The President of the Republic, H. E. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, has given a speech to mark the Seventy-fifth Anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, which we are publishing here in full.

-“MESSAGE FROM HIS EXCELLENCY OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF EQUATORIAL GUINEA, TO MARK THE COMMEMORATION OF THE SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE UNITED NATIONS.

Malabo, on 21st September 2020

The Commemoration of the Seventy-fifth Anniversary of the United Nations is a historic occasion which invites deep analysis of what has been our work over the years, in which our countries have placed their faith and hope in multilateralism in order to keep international peace and security, promote peaceful, friendly relations of cooperation and solidarity among nations in order to create a world free from conflict, which ensures the lives and well-being of humanity.

I am delighted to recognise the huge work carried out since then by eminent Politicians, Diplomats, men and women of science and knowledge who have created an international legal structure which efficiently regulates the relations between nations, as the greatest success of the United Nations in these seventy-five years.

We are also delighted to know that decolonisation has been another of the unquestionably positive results, together with pacification in conflicts and humanitarian aid dispensed throughout the world.

Thus and from this World Court, I wish to pay vibrant homage to all the General Secretaries who have led the life of the United Nations, all the Presidents of Plenary, Ordinary and Extraordinary Sessions of the General Assemblies, and all the Delegations from Member States that, year after year, have imparted new ways of looking at the world which guarantee peace, stability and security in life for the human race. However, Your Excellencies, we wish to express the contrast between such intellectual and moral effort over the years which seems to have been buried due to a lack of true political will in the member States, due to the ambition of the predominance of power, which is undermining the legitimacy of the United Nations, and weakening and eroding its vital work.

In fact, the lack of respect for the current International Judicial Regulations is the cause of numerous conflicts, wars, unjust situations of abuse of power, and the arbitrary use of force in International Relations.

The highly unbalanced economic gap which exists between rich and poor countries in our times is unjustified. It is inconceivable that after Seventy-five years, the science and technology of development continues to be the property of some States. Neither can we accept that, after so many years, the statute of the United Nations continues to safeguard the domination of the big players who step on the legitimate aspirations of the weak on order to enjoy the Democratic advantages in the United Nations System. As such, the evidence for reform is imperative.

This situation, if not weakening the United Nations, does however create mistrust, doubt, and diminishes the good faith that we have all placed in this Global Alliance.

The eruption of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and its hard lessons which have affected all countries equally, reaffirms the conviction that the common problems for humanity are better faced together. This reality reaffirms the current relevance and need for multilateralism.

Equatorial Guinea is committed to the governing principles of the United Nations Charter. It is the cornerstone of International Law and multilateralism. We must design a UN which is adapted and better prepared and provisioned to face the common challenges of the future, such as growing inequality, poverty, hunger, armed conflict, terrorism, insecurity, climate change and pandemics. The solution to these problems rests in compliance with the UN 2030 Agenda. I want to conclude by inviting everyone to redress poor behaviour so that the Commemoration of the Seventy-fifth Anniversary of the United Nations becomes a turning point between an insecure world full of conflict and the dawn of a new generation of peace, security and prosperity.