The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is an annual platform that allows Presidents and heads of government from around the world to share their views on national, regional, continental, and global issues of importance.
From diplomacy, conflicts, the global peace and security architecture, the global financial system, the threats and potentials of technology, even local-level progress on key areas and other metrics that fall within the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), leaders present their ‘manifestos’ to their peers and, by extension, to the world from the iconic dais.
At the just-ended 80th UNGA, several issues gained critical attention, including Africa’s continued push for reparations, a seat on the UN Security Council, the conflict in Gaza and the need to bolster multilateralism now more than ever.
Another issue that came up critically in the addresses was the issue of climate change and the urgent need for climate action.
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In this piece, FactSpace West Africa analyses the climate perspectives that leaders across Anglophone West Africa shared at the rostrum of the UNGA halls in New York.
This piece highlights what the Presidents of Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Liberia said about climate. We also analyse the climate-themed presentations by the Vice Presidents of The Gambia and Nigeria, who represented their respective presidents.
| Country | Mentions | Major areas addressed |
| Ghana | 3 | Threat, links to migration, effects on the Global South |
| Liberia | 4 | CC as a global threat, as a present reality, how Liberia is fighting it and call for Climate Justice |
| Nigeria | 3 | Climate emergency as a global threat, the need for climate action and the use of climate funds |
| Sierra Leone | 8 | Global threat, climate adaptation and resilience, polluter pay disparity and ICJ advisory opinion on climate change. |
| The Gambia | 5 | The threat, the need to combat the threat, climate financing and the nexus with regional insecurity |
John Dramani Mahama of Ghana
President Mahama, in his presentation, mentioned climate three times, capturing the urgency and reality of climate change, links to migration and its effects on the Global South:
“Climate change is real, and we are fighting a losing battle against the loss of the Maldives and other island nations to the rising sea level, Timbuktu to desertification, and the Amazon Rainforest to global warming and deforestation.
“Many of those migrants are climate refugees. Interestingly, the Global North emits 75% more greenhouse gases than the Global South. However, the effects of climate change are more severe in the Global South because we lack the resources to address them effectively.”
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai
The President of Liberia, Joseph Boakai, used the word climate four times throughout his address.
“From wars and displacements to terrorism, threats to technological advances, climate change, and widening inequalities, today, our world faces challenges that no country can solve alone. At the same time, and paradoxically, when the world needs to strengthen multilateralism, its credibility and efficacy are being questioned.
“Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen: For Liberia, climate change is not a distant threat but a present reality. Rising seas are eroding our coasts, while storms and heavy rains devastate communities, threaten lives and livelihoods, and exacerbate food insecurity.
“Yet we are acting. We are carrying out coastal defence projects, developing climate information systems for early warning systems, finalising our carbon market policies, and advancing a blue economy strategy.
“But our efforts alone are not enough. We urge urgent implementation of the Paris Agreement, full capitalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund, and greater global investment in adaptation and mitigation. Above all, we call for Climate Justice—those who contribute the least to this crisis should not be forced to suffer the most.”
President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone
President Maada Bio used the word climate eight times in his speech. He highlighted the climate crisis as a global threat, touched on climate adaptation and resilience and the price the poorest countries pay compared to the major polluters.
“Today, we face deepening inequalities, climate crises, geopolitical fragmentation, technological disruption, and entrenched conflicts. We have mainstreamed climate adaptation and strengthened disaster preparedness.
“We are expanding renewable energy to support industrialisation and climate resilience. Climate change is an existential threat to Sierra Leone. We have mainstreamed climate adaptation and strengthened disaster preparedness. Climate justice is not charity. It is a legal and moral responsibility.
“If the poorest are left to pay the highest climate price, there is no justice. If the poorest are left to pay the highest climate price, there is no justice.
“Developed nations must honour their commitments: $100 billion per year in climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity building. We welcome the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on Climate Change, affirming states’ obligations to prevent environmental harm and to protect future generations.”
Vice President Kashim Shettima of Nigeria
In the case of Nigeria, Vice President Kashim Shettima mentioned climate three times in his address, referencing the emergency it presents, classifying it as an area that requires re-examination of resources and the allocation of climate funds.
“The pace of change across borders is a force without pause. It manifests in the tools of technology, in the movements of information and finance, in the corrosive ideologies that preach violence and division, in the gathering storm of the climate emergency, and in the tide of irregular migration…
“It is in that same spirit of dynamic review that I invite the United Nations to re-examine the best use of scarce resources. One critical area is climate change. It is not an abstract issue about an indeterminate fate to be settled at some distant point in the future. It is not even solely an environmental issue. It is about national, regional, and international security. It is about irregular migration. Truly, this is an “everyone issue.” We are all stakeholders, and we are all beneficiaries of the best outcomes.
“Madam President, this is why relevant Ministers have been instructed to work with the UN to make the best use of climate funds. We believe there are huge, shared dividends to accrue from increased support for education, for resilient housing, for access to technology and financing to allow vulnerable communities to thrive: to become part of solutions, rather than problems.”
Vice President Mohammed Jallow of The Gambia
On his part, the Gambian Vice President used the word climate five times in his address. From referring to climate action as a daunting challenge, the nexus between climate change and regional security, the need to combat the same, and a call for more climate financing.
“As we reflect on the timely adopted theme for this Session, ‘Better Together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights,’ we must admit that the daunting challenges we face today require deliberate investment in sustainable development, climate action, peace, and security.
“As we witness heightened levels of insecurity worldwide, the threat of climate change continues to aggravate security challenges, especially in the Sahel. We thus have to address the impact of the climate crisis as part of vital resilience measures to mitigate climate-related risks that intersect with political, social, and economic factors.
“It is essential to take concrete decisions at COP30 in Belem, Brazil, to galvanise support for more climate financing. The Gambia calls for more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by all states, due for submission this year, to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.”
Conclusion
One issue that runs through the climate-themed addresses is the recognition by all five leaders about the threat that climate change poses at the global level and the need to undertake measures to combat it.
Climate financing has also gained significant traction within the broader net of climate justice, especially for countries in the Global South.
Researched by Alfa Shaban
