At the UN Day event, UN Resident Coordinator urges Sierra Leone to use its Security Council membership to highlight key global issues.

United Nations Resident Coordinator (RC) Babatunde Ahonsi, at a cocktail reception marking the 78th anniversary of the United Nations on Tuesday, expressed his hope for the country's membership in the Security Council to be used to help shine a light on the array of issues confronting the globe but particularly Africa, a continent constrained by the global financial squeeze.

In his welcome address at the event, he congratulated the Government and people of Sierra Leone for a return to the UN Security Council for 2024-2025 as a non-permanent member after 53 years. He noted that the country’s election with votes by 188 countries out of 193 UN member states on June 6 this year is a clear demonstration of the respect for Sierra Leone in the Comity of Nations.

The RC commended the Government and the main opposition party, the All Peoples' Congress, for the recently reached agreement to peacefully address the issues that emerged from the June 2023 elections in the interest of national unity.

He also reaffirmed the UN Country Team's commitment to supporting the Government in its efforts to develop a new Medium-Term National Development Plan (2024-2030), "ensuring that the priorities outlined in the Five Big Game Changers are fully aligned with our next UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework to be developed early next year."

He ended by acknowledging the remarkable progress achieved through collaborative efforts. "From promoting inclusive governance, enhancing national emergency preparedness and response, advancing women's and girls' empowerment, and strengthening health and education systems, our joint endeavours have laid a strong foundation for a more resilient and prosperous Sierra Leone in the future," he said.

The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and High Commissioner of the Federal Republic of Nigeria - H.E Henry John Omaku, commended the UN for the theme, "Building Resilience: Sierra Leone and the United Nations”, which he described as apt and timely.

He commended Sierra Leoneans for their resilience and said, "In the 63 years of Sierra Leone as an independent country, the citizens have over the years created a huge impact on the world stage and have grown to be among the world's most peaceful nations."

In her keynote statement, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Madam Frances P. Alghali, recognized the role the UN has played in being at the forefront of multilateral response to crises and its consistency in providing and coordinating assistance, delivering critical services and development assistance to its member states, including Sierra Leone.

She said the longstanding wholesome relationship between Sierra Leone and the United Nations is really a story of resilience and peacebuilding, which cannot be told without referencing the multi-dimensional nature of the peace that was built in Sierra Leone after the 1991-2002 civil war. As a result, Sierra Leone remains one of the few successful cases of UN peacekeeping and peacebuilding that enabled a transition from conflict to post-conflict peacebuilding and stable democratic institutions.

Mrs. Alghali reassured the gathering of the Government's commitment as a member of the Security Council to work closely with all partners to effectively address global challenges and push for reforms to advance the values and principles of the United Nations.

The UN Day, observed annually on October 24, marks the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945. The Day serves as an opportunity to reflect on the organization's achievements and to reaffirm its commitment to promoting peace, sustainable development, and human rights.