Ambassador Osama Abdel-Khalek, Egypt's permanent representative to the United Nations, delivered a statement on behalf of the African Group during the United Nations General Assembly meeting on the priorities of the Secretary-General of the United Nations during the year 2023, in which he expressed the group's appreciation for the Secretary-General's presentation of his work priorities during the current year.
The statement dealt with the multiple challenges facing African countries, especially the economic repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic, the global energy and food crises, as well as climate change, the effects of which the African continent suffers from despite being the least responsible for it.
The statement of the African Group praised the historic achievement of the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Sharm el-Sheikh by establishing a fund for losses and damages resulting from climate change, calling on member states and all parties to reach an agreement to activate the fund.
The statement also reviewed the challenges associated with increasing debts of developing countries, especially African countries, welcoming the Secretary General's initiative on reforming the structure of the global financial system, as well as launching a financing package to enhance the implementation of sustainable development goals in developing countries.