What did President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone say at the UN General Assembly (UNGA 81)?

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

The speech in brief

• Peace and development. With world military spending near $2.9 trillion, he said, money must go to the roots of conflict: poverty, exclusion and youth unemployment. He drew on Sierra Leone’s own recovery from war.
• Africa on the Council. Speaking for the African Union’s committee on Council reform, he restated Africa’s demand for at least two permanent seats with the veto, and asked for a reform model before the session ends.
• Minerals. Africa’s critical minerals should create value and jobs at home.
• Reparations. The legacy of the slave trade still shows in gaps of wealth, power and opportunity.

In his own words

Military action may contain a threat, but it cannot, by itself, build lasting peace.

“The connection between peace and development must therefore move from our resolutions into our budgets.”

“The green transition must not reproduce the extractive terms of the past.”

“Africa, home to more than 1.6 billion people and the subject of much of the Council’s work, still has no permanent seat.”

“The words ‘FOR ALL’ should not remain at the end of this year’s theme. They must become the measure of our work.”

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

Read the full text on State House Sierra Leone.

The UN posts the statement on its general debate website.

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