ÚMARO SISSOCO EMBALÓ, President of Guinea-Bissau, said that in the past two years, political stability in his country has increased, reaffirming its role both on the African continent and in “the concert of nations”.  However, he expressed concern over the current state of world affairs, namely the war in Ukraine.  That war has not only set back the Sustainable Development Goals, it has also resulted in higher food and energy prices.

Given his country’s specific context as an island nation particularly affected by climate change, he expressed hope that the upcoming twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties in Egypt will deliver concrete strategies to minimize the negative impacts of climate change.

As Chair of the Authority of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), he underscored the specific security challenges the subregion faces, which are obstacles to the development and well-being of the people.  He cited the threat of insecurity as a result of terrorism, violent extremism and transnational crime.  While ECOWAS plays a major role in resolving political and institutional crises, the challenges are becoming too numerous to overcome, he said, while also calling for international assistance to stop the spread of terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel region.

Addressing diseases, he focused on malaria, noting that “96 per cent of malaria deaths occur in Africa” and that the continent “has not achieved the established goal of reducing malaria incidence and mortality by 40 per cent by 2020”.  Turning to the pandemic, he reminded States that they must adopt appropriate measures to protect all people from infectious diseases everywhere and called on all involved actors to replenish the Global Fund.  Finally, speaking about solidarity, he called on the United States to immediately end its embargo on Cuba.  His country remains committed to maintaining peace, stability and security, and is a firm supporter of multilateralism, dialogue and cooperation.