Speech of His Excellency President Rashad Al-Alimi at the Summit of Future (Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow)

  New York

Your Majesties, Excellencies, Highnesses,

Distinguished Guests,

It is a valuable opportunity to speak to you as the first country at this important event. In which we renew together our shared commitment to the principles of global solidarity, mutual respect, and close cooperation, the principles on which this venerable organization was founded.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Yemen’s journey over the past decade has been full of suffering and difficult challenges brought about by the war of the terrorist Houthi militias supported by the Iranian regime, leaving behind massive destruction in all aspects of life.

Therefore, our priorities may seem different from the agendas of most of your countries, especially those that enjoy peace and stability, but our aspirations for a promising future, which all our people deserve, are the same. 

Yemen is today one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world. The repercussions of war are overburdening it at various levels, including the failure to fulfill its commitments related to the Millennium Development Goals and sustainable development.

But despite these enormous challenges, the steadfastness and determination of Yemeni people remain strong and steadfast in striving for a better future.

Part of the reasons for this steadfastness are due to the continuous support received by the Yemeni government from the countries of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and its regional and international partners, in addition to the relevant financing organizations, especially the International Fund and the World Bank.

Mr. President,

Ladies and gentlemen,

In the midst of these difficulties and calamities, I would like to share with you good news that our country has recently witnessed, as our efforts have been met with success in contracting with the international company "Starlink" to provide satellite Internet service to our citizens. So that Yemen becomes one of the leading countries in the region in dealing with this service, which we rely on to enhance the exchange of information and knowledge, and enable girls and boys to join distance education, and protect them from recruitment by violent groups and extremist organizations.

I have chosen to share you this event, to confirm to you the strength of our will to resist the conditions of war, and create hope as we struggle with the government on three fronts: First, we confront the projects of violence, extremism and backwardness coming from the past, second, we work to repair the dire effects that the war has caused on our lived reality, and third, we seek to keep pace with the future as much as possible. Because we believe that generations born in conditions of conflict will have the right to grow up with better opportunities for peace, prosperity and development.

Today, we are participating in the Summit of Future with ambitions to prove that with your support and encouragement, countries experiencing wars and institutional fragility can keep pace with global progress, as long as there is the will and creative thinking to catch up.

For our part, the Presidential Leadership Council has been working with the government for two years to keep pace with the Summit of Future agenda. Whether in terms of enhancing the role of technological equivalent in the country as a human right, or through empowering women and youth, for whom we launched an ambitious program to develop capabilities in the interim capital, Aden. We also held an extensive conference in the city of Taiz in this context.

Despite the severity of the war and the financial crisis exacerbated by the terrorist Houthi attacks on oil facilities, we are achieving amazing steadfastness with the support of our brothers to fulfill the inevitable obligations, and to push forward with ideas and qualitative projects that achieve a degree of sustainability.

In this context, we are also working with the rest of the members of the international community to formulate a different strategy towards Yemen, based on moving from relief to development. Looking seriously at the youth and future agenda, just as we are keen on the agenda of stopping the conflict and achieving comprehensive peace.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In Yemen, the humanitarian crisis is also exacerbated by the effects of climate change, as my country suffers from extreme weather phenomena such as drought, floods and high temperatures.

In the past two months, hundreds of victims have passed, and thousands of families have been displaced due to torrential floods resulting from climate change that have had a severe impact on the lives of the Yemeni people, especially women, children and the elderly.

Therefore, the international community will have to fulfill its obligations, provide greater support for adaptation to climate change, and build local capacities to enhance environmental sustainability, including technology transfer as a crucial matter in supporting joint efforts in this regard.

Since the Summit of Future is a good opportunity for developing countries, we look forward to taking full advantage of the outcomes of this summit, including its proposed declaration, which largely reflects today’s realities, provides tangible solutions in response to international challenges, and supports developing and least developed countries in their efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

In conclusion, we affirm that our peoples have unlimited hopes to work together to build a future of peace and prosperity, in which human dignity and equal citizenship are preserved. They also have unlimited hope in a multilateral world that is effective, just, inclusive, and ensures that none of us are left behind.

 

Thank you