By Mohamed Massaquoi
Information Attache
SLMUN
His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, has arrived safely in New York for the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The High-Level segment of the 78th UNGA will take place from the 18th- 26th, September 2023, at a time of unprecedented setbacks in global cooperation and solidarity. The Earth is getting hotter, more than ever before. Poverty and food insecurity are worsening, coupled with the numerous conflict situations, alarming global economic meltdown and rising inflation.
During UNGA, world leaders, including President Bio, will intensely engage to discuss, reflect on how to confront the multifaceted global crises, and find strategies to accelerate action on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
President Bio, as Coordinator of the African Union Committee of Ten 10 African Heads of State on the Reform of the United Nations Security Council (C-10), will also be engaging with other world leaders to ensure that the historical injustice of Africa being the only continent absent in the permanent category of the UN Security Council is addressed with the urgency it deserves. He is currently also the Chair of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and one of the key players in the African Union and ECOWAS, respectively.
It could be recalled that Sierra Leone achieved a significant milestone on 6th June 2023 when it was elected to a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the period 2024-2025.
President Bio is convinced that a greater African representation
in the reformed Council, more especially the permanent category of the UNSC, continues to enjoy the broadest support from the majority of the membership and remains a viable option on the reform of the Security Council.
While in New York, the President will engage in a series of activities including holding bilateral meetings with other Heads of States, business partners, and reputable organizations who have developed an interest in working with the government and people of Sierra Leone.
President Bio will depart New York for the US capital, Washington DC for similar engagements with his compatriots and other stakeholders.
