Full Transcript: President Félix Tshisekedi’s Speech at UNGA80

New York, September 23, 2025 – President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo of the Democratic Republic of Congo addressed the 80th United Nations General Assembly. Below is the full official transcript of his speech.

Full Speech

Madame President,

Mr. Secretary-General,

Excellencies, Heads of State and Government, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to extend my warm congratulations to Madame Analena Barbock on her election as President of the 80th Ordinary Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Her leadership and commitment to multilateralism will be crucial to the success of our work.

I also take this opportunity to pay tribute to her predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Philémon Yang, whose dedication and commitment marked the previous session. Finally, I reaffirm my country’s full confidence in the work of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, for his tireless efforts to strengthen our organization and promote solutions to the challenges that threaten peace, security, and prosperity around the world, particularly in the Great Lakes region of Africa, to which the Democratic Republic of Congo belongs.

Madame President,

I welcome the relevance of the theme chosen for this 80th session: “Better together, more than 80 years in the service of peace, development, and human rights.” This theme highlights eight decades of collective efforts by an organization devoted to peace, development, and universal well-being.

Founded on the promise of collective security, the UN’s 80th anniversary is an opportunity to reaffirm the virtues of effective multilateralism and to honor the ideals of peace, human dignity, and solidarity among nations that inspired its founders. While the UN remains a pillar of international relations, conflict resolution, and the promotion of human rights, it now faces systemic challenges that test its credibility and capacity for action. Armed conflicts, climate disruption, recurring humanitarian crises, and new transnational threats remind us that multilateralism is no longer optional, but an unavoidable necessity.