Addis Media Network

AMN PLUS-September 24, 2026

President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Taye Atske-Selassie, addressed the General Debate of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York today, emphasizing the importance of multilateralism, collective security, sovereign equality, and international cooperation.

He called on the international community to reinforce the ideals that help prevent global conflict and highlighted artificial intelligence, the climate crisis, and deepening global inequalities among the defining imperatives of the present era.

On climate change, President Taye called for urgent action and announced that Ethiopia will host COP32 in November 2027, inviting world leaders to participate in the global climate summit.

On artificial intelligence, he stressed the need to ensure that the Global South leads the technological revolution, citing Ethiopia’s 5 Million Coders program and the soon-to-be-commissioned university of Artificial Intelligence as examples of initiatives demonstrating Africa’s readiness to build the future.

President Taye reaffirmed Ethiopia’s call for fundamental reform of the United Nations, including comprehensive reform of the Security Council, to ensure greater equality and justice in global decision-making and equal representation for Africa.

On regional issues, he highlighted Ethiopia’s efforts to promote cooperation and regional integration through infrastructure development, trade, and people-to-people relations, and reaffirmed Ethiopia’s support for a Sudanese-led and Sudanese-owned peace process that reflects the will and aspirations of the Sudanese people.

The President also highlighted Ethiopia’s progress in democracy, national dialogue, food security, environmental restoration, renewable energy, and infrastructure development.

He cited the recent election and the National Dialogue Commission’s first historic summit, Ethiopia’s transition from a wheat importer to one of the largest wheat producers in Africa, and the planting of 56 billion trees since the launch of the Green Legacy Initiative in 2019.

He further highlighted Ethiopia’s target of generating 13,000 MW by 2030, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as a Pan-African clean energy project, and the construction of an international airport expected to handle 110 million passengers and about four million tons of cargo annually and play a catalytic role in the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Concluding his address, President Taye underscored Ethiopia’s aspiration for reliable and dependable access to the sea, noting that the country is pursuing all possible diplomatic avenues to secure access to and from the sea and ensure its integration into the global trading system.

He called for genuine and sustained regional and international cooperation to advance renewable energy, connectivity, food security, manufacturing, and urban development, and reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to upholding human dignity, justice, and solidarity and to reviving multilateralism to meet the demands of current and future generations.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia.