By Alpha Abu
President Julius Maada Bio has told the 76th United Nations General Assembly in New York about the disproportionate effects of covid 19 on the Group of Seven Plus conflict- affected and fragile countries a composition that he said Sierra Leone provides leadership to, that have led to a dismal state of the economies of these countries including drop in foreign aid, increased trade deficit and on a wider spectrum, global economic downturns.
“Therefore, the success of global recovery efforts will depend on the recovery of these countries in fragile situations”, he pointed out.
He mentioned the self-assessment initiatives his administration has embarked on which have given an insight of the challenges that would have to be confronted after the pandemic would have ended.
“We believe that with the ongoing reforms, we can transition from fragility to a sustainable and resilient future. By investing in human capital development and building ‘effective and accountable inclusive institutions’, we believe the future is attainable,” President Bio observed.
President Bio described as timely and most appropriate, the theme for this year’s session, “building resilience through hope”, saying the collective commitment of nations and multilateral partnerships will see the world “through the throes of this pandemic, build resilience and recover sustainably”.
He said countries would find it difficult to achieve the sustainable development goals post-covid because of the aftershocks and registered gratitude to the United Nations, friendly nations and multilateral institutions for helping Sierra Leone “navigate the stormy period”of the pandemic.
On another note, he called for a collective global action to address issues of access to justice and remedies for survivors of sexual violence and spoke about his government’s fight against the vice through the setting up of model sexual offences court to deal with the menace.
President Bio also told the assembly that a fairer and equitable world is what is needed, that could enable nations and regions to engage one another as equals. He called on nations around the world to eradicate hierarchies of power and instead discuss common concerns and shared aspirations.
This, President Bio observed, can be achieved by the reviewing of the representation of UN Security Council to include a visible and active representation of the African continent.
He said the Security Council should have two permanent seats allotted to Africa with all the prerogatives including veto powers and for two non-permanent seats as well. The president acknowledged the progress made so far by the African Union Committee of Ten with Sierra Leone as Coordinator that addresses issues of reform within the Security Council, a development he linked to the last assembly that generated “the wide recognition and broad support by member states for the legitimate aspiration of Africa to play its rightful role on the global stage”.
He asserted Sierra Leone’s resolve and commitment to efforts directed toward reforming the council for it to be broadly represented, efficient and transparent, all of which he said can enhance its legitimacy in decision-making.
He also brought before the assembly the issue of climate change and its threat to energy access, water security, food and marine resources and the need for action.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (27/09/21)
