Thursday’s General Debate brought powerful interventions from 13 African and Caribbean delegations.
Leaders did not hold back. They challenged outdated global institutions, demanded permanent African representation on the Security Council, and called for fairer climate and development finance.
They also made it clear that Africa and the Caribbean must benefit from their natural resources, lead in emerging technologies and have a meaningful role in determining the world’s future.
Here are the highlights:
🇿🇼 ZIMBABWE
President Emmerson Mnangagwa called for “value retention at source,” highlighting Zimbabwe’s move towards locally processing its critical minerals, including lithium. He argued that Africa’s natural resources must support industrialization, clean development and shared prosperity—not conflict or illegal extraction.
🇲🇬 MADAGASCAR
President Michaël Randrianirina brought attention to the human cost of climate change, including women travelling long distances in extreme heat to find water. He called for increased investment in food security, education, youth employment and climate resilience.
🇬🇭 GHANA
President John Dramani Mahama delivered one of the day’s strongest messages: Africa is not seeking charity but equal partnership based on mutual respect. He demanded permanent African representation on the Security Council and predictable, non-debt-creating climate grants for developing countries.
🇬🇾 GUYANA
President Mohamed Irfaan Ali warned that weakening multilateralism may be the world’s most troubling crisis. He called for permanent Security Council representation for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, continued international support for Haiti and respect for the International Court of Justice process concerning Guyana’s border controversy with Venezuela.
🇸🇴 SOMALIA
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud called for a UN that moves “beyond promises and towards performance.” He demanded a more representative Security Council, respect for national leadership, and reliable support for Somalia’s security transition, democratic reforms, and the fight against terrorism.
🇰🇲 COMOROS
President Azali Assoumani warned that conflict in the Middle East and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz are threatening food and energy security in import-dependent small island States. His message demonstrated how conflicts thousands of miles away can quickly affect household costs and national stability.
🇱🇷 LIBERIA
President Joseph Boakai called for concessional financing, sustainable debt arrangements and predictable development capital. He said global financial decisions affecting billions of people cannot continue to be controlled by only a few countries.
🇬🇶 EQUATORIAL GUINEA
Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue called for investment in African infrastructure, industrialization, technology, human capital and local value chains. He argued that African countries must be equipped to process their own raw materials and create employment at home.
🇬🇲 THE GAMBIA
Vice-President Muhammed Jallow defended multilateralism as a process that does not require agreement on every issue. It requires countries to remain at the table, listen, negotiate, and possess the courage to compromise—especially when addressing war and international security.
🇸🇳 SENEGAL
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye called for urgent stabilization of the Sahel and stronger cooperation between ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations. He warned that terrorism crosses borders and cannot be defeated through fragmented national responses.
🇨🇮 CÔTE D’IVOIRE
Vice-President Tiémoko Meyliet Koné called for fairer access to financing for infrastructure, healthcare, education, energy and youth employment. He also reminded the Assembly that Africa contributes the least to global emissions but remains among the regions most affected by climate change.
🇳🇬 NIGERIA
Vice-President Kashim Shettima rejected the idea that developing countries must choose between development and climate action. He called for equitable climate finance, better access to concessional funding and stronger debt-sustainability frameworks.
Nigeria also highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area as a pathway to industrialization, regional integration and a stronger African position within global value chains.
🇧🇧 BARBADOS
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley delivered another forceful address, declaring that reform cannot be selective. She called for greater representation of Africa and small island developing States, collective governance of artificial intelligence and urgent action on climate finance.
She highlighted the enormous gap between the financing climate-vulnerable countries need and what they currently receive—putting it plainly: “The math simply ain’t mathing.”
Barbados also called for stronger international action in Haiti and reaffirmed that the Caribbean must remain a zone of peace.
⚡ THE ACEN TAKEAWAY
Thursday’s addresses delivered a clear regional message:
- Africa must move from exporting raw materials to creating value at home.
- Climate action cannot come at the expense of development.
- Energy and food security are increasingly affected by conflicts and geopolitical instability.
- Developing countries require affordable finance—not additional debt disguised as assistance.
- Africa and the Caribbean must help govern artificial intelligence, climate policy and the global energy transition.
Our regions are no longer merely asking to participate. They are presenting solutions, demanding institutional reform and insisting on a fair share of the prosperity created from their people and resources.
The UN was lit, and African and Caribbean voices brought the fire! 🔥🌍🌊🇺🇳
Follow the African & Caribbean Energy Network as we continue tracking the regional voices, commitments, and energy priorities emerging from UNGA 81.