The Gambia’s President, Adama Barrow has commended Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari’s address at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly UNGA in New York, USA.
In a statement released by the State House the Gambia social platform on Wednesday, the Gambia’s President attended the second day of the UNGA77, while congratulating President Buhari on his message after his deliberation.
Barrow pointed out some areas of concern on Nigerian President’s address where Buhari announced that it was his second and final term as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the last time he would address the UNGA as Head of State.
Where Nigerian President emphasised during his deliberations at the UNGA77 that democracy crosses borders and limits.
Gambia’s Barrow stressed where Buhari referenced Nigeria’s efforts to bring legitimacy to governance in the ECOWAS sub-region, while cited The Gambia, Guinea, Bissau, Chad, and other countries in the sub-region as examples.
The Gambia’s President also pinpointed where Nigerian President challenged fellow leaders to adhere to term limits and referred to the best practice Nigeria demonstrated to ensure a change of government through elections scheduled for February 2023.
Meanwhile, Nigerian President in his address at the UNGA77 also called for outright debt cancellation for developing countries facing the most severe fiscal and liquidity challenges.
Buhari said, “the multifaceted challenges facing most developing countries have placed a debilitating chokehold on their fiscal space.
“Justifying the need to address the burden of unsustainable external debt by a global commitment to the expansion and extension of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative as well as outright cancellation”, he said.
Later in the evening, the Gambia’s President, Barrow and the First Lady, Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow, were hosted by the United States President, Joe Biden, to a reception on the sidelines of the UNGA77.
UNGA77: Barrow calls for more action in Climate Change financing
Addressing a forum on Tuesday, 20th September on mobilising climate financing on the sidelines of the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York, President Barrow said countries should raise investments and focus on saving and protecting lives, and the ecosystems.
The President cited the recent floods as ‘one of the worst’ in The Gambia’s history, which affected more than 50,000 people due to the country’s one-meter rise in sea level.
He added that the rise could submerge 50% of the city, including the country’s only deep-water seaport.
‘’As the impact of climate change could cost developing countries between 1% and 5% of their GDP annually, it is imperative to raise investments and focus on saving and protecting lives and ecosystems.” Barrow detailed.
The President added that climate financing is a challenge for many developing countries and investing in it could create difficult options for many Africans.
“Countries like The Gambia would have to forgo investments in poverty reduction and other development priorities to shift attention to climate action.’’ President Barrow stated.
Highlighting how The Gambia has shown leadership and taken a progressive position on climate action, the President said the country has increased budgetary allocation to address, particularly climate adaptation, resilience and mitigation.
He added that the focus is now on mobilising private sector investment to cater for the urgent mitigation needs, especially in renewable energy.
While stating that The Gambia will be the host country of mitigation projects aimed at protecting the planet, President Barrow solicited international support to realistically implement the Climate Change Long Term Strategy 2050.
The President raised several concerns including the provision of long-term predictable funding that allows for capacity development, and risk integration, promotes climate finance for gender- responsive climate actions, as well as effective and equitable finance delivery.
He also observed that international climate finance entities, especially multilateral funds, should revisit their procedures and policies, and prioritise the needs of developing countries.
