Recalling how the UN stood with his country on its path to independence, Daniel Francisco Chapo, President of Mozambique, voiced support for the cause of the Sahrawi people, and for the unconditional lifting of sanctions on Zimbabwe and other countries.

“In Cabo Delgado, we have made progress in fighting terrorism and strengthening security”, he said — thanks to the efforts of Defence and Security Forces and support of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the European Union, Rwanda and the United Republic of Tanzania.

However, stabilization remains incomplete, requiring a concerted response and greater international cooperation.

On the economy, his Government aims to add value to natural resources, modernize agriculture, promote industrialization and expand access to energy.  Further, natural resources should contribute to economic diversification, revenue generation and “investment in our biggest asset:  the talent of the Mozambican people”.

“Africa faces, however, a paradox: it is rich in resources, yet retains little of the value they generate,” he said.

Therefore, investment must “evolve from simple extraction to value creation, shifting from transactions to partnerships and from export of resources to the construction of national and regional value chains,” he stressed.

In Mozambique, climate change means “lost lives, displaced families, destroyed crops and damaged infrastructure”, he emphasized, urging increased funding for adaptation, facilitate access to climate funds, operationalize loss-and-damage mechanisms and investment in early warning systems and resilient infrastructure.

“Digital transformation demands the same solidarity, for Africa must not be limited to supplying the minerals that fuel the world’s innovation hubs,” he said.

He urged investment in connectivity, computing capacity, scientific research, training, technology transfer and the ethical governance of artificial intelligence, “in the spirit of partnerships that build capacity and promote autonomy”.