Speech of Faustin Archange Touadera, President of the Central African Republic, in the 79 Period of UNGA. teleSUR
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00:00We go now to the General Assembly of the United Nations that is underway as we continue to hear from the leaders addressing the session. Let's listen.
00:30I am speaking on behalf of my dear, my beautiful country, the Central African Republic.
00:36I am speaking with a view to contributing to the general debate on the theme of this 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
00:46Through its participation in the General Assembly, the Central African Republic is reaffirming its commitment to contributing to our joint pursuit of trust, peace, security, international solidarity and mutual understanding,
01:05all of which are indispensable if we are to build a peaceful world that's conducive to sustainable development and the respect for human dignity, the human dignity of generations past and present and future.
01:22Before I proceed, I'd like to extend to His Excellency Mr. Philemon Yang our heartfelt congratulations.
01:29Congratulations on his shining and historic election to preside over the proceedings of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
01:39Your election is the symbol of an honor and well-deserved tribute that's been granted to our continent, Africa.
01:48Your election is also a source of great pride and inspiration for 51 million citizens, citizens of SEMAC, the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa,
02:01which I am currently presiding over, steering the work of the Conference of the SEMAC Heads of State.
02:08It is also a source of pride and inspiration for your beautiful country, the sister republic of Cameroon.
02:16Your consummate knowledge of international affairs, as well as your far-ranging personal qualities, are a great advantage and a guarantee that our proceedings will be met with success.
02:27I stand convinced that you will do your best to serve the interests of the United Nations and all its member states,
02:34implementing the UN's vast reform program so that the organization becomes more effective, more inclusive, more representative.
02:43And better suited to our changing world, as well as to the resolution of the serious and pressing problems shaking all of humanity.
02:54Rest assured, you have the full support of the Central African Republic in your task.
03:02I'd also like to commend the high caliber of the work done and the accomplishments of President Dennis Francis throughout the 78th session of the General Assembly.
03:14We extend to Mr. Dennis Francis our gratitude and our satisfaction.
03:21United Nations Secretary General His Excellency Antonio Guterres,
03:27I'd like to reiterate to you the gratitude of the Central African Republic and my country's full support, as well as the support of the government.
03:36We support your various initiatives which seek to make the United Nations a place where the efforts of nations come together.
03:45As you know, on the 30th of July of this year, the United Nations Security Council decided to lift in its entirety
03:54the unjust, illegitimate and iniquitous arms embargo that had been imposed on the Central African Armed Forces for a decade.
04:06An embargo which caused us irreparable harm over those 10 years.
04:12Speaking from this rostrum, I'd like to extend to you the gratitude of the Central African people.
04:17We're grateful to the UN Security Council for its wise decision.
04:22A decision which, although belated, will allow my country to continue to act so as to rebuild international peace and security
04:33and to work together with other states in the pursuit of peace, sustainable development and the human dignity of present and future generations.
04:42I'd like to seize this opportunity to reiterate to all of you, all those who held the Central African Republic in their hearts and supported our noble fight,
04:55you have the gratitude of our people.
05:00The Central African Republic has vast mining potential.
05:04Therefore, I'm convinced that we'll continue to receive your support for the lifting of the embargo on diamonds imposed by the Kimberley Process.
05:15An embargo which has circumscribed our ability to work for peace, sustainable development and the human dignity of present and future generations.
05:25Mr. President, the theme of this 79th General Assembly session is leaving no one behind,
05:31acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations.
05:39The theme is tied up with particularly important, significant recommendations,
05:46which will be of import in our discussions on the reform of the global peace and security architecture,
05:54as well as our discussions geared towards achieving the SDGs.
05:58As we know, peace is inextricably linked to sustainable development.
06:03Regrettably, as we meet here at this Great World Forum year in, year out,
06:10as we meet at other fora for that matter,
06:14the world continues grappling with serious existential threats,
06:22becoming more unstable and more vulnerable.
06:27This 79th session is taking place at a very turbulent time,
06:33a time marked by mounting geopolitical crises,
06:37the war between Russia and Ukraine, the war between Israel and Hamas,
06:41the war in Sudan and in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
06:46terrorism, deteriorating economic conditions which are strangling growth in Africa,
06:53as well as rising fuel prices.
06:56We stand convinced that only dialogue can help us to put an end to conflict in a lasting way.
07:08The Central African Republic implores the parties to these various conflicts
07:14to opt for dialogue and diplomacies,
07:18to find a solution to the various disagreements at the root of these conflicts
07:22and to save millions of human lives.
07:24The Central African Republic would like to note that the security situation
07:28has been stable for the most part in 2024.
07:32We are preparing to deepen our democratic roots
07:35by holding municipal and regional elections in the very near future,
07:40something that will be a first of the last four decades.
07:44With this in mind, special measures have been taken to apprehend remaining armed groups.
07:50These groups can no longer control various portions of our country's territory.
07:55As a result, they're engaging in organized crime,
07:58illegal exploitation and fraudulent trafficking of natural resources,
08:02and they're doing this so as to be able to acquire military material and equipment.
08:08The tenth session of the Strategic Committee for Disarmament,
08:13Demobilization, Reintegration and Rehabilitation,
08:16as well as the commemoration in Bangui of African Amnesty Month
08:21by the African Union's Peace and Security Council,
08:24this happened just a few days ago,
08:26were an opportunity for us to fully appreciate the significant headway that's been made
08:31and which has been possible thanks to the fact that stakeholders
08:34have taken ownership and participated in the global peace and security process
08:39underpinned by the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation,
08:43as well as the Rwanda Joint Roadmap.
08:48Despite the progress that's been made,
08:50the Central African Republic continues to grapple with various challenges,
08:53specifically as regards the building of barracks,
08:58so we can station units in defense areas
09:02close to the places from which threats are emanating,
09:05as well as the acquisition of military material and equipment
09:09for our defense and security forces.
09:12Mr. President, climate change is having very serious repercussions.
09:17Deadly flooding, drought and large-scale fires,
09:21which we've witnessed all over the world.
09:24These give rise to various risks,
09:26from food insecurity to water stress
09:30to competition for natural resources,
09:33as well as losses of livelihoods and displacement.
09:38These interdependent, cascading risks can have very serious knock-on effects
09:43on peace, security and development across continents.
09:47In sub-Saharan Africa, which is the epicenter of humanitarian crises,
09:51environmental disasters have resulted, this year alone,
09:56in over 1,000 deaths and 4 million climate refugees,
10:00not to mention invaluable material damage,
10:04specifically in our neighboring country, Chad,
10:07where the number of victims continues to grow following heavy rain,
10:12which prompted large-scale flooding and compelled people to evacuate.
10:19Speaking from this high rostrum, the United Nations,
10:22a symbol par excellence of human solidarity
10:25to express the solidarity of the Central African people
10:29to people all over the world who have been hard hit by natural disasters.
10:34Our world is being rattled by bloody conflicts.
10:38It's also threatened from time to time by deadly weather events,
10:44devastating weather events.
10:46And in this world, developing countries,
10:48which have been impoverished by centuries of slavery, colonialism
10:53and neocolonialism characterized by multifaceted meddling
10:58in their domestic affairs, unjust raw materials prices,
11:03onerous conditionalities imposed through the international financial architecture,
11:08these developing countries are looking on powerlessly
11:13as new security, financial, economic, food-related
11:16and environmental challenges mount.
11:19Funding promises for vulnerable countries
11:22are taking time to come to fruition.
11:26Adaptation measures promised at various COPs and rising temperatures,
11:32all of these are changing as often as the weather does.
11:36Beholden to the political, geopolitical
11:38and geostrategic whims of the great powers,
11:40we're well aware of just how dangerous climate phenomena are.
11:44Thus, my country has crafted sector-specific policies.
11:49However, their effectiveness depends on climate funding,
11:53which is still unreliable.
11:56The Central African Republic would like to urge the United Nations
11:59to do more to implement the climate peace and development nexus,
12:03establishing synergies between climate adaptation and peacebuilding
12:09so as to holistically address the vulnerabilities linked to climate change,
12:15other vulnerabilities and the risk of conflict.
12:19Mr. President, the world is teetering dangerously close to the brink.
12:26The UN peace and security architecture is being subjected to enormous pressure.
12:34The reasons Africa put forward in support of its request
12:38for legitimate Security Council reform and reform to the veto system
12:42are very compelling.
12:45A step forward has been taken by the United States of America.
12:48The US has endorsed the establishment of two permanent seats for Africa
12:52on the Security Council as well as a rotating seat
12:55for small island developing states since.
12:58This proposal is praiseworthy, of course,
13:01but given changes afoot in our world,
13:03Africa, which has for a long time remained on the sidelines,
13:09cannot be fully satisfied with this proposal,
13:12which can only be viewed from the vantage point
13:15of a perpetual denial of the veto to Africa.
13:18It is time to speed up the reform of the international financial architecture
13:24so as to remedy inequality, to mobilize adequate funding
13:28for the achievement of the SDGs,
13:30to meet the financing needs of developing countries,
13:33to be able to reform the implementation of and compliance
13:36with multilateral environmental agreements,
13:40which will help us to make our common ambition
13:44of protecting the planet a reality.
13:47Mr. President, demographic estimates indicate that in 2050,
13:52half of the world's global youth will live in Africa.
13:56Half of Africa's 54 countries
13:59would have seen their populations almost double.
14:02I applaud the Pact for the Future,
14:05as well as the Global Digital Compact
14:07and the Declaration on Future Generations,
14:10annexed there too,
14:12all of which were adopted at the summit of the future.
14:16It is high time that we speed up the implementation of the SDGs
14:19in the following areas,
14:21science, technology, innovation, and digital cooperation.
14:25We should do this whilst stressing equity, rights, and universality.
14:31Young people today are key agents of positive change.
14:37They can make an important contribution to sustainable development,
14:40respect for human rights, as well as global peace and security.
14:44And yet young people are vulnerable for a number of reasons.
14:48This is preventing young people from realizing their full potential
14:53and exercising their fundamental rights.
14:56It therefore behooves us to pledge to transform investment
15:01in young people, in women, girls, and persons with disabilities
15:05so as to guarantee a better future for us all.
15:10As for the Central African Republic,
15:12our ambitious 2024-2028 National Development Plan
15:17strikes a better balance between the needs and interests
15:20of present and future generations.
15:23It does this by making human capital development
15:26one of the plan's strategic pillars.
15:30To conclude, I hope that the spirit
15:32that prompted the establishment of the United Nations
15:34will tirelessly prevail,
15:37thereby helping to create a fertile atmosphere
15:40for resolving the problems plaguing international peace and security,
15:46sustainable development,
15:48and this for the benefit of all humanity.
15:50I thank you.