What did Tanzania’s Vice President Deogratius Ndejembi say at the UN General Assembly (UNGA 81)?

He addressed the general debate on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, as the eleventh speaker of the afternoon session.

The speech in brief

• A Council bid. Tanzania, backed by the African Union, is running for a seat in 2029 and 2030, promising Africa’s voice, preventive diplomacy and peacekeeping reform.
• UN reform. The UN80 effort must go beyond saving money to being effective, accountable and representative.
• Debt. High borrowing costs and rising debt hold back developing countries.
• Climate. Finance should come as grants and cheap loans, not more debt.
• Sanctions. He opposed one-sided sanctions and stood with Cuba and Zimbabwe.
• Gaza. Protect civilians, let aid in, and return to diplomacy.

In his own words

Tanzania believes the UN80 initiative must go beyond administrative efficiency to include overall organisational effectiveness, accountability and representativeness.

“Restoring trust among nations requires renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation and respect for the UN Charter.”

“Currently, when developing countries are accelerating progress, they are restricted by high borrowing costs, rising debt burdens, and limited access to affordable long-term finance.”

“We, therefore, appeal that climate financing be provided as grants and concessional financing to step up efforts on climate action.”

Watch and read the full speech

The UN’s own video of the whole Day 1 session:

Watch Day 1 of the UNGA 81 general debate on the UN’s YouTube channel

The UN posts the statement on its general debate website.

Every Day 1 speaker, in order: What happened on Day 1 of UNGA 81.