Wealthier countries have been told pay up as they have failed to meet their financial commitments in particular to Africa.

Among them is the Global North’s failure to mobilise 100 billion dollars a year for developing economies in relation to climate action. President Cyril Ramaphosa has told delegates including world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York that this is a great concern as Africa is heavily impacted by climate change. He explained that out of the 20 climate hotspots in the world, 17 are said to be in Africa.

He further noted that the people of Africa are no longer prepared to pay the price for wealthier countries after decades of slave trade, and colonial exploitation.

President Ramaphosa has called for financing that will among others end hunger, improve healthcare and empower women in vulnerable countries.

We support the call to tackle debt and debt distress, to massively scale up affordable long-term financing to 500 billion dollars a year, and to expand contingency financing to countries in need. It is a grave indictment of this international community that we can spend so much on war, in fact trillions are being spent on war but we cannot support action that needs to be taken to meet the most basic needs of billions of people.

The UNGA is the main policy-making organ of the international organisation.