Food security must become a strategic priority because no sustainable development is possible when millions of families lack sufficient and nutritious food. In closing, I would like to raise the question of youth, the most precious asset on which the entire international community can and must rely. I speak today not only as a committed friend of young people, but also on the basis of a clear observation: our intellectual youth has become the target of sustained, deliberate, and organized pursuit by most of the wealthiest nations, even though our youth's first calling should be to serve their parents, their loved ones, and their homeland, who have invested so much in their education. Many African states devote considerable resources to education, vocational training, entrepreneurship, science, digital technology, and innovation. Yet while our African nations, such as Burundi, make these major sacrifices to build their future, these young talents are prematurely lured away by actors who offer better material and financial conditions without having needed to make any prior investment in their training. Let us be clear: it is imperative to establish a fair partnership so that our countries receive a fair return on the investments made in the education of our youth. The other actions we must all take also include giving young people a real voice in decision-making, peace, and development processes. Youth should not be regarded solely as beneficiaries of public policy. They must be integrated both upstream and downstream in the design and implementation of these policies. This is what would make it possible to create a secure future and restore hope to these young people. This emerged from the discussions at the 5th Continental Dialogue on Youth, Peace, and Security held in Bujumbura from August 10 to 12, 2026, a dialogue that highlighted the link between water, peace, conflict prevention, and inclusive leadership by young people and women. The discussions at this dialogue made it clear that there can be no lasting peace in Africa without the full, effective, and institutionalized participation of its youth. For too long, we have spoken of youth as a generation called upon to take the reins tomorrow. But African youth is not only the future of our continent; it must also be its present. We, therefore, call for strengthening the Continental Youth, Peace, and Security Agenda and providing it with resources commensurate with its ambitions. We have a duty to create more opportunities for young people to contribute to conflict prevention, mediation, reconciliation, and peacebuilding.

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We are the largest coffee exporter in Central America and the fifth largest globally. 57% of the coffee which Honduras exports is coffee recognized to be of extremely high quality, as well as accredited and specialized coffee. That is a reflection of the quality of our production and its standard of excellence. Honduras sees its agriculture, fisheries, and poultry industries as fundamental pillars for economic development, as well as for food security and job creation. Our commitment is to breathe momentum into these sectors sustainably. We want to empower our producers and bring high-quality Honduran products to international markets. Our land harbors mineral wealth with vast potential that has yet to be harnessed. We have the opportunity to develop a modern, responsible, and sustainable mining industry so that we can create employment and transform these resources into development and prosperity for our people.

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As part of fulfilling our commitment to enhance resilience to climate shock, we were able to produce an improved climate-resilient wheat variety seed. In a very short period, we have transitioned from a wheat importer to one of the largest wheat producers in Africa. At a time where food provision has become a political battleground and the global food supply hangs precariously in the balance, we send a clear message that Africa can feed itself. Since the launch of the Green Legacy Initiative in 2019, we were able to plant 56 billion trees, which is not only expanding our forest coverage but significantly restoring our ecosystem.

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We seek to reduce our dependence on imports, increase national production and ensure better market access for farmers so that a greater share of the value generated by quality products such as cocoa and coffee, remains in the country. If the land is essential to our food security, the sea and our biodiversity represent one of the broadest horizons for our development. The recognition of our territory by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve confirms the exceptional value of our natural heritage and reinforces our responsibility to protect it and make the most of it. We aim to turn this wealth into opportunities for sustainable development through fisheries, the blue economy, research and nature based tourism that generates jobs and income for local communities.

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Our national objective is to ensure that every family has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. This is a matter of basic human dignity and sustainable development. To achieve this, we are intensifying investment in agriculture, modern farming technologies, research, infrastructure, and the empowerment of our smallholder farmers. We continue to provide subsidies for farming inputs and implements to support subsistence farmers. Furthermore, we have embarked on major dam construction projects for irrigation, which are set to transform our agricultural landscape, particularly in the Lowveld. National endeavors such as this are greatly enhanced by international cooperation. The partnership between the United Nations and the Kingdom of Eswatini has been instrumental in advancing our national development aspirations and implementing the SDGs. This collaboration spans critical sectors, including health, tourism, education, agriculture, and renewable energy.

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These crises may seem distant, but their effects reach in every household. They drive up the cost of energy, grain, bread, and fertilizers. They hurt businesses, agriculture, and families. Food security concerns us all and demands common solutions. To address this challenge, we are working side by side with United Nations Rome-based agencies, making available the best Italian expertise, from agriculture and food production to satellite technologies that help reduce the use of land, water, and pesticides. Food security and water security are part of the same struggle. There can be no harvest without water. There can be no stability, only hunger, conflict, and migration if there is no water.

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Indeed, the problem of the Black Sea has gone from regional to global in scale, with negative regional consequences that come from the war in Iran and the drying up of the Danube River. This is leading to a food crisis in the world, especially in the Middle East and Africa. The inability to export grain and fertilizer poses a real risk of famine this winter in a number of countries in these regions and may compromise the harvest of 2027. Bulgaria cannot and will not remain indifferent.

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Another threat as serious as climate change is the spread of a culture of waste, fuelled by an incredible desire for consumption. Every year, 5.8 trillion plates or servings of food end up in the garbage bin worldwide, meaning that more than 2 billion tonnes of food are being wasted. We cannot speak of justice in a world where tons of food are thrown into the garbage on one side, while hundreds of millions of people collect food from garbage containers on the other. As Turkey, we are ready to make every possible contribution both to preventing waste and to ensuring global food security. So with this understanding in mind, we have nominated Doctor Mehmet Mehdi Eker for the position of Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN. I am confident that you will not withhold your support for our candidate. Now, it is also worth noting the following. As our world changes fast, humanity has concurrently begun to face new social threats.

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The large scale irrigation program initiated by the president of the Republic, has 527 billion CFA francs and aims to ensure that around 22,000 hectares of new irrigated land can be established. The results achieved in this regard are very satisfactory because for the first time in decades, our country has not faced food shortages or had to call upon foreign assistance. Through this program, we intend to halve our grain imports by the end of 2027. Inshallah. On health. We have reduced by 50% the cost of services in public health facilities. Some services are free, for example, childbirth, care for children aged 0 to 5, and dialysis. The assisted birth rate went from 36% in 2022 to 42.5% in 2025, and the rate of prenatal consultations went from 32% to 38.2%.

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Conflict and climate shock are driving hunger and malnutrition. San Marino believes that reducing food loss and waste is one practical contribution of a more secure and sustainable food system. We are also entering in a new technological era. Artificial intelligence and emerging technology offer enormous opportunity, but they also create new risks. Technology must serve humanity. It must not be used to undermine human rights, international peace or international humanitarian law. The rule must keep pace with innovation.

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