President Bio asserts that his Government’s achievements in the Free Quality Education program, legislative review, and radical inclusion are widely recognized as a global model.
In a 17-minute speech at the United Nations General Assembly, he emphasized the importance of working together to end violence and promote peace and prosperity. President Bio also called for increased support for African-led peace initiatives and highlighted the need for reform in the Security Council to ensure equitable African representation.
Additionally, he outlined Sierra Leone’s commitment to human capital development, gender equality, and sustainable development, emphasizing the importance of cooperation and unity in achieving global goals.
The following is an excerpt:
It is imperative that we act together as the United Nations with a sustained commitment to end the circle of violence and give innocent civilians the opportunity to enjoy lasting peace and prosperity. In the Sahel and West Africa, the regional leadership has been hard at work to find urgent solutions to the numerous peace and security challenges, particularly to curb the spread of terrorism and violent extremism. I call upon the international community to strengthen support for African-led peace initiatives and for the United Nations to play a more active role in addressing the root causes of conflicts.
The safety and security of the people in the Sahel and parts of West Africa require a strong commitment from all relevant actors to engage in political dialogue and diplomacy actively (1:08) to ensure we provide countries in the front line, (especially Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, the necessary support they need. Commitment to political transition is necessary, but it should never be at the expense of the safety of vulnerable civilians. There can be commitment and action on both.
I have called for meaningful dialogue and led by example by visiting the head of state of Burkina Faso before Sierra Leone assumed the presidency of the United Nations Security Council in August 2020. We need to build bridges, and this requires the international community’s commitment to working with the regions to implement dialogue-based, region-led and region-owned solutions. Madam President, our current tenure at the United Nations Security Council has reinforced the view that there is an urgent need for reform.
Nearly 80 years after its creation, the Security Council has been stuck in time.Its imbalanced composition is unjust and at odds with current realities, undermining its legitimacy and effectiveness. Unfortunately, Africa remains the unquestionable victim in all of this.
Without structural change, the Security Council’s effective performance and legitimacy remains unquestionable. In a historic and successful debate, which I presided over during Sierra Leone’s August presidency of the Security Council on addressing the historic injustice and enhancing Africa’s effective representation in the Security Council, I spoke as a representative of the continent that has long been underrepresented in the decision-making processes that shape our world on matters of peace and security. That debate had an indisputable resonance.
One, that the historical injustice being perpetrated against Africa must be rectified. Two, that Africa must be treated as a special case. And three, that it must be prioritized in the reform process.
In expressing appreciation for the active and supportive engagement by the many interests and regional groups, as well as invited Member States to the debate, the facts and issues are now clear to all. Africa has long been marginalized in global decision-making processes and its voices are often drowned out. The legacy of colonialism, economic exploitation, and political marginalization has left deep scars on the African continent, thereby affecting its development, stability, and influence in international affairs.
This results in a lack of meaningful representation on issues that directly affect the continent, such as conflict prevention, conflict resolution, peacekeeping operations, and sustainable development. Addressing contemporary global security challenges requires the collective wisdom and cooperation of all nations, not just the privileged few or the most militarily or economically powerful. We urge that equitable representation of Africa,we argue that equitable representation of Africa, we better equip the United Nations to tackle global challenges and foster a more just, fair, and peaceful world.
As the coordinator of the African Union Committee of 10 on the Reform of the Security Council, Sierra Leone remains fully committed to promoting, defending, and soliciting support for the common African position as espoused in the Erzouini Consensus and SART Declaration. Africa, therefore, demands no less than two permanent seats with all the rights and privileges of the permanent members, including the right to veto and two additional seats in the non-permanent category of the Security Council. Sierra Leone welcomes the consensus that has emerged from the UN General Assembly intergovernmental negotiations as reflected in the Pact for the Future, and I quote, to address the historical injustice against Africa as a priority and why treating Africa as a special case improves the representation of the underrepresented and unrepresented regions and groups, end of quote.
Let us work together to redress historical injustice and recreate a Security Council that truly reflects the diversity of the world that we live in today. As I stated in the Security Council debate, the time for half-hearted measures and incremental progress is over. Africa’s voice must be heard, and its demand for justice and equity must be met, and now.
Madam President, the Summit of the Future for Sierra Leone is about delivering peace, human rights, and the dividends of democracy for everyone, everywhere, and now. Accordingly, my government has laid out a strategic vision for Sierra Leone as captured in Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan 2024-2030, a framework for delivering socioeconomic development and prosperity for our people. Aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, our development plan serves as a comprehensive blueprint for transformative acceleration in critical areas such as agriculture, food security, human capital development, job creation for our youth, infrastructure development, and technology.
With the adoption of the Pact for the Future, including the Declaration on Future Generations and the Global Digital Compact at the Summit of the Future, my government is reinforcing its commitment to championing and investing in human capital development. Human capital development is a profound commitment to our people’s well-being and future. By investing significantly in education, health care, and agriculture, my government is laying the foundation for a prosperous and equitable Sierra Leone.
Over the past six years, our achievements through our Free Quality Education Program, legislative reviews and governance reforms in the education sector, and radical inclusion strategies have been highly impactful, well-acclaimed, and seen as a good model for the world. We welcome the Global Digital Compact’s principle of ensuring safe, secure, and trustworthy emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to offer new opportunities to accelerate development and leaving no one behind. In the area of gender equality and women’s economic empowerment, significant strides have been made, and they are some of the legacies my government will bequeath to our current and future generations.
I recently signed into law this year a bill prohibiting child marriage. Following the historic signing into law of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act of 2023, this is all meant to ensure the realization of the national aspiration for our women and girls to build an inclusive and equitable society. I remain steadfast in my commitment to ensuring that every girl and woman lives in a safe environment, with ample opportunities to realize their full potential and thrive equally in the world.
From prioritizing the Women’s Peace and Security Agenda at the Security Council, to adoption by the General Assembly of a resolution condemning all forms of sexual and gender-based violence, and urging all countries to provide victims and survivors with access to justice, reparation, and assistance, we will continue to advocate for women and girls across the globe. (Therefore, I am pleased to announce that Sierra Leone will commence preparatory work that will lead to the convening of a diplomatic conference. To conclude, an internationally legally binding instrument on access to justice for sexual violence survivors, the proposed treaty, the Freedom Treaty, in accordance with the success of the United Nations Resolution on Access to Justice, Remedies and Assistance for Survivors of Sexual Violence.
Madam President, leaving no one behind and acting together to achieve sustainable development similarly means that we have to end global economic inequalities and ensure that governments in least-developed countries can deliver on the dividends of democracy. The unmanageable debt crisis, lack of capital flow, the devastating impact of climate change, and lack of climate finance, conflict, and political instability around the world are increasing the odds of developing countries not achieving the SDGs. The role of development finance institutions in supporting the objectives of national development plans of low-income countries, (particularly those emphasizing the SDGs, is of great significance to their socio-economic development.
At the International Development Association for Africa-Asia State Summit in Nairobi April this year, (Sierra Leone unreservedly expressed its endorsement of the Nairobi IDA Communique. The Communique exemplifies the collective aspiration of the African heads of state present to raise the level of development support in Africa through the IDA 21 replenishment. I wish to re-echo that endorsement at this August gathering.
IDA’s affordable concessional finance allows African leaders to develop our economies, enhance education and healthcare, deal with increasing effects of climate change, and expand electricity and digital access without becoming buried in unsustainable debt. To conclude, Madam President, the end of the Second World War in 1945 did not only unite leaders, but also urged them to cooperate. This was the birth of multilateralism.
As the African proverb says, our two hands do not wash themselves, they wash one another. As leaders, we must cooperate to achieve the purposes of this United Nations and deliver peace and security, stability and prosperity for our people.Divisions and unhealthy competition will only lead to humanity’s destruction.
We must ensure unity in diversity where the rights of the weak and the minority are protected. So let us safeguard our multilateral system. Let us cooperate, acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations, leaving no one behind.
