AFRICAN GROUP STATEMENT BY H.E. MR. HAROLD AGYEMAN AT THE INFORMAL BRIEFING BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON THE MANDATE IMPLEMENTATION REVIEW REPORT ON THE UN80 INITIATIVE

  Delivered by H.E. Harold Agyeman

Permanent Representative of Ghana to the United Nations

1st August 2025

Mr. President

1. Let me begin by thanking you for convening this informal plenary meeting of the General Assembly to enable the Secretary-General to brief us on his report on the work-stream of the UN80 Initiative, relating to the review of the implementation of mandates.

Mr. Secretary-General

2. The African Group acknowledges your tireless efforts since you launched the UN80 Initiative on 13 March and reiterates its commitment to working constructively with you and all other Member States to ensure a meaningful and inclusive process.

Excellencies,

3. The African Group reaffirms its view that the objectives of building an efficient and effective Organisation – one that responds to the imperatives of today’s world – should of necessity be grounded in the Charter of the United Nations and must not undermine the balance established among the three (3) pillars of the Organisation’s work.

4. In this regard, the African Group, recalls the consensual adoption of resolution 79/318 of 18^th July and affirms the need for meaningful engagements to assert the central role of Member States in the reform process. We therefore urge that following this briefing by the Secretary-General, further informal consultations be undertaken to exchange views on the report and, from the perspective of Member States, to reflect on the Secretary-General’s proposed direction of travel.

Mr. President,

5. Without prejudice to our Group’s positions on the UN80 Initiative, the African Group would like to offer three (3) preliminary remarks on the report just presented by the Secretary- General.

6. First, the African Group reiterates its strong commitment to the prioritization of Africa as a programme of the Organisation. This is not because we seek a proliferation of African mandates, but because the global imbalances imposed by the international system on the African continent continue to require the mobilization of international efforts to address in a fair, just and equitable manner, the historic burdens that the continent has carried since the era of decolonization.

7. The African Group will therefore closely review the Secretary-General’s report and assess how the recommendations being developed impact the implementation of African mandates and the prioritization of Africa as a programme.

8. Second, the African Group believes that due to the interlinked nature of the three (3) work-streams of the UN80 Initiative, the General Assembly’s work processes must be designed to ensure strategic coherence and maintain necessary synergies. While we acknowledge that the process may not be linear, the sequencing and synchronization of actions will be essential.

9. For instance, while efficiency proposals would be submitted within the Organisation budget and considered by the Fifth Committee, the mandate implementation review – under the purview of the Secretary-General - and mandate review - should Member States choose to pursue it - will proceed primarily in plenary. The same appears to apply to the work-stream on Structure and Programme Realignment.

10. Finally, with 60 percent of the Security Council’s work relating to the African continent, the African Group will engage closely with the aspects of the mandate implementation review report that concern peace and security. The Group remains open to deepening the Organisation’s partnership with the African Union in this area. We support existing frameworks of cooperation that leverage the comparative advantage of each organization while respecting the Security Council’s primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, and avoiding additional burdens on African Member States.

Excellencies,

11. The world stands at a critical juncture of history and our common endeavours into the future is largely dependent on this Organisation. It is in this context that the African Group thanks the Secretary-General for his report and the briefing.

12. We will examine the report in greater detail and reaffirm our readiness to actively contribute to the ongoing processes of the UN80 Initiative. We look forward to engaging constructively in the next phases of this important initiative.

I thank you.