Statement by H.E. Ambassador Samba Sané | Chair of the African Group for the month of October at the Second Committee Debate under Agenda Item 18: Sustainable Development

  Delivered by H.E. Semba Sane

Permanent Representative of Guinea-Bissau to the United Nations

13th October 2025

Mr. Chair,

Distinguished Delegates,

1.    I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the African Group.

2.    The Group aligns itself with the statement delivered by Iraq on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

3.    With only five years left toward achieving the 2030 Agenda, we must also reflect on Africa’s vision, Agenda 2063, our blueprint for inclusive growth, sustainable development and regional integration.

4.    Both Agendas are critical to Africa’s development journey, but the path ahead is filled with challenges. To overcome them, we must now turbocharge our efforts and accelerate implementation, ensuring that no one is left behind.

5.    Africa continues to be disproportionately affected by climate change, land degradation and rising inequalities. With 33 of the world’s least developed countries and 400 million people still living in extreme poverty, these hurdles jeopardize both the SDGs and Agenda 2063.

6.    Coordinated efforts at global and regional levels are essential to help Africa achieve its goals.

7.    The African Group calls for urgent and enhanced international cooperation. Developed countries must fulfill their commitments, particularly the provision of 100 billion dollars annually in climate finance, to help vulnerable nations cope with climate-related impacts. Africa, which contributes less than 4% of global emissions, suffers disproportionately from droughts, floods and other extreme weather.

Mr. Chair,

8.    Desertification is one of the greatest threats to sustainable development in Africa. Forty-six percent of our land area is affected, endangering the livelihoods of nearly 500 million people.

9.    The African Union’s Great Green Wall initiative could restore 100 million hectares of land across the Sahel but requires 43 billion dollars. We urge the international community to help transform this vision into a reality.

10.   Africa’s vulnerability to climate-related disasters also remains a major concern. Over the past two decades, the continent has endured more than 1,200 such events, with economic losses exceeding 30 billion dollars. These highlight the urgent need for resilience-building, early warning systems and investment in resilient infrastructure.

11.    The African Group fully supports the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and urges scaled-up action.

12.    We must also urgently address the energy crisis in Africa. With 600 million people still lacking access to electricity, progress toward SDG 7 is at risk.

13.    Greater investment in renewable energy, particularly solar and wind, is essential. While the UN Decade for Sustainable Energy for All laid a foundation, a successor framework is needed to accelerate the energy transition and achieve universal access to affordable, clean energy.

14.    Africa’s Small Island Developing States: Cabo Verde, Seychelles, São Tomé e Principe, Mauritius and Comoros, face unique vulnerabilities to rising sea levels and increasingly intense storms. They require enhanced resilience-building investments, in line with the recently adopted Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS.

15.    Lastly, Africa’s growing debt burden is alarming.

16.    Our continent’s debt-to-GDP severely limit our capacity to invest in sustainable development. Stronger international cooperation is essential to address this challenge while promoting investment in long-term resilience and growth.

Mr. Chair,

To conclude,

17.    The African Group reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the 2030 Agenda. Africa’s success depends on immediate, decisive action, but also on the fulfillment of promises by the international community.

18.    Our people possess the creativity, resilience and determination to transform our continent, but we cannot do it alone. Now is the time to match words with action.

Thank you.