Addis Ababa — Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie called for a stronger and more equitable multilateral system, urging the international community to reinforce collective security, address global inequality and give Africa a meaningful voice in global decision-making.
Addressing the General Debate of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Taye said lasting peace can only be achieved through cooperation based on sovereign equality, recalling Emperor Haile Selassie’s historic appeal to the UN in 1963.
He warned that weakening collective security and rising power politics are undermining the foundations of the international order, stressing that multilateralism must remain a central safeguard against conflict.
President Taye identified climate change, artificial intelligence and widening inequality among the defining challenges facing humanity, calling for greater political commitment to ensure that technological and economic progress benefits the Global South.
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He reaffirmed Ethiopia’s readiness to host COP32 in 2027, inviting world leaders and international stakeholders to Ethiopia to advance practical and inclusive climate solutions.
The President also renewed Ethiopia’s call for comprehensive UN reform, particularly reform of the Security Council, saying Africa has waited too long for equitable representation in global decision-making.
“Africa has waited far too long in the shadows of global decision-making,” he said, questioning how the denial of meaningful representation to more than 1.6 billion Africans can be justified.
On regional affairs, President Taye reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to peace, regional integration and development in the Horn of Africa, while calling for a Sudanese-led and Sudanese-owned solution to the conflict in Sudan.
He also highlighted Ethiopia’s progress in food security, renewable energy, environmental restoration and digital development, including the Green Legacy Initiative, the 5 Million Coders program and the country’s clean-energy ambitions.
The President described the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as a major Pan-African clean-energy project capable of contributing to regional prosperity.
He further emphasized Ethiopia’s pursuit of reliable maritime access, saying dependable access to the sea is essential to sustaining the country’s economic transformation and integration into global trade.
“We are pursuing all possible diplomatic avenues to secure access to and from the sea to ensure Ethiopia’s integration into the global trading system,” he said.
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President Taye concluded by reaffirming Ethiopia’s commitment to multilateralism, human dignity, justice and solidarity, urging nations to collectively reshape international cooperation to meet the challenges facing current and future generations.