Climate Change Is Another Pendamic
Hassoumi Massoudou stated that his country and region are prone to droughts and flooding, as well as locust infestations and the annual degradation of thousands of hectares of agricultural land.
He quoted President Mohamed Bazoum as saying that the world required more political resolve to win the fight against climate change.
“Niger hopes that COP26 in Glasgow will serve as a framework to reinforce political commitment to combat the effects of climate change,” he added, stressing that some of the major roadblocks for developing nations include money and technology transfer.
As a current non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, the Foreign Minister stated that his country is co-chairing an expert group with Ireland with the goal of adopting a resolution on the climate problem.
He stated, “It is our view that climate change-related fragility is an aggravating factor in conflicts and humanitarian catastrophes.”
Mr. Massoudou went on to say that Niger understood the link because it is currently surrounded by “hotbeds of instability” and under attack by “terrorist hordes.”
Despite the size of their country and a dearth of resources, he continued, Niger has demonstrated its resilience by maintaining territorial integrity and stability.
He attributed this to Niger’s government’s vision, the courage and commitment of its Defense and Security Forces, and the crucial assistance of bilateral partners such as multilateral organizations, expressing his “sincere gratitude” for such efforts.
The Foreign Minister also told the Assembly that Niger was able to repatriate nearly 6,000 people to their homes after 6 years of displacement as part of a pilot program last June.
“We also hope to repatriate roughly 130,000 displaced individuals from Diffa to Nigeria’s Borno state,” he said.
Mr. Massoudou stated that his government continues to believe that terrorism and organized crime are the results of other underlying concerns that must be addressed, namely poverty and inequality.
“It is not only military efforts that will enable us to definitively destroy terrorism, but also our ability to implement development programs and address the basic necessities of our populations,” he stressed.
While COVID-19 will continue to cast a shadow over 2021, the Foreign Minister believes the year will be a watershed moment in his country’s democratic consolidation.
He explained that “Niger was able to achieve the first peaceful democratic transition of power from one elected president to another.”
Finally, Mr. Massoudou urged the international community to apply the same determination to other difficulties as COVID-19, including as climate change, which he described as “another pandemic with deadly consequences.”
“We think that in Niger, our commitment to the preservation of the [UN] Charter’s objectives and the values of peace and solidarity that it reflects will enable us to carry out this battle in order to establish a world of peace, justice, and prosperity,” he said.
Reference- News UN.org
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