These are the strengths which our multilateral system needs now more than ever. Mr. president, for Jamaica, the consequences of global challenges are not theoretical. On the 28th of October last year, Hurricane Melissa struck our island. In a matter of hours, the most catastrophic hurricane in our modern history inflicted damage and loss estimated at 56.7% of our GDP. Think about that. In a matter of hours, more than half the value of an entire year of national economic output was damaged or lost. A single event. Jamaica had prepared. Years of fiscal discipline had allowed us to build buffers. We had put in place disaster risk financing, including catastrophe insurance and an independently sponsored catastrophe bond. Those measures gave us immediate liquidity, but no level of prudent national planning can fully insulate a small, developing state from a climate event of that magnitude. And therein lies the fundamental inequity faced by small island developing states. We can do everything right. In fact, Jamaica's reforms balanced economic orthodoxy with innovation and expanded support for the most vulnerable. And yet, one hurricane could erase decades of progress. We are deeply grateful to our international partners, our CARICOM family, our Jamaican diaspora, and the thousands of individuals and organizations which stood with us during our hour of need. Jamaica has not simply resolved to recover. We have resolved to rebuild better and differently. Our resilience must not be measured by how much suffering we can withstand. It must be measured by how well we prepare, how quickly we recover, how intelligently we adapt, and whether we emerge stronger. That is why the government of Prime Minister Andrew Holness established the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority, NaRRA. Its mandate is to drive reconstruction at speed and scale to coordinate major infrastructure projects, crowd in investment and, critically, to embed resilience in the Jamaica we are rebuilding. We are not simply replacing what Melissa has destroyed. We are building the Jamaica that must withstand the storms of tomorrow.

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Following the Hamas 2023 terrorist attack and the devastating humanitarian situation in Gaza, Cyprus has put forward the Amalthea Maritime Humanitarian Corridor. Cyprus could offer something specific: its geographical position, its infrastructure, its excellent relationship with all countries in the region, and the will to engage with international partners. Through cooperation, including with the UN 2720 mechanism, that idea became a proposal and evolved into a functioning humanitarian route, one that keeps delivering as we speak. Cyprus has also played a constructive role in times of emergency. When third country nationals needed to be evacuated from our neighborhood, my country has served, time and time again, as a safe harbor. Our infrastructure and our resources have been made available in order to facilitate safe passage for people in danger. In the last three years alone, we helped evacuate thousands of citizens from 70 different countries. And through CyprusAid, we have provided humanitarian assistance to countries facing natural disasters. Cyprus was among the first responders following the catastrophic earthquake in Venezuela and the flash floods in Nepal. The devastating humanitarian situation in Sudan and the wider Sahel region have also been a priority for my country, with a large percentage of our resources directed to the region. Ladies and gentlemen, rising temperatures, water scarcity, and extreme weather affect us all, transcending borders and politics. In the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, the interwoven political realities that we are facing are further amplified by the climate crisis.

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However, these developments do not fully reflect the vulnerabilities of countries exposed to debt and external shocks. While we work with our global partners to consolidate this hard won stability, we remain conscious of the critical need to address the hardships faced by vulnerable communities. Cyclone Ditwah was one of the worst natural disasters in Sri Lanka's recent history and devastated several parts of our country. The calamity resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives and affected more than 2 million people. Livelihoods were disrupted and critical infrastructure was destroyed. Having experienced this tragedy we understand deeply the challenge posed by the Himalayan floods to the people of Nepal and China. We extend our deepest sympathies to the victims.

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We took the difficult path of navigating a wilderness, of sensitivities and marshalling our limited resources to rescue and look after the wounded and sick. Hard as it was, we went on to rescue hundreds more. We saw human lives in danger and we acted, founding ourselves on international law and on humanity while safeguarding our neutrality. We placed humanity above all else. As President Dissanayaka has reiterated, we will never hesitate to protect humanity if there are actions that must be taken to protect human lives. We will not hesitate to take them under any circumstance. This, Mr. President, is the Sri Lanka we wish to bring before the world, a small island nation with a big heart, which believes that even in times of conflict and profound division, there remains space for humanity.

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47 days ago, a new government took office in Colombia. Three days later, at 7:34 a.m., the earth shook. A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck my country in a matter of seconds. Homes, hospitals, schools, roads and bridges had been totally destroyed or severely damaged. The Colombian Geological Service confirmed that this was the strongest magnitude earthquake recorded in Colombia so far this century. Hundreds of Colombians lost their lives. 4500 were injured and more than 452,000 people were affected. 36,000 homes were totally destroyed. They represented the life savings assets of these people. The government that had barely started its work was forced to confront one of the greatest natural disasters in our recent history. There was no time to ask whether we were ready. We had to act, and we did so. From the very outset, I gave one unequivocal instruction we had to save human lives. There was time for everything else. Appointments to posts could wait, meetings could wait. But my fellow Colombians trapped underneath the rubble could not. The government deployed to the affected areas alongside the security forces, emergency services, volunteers and rescue workers. And from the very beginning, we started receiving the generous assistance from friendly countries and international organizations such as all of you. And today, from this rostrum, I wish to express the profound and sincere gratitude of the Colombian people to all of you. The earthquake claimed the lives of many of our fellow Colombians and destroyed thousands of homes and buildings and much infrastructure. But it also reminded us once again of something that Colombians are very familiar with. We might fall, we might suffer, and we might weep. But what we cannot and what we do not know how to do is give up. But I'm not only going to talk to you about this tragedy.

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These are not abstract. They are people. They are women. They are children, youth in their best years. They are parents. They are grandparents. And they are a grand jury of humanity, indicting us all, leaders and business, of death. For you have celebrated the tens of billions of dollars in profits from wars and deaths that you are accomplices to. How is it that we can scroll past the end of the world before finishing our coffee? How is it that a child pulling pieces of his family from the rubble has become a headline so we quickly skip, a notification we silence? A Tuesday. Behind each of the dead is not a statistic. It is a mother who will spend the rest of her life searching for a face in a crowd that will never appear. It is a boy hiding in silence, learning before he can read that the world outside his door wants him dead. It is a girl, pregnant by the man who came to destroy her home, carrying inside her both the violence done to her and the life she never chose. We tell ourselves we would never look away if we truly saw it. And yet we saw Rwanda and Bosnia happen right under U.N. watch. We see it every day, live in our pockets, in vivid color, and still, somehow, life goes on normally. We finish our meetings, we plan our weekends, we grow inured to the killings of Palestinians. This is not a lack of information. We are drowning in information. We can livestream as it all happens. This is a lack of feeling, a numbness we have allowed to settle over us like dust.

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The economic warfare is aimed against the people. It harms the Cuban people as a whole. It takes a toll on human lives. It causes individual and collective pain. It causes anguish. It is not collateral damage. It is a policy deliberately designed to wound the deepest sensibilities of Cuban families, disturb their well-being and hurt the dignity of the people. It is an act of collective punishment, a crime also proscribed by international humanitarian law. The obvious short term, immediate goal pursued by such a policy is to induce a humanitarian crisis in Cuba, which is also a crime. The government of the United States and the U.S. State Department have been forced to recognize the suffering inflicted on the Cuban people, but they have the impudence and cynicism to insist in putting the blame on the government of Cuba. The executioner is blaming the victim. They are following the formula recommended by the State Department since 1960 in the infamous Mallory Memorandum, which established as an official policy, and it's in force up until today, the overthrowing of the Cuban government through the economic suffocation and the extreme suffering of the Cuban people out of material shortages, hunger and desperation.

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This is the paradox of our time. We have never had so many reasons to act together, and we have never found it so difficult to do so. This paradox comes with a price, and this price is primarily being paid by the most vulnerable. According to the UN itself, more than 147 million people in 19 countries and territories experienced acute food insecurity caused by conflict in 2025, and yet at a time when need is soaring, resources are shrinking. Humanitarian funding has fallen to its lowest levels since 2016. Official development aid is crumbling. Peacekeeping operations, including in my own country, have been forced to cut back their patrols, shut down bases, and suspend local dialogue initiatives. Each budget cut adopted in New York or in some faraway capital is an opportunity for armed groups on the ground.

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Djibouti alone cannot meet the growing needs for shelter, food and essential services. Therefore, we reiterate our appeal to the international community to step up its support so that we can respond adequately to this influx, which, according to UN estimates, could reach up to 10,000 people. In order to prevent this humanitarian crisis from becoming protracted, we renew our call for de-escalation and for a lasting political solution in Yemen to preserve human life. Turning now to Somalia, we remain fully committed to the Somali people and government in their quest to consolidate peace and stability. The international community must preserve the security gains that have been made, and continue to support the Somali authorities in fully shouldering their responsibilities and protecting their institutions.

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For decades, the UAE's commitment to the Palestinian people has remained unwavering. Today, that commitment continues through our role as the largest provider of humanitarian aid to Gaza, along with our humanitarian and development projects in the West Bank. This role reflects the core values of our foreign policy, which is driven by the spirit of giving through effective international partnerships, while reconfirming the principles of international humanitarian law and protection of civilians. Across all these dossiers, the importance of developing and reforming regional and international multilateral institutions remains paramount to strengthen their capacity to fulfill their responsibilities, foremost among them the UN, including the Security Council, the United Nations.

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Excellencies, I am not here to complain, but to share some suggestions. First, I wish to express Nepal's deep gratitude to all those who came to our aid aftermath of the deluges. Our immediate neighbors, India and China, offered prompt and generous assistance. Other friendly countries, the United Nations system, humanitarian agencies, philanthropies, and people around the world stood with Nepal. To all of them, I say thank you on behalf of the grateful people of Nepal. Nepal now faces a massive task of recovery and reconstruction. After at least 1,400 deaths and over 6,000 people still missing, a rapid assessment pegs physical recovery needs at about 10 percent of GDP. As in rebuilding after past disasters like the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, we count on your solidarity and support.

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The world today has an unprecedented capacity to meet humanity's most pressing needs. Since the establishment of the United Nations, poverty has declined, access to basic education has expanded, literacy has increased and child mortality has fallen. Yet we are witnessing tyranny, disregard for the vulnerable and violence against civilians in many parts of the world. Poverty and distress are still widespread. For example, Sudan is devastated by war, millions have been displaced and many face famine. For example, Gaza continues to be one of the world's most acute humanitarian emergencies, marked by mass displacement, the destruction of infrastructure and the lack of essential services. For example, Haiti struggles with armed violence and extreme weather events, causing a displacement crisis, a hunger crisis and a health crisis. We must not grow indifferent to wars and human suffering, but instead channel our efforts into preventing conflicts, upholding human rights and strengthening sustainable economies. Our growing material prosperity should not come at the expense of our ethical responsibilities.

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Mr. president, recovering the land does not mean only the withdrawal of occupying forces. It also means the return of its inhabitants and the revival of life in their villages and towns. The war has left behind a vast humanitarian crisis in Lebanon. It has caused extensive destruction to housing, public facilities, infrastructure and productive sectors, and has deprived large numbers of Lebanese of their homes and livelihoods. While we thank the United Nations entities and our international partners for their humanitarian contributions, we call at the same time for continued funding to meet the basic needs of those affected, particularly the displaced. In parallel with the requirements of early recovery as well as reconstruction and development. The reconstruction of the South is not merely the rebuilding of stone. It is the rebuilding of people's lives, the restoration of their livelihoods, and the affirmation of their right to live in safety and dignity on their land.

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And this year, again, hundreds of millions of people need humanitarian assistance, while the resources available to help them are shrinking. When funding runs out what do we tell the mother, who has walked for hours to reach a clinic with a sick child, that the doors are closed? What do we tell to a family waiting for food? That there will be no delivery tomorrow? We cannot ask humanitarian workers to give those answers, because we have chosen to cut their funding. This is not the time to treat humanitarian aid as an optional expense. It is neither a reward nor a bargaining chip. A hungry child is not responsible for the position taken by his government. That child has the right to eat, the right to receive care and the right to be protected. That is why I urge every one of us not to cut humanitarian funding. International law does more than contain violence. It is also enables trade exchange and movements. That brings me to a freedom that may at first sound rather technical: freedom of navigation.

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We now have capable people, institutions, policies that are proudly guiding our national transformation agenda. We must also ask ourselves why we continue to mobilize vital resources to respond to crisis, while investing far less in preventing them. The UN office for Disaster Risk Reduction estimates that every $1 invested in proactive measures, resilient infrastructure or early anticipatory actions saves between 3 to 15 USD in future damages and response costs. Therefore, we cannot remain trapped in a cycle of financing the consequences of the conflict while neglecting the peacebuilding or responding to humanitarian emergencies while underinvesting in resilience and anticipatory actions. Prevention is more cost effective, it's more humane, and it's more sustainable. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. Now El Nino is strengthening and is likely to bring another period of significant climate stress across the world, with disproportionate impact on nations like Somalia.

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They must cease immediately before they devolve into a broader religious conflict in the region and beyond. No one is in need of such an outcome. The ongoing Israeli attacks on United Nations headquarters and institutions in Jerusalem and the West Bank also undermine UNRWA's ability to continue carrying out its duties in providing support and assistance to Palestinian refugees, especially in the fields of education, health care and vocational training. We call upon all states and international and regional organizations to continue supporting the work of UNRWA, for which there is no substitute, so long as the refugee issue remains unresolved. This requires the continued financial support and political backing, as well as an end to these attacks against UNRWA. We particularly warn also against the implementation of the E1 settlement plan.

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Women children, older people, family forced from their home, hospital and school destroyed food, water and medicine denied. International humanitarian law was created precisely for these circumstances. It does not disappear in time of war. It is not suspended by political convenience. It must be respected. San Marino strongly condemned the use of explosive weapons in populated area and called for all states to implement the Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Area. Those who deliver humanitarian assistance must also be protected. Aid workers and journalists are not legitimate targets. San Marino also reaffirmed its commitment to the Australia-led Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, and called on all parties to armed conflict to respect and protect humanitarian personnel and to ensure that assistance can reach those in need.

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And as always, we call for constructive engagement, constructive engagement grounded in dialogue, sovereign equality and respect for international law. That is why we are here as individual states. We will also extend our continued solidarity to the people of Venezuela, who, regrettably, are recovering from the devastating double earthquakes in June. The horror was mind blowing. Barbados was proud to stand with our neighbour in the immediate aftermath, dispatching our field hospital and personnel to Venezuela. We remain committed to supporting them in their longer term recovery. A stable, sovereign, peaceful and democratic Venezuela is vital to the security and prosperity of not just Latin America, but the wider Caribbean. In this regard, however, I must take this opportunity to reiterate Barbados steadfast support to its sister CARICOM country Guyana, as it seeks to bring a peaceful resolution through the International Court of Justice for the long-outstanding territorial controversy with Venezuela. This is in the interests of the people of Guyana, the people of Venezuela and the wider people of the Caribbean and Latin America. The Caribbean, my friends, must remain a zone of peace. We cannot accept our region becoming a theatre. We cannot accept our region becoming a theatre for confrontation, or for the unilateral and unjustified use of force.

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We also make efforts to address the humanitarian suffering of people caused by wars and natural disasters, while supporting human development in numerous countries across our region and beyond. This combination of safeguarding our vital interests, pursuing our proven, valued and internationally recognized role in mediation and humanitarian action, and upholding principled positions consistent with international law and international legitimacy, constitutes the foundation of our foreign policy, with these four elements as its essential components. Qatar will remain an open realm for dialogue and cultural interaction among peoples and for the exchange of views and experiences. We continue to contribute to international initiatives that bring people together and support development.

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That is why South Africa endorsed the declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, supported by nearly 120 states from all regions of the world. Mr. president, eighty years ago, the first resolution of the General Assembly called for the elimination of nuclear weapons. Later this year, South Africa will preside over the First Review Conference of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. As the only country in the world to have voluntarily dismantled its nuclear weapons program, South Africa stands ready to share this experience as a demonstration, with political will, credible and verifiable nuclear disarmament is achievable.

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The catastrophic humanitarian conditions endured by the Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza Strip, as a result of continued casualties, displacement, the destruction of homes and infrastructure, and the collapse of the health care system require safe, urgent and sustained humanitarian access. It also requires allowing the UN and its specialized agencies to carry out their missions, especially the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Tunisia considers that any attempt to dismantle this long standing UN agency, or to undermine its mandate prior to a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian refugee issue, constitutes a desperate attempt to eliminate the right of return and to liquidate the Palestinian cause as a whole. The logic of force may be able to impose a bitter and inhumane reality for a period of time, but it can never break the will of peoples nor halt the course of history.

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This is not the way forward. Ladies and gentlemen, Polish aid embodies global solidarity with those in need. That is why, for years, we have consistently supported international efforts to resolve the crisis in the Middle East. We are committed to providing humanitarian aid in this region and to development initiatives for Palestine and Lebanon, which are priority countries for Polish aid. We focus on areas critical to sustainable development. In Palestine, we continue to support the operation of mobile clinics, providing medical care in the West Bank, and strengthening employment and professional skills, particularly among women. In Lebanon, Poland is developing the operational capabilities of the Lebanese Civil Defense units in the area of disaster and natural disaster response. Ladies and gentlemen, strengthening the resilience of nations and building stability, however, cannot overlook one more dimension of responsibility, the responsibility for the world we will leave to future generations.

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India has sent medical shipments to conflict zones, epidemic locations and after natural disasters. As a first responder, we were there early, be it the Nepal flash floods or the Venezuela earthquake. Artificial limb fitment camps have given a new hope to many across the world. Whether to meet food and medicine shortages, energy or fertiliser needs, or indeed creating livelihoods, India has contributed continuously and will do so.

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We have a solemn duty to protect those who undertake this vital work. Last year, following the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and the deaths of over 1000 other humanitarian workers in the last three years, Australia and eight partner nations led the development of a Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel. Now supported by 130 countries, that declaration outlines practical measures to ensure stronger accountability, safer access and better protection for aid workers operating in conflict zones.

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At the same time, we condemn the continued detention by the Houthi militias of UN personnel and humanitarian workers. Those working for peace and humanitarian relief must never be held hostage of blackmail. I wish all the peoples of the world prosperity peace and development and we hope for a world that is more secure, just stable and prosperous. And in conclusion, I extend my congratulations to our great Yemeni people at home and abroad on the occasion.

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Elsewhere, we are looking to ensure the material, moral, and spiritual recovery of our homeland that has been beset by a devastating natural disaster. I wish to thank all of the countries of America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, as well as the United Nations system as a whole. I wish to thank you all. You provided your solidarity and your support to the Venezuelan people during the darkest hours of our history that we endured as a result of this double earthquake.

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Our resilience account for every hazard, including geohazards confronting our islands. Over the last few years, Tonga has endured cyclones, flooding, earthquakes and tsunamis. This year, the Super El Nino, currently forming over the Pacific Ocean, further intensifies weather patterns, compounding the pressures on our people. We therefore need integrated warning and response systems that can protect our communities against the full range of planetary risks.

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Japan is striving to become the world's leading nation in disaster risk reduction. To share Japan's expertise and technology in disaster risk reduction and contribute to global efforts in this field, I appointed a new Minister of State for International Disaster Risk Reduction Cooperation in my cabinet reshuffle last week. I myself in 2015 as Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, attended the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction, where the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction was adopted. Promoting this framework remains one of our top priorities to this day.

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We remain committed to the multilateral humanitarian system, as well as to all those who are providing assistance where it is most needed. The same level of responsibility applies to peace and security. Conflicts affect all human beings women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, as well as people who are already vulnerable. Protecting civilians and defending human rights cannot take a back seat to other considerations.

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Sometimes we tend to forget that behind the numbers, there are always human beings: families separated, children affected, homes destroyed, and lives disrupted by conflict. Over the past three years, more than 1,000 humanitarian workers have lost their lives. And beyond ongoing wars and conflicts, there is a looming crisis brought on by climate change, one in which time is running out for us to act. Indeed, the time to act is now.

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From the very beginning, Italy has mobilized the very best of its humanitarian capabilities. Through Food for Gaza, we have delivered food and essential supplies provided by our farmers. We have welcomed and cared for wounded and vulnerable children. We have opened our universities and research centers to young Palestinians, because a future state also needs a future generation of leaders.

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Conflicts, poverty, drought, natural disasters and the growing effects of climate change are pushing millions of people from their homes. And just as needs are increasing, funding is falling. With development cooperation and humanitarian assistance we are investing in stability. We are investing in resilience and peace.

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