, to leverage Malawi's abundant water resources for better sanitation in line
00:03:52 with SDG 6.
00:03:54 The President of Malawi also called out the heads of state of the UN Security Council
00:03:59 member nations for not being present at the general debate, and requested Africa should
00:04:04 have a seat at the council to ensure trust within nations.
00:04:08 It is no accident that at this 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, focused
00:04:17 on rebuilding trust and solidarity.
00:04:22 Only one head of state from the permanent members of the UN Security Council showed
00:04:26 up.
00:04:30 That is not how you build trust.
00:04:34 That is not how you show solidarity.
00:04:39 That is not accountability.
00:04:41 That is not leadership.
00:04:44 As such, I believe President Biden said it so well here, and Malawi joins the United
00:04:52 States in insisting that Africa must have permanent seats on the UN Security Council
00:05:02 with veto power, because without that level of inclusivity, rebuilding trust and reigniting
00:05:10 global solidarity will be a challenge.
00:05:15 In the framework of the UN General Assembly, Emerson Ndambuzo Nnangagwa, the President
00:05:19 of Zimbabwe, denounced the unilateral coercive measures imposed by Western powers and called
00:05:25 for the lifting of sanctions against his nation and Cuba.
00:05:29 Zimbabwe has been under the illegal unilateral economic sanctions for 23 years, imposed by
00:05:36 some Western countries.
00:05:39 These sanctions were designed to subjugate the sovereign will of the Zimbabwean people.
00:05:47 We therefore demand that the unjustified unilateral sanctions be unconditionally lifted, including
00:05:56 those imposed on countries like Cuba.
00:06:00 We remain grateful for the support and solidarity of progressive countries in the Committee
00:06:07 of Nations. In spite of these debilitating sanctions, the people of Zimbabwe have become
00:06:14 masters of their destiny. This is in kind on a philosophy that, as a people, we have
00:06:23 the duty and responsibility of developing our country using our own domestic resources.
00:06:31 The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Emerson Ndambuzo Nnangagwa, also emphasized
00:06:36 the importance of science, technology and innovation for developing countries.
00:06:40 Science, technology and innovation are essential ingredients to leapfrog the modernization
00:06:49 and industrialization of developing countries. To this end, Zimbabwe continues to reap the
00:06:56 benefits of a comprehensive and transformative heritage-based higher education curriculum.
00:07:04 The innovation hubs and industrial parks established within institutions of higher education have
00:07:12 refocused young people in our tertiary institutions towards developing and producing goods and
00:07:19 services.
00:07:21 Allow me to reaffirm that Zimbabwe is actually open for business.
00:07:28 For his part, the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir-Meyer, did stress his country's
00:07:33 claim of the UN to lift the arms embargo on the African nation.
00:07:37 As we move in this direction, we call upon the United Nations to lift the arms embargo
00:07:50 imposed on us to aid peace implementation and to secure the elections. The arms embargo
00:08:05 has impeded the implementation of security arrangements because effective deployment
00:08:17 of the unified forces which we have graduated cannot happen without arms.
00:08:28 On Wednesday, the Presidents of Brazil and Ukraine, Lula da Silva and Volodymyr Zelensky,
00:08:33 held their first meeting at the United Nations General Assembly. After a disagreement generated
00:08:38 by the Brazilian President's proposal for a peace dialogue with the two parties in conflict
00:08:43 projected with strong repulsions by the Ukrainian President, the meeting finally took place.
00:08:48 President da Silva ratified the importance of building paths for peace, recognizing the
00:08:53 importance of the meeting, while the Ukrainian President assured that he had instructed his
00:08:57 diplomatic teams to maintain bilateral relations and efforts for peace. The meeting of the
00:09:03 presidents provided an opportunity for the two governments to break the ice.
00:09:15 And on Wednesday, the President of Bolivia, Luis Arce Catacora, signed an agreement at
00:09:19 the United Nations for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity in
00:09:24 areas beyond the national jurisdiction. The United Nations General Assembly adopted an
00:09:29 agreement that establishes monitoring standards for the conservation and sustainable use of
00:09:34 marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. These areas include the open
00:09:39 ocean and maritime regions beyond national borders, such as international waters not
00:09:44 under the sovereignty of any country in particular. The goal of the agreement, according to the
00:09:49 foreign ministry, is to address environmental challenges and preserve marine biodiversity
00:09:54 on a planetary scale.
00:09:56 And now we move on to other topics. The water coverage of nations with territories in the
00:10:16 Amazon, the largest tropical rainforest on the planet, is on the verge of changing drastically.
00:10:22 A report drafted by MapBiomas indicates that Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana,
00:10:28 Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela, countries that are part of the Amazon, have lost the equivalent
00:10:33 of one million hectares in water surface in the last decade. The study warns of the reduction
00:10:38 of water surface and its contribution to the proliferation of forest fires and the increase
00:10:43 in greenhouse gas emissions. The countries that recorded the greatest reduction in water
00:10:48 surface area are Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Let's take a short break, but remember you
00:10:58 can join us on TikTok @TelesorInglish where you will find the news in different formats,
00:11:03 news updates and more. Other stories coming up, stay with us.
00:11:09 Welcome back. The Business Forum between Brazil and Cuba was held at the Federation
00:11:32 of the Industries of the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo. The possibilities of trade between
00:11:37 the two countries were put on the table. The event facilitated the meeting of business
00:11:41 persons from both countries and signified the presumption of commercial relations between
00:11:46 the two nations. During the first day, R&Ds discussed the achievements of foreign companies
00:11:51 operating in Cuba, the significance of minerals like Cuban zeolite in Brazil's trade and the
00:11:57 potential for imports and exports through the Morial port, which generates 16,811 direct
00:12:04 and indirect employment opportunities. The development of this forum confirmed both nations'
00:12:09 commitment to building and strengthening friendly relations.
00:12:16 In general, I believe that this is a first approximation after the pandemic period of
00:12:20 the crisis and that it will have continuity. There is an appreciation that Brazil will
00:12:25 have an important presence on the international affair to be held in Havana in November, which
00:12:31 of course will give continuity to what we have done here and will be organized by the
00:12:37 Brazilian Sport Promotion Agency. And I believe it will be an important moment to continue
00:12:42 the work we have done here.
00:12:46 On Wednesday in Argentina, the first debate of vice presidential candidates was held almost
00:12:51 a month before the first round of the presidential elections. In the debate participated the
00:12:56 candidates Agustin Rossi of Union for the Homeland, Luis Petri of Together for Change,
00:13:02 Victoria Villarreal of Liberty Advances, Florencio Randazzo of We Make Our Country and Nicolás
00:13:09 del Caño of Left United Front. The debate was divided in topics related to economy,
00:13:14 inflation and labor, role of the state in social conflict and security, policy, defense
00:13:19 and justice. In the appearance of Agustin Rossi, Sergio Maza's running mate highlighted
00:13:23 that in an eventual government they will focus on the rights of workers, women and human
00:13:28 rights and said that his party will continue with the policy of promoting more universities
00:13:33 for young people and strengthening entrepreneurs.
00:13:52 And now we continue broadcasting and hearing the 78th session of the United Nations General
00:13:56 Assembly.
00:13:57 Ladies and gentlemen, like most preceding speakers, I would also like to express my
00:14:11 fraternal compassion and solidarity with the peoples of Morocco and Libya who have been
00:14:23 so hard hit recently by natural disasters with unthinkable consequences. A few weeks
00:14:36 ago I received the report of a mission that I had sent to Libya as part of the African
00:14:47 Union Mission of Peace and Reconciliation, which I have headed for almost six years.
00:14:59 The report from this mission is a testament to the courage and resilience of the Libyan
00:15:08 people who are weary of living divided, a people that is fighting to banish the demons
00:15:21 of the country's partition, to return to the path of truth, reconciliation and peace,
00:15:31 a people determined to walk the path of recovery and to regain prosperity. This is a people,
00:15:44 a brave and courageous people, that have given so much to Africa. It is to them that I express
00:15:53 my sincere condolences.
00:15:57 Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, the theme of our general debate clearly reflects our
00:16:07 common will to change the world in a qualitative manner. Thus was the noble philosophy and
00:16:20 the aim of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda to ensure peace,
00:16:33 security and prosperity for all the peoples of the world. Whether we are striving to eliminate
00:16:43 poverty and hunger in the world thanks to a more just and equitable global economy,
00:16:54 and thanks to a more efficient and sustainable agriculture, or whether we are working to
00:17:01 guarantee health for as many as possible and quality education for the most underprivileged,
00:17:13 these are all absolute priorities, as are inter alia, providing water and electricity
00:17:28 to as many people as possible, building road, rail, port, airport and energy infrastructure
00:17:44 to link territories, countries, regions and subregions, the conservation of biodiverse
00:17:59 ecosystems, especially through responsible management of these tropical forests that
00:18:09 are some of the most precious gifts that providence has bestowed upon us, fighting to change mindsets
00:18:22 throughout the world while respecting the diversity of cultural expression and while
00:18:31 promoting mutual tolerance, inculcating our societies with the idea of gender equality
00:18:45 and gender parity, and empowerment of women and girls.
00:18:56 With regards to that last point, I'd like to underscore the weighty role played by women
00:19:06 in my country over the last 15 years. Today, women contribute immensely to promoting their
00:19:20 rights and freedoms, to eliminating poverty and expanding inclusive education through
00:19:35 training and study of all kinds.
00:19:45 To sum up, all of these priorities that I have just listed call upon all of us to have
00:19:54 a heightened sense of duty and responsibility, as well as openness toward the virtues of
00:20:04 dialogue, a strong spirit of solidarity, patience and resilience. The well-being of the nations
00:20:17 of the world, I believe, hinge largely upon this change and this choice.
00:20:29 Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, today the climate is the most pressing of all emergencies.
00:20:44 This emergency strikes at the heart of life in all of its diversity. It jeopardizes our
00:20:55 existence in all of its complexity. The inexorable rise of sea levels jeopardizes island countries'
00:21:09 rampant desertification that nothing seems to be able to stop. Suffocating heat waves
00:21:21 that take the lives of so many elderly people, frequent flooding and sudden mudslides that
00:21:35 cause the damage that we've seen recently. These are all dangerous and devastating phenomena
00:21:48 that have shocked even the skeptics among us.
00:21:55 And that is why, shouldering my responsibility as President of the Climate Commission of
00:22:05 the Congo Basin, I launched, during COP27 in Egypt, an initiative called the Global
00:22:17 Reforestation Decade for greater biodiversity and for denser vegetation cover for the benefit
00:22:28 of humanity. In the same spirit, my country, the Republic of Congo, has committed to hosting
00:22:42 in October a summit of three basins of biodiversity ecosystems and tropical forests, namely the
00:22:56 Congo, the Amazon, Borneo-Mekong, as well as Southeast Asia, as a collective and concerted
00:23:09 response of these three green lungs of our planet to climate insecurity, which threatens
00:23:19 all of us.
00:23:24 This time immemorial, as we all know, forests have made life possible for millions and millions
00:23:34 of people. With a deforestation rate that is one of the lowest in the world, just 0.06
00:23:47 percent, my country is fully playing its part in protecting the environment for the survival
00:24:00 of humanity.
00:24:04 Today we warmly welcome the inscription of the Odzala-Kokua Natural Reserve in the World
00:24:24 Heritage List. This took place at the 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee,
00:24:35 which was recently held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This is clearly an act of recognition, an
00:24:47 act that justly rewards the efforts of my country to preserve this natural treasure
00:25:00 of almost 1.2 million hectares, so rich in animal and plant biodiversity, in the heart
00:25:11 of the Congo Basin.
00:25:15 These sacrifices made by riparian communities who have voluntarily given up certain activities
00:25:26 that could harm the environment, and the willingness of states to abandon development projects
00:25:39 to protect biodiverse ecosystems, should also be compensated financially by the international
00:25:52 community, a compensation that is in no way charity.
00:26:05 Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, in Africa, with regard to agricultural development, we
00:26:18 know that we must protect arable land from the harmful effects of climate change. Otherwise,
00:26:36 production estimates would vary widely and planning would become impossible. Our responsibility
00:26:52 as leaders is clear as day. With a population of nearly 2 billion in 2050, Africa must now
00:27:14 make a qualitative leap to ensure that in the future it has sufficient and high-quality
00:27:24 food and can thus banish forever the specter of famine and population flight.
00:27:38 Africa is in dire need of modern agriculture, supported by modern irrigation and mechanization
00:27:53 systems, agriculture that would allow it to greatly reduce its food imports, which are
00:28:04 still too high. That is why I am calling for effective technical and financial partnerships
00:28:17 to make great strides in this sector.
00:28:23 Africa has no need for partnerships based on official development aid that is politically
00:28:37 oriented and tantamount to organized charity. Trickle-in subsidies filtered by the selfish
00:28:52 interests of donors will certainly not allow for a real and effective rise of our continent.
00:29:11 The current session of the General Assembly is taking place at a time when wars and other
00:29:18 armed conflicts are raging throughout the world. Here I would like to once again underscore
00:29:30 that no progress is possible on any continent or any country without peace.
00:29:44 The hope of attaining the SDGs laid out by the UN would be merely an illusion if we do
00:29:57 not ourselves create the most important of all conditions needed for the realization
00:30:06 of peace. For its part, and whenever possible, the Republic of Congo has always striven toward
00:30:23 the peaceful resolution of conflicts in Africa and throughout the world. That is why my country
00:30:33 has decided to take active part in the African Initiative for Peace Mediation between Russia
00:30:44 and Ukraine.
00:30:50 Due to the risk of generalized war that these events are creating for the world, it is not
00:30:59 only the two belligerents in this conflict but also foreign powers that could nudge the
00:31:11 course of events toward peace. All of these actors must temper their emotions, stop fanning
00:31:21 the flames, and commit immediately to engaging in peace negotiations that would be just,
00:31:36 sincere and equitable. The world desperately needs these negotiations to prevent the confrontation
00:31:54 that is already underway, already so devastating, from further spiraling and pushing humanity
00:32:04 into what could be an irreversible cataclysm, that is to say, total war, beyond the control
00:32:18 of the great powers themselves. I remain convinced that the wise recommendations put forward
00:32:29 by Africa to restore peace between Ukraine and Russia will ultimately be heeded.
00:32:42 Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, As President of the High-Level Committee of the African
00:32:52 Union on Libya, I would be remiss not to mention before this august assembly the dire situation
00:33:08 that this country has been living in since 2011, a situation in which I am fully invested
00:33:19 on behalf of the African Union. Efforts toward peace made in this difficult situation continued
00:33:29 recently in July of this year as part of the reconciliation meeting that took place in
00:33:37 Brazzaville in my country. This meeting allowed various actors from the entire Libyan political
00:33:49 and social spectrum to sit at the same table. We spared no effort to encourage the parties
00:34:02 involved to overcome their differences and to reconcile their views of the challenges
00:34:10 that a future Libya would face. The Inter-Libyan Reconciliation Conference aims at mediation,
00:34:23 but it will not be effective unless it is inclusive, constructive, and consensus-based.
00:34:32 We must allow our Libyan brothers and sisters to rediscover the virtues of dialogue and
00:34:40 to end their standoff, to learn to forgive each other, and to give precedence to justice,
00:34:51 the foundation of the law-based state whose history they are called on to write.
00:35:00 Once again, I call for the support of the international community, beginning with the
00:35:10 countries of the sub-region and the organizations that they belong to, as well as, of course,
00:35:18 the countries of the Quartet, to provide tangible support for our efforts to create a strong
00:35:30 and credible prospect of resolving once and for all this crisis which has gone on far
00:35:39 too long.
00:35:49 In light of the unilateralism that is dangerously eroding the foundations of the great edifice
00:35:57 that civilian generations have helped to build since 1945, the Republic of Congo, through
00:36:06 myself, reaffirms its commitment to multilateralism, the key to justice in international relations,
00:36:19 the key to balance, equity, peace, and cooperation for shared development.
00:36:30 Multilateralism, as we all know, can only flourish in a just and equitable global system,
00:36:41 a system that reflects not the phantoms of the past but the changing reality of our time.
00:36:55 It represents the urgent need to reform its flagship instrument, that is, the Security
00:37:05 Council of the UN, in order to guarantee fairer representation of all continents and all peoples
00:37:18 of the world.
00:37:20 Here Africa has a common position, a compromise and consensus-based position signed in Esaouine,
00:37:36 which my country has staunchly defended for more than a decade.
00:37:47 Here and now I reiterate the African demand, legitimate in every way, to see two of its
00:38:00 states accorded permanent membership of the Security Council of the UN with veto rights.
00:38:18 This would merely be justice in the face of history.
00:38:26 Thank you.
00:38:27 (Applause.)
00:38:27 On behalf of the Assembly, I wish to thank the President of the Republic of Congo for
00:38:39 the statement just made, and I request Prodocol to escort His Excellency.
00:38:45 The Assembly will hear an address by His Excellency William Sumo Ruto, President of the Republic
00:38:51 of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces.
00:38:56 I request Prodocol to escort His Excellency.
00:39:01 On behalf of the General Assembly, I have the honor to welcome His Excellency William
00:39:09 Sumo Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces,
00:39:17 and to invite him to address the Assembly.
00:39:24 Thank you very much.
00:39:25 The world over today, hundreds of millions of people are besieged by anxiety about their
00:39:33 present and future security, dignity, and prospects of well-being.
00:39:40 Many are victims and witnesses of present assaults, and many more are afraid of future
00:39:50 violations of their most fundamental expectations.
00:39:57 In his opening address, our Secretary General provided a graphic snapshot of the condition
00:40:03 of the world and humanity, a situation that calls into question the state of multilateralism
00:40:12 in terms of its founding aspirations as well as its present agenda.
00:40:20 The poverty, fear, suffering, and humanitarian distress haunting the victims of conflict,
00:40:29 drought, famine, flooding, wildfires, cyclones, deadly disease outbreaks, and other disasters
00:40:39 are the outcomes of sustained violation of the most essential principles and the systemic
00:40:47 neglect of humanity's dearest values, which lie at the very foundation of the UN Charter.
00:40:58 The failure of peace and security systems, inadequate development, unlimited climate
00:41:04 action, amidst technological advancement, and enormous wealth has left us in a state
00:41:12 of paralysis, enduring one of the darkest periods of human existence.
00:41:20 We may all agree, without any fear of contradiction, that the world is headed in a most undesirable
00:41:27 direction.
00:41:29 It is moments like this that the affirmative spirit of multilateralism, international collective
00:41:36 action, and global solidarity is most needed and should be attained.
00:41:44 This is not the occasion for any member of the United Nations to escape when they should
00:41:50 be rising to the challenge of the moment.
00:41:54 Resorting to pursuit of narrow, insular, antisocial agendas within exclusive clubs constituted
00:42:03 to maintain the status quo that undermines and cannibalizes the United Nations systems
00:42:09 at the expense of progress in humanity's collective journey to the future over aspirations
00:42:17 is totally unacceptable.
00:42:20 The existence of this inimical clique of geopolitical formations defies the fundamental values and
00:42:28 principles of the UN system and its operations have led to alienation, mistrust, insecurity,
00:42:37 and exclusion of and among peoples, nations, regions, and continents.
00:42:45 Moments like now place the nature and purpose of multilateralism under sharp scrutiny for
00:42:52 history's honest examination and judgment.
00:42:57 If any confirmation was ever needed that the United Nations Security Council is dysfunctional
00:43:04 and democratic, non-inclusive, unrepresentative, and therefore incapable of delivering meaningful
00:43:13 progress in our world as presently constituted, the rampant impunity of its actors on global
00:43:21 scene settles that matter.
00:43:26 The environment of perversive mistrust between the global north versus the global south,
00:43:32 developed versus developing, rich versus poor, polluters versus victims, and net emitters
00:43:39 versus net victims, which complicate and frustrates multilateralism, is the inevitable result
00:43:47 of promises not kept, commitments not actualized, resolutions not honored, and principles not
00:43:55 observed.
00:43:58 Multilateralism has been failed by abuse of trust, negligence, and impunity.
00:44:06 A year ago, I stood in this assembly hall to call upon the global community to transform
00:44:12 the UN system in order to achieve a consensus-driven, rules-based, multilateral system which works
00:44:21 for the people of the world in their diversity.
00:44:25 It is time for multilateralism to reflect the voice of the farmers, represent the hopes
00:44:32 of villagers, champion the aspirations of pastoralists, defend the rights of fisherfolk,
00:44:40 express the dreams of traders, respect the wishes of workers, and indeed, protect the
00:44:46 welfare of all peoples of the world.
00:44:51 In the face of the most urgent crisis of our time, it is now clear that the international
00:44:58 community has fallen seriously behind in meeting its targets in both climate action and the
00:45:04 implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as their underlying enabler,
00:45:12 peace and security.
00:45:15 We as Africa have come to the world not to ask for arms, charity, or handouts, but to
00:45:24 work with the rest of the global community to give every human being in this world a
00:45:30 decent chance of security and prosperity by taking necessary actions, mobilizing adequate
00:45:37 resources for investment, confronting security challenges, and resolving conflict as we all
00:45:44 make our contribution to global prosperity.
00:45:50 Kenya is proud of the contribution it continues to make in its tireless endeavor to support
00:45:57 peacemaking, conflict prevention, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and other interventions undertaken
00:46:06 across different regions.
00:46:10 All across Africa, there is progress in efforts to resolve conflict and restore peace and
00:46:16 stability, while at the same time we are witnessing setbacks to democratic consolidation in the
00:46:23 form of unconstitutional changes to governments.
00:46:28 Kenya remains committed, determined, and indefatigable in its contribution to unity, peace, security,
00:46:37 stability, and prosperity.
00:46:40 And we have made encouraging progress.
00:46:44 For example, on 5 December 2022, the Juba Peace Agreement ushering in a two-year transition
00:46:53 was signed by the parties to the conflict in Sudan.
00:46:57 A day after, the Inter-Congolese Dialogue on EAC-led process concluded its third session
00:47:05 in Nairobi.
00:47:07 The following day, the Government of Somalia and Somaliland agreed to resume reconciliation.
00:47:14 We are also proud of the progress made in stabilizing Eastern DRC as a result of the
00:47:20 EAC Regional Force setting the DRC on the path to sustainable peace and stability.
00:47:28 In Ethiopia, the guns have gone silent following the Pretoria and Nairobi agreements, while
00:47:34 in South Sudan, the parties have committed to explore ways to resume and conclude the
00:47:40 stalled peace process and to hold elections.
00:47:45 Our proactive commitment to peace, which is not limited to our continent, inspired us
00:47:50 to dispatch the African Peace Delegation consisting of six African heads of state to Moscow and
00:47:57 Kiev with a 10-point peace plan, beginning with efforts to initiate a mediation process
00:48:04 to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
00:48:09 Although the delegation encountered significant challenges in their mission, we remain very
00:48:14 proud that they showed up.
00:48:17 The hunger for peace and security in Africa is evident, and this bodes well for the prospects
00:48:23 of attaining the Africa Union's Agenda 2063 and global peace.
00:48:31 Kenya stands in solidarity with all humanity, without regard to region, border, or hemisphere.
00:48:39 This is why and how we see the people of the Republic of Haiti, who are suffering immensely
00:48:47 from the bitter legacy of slavery, colonialism, sabotage, and neglect.
00:48:54 As a nation which was forced to wage a painful struggle for our own independence and sovereignty,
00:49:01 Kenya empathizes very deeply with the humiliation of our proud people in Haiti and the price
00:49:09 they have had to pay for their hunger for liberty and the sorrow they have endured for
00:49:15 their thirst for freedom.
00:49:18 Haiti is the ultimate test of international solidarity and collective action.
00:49:24 The international community has failed this test so far and thus let down our people very,
00:49:33 very badly.
00:49:35 Haiti deserves better from the world.
00:49:39 The cry of our brothers and sisters who were the first people to win their struggle for
00:49:45 freedom from colonial tyranny has reached our ears and touched our hearts.
00:49:53 Doing nothing in the face of the historic isolation, neglect, and betrayal of the people
00:49:58 of Haiti is out of question.
00:50:01 Inaction is no longer an option.
00:50:05 As we mobilize to show up for Ukraine and countries that have experienced the devastating
00:50:10 impact of climate shocks, including Libya, Morocco, and Hawaii, we must not leave Haiti
00:50:17 behind.
00:50:20 We must commit to show up in the spirit of solidarity to support our people regain their
00:50:26 political and socioeconomic footing by reinforcing the underlying enabler that is security.
00:50:34 Kenya is ready to play its part in full and join with a coalition of other nations of
00:50:41 goodwill, and there are many, as a great friend and true sibling of Haiti.
00:50:48 We urge the United Nations to urgently deliver an appropriate framework to facilitate the
00:50:54 deployment of multinational security support as part of a holistic response to Haiti's
00:51:01 challenges.
00:51:03 We call on the Security Council to contribute positively by approving a resolution under
00:51:09 Chapter 7 that tailors the security support mission to the specific needs of Haiti and
00:51:15 its people.
00:51:17 This should be part of a comprehensive strategy that includes delivering humanitarian aid,
00:51:24 supporting livelihoods, instituting reforms, and fostering a political process guided and
00:51:30 owned by Haitians, all in the aim of enabling free and fair elections within a reasonable
00:51:38 time frame.
00:51:40 We are encouraged by many countries which have already stepped forward to take part
00:51:46 in this solidarity.
00:51:49 We must recognize that stability, peace, and security form the foundation on which the
00:51:57 pursuit and realization of sustainable development and climate action stands.
00:52:03 This realization must enable us formulate strategies which treat these initiatives as
00:52:09 interconnected, mutually reinforcing, and complementary dimensions of a single agenda.
00:52:17 The tragic spectacle of young people from Africa boarding rickety contraptions to gamble
00:52:25 their lives away on dangerous voyages in pursuit of opportunities abroad, either as conflict,
00:52:33 climate, or economic refugees, is a statement of the failure of the global economic system.
00:52:42 At the recently concluded Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, we undertook to begin the journey
00:52:50 to course-correct and execute a paradigm shift in our pursuit for development and climate
00:52:56 action.
00:52:58 First, we recognize that both climate action and sustainable development goals must be
00:53:03 pursued simultaneously with greater resolve, urgency, and ambition.
00:53:10 No meaningful development can take place in countries that are also struggling with climate
00:53:15 shocks, and yet, at the same time, the frequency of climate emergencies impedes any meaningful
00:53:22 development.
00:53:23 As a defining outcome of the Africa Climate Summit, we committed Africa to consider the
00:53:30 dual problems through an opportunity lens and deliver effective solutions by pursuing
00:53:38 a fresh trajectory.
00:53:42 Development is a basic necessity for every society.
00:53:46 It must happen one way or another.
00:53:50 There should be no doubt about that.
00:53:53 Annually, 30 million young people in our continent need jobs, and many more need food.
00:54:02 Half of our continent is in the dark without access to electricity in 2023, while hundreds
00:54:09 of millions can only cook using biomass because they have no electricity.
00:54:15 This is why the commitment of African nations in the Nairobi Declaration is both radical
00:54:23 and transformative.
00:54:26 Development in our opinion is a fundamental imperative, and green growth is the only sustainable
00:54:33 way to achieve it.
00:54:36 From our standpoint, there is no need to be trapped in a false choice.
00:54:43 Sustainable development is robust climate action, and climate action is development.
00:54:50 Africa's potential is defined by abundant and diverse resources, ranging from a youthful,
00:54:58 highly skilled and motivated young population, immense renewable energy potential, and mineral
00:55:06 resources, including critical minerals, and extensive natural capital endowment, including
00:55:12 60% of the world's unutilized arable land.
00:55:18 Capital and technology can find no better returns anywhere than the tremendous investment
00:55:25 opportunity in Africa's potential.
00:55:29 Such investment would drive green growth, creating jobs and wealth, while decarbonizing
00:55:36 global production and consumption.
00:55:39 Further, the investments would also connect over 600 people to clean electricity, provide
00:55:49 clean cooking to about a billion people, finance green manufacturing, including e-mobility,
00:55:57 transform African agriculture and food systems, including the manufacture of green fertilizer,
00:56:03 process vast tonnage of steel, aluminum, and lithium required by new green industries,
00:56:11 and enable our young people to find the livelihoods they desire at home, and reverse the tide
00:56:19 of migration in the opposite direction.
00:56:24 To unlock financing at scale and create incentives for investment at scale in green opportunities,
00:56:32 the Nairobi Declaration makes the reform of the international financial system a priority.
00:56:40 No meaningful climate action or development can take place in conditions of financial
00:56:45 distress.
00:56:48 According to IMF data, as of last month, 10 low-income countries were already in debt
00:56:56 distress, and 52 are at high or moderate risk of falling into debt distress.
00:57:05 The 3.3 billion people in these countries are trapped in a vicious circle of emergency
00:57:13 responses, reconstruction, and recovery from more frequent climate shocks, which diverts
00:57:19 resources away from both development and climate action, and sucking vulnerable countries into
00:57:26 a downward spiral of debt and environmental stress.
00:57:32 The global community must therefore develop a debt restructuring initiative that does
00:57:38 not wait for nations to plunge over the cliff into debt distress before providing relief.
00:57:47 Rather, the new sovereign debt architecture should extend the tenure of sovereign debt
00:57:56 and provide a 10-year grace period for countries that are in debt distress.
00:58:05 The second financing intervention relates to concessional financing.
00:58:10 It is time to work with the international financial institutions to provide more concessional
00:58:17 loans approximately to the tune, in our estimation, of about $500 billion and to provide increased
00:58:27 liquidity support through special drawing rights with a minimum target of what was obtained
00:58:34 during the COVID pandemic of $650 billion.
00:58:42 Access should be based on specific needs, not entitlement, and this necessitates changes
00:58:49 to the allocation mechanism, different from what we saw during SDRs for COVID.
00:59:00 The third critical reform is that of the financial market reorganization.
00:59:06 The entire system of risk assessment and the opaque methodologies employed by credit rating
00:59:16 agencies and risk analysis needs to be overhauled at the minimum.
00:59:24 We must all recall the miscalculation of subprime mortgage risks by these agencies two decades
00:59:32 ago, which precipitated a financial crisis whose effects refabricate to date.
00:59:40 And ask the following question.
00:59:43 On what basis should we believe that their methodologies are better at assessing risk
00:59:50 in far away frontier markets like ours, that are far much more complicated to measure objectively
00:59:59 than in assessing the value of financial assets in the markets where they actually operate,
01:00:07 and which they got so disastrously wrong?
01:00:12 If they got it wrong then, I bet you they have it wrong now.
01:00:19 In any case, any objective rating must also take into account principles of responsible
01:00:28 sovereign lending and accounting, specifically emphasizing the need for international accounting
01:00:35 systems that supports the proper valuation of mineral wealth, natural capital, and ecosystem
01:00:43 services in the computation of national GDPs.
01:00:49 Until that is done, very wealthy countries will be categorized as poor.
01:00:58 The fourth limb of the interventions arising out of the Nairobi Declaration is the establishment
01:01:06 of a global public climate financing mechanism funded through a global carbon tax on trade
01:01:15 in fossil fuels, as well as an emissions levy on aviation and maritime transport, including
01:01:22 the option of a global financial transactions tax in order to make available dedicated,
01:01:30 affordable, and accessible capital for green investments at scale.
01:01:38 The road map to this new and urgently needed institutional infrastructure involves sustained
01:01:45 engagement at various multilateral processes, and the instruments to actualize it by 2025
01:01:53 shall be a new global climate finance charter to be negotiated through the United Nations
01:02:00 General Assembly, COP 28, and associated processes.
01:02:08 We understand the facts about our collective situation as a global community and as a member
01:02:14 of the United Nations family.
01:02:17 We know the magnitude of our shared challenges and common threats.
01:02:24 We appreciate that multilateralism is on trial, and our task is to defend it.
01:02:30 We also recognize that multilateralism is broken, and it is our responsibility to fix
01:02:37 it.
01:02:39 From this moment to 2030, and from our problems to their solutions, we are connected by a
01:02:46 coherent agenda of robust collective action.
01:02:52 We must therefore master the courage and will to stand together in solidarity and act, to
01:03:00 right past wrongs, solve present problems, and secure our collective future, to protect
01:03:09 and empower all people and support our friends in need.
01:03:16 To restore broken trust, raise hopes high, and keep faith strong.
01:03:25 And finally, to pursue, achieve, and sustain positive change in order to make billions
01:03:34 of cherished dreams come true.
01:03:38 We must start right away, for we have no time to lose.
01:03:44 And I thank you.
01:03:45 (Applause.)
01:03:45 On behalf of the Assembly, I wish to thank the President of the Republic of Kenya and
01:03:53 Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces.
01:03:56 We were listening to the President of Kenya, William Ruto.
01:03:59 The head of state stressed the need for multilateralism and called for unity amongst African unions
01:04:04 so as to fulfill its development aspirations.
01:04:08 He also called for proactive commitment to peace between Moscow and Kiev and called for
01:04:12 an effective mediation process.
01:04:14 He also addressed the situation in Haiti and expressed the solidarity of Kenya with the
01:04:19 Caribbean nation, calling it the ultimate test of international solidarity.
01:04:23 He also recalled the global immigration crisis, especially the one in Africa, and how it impacts
01:04:28 local development.
01:04:29 He also called for more initiatives focused on the youth and others aimed at green technologies
01:04:34 so as to alleviate environmental stress.
01:04:37 He also stressed the need to reform international financial institutions and to impose a carbon
01:04:42 tax on trade and industries.
01:04:44 We will have more details in upcoming news briefs.
01:04:47 Stay with us.
01:04:48 [music]

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