New York — AS DELIVERED
Let me start by thanking you, Special Representative Simão and Ms. Addae-Mensah, for your briefings and for your leadership.
Colleagues, the UNOWAS mandate and its reporting are critical given the immense challenges faced by the people of West Africa and the Sahel.
There’s the challenge of countering violent extremism, of building resilience in democracies through the region, and of assisting people in the region who are facing food insecurity and who have fled conflict.
So, let me take these one by one.
First, the threat of terrorism and violent extremism to the region is extremely concerning, and it has been exacerbated in the aftermath of MINUSMA’s forced withdrawal.
Governments are struggling to reclaim control over territory and are witnessing record levels of violence.
And leaders who engage in heavy-handed counterterrorism tactics, while neglecting to address the drivers of marginalization, are only making the security situation worse.
The security threat is further spreading into Coastal West Africa, as we see with recurrent attacks in Benin and Togo, and in the continual increase in displacement.
As the UN reports, the Lake Chad basin has also seen a deterioration in its security with an uptick in attacks and abductions in northeastern Nigeria.
For our part, the United States is committed to holistic partnerships, including through a Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability, to address structural drivers of conflict, including gender-based violence and poor governance.
Colleagues, these are not just African problems, but they are global problems, which require African leadership.
That brings me to my second point: Democratic governance, based on respect for human rights and human dignity, is essential to building citizens’ trust in their leaders and institutions and to stamping out the threats posed by terrorists and other malign actors.
The good news is there are many examples of democracy in action.
We applaud Liberia’s and Senegal’s democratic transfer of power following elections this year, and congratulate Ghana on its recent presidential and parliamentary elections.
I want to recognize the efforts of hundreds of thousands of Ghanaian poll workers, civil society members, the Electoral Commission, and the country’s security forces, who helped ensure the election was conducted in a peaceful, transparent, and credible manner.
We also welcome positive steps taken by The Gambia to strengthen its justice sector and develop a hybrid court with ECOWAS.
However, there are also clear signs of backsliding across the region, especially in countries shrinking their political and civic space by banning protests; arresting journalists and other civil society advocates; and curtailing freedom of expression.
Leaders must reverse these deeply troubling trends. Human rights and freedoms must be respected.
Third, across the region, millions of people are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, including more than 25 million people in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria. And across the region, nearly 33 million people are food insecure.
The scale of displacement, according to UNHCR, has also dramatically increased.
The United States is the largest single humanitarian donor in Africa, having provided more than $6.7 billion dollars in humanitarian assistance across the continent in 2024.
But this is not enough, and we can’t do it alone. We, as the international community, need to do more.
We also need UN officials leading the charge.
In this vein, we welcome the July appointment of Ms. Flore-Smereczniak, and the September appointment of Ms. Keita as the UN Resident Coordinators in Burkina Faso and Niger after long vacancies.
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Colleagues, the challenges before the region are great, but with the support of this Council, UNOWAS, and regional partners, and, first and foremost, of grassroots leaders, change is possible, lives can be saved, and conflicts can be resolved.
None of this work will be easy, but we must not waver in our resolve.
Finally, before I conclude, and in my national and personal capacity: This may be my last meeting as President of the Security Council and as the U.S. Representative here in New York. I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your friendship and your support, in terms of working to achieve our common and mutual goals in the Council.
I want to thank the five elected members who have worked so hard over the past two years and who really worked to bring this Council together. And I also want to welcome the five new elected members to this august body. It has really been an honor and a pleasure for me to work with all of you
Thank you.
