Position paper for Ethiopia
| Committee: | GA First |
| Topic: | Reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours |
| Paper text: | |
| We recognize that outer space is absolutely necessary for modern development, scientific
innovation, and international peace. However, space use is becoming more prevalent and
even spreading to the private sector, resulting in new threats that jeopardize the
sustainability, safety, and peaceful use of outer space such as orbital debris, anti-satellite
tests (ASAT), cyberattacks, and the absence of binding legal frameworks governing
responsible behavior in outer space. We believe that the peaceful, cooperative, and
sustainable use of space can only be preserved through the strengthening of international
norms and principles of responsible conduct. In order to cooperate, it is crucial that
countries are transparent and ensure equitable access to the benefits of space for all
nations, especially developing states seeking to harness space for sustainable development.
Our approach to this issue is centered around peaceful use of space, equitable access, and sustainable development. Although we are new to the space domain, with our first satellite launch in 2019, we view space technology as a powerful tool for addressing climate change, disaster management, and agricultural productivity. We support international norms that promote responsible behavior in space. As a member of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) and the African Union, we advocate for greater participation of developing nations in space governance. Regionally, Ethiopia is working through the African Union and the African Space Agency to promote collective space governance, data-sharing, and regional resilience. Cooperation among African nations enhances confidence-building, transparency, and safety while strengthening technical capabilities. Ethiopia also supports regional mechanisms to establish debris mitigation protocols, shared satellite surveillance, and cyber defense measures to protect vital space infrastructure. Ethiopia remains particularly concerned about the weaponization of space and the destabilizing effects of ASAT tests and military competition. Such activities risk creating debris that can harm civilian satellites, including those used for weather forecasting and humanitarian relief across Africa. Furthermore, as a country vulnerable to climate change, Ethiopia underscores that protecting space assets used for environmental monitoring is a moral and developmental imperative. | |
| Committee: | GA First |
| Topic: | The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects |
| Paper text: | |
| We recognize that the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons (SALW) remains one of the
most persistent threats to peace, security, and development. The widespread availability of
these weapons fuels conflict, terrorism, and organized crime, undermining governance and
human security across regions. Their portability, low cost, and long lifespan make them the
weapon of choice for insurgents and criminal groups, while porous borders and weak
stockpile management allow illicit trafficking to flourish. In the Horn of Africa, where fragile
states and ongoing conflicts have created fertile ground for arms smuggling, Ethiopia views
this issue as a direct challenge to both national stability and regional peace.
Our approach to this issue is centered around responsible arms control, regional cooperation, and respect for national sovereignty. Ethiopia fully supports the United Nations Programme of Action (PoA) and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI) as key frameworks to prevent, combat, and eradicate the illicit trade in SALW. We have taken concrete steps to implement these instruments through improved marking, tracing, and secure stockpile management, and we have been an active member of the Nairobi Protocol and the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA). These mechanisms enable Ethiopia and its neighbors to strengthen enforcement, share intelligence, and harmonize laws to better address the transnational dimensions of arms trafficking. Regionally, Ethiopia works through the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and RECSA to coordinate joint efforts against illicit weapons flows. We strongly support the AU’s “Silencing the Guns” initiative, which aims to end conflicts and curb the uncontrolled spread of weapons across the continent. Ethiopia also emphasizes the importance of international assistance in capacity-building, border surveillance, and technology transfer to strengthen state institutions in post-conflict and developing regions. However, while Ethiopia supports collective disarmament and transparency, we stress that any global framework must respect the right of states to self-defense and independent security management, especially given our volatile regional environment. Ethiopia remains committed to multilateral disarmament, peacekeeping, and post-conflict recovery efforts as essential to global peace and security. We believe that addressing the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons is not only a matter of arms control but also a developmental imperative. Every illicit weapon that enters circulation undermines stability, weakens institutions, and perpetuates cycles of violence. Therefore, Ethiopia calls upon the international community to strengthen the PoA, enhance regional cooperation, and ensure equitable access to resources and technology that enable effective stockpile security and border management. Only through shared commitment and mutual respect can we achieve a future free from the devastation caused by the illicit arms trade. | |
| Committee: | GA Second |
| Topic: | Role of the United Nations in promoting development in the context of globalization and interdependence |
| Paper text: | |
| As a low-income nation, Ethiopia supports continued action to achieve the SDGs, with an
emphasis on reducing global poverty, improving quality of life, and contributing to broader
societal development. We push for further action on the goals set during the Addis Ababa
Action Agenda focusing on promoting development cooperation, using trade as a vehicle for
development, and creating sustainable debt structures. We strongly endorse the principles
outlined in A/RES/77/175 around improving multilateral cooperation, using globalization as a
tool to promote development, and create a more equitable system of global trade.
To ensure the success of the SDGs, we call for accelerated action on the 2030 Agenda with an emphasis on African nations facing excessive impacts from global challenges. We encourage multilateral cooperation through using world trade, global financial systems, and global economic governance to promote development and we discourage unilateral actions that hinder development efforts. In addition, we call for reforms of the international financial system and a rapid increase in development financing to address the debt crisis many African nations face. Finally, we call for member states to scale up long-term development financing and for international organizations to help close the global trade financial gap. We push for these goals by empowering and collaborating with African voices and the voices of other Global South nations facing the brunt of the impacts from global challenges. We believe that development efforts cannot be accomplished alone and that all nations must work together to achieve global development goals. We look forward to collaborating with African Union members, the G77, and the Global South to center our voices on development issues, address the debt crisis, and increase funding for development through investment and trade. | |
| Committee: | GA Second |
| Topic: | Protection of global climate for present and future generations of humankind |
| Paper text: | |
| Ethiopia is positioned as 180 out of 193 on the Human Development Index, making our
country far more susceptible to the risks of climate change. As a result, we encourage
continued action from the international community to promote green industries and
sustainable entrepreneurship, as was emphasized in Resolution A/RES/79/201. We will
continue our work as a leader on climate action and push for the principles outlined in the
Addis Ababa Declaration created at the Africa Climate Summit 2 in September of this year.
Our top priority is to transform Africa into a renewable energy hub and a source for climate
solutions, and drive the investments necessary to develop robust green industries across all
developing nations.
To encourage more comprehensive climate strategies, Ethiopia calls on the General Assembly to increase climate financing to African nations and the Global South to allow developing countries to take advantage of emerging technologies. Despite our minor contributions to climate change, we face some of the greatest consequences from it. Therefore, we encourage global climate action to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable countries and communities to ensure no nation is left behind. We remain committed to reversing rising temperatures and climate risks by working closely with Member States in the General Assembly, especially with members of the African Union. We believe that greater collaboration between African nations through projects like the Africa Green Industrialization Initiative is essential to achieve sustainable development. During this meeting, African countries, along with other nations from the Global South, should unite behind one position that prioritizes increased, equitable, and consistent financial investment, further South-South cooperation, and the empowerment of African and Global South voices in the decision-making process. | |
| Committee: | GA Third |
| Topic: | Universal realization of the right of peoples to self-determination |
| Paper text: | |
| In the years since the founding of the United Nations, the international community has made great progress toward realizing the universal right of peoples to self-determination. Yet this principle continues to face challenges as nations navigate questions of identity, governance, and development in a changing world. The delegation of Ethiopia reaffirms that the right of peoples to self-determination is a universal and inalienable principle, firmly rooted in the Charter of the United Nations and international law. Ethiopia maintains that self-determination and national sovereignty, including territorial integrity, are principles that must advance together. One cannot be secured by undermining the other. When communities are included in the political, economic, and cultural life of their countries, self- determination is realized from within rather than imposed from outside. Ethiopia emphasizes that disputes over governance or identity must be resolved through peaceful negotiation, not violence. The delegation supports all multilateral efforts to promote dialogue, inclusivity, and conflict prevention. When countries share resources, fair and balanced agreements can turn potential conflicts into opportunities for cooperation and shared growth. We also recognize the importance of assisting peoples still living under colonial rule or foreign occupation and encourage the continued work of the United Nations in supporting their legitimate aspirations. Instruments such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples offer constructive guidance for realizing self-determination within existing states while preserving peace and unity. Ethiopia calls upon the international community to strengthen multilateralism and consistency in upholding this principle. Only by ensuring that self-determination and sovereignty progress together can the world achieve a stable and equitable international order. | |
| Committee: | GA Third |
| Topic: | Improvement of the situation of women and girls in rural areas |
| Paper text: | |
| The delegation of Ethiopia celebrates the work the United Nations, particularly the UN sustainability committee, has done to improve the situations of women and girls in rural areas. The Accelerating Progress Toward the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women program has been beneficial to us and has made improvements for rural women and girls. We want to acknowledge the support we’ve received in our development of agriculture for women in rural areas, especially through the Gender Transformative Climate Smart Agriculture and Agri–Business Project. We also would like to express our gratitude for our partnership with the SDG Fund, as together we have improved food and economic security for women in these areas. Though significant strides have been made, we call upon the UN to continue upon this work. The UN should support the continued funding and further funding of programs which aid the economic development of women and girls in rural areas. Programs supporting these initiatives have led to great success for countries like ours and are highly effective in improving the situation of women in rural areas. The delegation of Ethiopia also recognizes the central role women and girls play in rural areas play in climate change. They both have some of the most to lose from the devastating effects of climate change and can play a very integral role in the solution to the conflict. Finally, the delegation of Ethiopia calls upon the UN to add focus to their human rights goals for women in rural communities. Along with previously mentioned goals, the UN should focus on improving their health outcomes, and their rights to access land. Both of these initiatives have been overlooked in the past, as women living in rural areas have less access to medical personnel, and have more recently than men gained autonomy in land ownership. | |
| Committee: | GA Plenary |
| Topic: | Our ocean, our future, our responsibility |
| Paper text: | |
| We as the delegation of Ethiopia stand in solidarity with other delegations in emphasizing
the importance of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Underwater (SDG 14) through
actions at the UN. As the most populous landlocked state, Ethiopia realizes that there is little
we ourselves can do to resolve SDG 14. We then would like to encourage our fellow member
states, specifically those around the Horn of Africa, to re-evaluate the ways in which they
have been mistreating our shared ocean resources.
At the conference, we hope to re-emphasize certain aspects of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) agreement. Specifically, we want to discuss the portions that deal with the obligations of coastal states to ensure ocean resource access to landlocked states. We are excited to work with other landlocked countries who may share similar goals due to their geographic disadvantages and lack of access to ocean resources such as ports for fishing and transportation of goods. We also believe that emphasizing this aspect of UNCLOS will help coastal countries with smaller economies through the selling of port access to landlocked countries. Clarifying these goals will aid in achieving SDG 14 as it may put less pressure on overextended ports through the sharing of oceanic maintenance burdens between both landlocked and coastal countries. Additionally, this prevents an overreliance of landlocked countries on coastal ports who may not have the infrastructure to support the extra traffic. This is in line with SDG 14, as we can encourage development of these ports at a much slower and less destructive pace. We support legislation surrounding the sustainable usage and development of ports and the coastlines surrounding them for the benefit not only of coastal regions but also for humanity who relies on the ocean and the services it provides for survival. | |
| Committee: | GA Plenary |
| Topic: | Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations |
| Paper text: | |
| Ethiopia affirms that strengthening humanitarian coordination requires providing assistance
in accordance with the foundational principles established in resolution 46/182, taking
explicit care to respect the sovereignty of crisis-affected states. The delivery of assistance
must be conducted with the consent and active participation of national authorities. We
request the support of the G77 in pursuing these initiatives and look forward to engaging
diplomatically as a coalition.
Further, to mitigate the negative impacts of reduced funding and diminished available resources, the UN must prioritize humanitarian crises objectively. With the UN unable to adequately address all humanitarian needs, it is crucial that operations are conducted deliberately to maximize the presently constrained budget. Ethiopia advocates for an evaluation of the UN’s Joint Intersectoral Analysis Framework (JIAF) and Multi-Sector Initial Rapid Needs Assessment (MIRA) to ensure that they serve as effective mechanisms of crisis prioritization. Additionally, Ethiopia believes the recent slashing of humanitarian funding reflects the erosion of global solidarity and a shift away from multilateral cooperation. We believe this normative deterioration can be remedied by increasing direct communication between major donors and regional representation. Importantly, this action must be accompanied by the continued diversification of humanitarian financing. We favor expanding South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) mechanisms in order to strengthen collective self-reliance among developing countries and reduce dependence on traditional North-South channels of assistance. Additionally, we urge other developing countries to follow our lead in developing sustainable humanitarian solutions focused on reducing donor dependence in uncertain times. Doing so will not only protect the domestic interests of developing states but also promote independence and lessen the strain on international organizations over time. We believe that the purposive pursuit of these specified actions is essential to strengthening the coordination of UN humanitarian assistance. | |
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