Statement by H.E. Ambassador Samba Sané Permanent Representative of Guinea-Bissau to the United Nations and Chair of the African Group for the month of October at the Second Committee General Debate

  Delivered by H.E. Semba Sane

Permanent Representative of Guinea-Bissau to the United Nations

6th October 2025

Excellencies,

Distinguished Delegates,

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

2.    We align ourselves with the statement delivered by Iraq on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

3.    The African Group congratulates you, my brother, Ambassador Lamin Dibba, and the members of the Bureau of the Second Committee on your election and assures you of our full support throughout this important session.

4.    We also commend the outgoing Bureau for their exemplary leadership during the 79th session of the General Assembly.

5.    This General Debate is held under the theme “Five years to 2030: Multilateral Solutions for Sustainable Development.” The African Group affirms its strong commitment to this theme, as it captures both the urgency and the opportunity of the moment: only five years remain to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, in a context where many developing countries, particularly in Africa, remain significantly off track.

6.    The African Group stresses that the next five years will be decisive in rescuing the 2030 Agenda and in ensuring that its implementation is closely aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

7.    Together, these frameworks embody our collective aspirations for peace, resilience, prosperity, and sustainable development.

8.    Yet, we meet at a time of overlapping global crises: unsustainable debt, the escalating climate emergency, food insecurity, energy shortages, and widening inequalities — challenges that disproportionately affect Africa, which is least responsible for their root causes but most impacted by their consequences.

Mr. Chair,

9.    The African Group underscores that adequate means of implementation remain the cornerstone for achieving the 2030 Agenda and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

10.         In this regard, we welcome the adoption of the Seville Commitment at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, which provides a renewed framework to strengthen cooperation and mobilize resources for sustainable development.

11.         The Group emphasizes, however, that credibility will be measured by timely and effective implementation.

12.         We call for urgent progress in addressing unsustainable debt burdens that constrain fiscal space and development prospects.

13.         We recall the Lomé Ministerial Declaration on Sovereign Debt, adopted in May 2025, which provides a clear mandate for advancing a fair, transparent, and predictable international debt architecture. In this regard, we reiterate our call for the early operationalization of a United Nations Debt Convention, as envisioned in the Seville Commitment.

14.         The African Group further highlights the need to reform the international financial architecture to make it more inclusive, representative, and responsive to the needs of developing countries.

15.         We call on Multilateral Development Banks to scale up concessional finance, leverage Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) more effectively, and align their lending practices with sustainable development priorities. At the same time, the Group stresses that Official Development Assistance remains a vital source of financing for many African countries.

16.         We underscore the importance of strengthening domestic resource mobilization, including through enhanced capacities for revenue collection and combating illicit financial flows. In this regard, the African Group attaches great importance to the ongoing negotiations on a United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation, and welcomes the substantive work being advanced by experts in recent months for a more inclusive, transparent, and equitable international tax system. 

17.         In parallel, the African Union has strengthened regional financial institutions, including institutions such as the African Development Bank, and advancing initiatives towards the establishment of the African Monetary Fund, to support African-led development initiatives and enhance financial resilience across the continent.

Mr. Chair,

18.         Climate change remains one of the greatest challenges to sustainable development and a direct threat to peace and prosperity in Africa.

19.         Although the continent contributes less than four percent of global emissions, it faces severe consequences, including droughts, floods, and food insecurity.

20.         The African Group welcomes the outcomes of the Second Africa Climate Summit, held in Addis Ababa in September 2025, where leaders emphasized the need to move from rhetoric to action, and called for Africa to be recognized as a continent of investment and opportunity, not merely one in need of aid.

21.         The Summit consolidated Africa’s common position ahead of COP30 in Brazil, underscoring that solution must be African-led, locally driven, and adequately financed.

22.         We further stress that the global energy transition must be just and inclusive. Africa is committed to scaling up renewable energy, while recognizing the role of natural gas and other transitional solutions in meeting urgent energy needs, expanding access, and supporting sustainable industrialization. 

23.         The African Union has promoted renewable energy through initiatives such as the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) and the African Renewable Energy Initiative, which aim to expand energy access, boost clean energy generation, and support industrial growth across the continent.

Mr. Chair,

24.         The African Group recalls the High-Level Meeting on Food Systems and Food Security, held in Malabo in July 2025, which reaffirmed Africa’s determination to accelerate the transformation of its food systems as a cornerstone of sustainable development.

25.         The meeting highlighted the urgency of tackling hunger and malnutrition while building resilient and inclusive systems that can withstand climate and economic shocks.

26.         Africa possesses a substantial share of the world’s uncultivated arable land, Yet continues to spend tens of billions of dollars annually on food imports. Unlocking this potential requires investment in rural infrastructure, innovation, and access to technology for smallholder farmers, as well as stronger regional value chains.

27.         The African Group stresses that food security is essential not only for achieving SDG 2 – Zero Hunger, but also for advancing peace and prosperity across the continent.

28.         We underscore the importance of implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, while ensuring that food systems transformation is integrated into Africa’s broader development agenda, including trade and industrialization under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Mr. Chair,

29.         The African Group emphasizes that trade, industrialization, and integration are central to Africa’s structural transformation. The AfCFTA, one of the flagship projects of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, represents a historic opportunity to boost intra-African trade and strengthen regional value chains.

30.         We call for enhanced investment in infrastructure, technology, and skills development to fully harness the potential of the AfCFTA and promote sustainable industrialization.

31.         Strategic projects, such as the Lobito Corridor, demonstrate how cross-border connectivity can unlock diversification, facilitate trade, and link African markets to global value chains.

32.         Africa’s integration agenda must be supported by a fair international trading system, access to technology, and partnerships that foster inclusive and sustainable growth.

33.      The African Union has facilitated the operationalization of the AfCFTA Secretariat and launched key protocols enabling tariff reductions, regulatory harmonization, and improved cross-border trade facilitation across member states.

Mr. Chair,

34.         In the remaining five years to 2030, the international community faces a decisive test: either we accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda through concrete and equitable multilateral solutions, or we allow inequalities and vulnerabilities to deepen.

In conclusion,

35.         The African Group reaffirms its commitment to engaging constructively in the work of the Second Committee and supporting the successful conclusion of negotiations on the draft resolutions. As we navigate these challenging times, we must act with a renewed sense of urgency and determination to foster resilience and promote inclusive growth.

Thank you.