Luanda - Angola on Wednesday, at the United Nations (UN), in New York, defended an urgent reform of the global financial architecture to allow developing countries to have fair and sustainable access to financial resources.
According to a press release, the country's view was expressed by Angola's deputy representative at the UN, Mateus Luemba, when he spoke at the plenary meeting of the General Assembly in which the institution's secretary-general, António Guterres, presented his priorities for the current year.
On the occasion, the ambassador praised the progress made by the organization under the leadership of António Guterres, highlighting its unwavering commitment to increasing the participation of women and young people in global decision-making processes, especially gender balance in the senior management structure of the United Nations System.
He encouraged the Secretary-General to maintain the same level of commitment to achieving an equitable balance in geographic representation in the appointment of senior staff at all levels of the Secretariat and field teams, including the appointment of United Nations System Resident Coordinators.
“Increasing the level of qualified Africans in the UN System is essential to fairly reflect the cultural diversity of the organization and respond to the challenges of the 21st Century”, he stressed.
According to Mateus Luemba, it is crucial that multilateral efforts are intensified to address current challenges effectively and ensure that no one is left behind.
In turn, he said that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are deviating, pointing that more than “80% of the SDG targets are at risk of not being met by 2030”.
“With five years ahead, we must accelerate actions to fully implement these goals, especially in areas such as food security, health, education and gender equality”, he highlighted.
During his intervention, the diplomat addressed the "reform of the Security Council", stating that it must maintain a supreme priority to make it more inclusive and representative and correct historical injustices against Africa.
He highlighted that, in line with the Ezulwini Consensus and the Syrte Declaration, the African continent calls for two permanent seats and three additional non-permanent seats on the reformed Security Council.
To him, there is a growing consensus among UN member states that Africa's claim for two permanent seats on the Security Council should be treated as a special case.
Regarding peace and security, Mateus Luemba, emphasized that “Angola has positioned itself as an active mediator of regional conflicts, and will continue to support the UN in seeking calming and sustainable solutions to existing conflicts, with special attention to the African continent".
Regarding Angola's presidency of the African Union, starting in February this year, the official said that the country is ready to work closely with the UN in a collective effort to build a fairer, more inclusive and sustainable future for all.
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