MACKY SALL, President of Senegal, noting that terrorist groups in the Sahel wage attacks and engage in deadly lootings, advocated for the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) to be vested with a strong mandate.  There is also a crucial need for the G5 Sahel (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger) to receive support in their fight against terrorism.  “We cannot allow Africa to become the safe haven for international terrorism,” he emphasized.  He went on to reiterate the call for Palestinians to enjoy their right to a viable State coexisting in peace along secure and recognized borders.

Turning to COVID-19, he said Senegal has engaged in transparent management of the pandemic, publishing a daily report and deployed an economic and $2 billion social resilience programme.  It has significantly expanded medical resources, provided free tests and care and given free vaccines.  He applauded the surge of support from the COVAX initiative.  There is a divide between vaccinated countries in the North and non-vaccinated ones in the South, he said, one that continues to widen.  “The each man for himself mentality will not end the pandemic,” he clarified.  Only a global response, facilitating access for all to vaccines, will lead to an end of the global scourge.

He said the new deal for Africa derives from an outcome of the 18 May summit in Paris on financing for African economies.  The first goal was achieved to allocate $650 billion of special drawing rights.  Africa was able to receive $33 billion in order to shore up health-related resilience, partly mitigating the impact of the crisis, and launching economic recovery.  “This is a significant step forward,” he said.  Yet, Africa needs additional financing of at least $252 billon by 2025, necessary to mitigate the fallout and shore up recovery.  The second goal is to reallocate $67 billion mobilized on the special drawing rights shares of wealthy countries to achieve the agreed upon $100 billion threshold.  In this way, States can solidify the basis of a “New Deal for Africa” for reformed governance.  This will be possible only if the relationship structures rely on partnership, rather than official development assistance (ODA).

The Africa of aspirations needs access to adequate, concessional and mixed resources, he continued, in the form of loans to finance vital sectors for its economic growth:  infrastructure, energy, agriculture and industry, as well as water, sanitation, education, health and training.   A new deal with Africa should help to vanquish deterministic mindsets that have hampered the continent’s ability to secure those resources.  He called on partners to relax Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) rules in order harness Africa’s investment potential.  Likewise, he called for reforming the United Nations, stressing that it is “high time” for the Security Council to reflect the realities of the twenty-first century United Nations.  He reaffirmed Senegal’s commitment to the shared African position, set out in the Ezulwini document, and underscored the need to care for the planet on the basis of shared but differentiated responsibility.

Under Senegal’s national contribution, he said the country will pursue efforts towards energy transition and the goal of more than 30 per cent of installed power capacity being renewable energy.  This will be shored up with a solar electrification project underway for 1,000 villages.  Thanks to the gas to power strategy seeking to achieve 100 per cent of clean energy, however it cannot achieve an energy season without a viable, fair and equitable alternative.  Natural gas use should be maintained.  An end to financing for the gas sector ‑ under the pretext it is a fossil fuel, but not accounting that it is exponentially clean energy ‑ would represent a major obstacle for the country’s energy transition.