Mr. Secretary-General, Mr. Vice president of the General Assembly, heads of State and government. Excellencies, ambassadors. Ladies and gentlemen, I appear today before this assembly representing the president of the Republic of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, who has asked me to be here on his behalf and bring before you a message written by him. From this moment on, what you will hear are the words of the president of the Republic of Colombia. I have asked the Vice President of the Republic, José Manuel Restrepo, to read this message on my behalf. I have done so because I assured the Colombian people that I would not leave the country during the four years of my term, and I am keeping that promise.

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Nowhere on earth is a planet warming faster than in Western Europe. But in the Caribbean part of our Kingdom, including the countries of Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten the effects of climate change have already been felt for much longer. And the same is true for many of your countries. For too long, the consequences of climate change have been trivialized or simply denied. But after the horrors experienced by Nepal and a long series of forest fires, the truth should be clear to everyone the climate crisis will not just disappear if we pretend it doesn't exist. We are living on borrowed time, and the generations that come after us will pay the price. And if you want to prevent that, we must commit now to both mitigation and adaptation. And we all know what needs to be done. Countless reports are agreed on that. And we have all the technology we need. Fortunately, we are making progress. Last year, the electrical vehicle market grew by 20%. Wind power capacity grew by 14% and solar power by more than 30%. And this growth in renewable energy has exceeded even the most optimistic projections from ten years ago. And the challenge now is to accelerate this transition in all sectors and all parts of the world. And at the same time, to reduce carbon emissions and phase out fossil fuels. That is why the Netherlands, jointly with Colombia, organized the world's first conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels. This event in Colombia was attended by 57 countries, and together these countries account for one third of global GDP, one third of energy demand and one fifth of supply. And together we worked to find concrete and practical solutions to take the transition forward. But climate action requires everyone to contribute. In November, we will gather at a COP in Turkey. And I know that many of you don't have high expectations. But in my view, this can only be explained by the pessimistic idea that we are somehow powerless. But that is not true. We have the knowledge and we have the technology to combat climate change.

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We also staunchly support the government of Colombia in their measures to reduce the production of cocaine, which also affects Panama as a transit country. Ladies and gentlemen, in a world marked by strategic competition between the great powers, Panama, as a result of our history and beliefs, chooses to remain the meeting point where humanity can build a future of peace and shared development. We are a nation that hosts people from different cultures, that hosts birds, whales, and vessels from the entire world. Panama hosts the world, and we would like to invite all free nations who wish to see prosperity for their peoples and who wish to be more global in trade, but also more autonomous in decisions on their own traditions to work together. We also host investment with a new stage of national development to improve global logistics through the Panama Canal and also five high-quality global ports, including two of the largest in our region, in addition to the expansion of the services that we offer in terms of transporting hydrocarbons between the oceans. This is a center that has recently been entirely acquired by the Panamanian state. As I have made clear in this statement, in terms of global trade and also investment in combating drug trafficking and terrorism, respecting sovereignty and peace, in all of these matters, all members of the United Nations can continue to count on Panama in this endeavor. Thank you very much.

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As one of the first supporters of a global alliance for human rights, Estonia feels that human rights should, once again, be at the center of a world we choose to build. Estonia is a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for a period from 2026 to 2028, and is currently serving as Vice President of the Council. As a country ranked among the world's top three for press freedom, we are committed to promoting media freedom, protecting journalists, and enhancing media literacy. We will continue our strong commitment to women's rights and gender equality, including sexual and reproductive health and rights. Together with New Zealand and Colombia, Estonia is leading negotiations on the Human Rights Council on the resolution on preventing maternal mortality and morbidity. Maternal survival is a question of human rights, not only health care. Estonia stands firmly for ending all forms of violence against children. One of the gravest aspects of Russia's war against Ukraine is the mass deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children, which is a systematic and deliberate attempt to erase their Ukrainian identity. It is a war crime and a crime against humanity. We therefore reiterate the call of the General Assembly resolution adopted on the 3rd of December 2025, and demand that the Russian Federation ensure a safe, immediate, and unconditional return of all forcibly transferred and deported Ukrainian children. We thank all our international partners working to reunite these children with their families. In particular, we asked U.S. First Lady Melania Trump for a remarkable humanitarian initiative.

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Mr. President. Excellencies. Distinguished delegates. It is an honor once again to address this august Assembly on behalf of the government and people of Tuvalu. I congratulate His Excellency Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh on assuming the role of the president of the 81st session. President Rahman, you can count on the full support of Tuvalu. I also congratulate the outgoing president, Her Excellency Annalena Baerbock of Germany, for an exceptional and exemplary leadership. Mr. president, Tuvalu extends its deepest sympathy and condolences to all communities worldwide that are affected by ongoing armed conflicts and recent natural disasters, including the devastating floods in Nepal and Myanmar, the earthquake in Colombia and the tragic loss of lives at sea in Vanuatu. Tuvalu reiterates its hope for peace, stability and the unimpeded humanitarian relief, and reaffirms its solidarity with all those facing violence, insecurity and loss. Mr. president, in less than a week, Tuvalu will celebrate its 48th anniversary of independence, a significant milestone as Tuvalu approaches its Golden Jubilee of Independence.

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