Statement by
His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Siad Doualeh
Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Djibouti to the United Nations
before the United Nations Security Council meeting on
Maintenance of International Peace and Security
Leadership for peace
15 December 2025
Excellencies,
Distinguished representatives,
Djibouti appreciates the Government and people of Slovenia for convening this very critical debate on Leadership for Peace. It is a theme that refocuses member states and the organization to the raison d’être of the UN as a multilateral institution. At moments of international fragmentation, it is leadership which determines whether peace advances or recedes. It is an important theme for Djibouti, nay Africa. It is an important theme for Africa in its struggle to reduce, if not end conflicts on our continent. The legitimacy and continued relevance of the 21st century UN will be decided in Africa, where peacekeeping has been both a lifeline and, at times, a lesson on how to address emerging conflicts before degeneration into a full-blown war.
The search for a renewed, effective multilateralism, centered on a strengthened UN is not an abstract or just another intellectual exercise. For Africa especially, it is a matter of survival and dignity. For many communities, especially in Africa, peace is water, food, health care, relevant education, and jobs for livelihood away from banditry, and terrorism.
The next Secretary of the UN must therefore be Africa’s strategic partner in building a robust interlinked peace. We need a leader who can rebuild trust, defend the charter, promote fidelity to international law and place dignity above political expediency. A bridge-builder who is able to call different national and bloc interests at the UN along on many major contentious issues, in particular on the need to determinedly continue with reforms at the UN, including reducing inefficiencies in order to do more with less, on gender mainstreaming, climate change, and an overall rights-based development that reduces conflicts within and among nations.
Mr. President,
Djibouti would like to stress that a profile that could meet the above needs would not achieve much without the support of Member states, in particular the UN Security Council, including the veto-wielding permanent 5. Indeed, the SG is as strong as the UN member States wants her/him to be. We must collectively resolve to end political paralysis because it has an unbearable cost on civilians in many theaters including in Sudan, Gaza and Haiti.
Leadership for peace means enabling regional and sub-regional leaderships as deemed necessary. Djibouti, under the leadership of President Guelleh, who currently holds the Presidency of IGAD, is fully aware that peace initiatives must be fully resourced if they are to succeed. The African Union’s peace and security architecture is proven but perilously underfunded. The new SG must champion the mandatory financing of AU-led peace operations through UN assessed contributions. This is not aid; this is an investment in a more effective, legitimate multilateral system, as envisioned in the Pact of the Future.
Lastly, Djibouti would like to underscore the importance of mediation. In this regard, lessons from Somalia’s Arta peace process that led to the formation of the first governance framework since the collapse of the Somali State in 1991 are instructive. The next SG must champion such inclusive, context-sensitive models that empower local actors. Djibouti stands ready to be supportive, including through the Arta Peace Institute.
Mr. President,
To conclude, Africa is not merely a recipient of peace; we are vital architects of it. We need a partner in this endeavor-one who combines advocacy, bridge-building, and a holistic vision of what it takes to have peace, to move the UN forwards towards is centenary.
Thank you for your attention.
