South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for global action on peace, climate, and development in his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
Ramaphosa said that the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals is becoming increasingly remote as humanity is confronted by war and conflict, want and hunger, disease, and environmental disaster.
“At the moment when every human effort should be directed towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda, our attention and our energies have once again been diverted by the scourge of war,” he said, adding that South Africa has consistently advocated for dialogue, negotiation, and diplomacy to prevent and end conflict and achieve lasting peace.
South Africa-United States Trade & Investment Executive Dialogue #InvestSA 🇿🇦 https://t.co/TKpn5VMXHG
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) September 18, 2023
He mentioned his country’s participation in an African peace initiative, that seeks a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, based on the UN Charter principle of respect for the territorial integrity of every country.
“As we confront other conflicts in several parts of the world, including on our continent, Africa, we need to be investing in prevention and peacebuilding,” he stressed, urging the global community to be concerned by recent incidents of unconstitutional changes of Government in some parts of Africa.
On the issue of Palestine, Ramaphosa said that as long as the land of the Palestinians remains occupied and their rights are ignored, peace will remain elusive there. He also called for lifting sanctions against Cuba and Zimbabwe.
On climate change, Ramaphosa warned that Africa is warming faster than the rest of the world. He urged greater efforts to accelerate global decarbonization, and called on wealthier countries to meet their financial commitments to developing economies to take climate action.
South Africa Statement at the General Debate of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly #UNGA78 https://t.co/puhWuLtPEU
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) September 19, 2023
“It is a grave indictment of this international community that we can spend so much on war, but we cannot support action that needs to be taken to meet the most basic needs of billions of people,” he said.
Ramaphosa also stressed the importance of empowering women in all spheres of life for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. He said that particular attention must be paid to the provision of adequate health services to every woman, child, and adolescent.
High Level Dialogue on Financing for Development
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) September 20, 2023
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“The empowerment of women must be central to the actions we now take towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda,” he said.
Ramaphosa concluded his address by calling for a renewed commitment to multilateralism and the reform of the Security Council to enable it to respond more effectively to current geopolitical realities.
“We are pleased that the Common African Position on the reform of the Security Council is increasingly enjoying wide support. We must ensure that the voice of the African continent and the Global South is strengthened in the United Nations and broader multilateral system,” he emphasized.
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