Addis Ababa, September 25, 2025 (FMC) – The FDRE President Taye Atske-Selassie urged urgent reforms in global governance, emphasized the importance of multilateral cooperation, and called for diplomacy to resolve conflicts worldwide.
Addressing the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, President Taye highlighted Ethiopia’s pride as a founding member of the UN on the organization’s 80th anniversary.
“The United Nations has achieved remarkable milestones in its 80 years,” he said. “From supporting decolonization and welcoming newly independent states to preventing armed conflicts, averting humanitarian crises, and containing deadly pandemics, global cooperation has saved lives and advanced development. The Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals have helped reduce extreme poverty and paved the way for climate action.”
Despite these successes, President Taye stressed that significant challenges remain. He highlighted inequities in state representation in global security, political, and financial institutions, as well as systemic issues such as selectivity, partiality, and double standards. Excessive UN bodies and mechanisms, he warned, have diluted the General Assembly’s mandate—an issue the ongoing UNAT reform initiative offers an opportunity to correct.
Warning against isolationist policies, unprecedented military buildups, and retreat from climate and development commitments, President Taye said such trends undermine collective progress and peaceful interstate relations.
“No state can single-handedly manage global challenges,” he added, urging developed countries with historical responsibilities to intensify efforts for the collective good of development and peace.
On global conflicts, Ethiopia reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful resolution. President Taye emphasized the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, calling for direct negotiations among warring parties and immediate delivery of humanitarian assistance.
He urged that any peace and reconstruction plans should avoid creating complications for neighboring countries or regions.
On regional and global security, President Taye noted that national security is indivisible and interdependent. Ethiopia will intensify efforts to combat terrorism in its region and called on the international community to support African Union peace missions, particularly the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia.
He reiterated the urgent need to reform the UN Security Council, emphasizing Africa’s rightful representation in both permanent and non-permanent categories.
Concluding his address, President Taye expressed optimism about humanity’s collective potential. “The spirit, genius, and competence of humanity toward unity, justice, and collective well-being will triumph over the current atmosphere of rivalry and hopelessness. Ethiopia remains firmly committed to multilateralism, upholding the UN Charter, and contributing to global security and sustainable development,” he said.