JOÃO MANUEL GONÇALVES LOURENÇO, President of Angola, said that almost 78 years after the founding of the Organization, it is still not possible to avoid the emergence of pockets of tension, which degenerate into open conflicts.  The management of interests at the global level in terms of security, science and technology and resources, still does not meet the interests of different nations and peoples.  “One cannot fail to recognize that the gap between developing and developed countries remains an unacceptable reality,” he said.  Because they are not adequately represented in a large part of the institutions of world governance, developing countries are not able to express their sensitivities and thus contribute to the formulation of solutions to their problems. “This situation generates anxiety and frustration of the most vulnerable populations who, by not having their expectations met, become easily permeable to negative influences,” he stressed.

In recent decades, many African countries have resolved conflicts, invested what they could in socioeconomic development and promoted the education of their citizens, he went on to say.  However, a lack of economic and social prospects in many countries creates fertile ground for the weakening of the continent’s fledgling democracies. “In Africa, we have tried to find ways out of the current state of affairs, such as the initiative to create the African Continental Free Trade Area,” he said.  However, it remains an unfortunate reality that many young Africans are forced to try to make their dreams come true outside of their continent, often embarking on dangerous crossings of the Mediterranean.

Angola aims to contribute to slowing down tensions in the Great Lakes region, he continued, reaffirming the need for adequate and predictable funding for efforts to fight terrorism on the continent.  “We are increasingly convinced of the existence of an invisible hand interested in destabilizing our continent, only concerned with expanding its sphere of influence,” he said.  The international community remains deeply concerned about the situation in the Sahel region, in the Horn of Africa, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan. The world must also not forget the suffering of the Palestinian people, let alone ignore the need to resolve the conflict in the Middle East, especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In Europe, the war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine deserves attention and must be brought to an immediate end.

Reform of the Security Council should reflect the reality of the times, he emphasized.  Africa must be granted permanent membership on the Council.  He also stressed the need to comply with resolutions on the embargo against Cuba and the decades-long conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine.  “It is important to remember that in 2021, I took part in a Security Council meeting in this city to discuss the issue of lifting the arms embargo on the Central African Republic,” he further recalled.  Turning to climate change, he urged the international community to try to reduce polluting gases, deforestation and global warming.