YouSaid · the spoken record

Mahamadou Issoufou

lines on the record: 110
first: 2011-09-24
most recent: 2020-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Today we need a more agile, more democratic, more coordinated and more effective United Nations, leading us towards a more secure, inclusive and sustainable world. In conclusion, I would like to take inspiration from Thucydides’ famous phrase: “We deserve praise, for paying more attention to justice than compelled to do by our power”. Being fairer also means doing everything to avoid falling into the eponymous trap in order to protect humanity from a global confrontation with irreparable consequences. We need to find a new global balance. This is the opportunity that COVID19 has given us. I thank you for your kind attention.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“If the international system continues to be perceived as unjust and unequal, if we do not ensure the rule of law over the use of force, if we do not respond to the needs of our citizens, then the factors of instability will multiply and the manifestation of ideological hostility to global governance and democratic models will flourish. The multilateral world we want cannot be based exclusively on the balance of power among the great powers. This is perhaps the most important lesson, Mr. President, that the COVID-19 crisis will have taught us. With this in mind, I would like to recall the words of Dag Hammarskjold who said that the United Nations was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Today, respect for the individual, the defence of freedoms and the fight against poverty and epidemics are priorities of the global multilateral system. Beyond institutional reforms, it is also within our societies that this fight is won, by profoundly changing our behaviour and our policies. We need to invent an economy that respects people and the environment. Mr. President, The 75th Anniversary of the United Nations is an opportunity to reflect on how to make it even more capable of meeting new challenges. We must preserve the gains generated by multilateralism and reinforce them.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Today, the World Health Organization has become the most relevant multilateral framework at our disposal to deal with epidemics in a concerted manner. Other multilateral institutions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are all tools to enhance our collective capacity to solve global problems. We urge member States to support the Secretary-General’s efforts to reform the Organization, strengthen its role and provide it with the means to enable it to adequately fulfil its missions. The Niger reiterates once again its commitment to the common African position as expressed through the Ezulwini consensus. The multilateral system arising from the Second World War allowed us to define and implement standards and principles based on human development.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“It is in this spirit that we have drawn up a Global Climate Investment Plan for the Sahel region covering the period 2018-2030 which now constitutes a tool to operationalize the implementation of the Paris Agreement in the region. Likewise, the Great Green Wall Initiative also enables us to build a more sustainable and equitable future and to realize our vision of land degradation neutrality. By preserving the health of our lands and promoting solutions based on respect for nature, we are also preserving the health of our peoples. Mr. President, A century ago, when the Spanish flu hit a world torn apart by the Great War, few multilateral institutions existed. Countries today have fought the pandemic in ways that did not previously exist and have learned a lot.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The time has come to create a new social contract for nature on a global scale. To better recover from the crisis, we must align our exit strategies with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and create a sustainable and inclusive economy by reducing the risk of future shocks. Our lifestyles and means of consumption have a significant impact on the planet and on the use of resources. It is imperative that we change them. This is why in Africa we are working within the framework of the Climate Commission for the Sahel region, which I have the honour of chairing, for the implementation of the Paris Agreement on the continent.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“That is why we support the call of the United Nations Secretary-General for a suspension or lifting of unilateral coercive measures that may hinder the ability of states to effectively combat the COVID-19 pandemic and meet the needs of their populations. Mr. President, COVID-19 calls on us to decide the world we want. What post-COVID-19 world do we want to create? What relationship do we want to have with our planet? The answers to these questions are, as I mentioned earlier, of a health, economic, humanitarian and political nature. The Niger loses approximately one hundred thousand (100,000) hectares of arable land each year, putting our populations in a situation of food insecurity. It is therefore necessary to protect the land and the ecosystem essential to human life.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“On the Palestinian question, the Niger believes that the lasting settlement of this issue necessarily requires talks between Israel and Palestine based on fair and unanimously accepted terms, that is to say a solution between the two States, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security, in strict respect of the 1967 borders, and in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. In this time of pandemic, we express our solidarity with the Palestinian people by supporting UNRWA in its work for the benefit of the vulnerable Palestinian populations. We extend this solidarity to all countries in crisis.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“It is regrettable that the initially promising conclusions of the Berlin Conference under the leadership of Chancellor Merkel have not been respected by those who adopted them. In seeking a solution to this crisis, the role of the African Union and the countries neighbouring Libya should not be overlooked. We are eagerly awaiting the convening of an inter-Libyan National Reconciliation Conference with a view to achieving a political solution to this crisis. We hope to see the appointment of a joint UN-AU special envoy for Libya. Elsewhere around the world, including the situations in Syria, Burma, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen and the Middle East region, the Niger actively participates in the international community’s efforts to ensure peace and security for populations.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Here I would also like to commend the sacrifices made by aid workers. I know that they are protected by resolution 2175 of 2014, but this protection must be strengthened. A follow-up mechanism must be put in place for the disclosure of information and the implementation of sanctions related to attacks against humanitarian workers. Mr. President, Since the Abidjan summit, the partnership between Africa and Europe has been part of a new dynamic enabling the two continents to jointly set their priorities. It was based on this innovative and more inclusive approach that the UN-AU-EU trilateral group was established to address the plight of African migrants in detention centres in Libya. Here I would like to reaffirm the Niger’s solidarity with the brotherly Libyan people, who have been subjected to untold suffering for more than ten years.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“This requires that the military return to their barracks and a transition be led by civilian authorities. In Mali, and throughout the G5 Sahel area, we need multilateralism in order to pursue the fight against terrorism in all its forms, taking due account of the role of women and young people, because it is on the breeding ground for the poverty that terrorism thrives. Children are among the first victims of the terrorist attacks targeting schools in the Central Sahel region where thousands of children are deprived of education. However, our region did not create these evils. They were imposed on it. Our region is a victim. In other words, the security threat falling on the Sahel is not just a local issue but a global concern. The efforts of the Sahel States must therefore be adequately supported both bilaterally and multilaterally.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Antonio Guterres, drawing on inspiration from the model of the African Union mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Furthermore, the creation of the coalition to fight terrorism in the Sahel, the establishment of a joint command for all the participating military forces including Barkhane and Takuba, the upcoming deployment by the African Union of a contingent of 3,000 men, the initiatives of ECOWAS, are all elements that give us hope of victory over our common enemy: terrorism and organized crime. Here I express our concern about the evolution of the situation in Mali, especially following the coup d’etat in the country on 18 August. The Niger and the other ECOWAS countries are fully committed to finding solutions to put an end to the crisis in Mali.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The Niger is convinced that the many threats to international peace and security cannot be resolved by individual States, but by the collective action of the international community. In this regard, I would like to pay tribute to the valiant peacekeepers and elements from our defence and security forces alongside whom they fell in the field of honour, particularly in the Sahel and in the Lake Chad basin. We welcome the strengthening of the operational and intelligence capacities of the defence and security forces at the national level, the operationalization of the Mixed Multinational Force (FMM) in the Lake Chad Basin and that of the G5 Sahel Joint Force. With regard to providing sustainable funding to the latter, I welcome the proposal of our Secretary-General, Mr.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“COVID-19 has shattered that impetus and many of our countries will be in recession. Before COVID-19, Africa needed 600 billion dollars a year to achieve the SDGs. This figure will certainly be reassessed upwards. The pandemic therefore requires that we strengthen bilateral, regional and interregional partnerships. It calls for developing better coordination both with United Nations agencies and international financial institutions. The time has come to further strengthen the links between peace, security in the broadest sense and development. This is about coming together in the face of a global state of emergency that is as much related to health, the economy, society and climate as it is security.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“President, To meet the aspirations of the African peoples as contained in Agenda 2063, I have steered on behalf of my African peers since 2017, a new dynamic of regional integration by operationalizing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), whose operational phase was launched on 7 July 2019 in Niamey. The AfCFTA will enable Africa to set up a single market in order to support economic growth and create prosperity, in particular through creating jobs for young people, with 10 to 12 million currently entering the labour market each year. Africa’s growth and development looked promising at the start of 2020. Growth was expected to rise from 2.9% in 2019 to 3.2% in 2020 and 3.5% in 2021. Significant progress was being made in poverty reduction and health indicators.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“It was thought that the 2008 financial crisis would be an opportunity for its reform: that did not happen. Could the shock of COVID-19 provide another opportunity? I deeply hope so. This shock should be an opportunity to open the debate, including on questions that currently seem utopian such as those relating to the global tax on capital to fight against inequalities, basic universal income to combat poverty, reducing working hours to fight unemployment, and even opening up borders to better support the growth of the world economy. Some think that these are dreams. Putting an end to slavery, the emancipation of women, universal suffrage — these were also once considered dreams. Mr.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“In combating the current emergency, our States need financial support, commensurate with the economic crisis they are going through. A simple moratorium on the debt will not be enough, given the challenges that must be met. We must write off the debt altogether, and design and implement a new paradigm to meet the development needs of the poorest countries. “The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones” said a prominent economist. This is why it is always after shocks that the world reforms. The current paradigm dates from the aftermath of the two oil shocks of 1973 and 1979. Its unchallenged domination has led people to think that it is the end of the story. But it has produced such inequalities that the world is, in this area, in the same situation as at the end of the 19th century.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“It is also important that we rethink the issue of access to medicines because according to figures from the World Health Organization, 42% of medical products sold in Africa are substandard or counterfeit. The coronavirus pandemic reminds us that the global health system remains fragile. Coordinated, decisive and innovative political action, in partnership with the United Nations and other international organizations, is needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Defeating COVID-19 means including Africa in the global response based on Africa’s common continental Strategy. I would like to commend the efforts of the G20 and the United Nations Secretary-General, as well as other partners, in favour of granting a moratorium on the debt of the most fragile States.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Moreover, this is the place to commend and congratulate the health-care soldiers in the war against COVID19. I know that since 2013, world health worker week is celebrated at the beginning of April each year, at the initiative of the WHO. I propose celebrating an international day of front-line health workers given their role in the fight against COVID-19. COVID-19 must lead us to strengthen our investments in the health system, in particular, care for women and girls. The needs are particularly important on the African continent, where approximately 17% of the world’s population is concentrated, for 1% of global health-care expenditure.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Key elements are already being implemented, such as food distribution, two months of free public services for the most vulnerable households and temporary tax relief for the most hard-hit sectors. We are also providing support to the private sector in the form of loan guarantees. COVID-19 is putting great strain on our health-care systems. It is also affecting our responses to combat malaria, tuberculosis and other tropical diseases that are too often neglected. Here I would like to reiterate my call for vaccination for all. In addition to the efforts to make the COVID-19 vaccine available, we must continue to support research into vaccines or improved treatments against diseases such as malaria, cancer, diabetes and the Ebola virus. In this regard, I am delighted that polio has been officially eradicated in Africa.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We need a more inclusive multilateralism that is more responsive to developing countries and better reflects the realities of the world today. In this way, we will build a more effective multilateralism together for better global governance. We need to build confidence. We need to develop inclusion and transparency. We must reaffirm our collective commitment to multilateralism. We must return to resolute action in favour of efficiency, representativeness, responsibility and solidarity. Mr. President, The measures taken by the Nigerien government to tackle the pandemic have enabled us to control its spread while taking the appropriate measures to deal with its socioeconomic impacts. Therefore, our response plan covers both the immediate health response and broader economic and social alleviation measures.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Mr. President, At this time of international crisis linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, the theme chosen for our session is more important than ever. Decisions and consensus are expected of the United Nations so that the international community can act in the most effective way to jointly overcome the consequences of the pandemic. Now is the time to act on the Charter’s provisions, which forcefully stipulate that the United Nations was created to serve the people. We should therefore reflect on our common future, 75 years after the creation of the United Nations. It is essential that we take steps to make the UN better able to respond to the challenges facing the world. Democratic governance must be better reflected at the global level.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Indeed, from the start of my first mandate, I made respect for constitutional texts and institutions a cardinal virtue of my governance for the renaissance of the Niger. My wish was to see the Niger undergo a transformation across all levels: political, economic and social. The results of ten years of implementing the renaissance programme have been largely positive. We have built roads, electrified villages, developed telecommunications infrastructure, fed Nigeriens thanks to the 3N initiative, “Nigeriens Nourishing Nigeriens”, educated and cared for our children, promoted access to water and sanitation and finally, created jobs, especially for young people. Furthermore, despite the threats from terrorist and criminal organizations rocking the Sahel and the Lake Chad basin, we have been able to preserve the integrity of our territory.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“This deadline fills me with pride, in the knowledge that this is the very first time in its history that the Niger will experience a democratic transfer of power. This deadline will be a decisive moment for the Niger as part of its efforts to deepen its democratic process and political maturity. It is similar to other African countries in democratic transition. It is gradually strengthening its democratic institutions and I have no doubt that in the long term our country will leave behind the memories of the trials and tribulations that have characterized its institutional development for so long. This qualitative development is the result of the work carried out during my two mandates.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“President, Since 1 January 2020, the Niger has been a non-permanent member of the Security Council, which it is presiding over during this month of September. I would like to thank member States for this mark of confidence and esteem in my country. We are working with members of the Council and with all other members of the United Nations to promote international peace and security. The General Assembly is certainly the best place to communicate with the international community directly. That is why I take this opportunity to solemnly announce that this is the last time I will speak as President of the Republic of the Niger. The next presidential election to be held in December in my country will be an opportunity for Nigeriens to choose their new leader.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Tijjani Muhammad Bande, for his leadership in steering the 74th session, which was marked, as we all know, by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic situation. Finally, I would like to congratulate Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for the exemplary work he has accomplished in making our Organization more capable of meeting people’s needs for greater solidarity, security and development, through the promotion of multilateralism. I commend his leadership in dealing with the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, in particular his strong advocacy in favour of developing countries. He has shown courage in implementing reforms. The Niger appreciates his personal commitment to a global ceasefire as a result of COVID-19 and his initiatives for climate and stability in the Sahel and West Africa. Mr.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Mr. President, Excellencies Heads of State and Government, Ladies and Gentlemen Heads of Delegations, Ladies, Gentlemen, At the outset, Mr. President, I should like to extend my warm congratulations to you on your election as President of this 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly. I have no doubt that your personal attributes, your long and rich experience and your leadership constitute important assets that will enable the General Assembly to make progress in fulfilling the mandate entrusted to it by member States. I can assure you of the Niger’s readiness to provide you with all of the support you require in carrying out your duties. I would also like to pay a deserved tribute to the outgoing president, Mr.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The instruments put in place in the aftermath of the Second World War are no longer sufficient as they stand. That is a sine qua non for addressing the challenges I have mentioned — poverty, climate change, terrorism and organized crime and migration.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I hope that between now and then, bold decisions will have been taken to address the underlying causes of migration, including poverty, climate change and insecurity. The world has undergone rapid and profound changes in recent years. If we are to respond to the legitimate aspirations of the peoples of the world, we must adapt our strategies to that new context. More than ever, the international community needs a strong United Nations if it is to achieve the ambitious goals of its Charter. We must therefore give the Secretary-General our unwavering support in his efforts to reform the Organization, strengthen its role and equip it with the means to adequately fulfil its missions. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate my call for a new global political and economic governance.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“That first commitment on the part of our Organization on this subject constitutes a first step in addressing the matter in its entirety through the 23 identified objectives. As the Assembly is already aware, I am personally committed to that fight, owing partly to the security problems that illegal migration creates for us, but also because we are horrified by the intolerable spectacle of the tragedies that the migrants endure across deserts and oceans. The Niger is therefore truly motivated to participate in the 2022 forum for examining the Global Compact’s implementation, with a view to sharing our own experiences and being enriched by other countries’ positive experiences.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“On behalf of the other members of the Commission, I would like to reiterate our appeal to the international community to give the conclusions of the round table on financing the plan and the climate agenda for the Sahel the attention they deserve, because continued poverty, climate change, terrorism and organized crime have immediate negative consequences for our States’ efforts to achieve the SDGs. The vast increase in migratory flows is another issue characteristic of our time. It cannot be addressed by one country alone. It is the responsibility of the international community. In that regard, I welcomed the adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in December 2018.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We have also taken steps to integrate the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions into our national programme for access to energy services and to strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacity of our agriculture and water sectors. Lastly, the Niger has decided to implement a long-term national adaptation plan by establishing its determined contribution at the national level, among other things. In that regard, I would like to highlight the importance of the Sahel’s climate investment plan for the period from 2018 to 2030 and its priority programme, important strategic instruments that were formulated under the Niger’s leadership in its capacity as Chair of the Climate Commission for the Sahel.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“That is why I want to call on all Member States to ensure that the conclusions of the Climate Action Summit, held yesterday, on 23 September, are implemented. The fact is that all of us here today recognize the desperate need to pool our strengths and resources in order to find acceptable and sustainable solutions to protect our planet and enable future generations to inherit a world worth living in. We do not have a planet B. Our immediate commitments will have an impact on the survival of humankind. We in the Niger are aware of that. That is why we have emphasized climate change resilience in our sectoral policies and strategies for health, transport, agricultural and pastoral production and for local and regional land planning and development.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I hope it will enable our peoples to see the interest that the international community has in us. I want to sincerely thank all the partners who have been supporting us, including through the Alliance for the Sahel, with a view to backing our States in their development efforts and thereby contributing to the stability of our region. We believe those various partners’ actions should be harmonized if we are to achieve better results. It is always worth remembering that defeating terrorism ultimately depends on economic and social development. The issue of the effects of climate change transcends borders and is part of the international community’s remit. As the situation in the Sahel and the Lake Chad basin illustrates, poverty, terrorism and climate change are closely linked.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“To that we can add other equally decisive measures, such as the request for changing the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali and extending it beyond Mali’s territory, in accordance with Security Council resolution 2480 (2019), and the adoption of a plan of action for the period from 2020 to 2024, with an initial funding from ECOWAS member countries of $1 billion. As Chair of ECOWAS, I urge the international community, particularly the United Nations, to take account of the Summit’s conclusions, given their relevance. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the joint initiative of President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany on implementing a partnership for security and stability in the Sahel.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“That is why on 14 September in Ouagadougou we held an Extraordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) specifically devoted to regional security and to examining ways and means of addressing it collectively. The Summit reflected the strong commitment of the leaders of our region to addressing this problem and also reinforced the idea of pooling our resources in the face of an increasingly organized common enemy with a proven military capacity. I am pleased that ECOWAS took firm decisions about this at the Summit.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In order to tackle this situation, the international community must work urgently to find a solution to the Libyan crisis, including by appointing a joint African Union-United Nations special envoy, helping to strengthen the operational and intelligence capabilities of Member States’ defence and security forces and of the Multinational Joint Task Force fighting Boko Haram in the Lake Chad basin and the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel, which we would like to see operating under Chapter VII of our Charter. The terrorist groups’ new strategy aimed at creating intercommunal conflict, and the spread of insecurity to countries that have been spared until now, are also reasons that demand that we act in concert against such groups.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“It is regrettable that such is not the case in the Sahel and the Lake Chad basin, where the threat of terrorist and criminal organizations has been amplified by the Libyan crisis, for which the international community bears a serious responsibility. As I have emphasized on numerous occasions, the international community must not turn its back on those regions, whose populations, particularly women and children, have undergone indescribable suffering. Their peoples have become refugees or been displaced and their schools have been closed, sacrificing generations of young people who no longer have the opportunity to learn.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“That initiative, which I have had the honour of spearheading since 2017 on behalf of my African peers, will enable Africa to strengthen integration and pave the way for the continent’s transformation by establishing the conditions for prosperity through the implementation of our agreement and Agenda 2063, including by creating jobs for young people. It is now clear that the countries of the Sahel and the Lake Chad basin have become a theatre of operations for terrorist and criminal organizations. That threat is one of the issues that particularly require multilateral action. The fact is that security is a global public good, which the international community has shown that it has fully grasped in its forging of strong coalitions to fight terrorism in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Alongside the SDGs, our continent must implement Agenda 2063, operationalize the African Continental Free Trade Area, promote industrialization by transforming its vast resources into raw materials, build road, rail, port, airport, energy and telecommunication infrastructure, develop human capital by promoting education and health so as to turn our demographic potential into economic dividends, develop agriculture to feed our population, create jobs for our young people and put an end to the tragedy of illegal migration. We can achieve those goals only by boldly reforming global economic and financial governance. I am pleased to be able to inform the Assembly that we initiated the operational phase of the African Continental Free Trade Area in Niamey on 7 July.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I am appealing for vaccinations in particular, not only regarding the restoration of funding for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization for the period from 2021 to 2025 but also the development of vaccines for diseases such as malaria, cancer, diabetes and the Ebola virus. In that same spirit, regional integration could serve as a catalyst by creating markets and facilitating trade.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“That leap forward can be effective only through the genuine mobilization of financial resources, including in the private sector. I should point out that Africa needs $600 billion a year if it is to achieve the SDGs. In that regard, I welcome the Secretary-General’s successful initiative in convening the High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development. I personally believe that it will enable us to identify new avenues for bridging the current funding gap and directing resources to productive sectors and structural projects linked to the SDGs. In that regard, I want to emphasize health education, especially for young girls, including on reproductive health and reducing maternal and infant mortality.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The conclusion that emerged from the work of the latest High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, held in July, is that despite the progress we have made, we are not on track to achieve the Agenda’s goals and targets in the desired time frame. That is why we must raise the level of our ambition and renew our commitment through concrete actions that can have an impact on several SDGs at once, giving us hope that we can win the battle against poverty and ensure inclusive economic growth that takes into account the aspirations that our peoples have for a better quality of life. The SDG Summit, which is taking place on the margins of this session, will give us an opportunity to renew our commitment and a fresh impetus to catch up and achieve our goals by 2030 through concrete development actions.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Reform should not be limited to global political governance but should also include economic governance and institutions, including the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Without that it will be difficult to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, especially Goal 1, on the eradication of poverty. Without that, it will be equally difficult to meet the aspirations of the African peoples outlined in the African Union’s Agenda 2063. The theme of our session is of course an opportunity to take stock of the progress we have made in eradicating poverty through the implementation of those agendas. Four years have already passed since the adoption of the ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“If we are to effectively address those challenges, we must reform the current multilateral system. To galvanize multilateral efforts, we must give special attention to reform measures that have been under way for several years and are still struggling to succeed. Reform packages will remain incomplete without significant progress on reforming the Security Council both in terms of its equitable representation and its working methods and functioning. In that regard, my country remains committed to the common African position, as expressed through the Ezulwini Consensus. Alongside reform of the Security Council, we must also carry out the revitalization of the General Assembly, our representative body par excellence, and the Economic and Social Council, the guarantor of the establishment of a new global economic order.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In the international arena we see countries returning to the arms race, trade tensions, rising populism and xenophobia, growing inequalities, huge increases in migratory flows, the spread of terrorist and criminal organizations and the effects of climate change. We live in a world where some are dying of obesity and others of starvation. We live in a world where the number of refugees and displaced persons in 2018 driven by problems related to poverty, climate and insecurity was estimated at more than 70 million, 300,000 of whom we are hosting in the Niger. We live in a world where 800 million are estimated to be in poverty, while the top 1 per cent of the world’s richest people enjoy twice as much income growth as 50 per cent of the poorest. Inequality has been increasing in almost every country for the past 40 years or so.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The preamble to the Charter of the United Nations states, among other things, that its aim is to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. We must therefore not forget the lessons of history. The increasing complexity of international relations means that multilateralism is more necessary than ever in an increasingly globalized world, where the interdependence of States and nations is also ever increasing. The world must engage in win-win cooperation, not zero-sum relationships, as the theory of the prisoner’s dilemma shows. The world needs regulatory institutions. While it is true that national interests govern politics, national interests are better defended through cooperation rather than confrontation. The theme of this session is also relevant given the challenges facing the international community today.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“It is also an opportunity for us to recall that to date, multilateralism has made progress only in the wake of bloody conflicts, as was the case with the treaties of Westphalia, in 1648, and the Treaty of Vienna, which founded the European orders that succeeded the Thirty Years’ War, the Eighty Years’ War and the Napoleonic wars, respectively. The same was true of the attempt to establish the League of Nations after the First World War, and the creation of the United Nations following the Second World War. Each time, the objective was to create rules and institutions capable of establishing an order that was conducive to peaceful international relations and governed by the rule of law, and that could enable us to emerge out of a state of nature in which every State had absolute freedom to resort to force.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I feel it appropriate here to express my sincere thanks for that mark of confidence in and esteem for my country. For my part, I am fully cognizant of our responsibility and I can assure the Assembly that the Niger will assume it with commitment and conviction and with a view to helping to find solutions to the various challenges facing the international community. The theme of this year’s session, “Galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion”, is pertinent for several reasons. First, it rightly continues the theme of our previous session on our shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, the outgoing President, for the exemplary manner in which she led the work of the seventy-third session. To Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, I would like to express our appreciation for the tireless work he has done to strengthen the effectiveness of our Organization’s action, not just through his implementation of various reforms but also thanks to his personal commitment to certain causes, such as the climate, security in the Sahel, migration and humanitarian issues, among others. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to him and my wishes for his continued success. On 7 June, here in this Hall, Member States overwhelmingly supported the Niger’s candidacy, put forward by Africa, for non-permanent membership in the Security Council (see A/73/PV.89).”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)