Online Reporter
President E D Mnangagwa
The statement below was delivered at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira on behalf of President Mnangagwa.
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Salutations
This 80th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter is a timely opportunity for us to reflect upon the journey of the past eight decades.
The resolve of the 50 nations that gathered in San Francisco in 1945 was to save the world from the scourge of war and conflict. Today, 193 nations are here to bear witness that, since then, the United Nations has endured as the legitimate multilateral institution to address issues of global interest and concern.
Yet, we commemorate this milestone at a time of profound uncertainty, when the world is confronted by escalating conflicts, economic slowdowns, increasing poverty and widening inequality, humanitarian tragedies and the vagaries of climate change.
Multilateralism
It is our collective responsibility to recommit to the principles and purposes of the UN Charter for the benefit of present and future generations.
As Zimbabwe, we have anchored our foreign policy in multilateralism, guided by the principles of sovereignty, equality and peaceful coexistence among nations.
We believe that no nation can prosper in isolation. Zimbabwe’s participation in multilateral processes is therefore aimed at advancing peace and security, human rights and sustainable development for the integrity, dignity and prosperity for all.
We welcome the Secretary-General’s UN80 Initiative on reforming the UN. The reform must allow the organisation to evolve in line with contemporary realities, while strengthening, and not diminishing, the voice and participation of developing countries. Any reform that sidelines the aspirations of the Global South runs contrary to the very spirit of the UN Charter.
For the United Nations to remain legitimate, effective and responsive, its reform must be member state-driven, inclusive and anchored in the principle of sovereign equality of all member states. This anniversary must, therefore, serve as a solemn reminder that humanity achieves more by working together than by working apart and against each other.
Peace and security
It is clear that peace, development and human rights can only be fully realised through the reform of global governance institutions. The global economic, political and security architectures established after the Second World War no longer reflect today’s realities.
In 1945 a large percentage of the current UN member states, including Zimbabwe, were colonies.
To this end, we reiterate Africa’s longstanding call for the comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council. Africa’s continued total exclusion from the permanent category and underrepresentation among non-permanent members is an aberration which requires urgent redress.
Decisions on Africa cannot continue to be made without Africa at the table.
We cannot be back to 1884.
Zimbabwe underscores the importance of enhanced cooperation between the Security Council and regional organisations, such as the African Union (AU), to address the root causes of conflicts.
We believe that sustainable peace cannot be achieved without advancing the women, peace and security, and youth, peace and security agendas, recognising women and youth as indispensable partners in building lasting peace.
In our region, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), we emphasise inclusive peace processes.
We stand by the principle that peace is not merely the absence of war, but the presence of justice, equity and respect for human dignity.
Working with other member states, Zimbabwe has contributed towards the resolution of conflicts in the region, including spearheading joint diplomatic efforts with the East African Community (EAC), in the search for peace in eastern DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo).
Our consistent contribution to UN peacekeeping missions in conflict areas is a testimony to our commitment towards peace and security for all.
Zimbabwean peacekeepers have demonstrated a high degree of professionalism wherever they have been deployed.
Guided by this legacy of commitment to peace, Zimbabwe has presented its candidature for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the term 2027-2028, determined to share its experiences and make its contribution in promoting a safe and secure world.
We trust that our candidature merits the invaluable support of all member states at the election to be held in June 2026.
Zimbabwe pursues a doctrine of friend to all and an enemy to none. As such, we are ready and available to work with all members of the United Nations.
Zimbabwe was born out of a protracted armed struggle for freedom and independence, hence its continued solidarity with the people of Palestine and Western Sahara in their justified search for self-determination.
The Palestinians have endured severe, sustained and systematic injustices under the glare of the international community.
Time has come for the establishment of lasting peace in the Middle East, especially the implementation of the two-state solution for the peaceful co-existence of Palestine and Israel.
Sustainable development
In Zimbabwe, the doctrine of “leaving no one and no place behind” defines the core of our national development trajectory. Guided by our National Development Strategy, we are undertaking comprehensive reforms and targeted investments to transform and build our country, brick by brick, resulting in a consistent GDP (gross domestic product) growth of around 6 percent for the past few years.
Reforms to our critical economic sectors, including agriculture, mining, tourism and manufacturing, have resulted in significant levels of investment, positively changing the lives and livelihoods of our people.
Strengthening our social protection frameworks remains a top priority.
The empowerment of women, youth and persons with disabilities (PWDs) enhanced inclusivity and broad participation in national development processes by all citizens.
In addition, Zimbabwe is mainstreaming climate action across all development planning processes.
Our focus is on expanding renewable energy, strengthening early warning systems, scaling up climate smart agriculture, accelerating dam construction and increasing the utilisation of irrigation systems.
Zimbabwe is ready and available to share with the UN member states our successful Pfumvudza/Intwasa climate-smart agriculture model, among our many economic empowerment models.
We reaffirm our commitment to the Paris Agreement and the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities.
As we approach COP30, Zimbabwe calls on all states to demonstrate greater ambition by enhancing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
We welcome the adoption of the Awaza Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries.
We hope our commitments will be translated into tangible action, in line with the broader objective of reforming the international economic order to make it fairer, more inclusive and responsive to the needs of developing countries.
The role of ICT (information and communication technology) and AI (artificial intelligence) in transforming lives and accelerating development is indisputable.
It is, however, equally observed that criminals are using ICT for harmful behaviour, with serious destabilising consequences to society.
Zimbabwe remains supportive of the establishment of frameworks and strategies to combat the use of technology for criminal purposes.
The Global Dialogue on AI Governance should assist all countries. We applaud the deliberate efforts by the UN Secretary-General towards optimising the benefits of technology while minimising the potential harmful effects of the same.
Financial architecture
We reiterate our support for the commitments undertaken at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain.
It is important that we implement these commitments and also operationalise the SDG Stimulus.
Without the means to implement our collective decisions, regression is inevitable.
The global economic and financial system remains skewed against the Global South, compounding debt distress and entrenching poverty.
The reform of the international financial architecture is a critical necessity to unlock development finance, especially for the developing countries that have remained peripheral to the development chain.
We emphasise the importance of a fair and rules-based international trading system that ensures equitable opportunities for all nations, particularly developing countries.
Human rights
We uphold that the principle of all rights, civil, economic, political and social and cultural are interdependent and indivisible.
We reject attempts to elevate some rights over others.
We equally reject the selective, arbitrary, political and biased application of human rights frameworks and standards.
We reaffirm our support through the Non-Aligned Movement, for a legally binding Covenant on the Right to Development, an essential framework to strengthen the global development agenda.
In December 2024, Zimbabwe abolished the death penalty, reaffirming our commitment to the sanctity of human life.
Despite our gallant efforts towards national prosperity, we have continued to face challenges, occasioned by the illegal Unilateral Coercive Measures (UCMs) imposed on us.
We, therefore, reiterate the call for the unconditional removal of these unjustified and unwarranted sanctions for Zimbabwe to realise its full potential.
Our people have remained resilient against this adversity encouraged by the unwavering solidarity and support from our sister SADC countries, the AU, and other progressive partners across the world.
We are greatly indebted to this magnanimous pillar of support.
Zimbabwe also stands in solidarity with other nations under UCMs, especially the government and people of Cuba in their continued fight against one of the longest economic blockades. We reiterate our call for the removal of this comprehensive embargo.
We welcome the designation of 4 December as the “International Day against Unilateral Coercive Measures”.
This should increase voices against the human cost of sanctions, reaffirm diplomacy over domination and advocate for a return to legality, legitimacy and multilateral cooperation.
The United Nations today stands at a crossroads, amid multiple and intersecting crises.
However, let us seize this anniversary to renew our covenant for peace, recommit to development and strengthen the pillars of multilateralism that truly serves “we the peoples”.
The great lesson from the Covid-19 pandemic was that “no one is safe until everyone is”.
Similarly, our sustainable future is possible only when we leave no one and no place behind.
Let us build the future we all want, together.
I thank you!
