New york: The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed Africa’s determination to rise, with a call for fairer development and trade across the continent. Speaking at the ongoing 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, President Ramaphosa urged global leaders to support Africa’s aspirations for peace and sustainable growth.
According to Voice of Nigeria, President Ramaphosa emphasized the need to act decisively to silence all conflicts to achieve sustainable development and global peace. He noted the significance of South Africa’s presidency of the Group of 20 (G20), marking the first time the forum will convene a summit on the African continent, which is often referred to as ‘the cradle of humanity’. The summit focused on disaster resilience, debt sustainability for low-income countries, energy-transition financing, and harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth and sustainable development.
President Ramaphosa highlighted the irreversible rise of Africa but noted that many Sustainable Development Goals remain out of reach due to financial constraints. He mentioned that numerous developing countries allocate more resources to debt servicing than to health or education. He also advocated for the lifting of economic sanctions against Cuba and urged that it should happen sooner rather than later.
Furthermore, President Ramaphosa expressed concerns over the relevance of the UN being undermined by a growing reliance on unilateral military actions, referencing situations in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan. He called on Member States to ensure and protect Palestinians’ right to self-determination, stressing that there is a growing consensus that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. He concluded by reaffirming the indivisibility of freedom and the impact of denying rights to individuals.