Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone, said that the UN80 initiative demands that the international community “reimagine multilateralism so that peace, dignity and equality are not promises on paper, but realities in the lives of people”.  No nation can meet today’s challenges alone.  Highlighting his country’s role in both the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Security Council, he emphasized the importance of the UN Charter in its diplomacy.  Sierra Leone has supported stabilization efforts in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, de-escalated tensions in the Middle East, and supported political transitions in Lebanon and Syria.

In that vein, the Security Council’s limits have been laid bare, he said, stressing that the genocide in Gaza was preventable.  The two-State solution has been obstructed. “We say again: Ceasefire now in Gaza. Ceasefire now in Sudan. Ceasefire now in Ukraine.”  He said “a veto should never be a verdict against humanity,” underscoring that selective adherence to international law has tested the UN’s legitimacy.  However, Sierra Leone is an example of a successful transition from civil war to peace, with the UN’s help, he said, recalling the closure of United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) in 2014.

“Sierra Leone’s story is proof that multilateral solidarity works — when grounded in trust, mutual respect, and genuine investment in national ownership,” he emphasized.  More broadly, climate change represents an existential threat to his country, though its emissions are negligible.  Nonetheless, the nation has mainstreamed climate adaptation and ratified the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty (BBNJ), he said, calling on Member States to follow suit.  “Climate justice is not charity.  It is a legal and moral responsibility.  If the poorest are left to pay the highest climate price, there is no justice.”  He urged developed nations to honour their commitments, including on $100 billion in yearly climate finance.

Highlighting ECOWAS efforts in bolstering democracy and stability in Liberia and Gambia, he noted that the union is an African solution to African problems and pressed the UN to strengthen ties with it and other regional mechanisms.  “Africa is not a problem to be solved.  Africa is a partner to be empowered,” though the lack of a permanent seat on the Security Council does hinder the organ in acting with proper context, delaying action and costing lives, he said.  In that vein, he demanded two permanent Council seats for Africa.  “The world does not need a louder UN.  It requires a braver UN.  Now is the time to make the UN work for all,” he concluded.