STATEMENT BY
H.E. DR. MICHAEL IMRAN KANU
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
Mr. President,
I am grateful for your initiative in convening this timely open debate as we mark the eightieth anniversary of the United Nations, an occasion to take stock of the past and, more importantly, to chart a credible course for the future.
I also thank the Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. António Guterres, for his thoughtful briefing. Sierra Leone acknowledges his principled and steady leadership at a moment of profound international strain.
On this United Nations Day, Sierra Leone congratulates all Member States, the Secretary-General and UN staff. For eight decades the Charter’s ideals, peace, justice and human progress, have animated a shared endeavour that continues to shape lives across the world.
The UN80 Initiative invites us to re-imagine our Organization for a new generation: one that is more inclusive, more agile and demonstrably effective.
Sierra Leone’s commitment to the Charter, to international law and to genuine multilateral solidarity remains unwavering. We recall with pride our admission in September 1961 as the 100th Member State. For a newly independent nation, joining the UN was not a mere symbol; it was an affirmation that sovereignty is safest within a community of nations.
Over the decades, the United Nations has helped avert global catastrophe, privileged dialogue over confrontation, and advanced decolonization, development and human rights. For Sierra Leone, this history is personal. During our civil war, the UN stood with us. UNAMSIL, mandated to support the Lomé Peace Agreement and the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme, disarmed more than 75,000 combatants, helped re-establish state authority and supported credible elections. The Special Court for Sierra Leone and our Truth and Reconciliation Commission—both supported by the UN—advanced justice and reconciliation. The closure of UNIPSIL in 2014 marked a rare and notable transition from war to peace achieved through multilateral partnership. As H.E. President Julius Maada Bio has reminded us: when the UN rises to the challenge, lives are saved.
Mr. President,
Looking ahead, we must be candid: the world is far from peaceful. Devastating conflicts, widening inequalities, climate emergencies, disruptive technologies and frayed trust in institutions test our collective resolve. The United Nations must be not only a chamber for debate, but an engine for delivery, for peace, for people and for the planet.
The Charter is our compass. Its principles, sovereign equality, the non-use of force, the peaceful settlement of disputes and collective action, must guide us consistently and without selectivity. International humanitarian and human rights law must be upheld. Civilians, humanitarian workers and peacekeepers must be protected. Accountability for grave violations cannot be optional, and international judicial institutions must be supported in their independence.
Peace and development are inseparable. We will not sustain peace where poverty, injustice and exclusion persist. Sierra Leone therefore supports accelerated delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals and reform of the international financial architecture to enable fairer access to finance, debt relief, and predictable resources for development and climate action.
Mr. President,
Rebuilding trust also requires renewal within our own house. Nowhere is reform more urgent than in the Security Council. Africa, the largest regional group and the region most frequently on this Council’s agenda, remains excluded from permanent representation. This is unjust and inconsistent with the Charter’s spirit.
Sierra Leone reaffirms the Common African Position on Security Council reform, as set out in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration demanding at least two permanent seats for Africa, with all the prerogatives of permanent membership, and two additional non-permanent seats. This is not a plea but a legitimate demand that bears directly on the Council’s credibility and effectiveness.
As we look to future leadership of the Organization, building on the current Secretary-General’s stewardship, we envisage a Secretary-General who is visionary and pragmatic, a champion of innovation, partnership and efficiency—able to do more with available resources while restoring trust in multilateral action.
On peace and security, we must shift from reaction to prevention: address root causes, invest in mediation, and sustain peace from early warning through post-conflict recovery. The Peacebuilding Commission is central to this continuum; Sierra Leone will continue to champion its work.
On climate and security, the threat is immediate and existential. Rising seas, floods, droughts and resource scarcity drive instability and displacement. Climate action is therefore integral to conflict prevention. We call for full implementation of climate agreements, scaled financing for adaptation and resilience, and regular climate-security analysis across UN peace operations.
On digital technologies and artificial intelligence, Sierra Leone welcomes the Global Digital Compact’s focus on universal connectivity, responsible innovation and governance grounded in human rights and international law. Technology must narrow divides and serve humanity.
The future of multilateralism must be inclusive. Sierra Leone is committed to the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peace and political processes and to ensuring that young people are partners in decision-making, not merely beneficiaries.
Mr. President,
At eighty, the United Nations is not a relic; it is a living instrument capable of renewal. The UN80 Initiative should not be ceremonial; it must become a binding commitment to a UN that is more representative, more effective and more resilient.
We therefore call on all Member States to turn aspiration into action: uphold the Charter without selectivity; advance institutional reform, especially of the Security Council; invest in peacebuilding, climate resilience, digital inclusion, and the empowerment of women and youth; and strengthen the UN as the indispensable centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.
This Council must lead, setting aside narrow interests and honouring its primary responsibility for international peace and security, in the interest of all humanity. As Kofi Annan reminded us, we share a common destiny that we can master only together.
In honouring the founders’ vision and the commitments of the Pact for the Future, let us renew our resolve to serve succeeding generations—so that the United Nations of tomorrow is stronger, fairer and more united than the one we inherited.
I thank you.