Algerian Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs Ahmed Attaf represented Algeria in New York on Thursday. Minister Attaf participated in a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development.
Global South and Development Imperatives
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Attaf represented Algeria at the 50th meeting of Foreign Ministers of the G77 and China on Saturday. Attaf noted the importance of the G77 and China group amid deep transformations in the international system, stressing the necessity for unity and solidarity among Global South countries. He called for more equitable multilateral action that places development at the core of priorities and addresses structural imbalances in the international finance system.
The minister urged that the digital revolution and artificial intelligence should not become a new source of the North-South divide. He stated that technology should be a tool for development and empowerment of peoples, within a full international governance where knowledge is not monopolized. Regarding climate change, Attaf reaffirmed commitment to the principle of 'common but differentiated responsibilities.' He noted that developing countries, particularly African ones, bear increasing impacts of climate change despite their limited historical and current contribution to its causes.
Algeria, based on its commitment to the principles of the 1967 Charter, will remain steadfastly engaged in strengthening South-South cooperation. Attaf stated that the right to development, enshrined in the 1986 UN Declaration as a fundamental human right, "takes on renewed importance today."
African Security and Cooperation
On Wednesday, Minister of State Attaf participated in New York in the ministerial meeting of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union. The AU meeting focused on the theme 'Good Neighborliness and Regional Responses to Security and Terrorist Challenges in Africa'. Attaf stated that "good neighborliness has become an essential condition for achieving collective security in Africa," citing the growing transnational nature of terrorist and security threats. He stressed the need to transition from isolated national responses to coordinated regional action based on dialogue, consultation, and security cooperation.
Attaf emphasized that this regional action must operate within the framework of full respect for state sovereignty and independence, non-interference in internal affairs, and respect for borders existing at the time of independence. He noted Algeria's priority in combating terrorism financing and drying up its sources, particularly by countering the exploitation of advanced technologies for terrorist purposes. Algeria's approach, he recalled, is based on the conviction that security and military solutions alone cannot achieve sustainable security and stability without being coupled with development, reconciliation, and strengthening state institutions. He also reviewed Algeria's experience in the Sahel region, which supports dialogue, reconciliation, security and border cooperation, and combating terrorism and organized crime, alongside promoting development and regional integration. Attaf mentioned structural projects such as the Trans-Saharan Highway, the fiber optic network, and the Nigeria-Algeria gas pipeline, noting their contribution to opening new economic prospects and supporting pillars of sustainable security.
Arab Regional Concerns
Minister of State Ahmed Attaf participated in New York on Tuesday in the consultative meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers. He emphasized the need to activate joint Arab action given an international context marked by selective application of international legitimacy decisions, where regional countries often bear the cost of unresolved political issues. Attaf stressed the importance of returning the Palestinian cause to the forefront of the international agenda, advocating against its reduction to a purely humanitarian dimension. He called for confronting measures aimed at undermining the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state. Attaf reiterated Algeria's rejection of transforming the Arab region into a theater for proxy wars, particularly in light of the escalation in the Arabian Gulf region. He also stressed the urgent need to address crises in Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya to preserve their unity, support national political solutions, and reject foreign interventions in their affairs.
Right to Development and Future Vision
Algeria will defend the right of peoples to development and the building of a more just and inclusive international order, according to Minister of State Ahmed Attaf. He attributed the renewed importance of this right to the persistence of poverty and inequalities, the exacerbation of debt burdens, and the multiplicity of crises and imbalances within the international economic system. Attaf emphasized that "full and sustainable development places the human being, his dignity, and his well-being at the core of development work." He stressed the necessity of respecting state sovereignty, their right to determine development priorities and choices, and the right of peoples to self-determination. The minister called for strengthening international solidarity and cooperation, alongside reforming the international economic and financial system to respond more equitably to the needs of developing countries. Attaf affirmed Algeria's support for the adoption of a legally binding international instrument on the Right to Development.