President Ali says global leaders must take decisive action to create equitable, sustainable world

President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has once again called for urgent global action to address pressing issues such as poverty, climate change, food insecurity, and inequality.

The president made the appeal during the Summit of the Future at the 6th plenary meeting, 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

On Sunday, the United Nations  adopted a ‘Pact for the Future’ that includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations. It aims to ensure that international institutions can deliver in the face of a rapidly changing global landscape.

It is against the backdrop, President Ali stressed that now is the time to turn “ambition into action”.

He emphasised the need for a more equitable and sustainable future for all, pointing to global cooperation and reform to achieve these goals.

“Meeting the climate finance commitments can no longer be postponed. Forests are an integral part of the climate solution. and it is time for a global market-based mechanism for carbon credit to be put in place. Our global food security continues to deteriorate, and the projections are alarming,” the president said.

President Ali reiterated that an estimated $90 billion in global financing is needed between now and 2030 to provide a basic social safety net.

According to the head of state, the entire 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, is at risk if the world fails to meet the basic needs of its people.

“It is our collective responsibility to provide the $300 to $500 billion needed to transform our global food system. Technology transfer, insurance for farmers, access to finance, and fair-trade rules are all part of the solution,” he said.

President Ali underscored the importance of equitable access to technology, urging global leaders to ensure that public policies and global strategies are aligned with the agenda to bridge digital divides and leverage artificial intelligence for the benefit of all.

He said, “We must reform the international financial architecture and make it more inclusive and conducive to sustainable development for all.”

Moreover, the Guyanese leader highlighted that inclusivity is also a cornerstone of the sustainable development agenda, adding that more must be done to ensure that women and youth are integral in global decisions.

“The future we envision must target directly the more than 340 million women and girls projected to live in poverty by 2030. It must also address the 110 million young women and girls projected to remain out of school by 2030. The 24% of women and girls projected to be food insecure and the 245 million women and girls that will experience sexual or gender-based violence by 2030,” the president emphasised.

The government has been passionately advocating for concessional climate financing and equitable approaches to climate adaptation that do not disadvantage developing countries.

Under Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030, the country signed a historic market-based agreement with Stabroek Block partner, Hess Corporation, for the sale of carbon credits worth over US$750 million. Already, more than US$230 million of the revenue from that sale has been received by the government.

During a recent high-level discussion on the LCDS, the head of state emphasised that developing countries like Guyana can and must pave the way for these climate solutions, as they continue to demonstrate leadership in climate action, renewable energy investment, and setting ambitious targets.