New York – 10 July 2015

Delivered by H.E. María Cristina Perceval, Permanent Representative of Argentina, on behalf of President Kutesa

Your Excellency, Mr. Alpha Condé, President of the Republic of Guinea,
Your Excellency, Ms. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia,
Your Excellency, Mr. Ernest Bai Koroma, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone,
Excellencies,
Mr. Ban-Ki-moon, Secretary-General,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to deliver this statement on behalf of His Excellency, Sam K. Kutesa, President of the 69th session of the General Assembly.

Excellencies,

I thank the Secretary-General for hosting this important conference and for his leadership throughout the Ebola response. I welcome the high-level participants joining us from a number of distinguished international partners; including the African Union, the African Development Bank, the European Commission and the World Bank; all of which have played invaluable roles in supporting the Ebola response.

I also express my appreciation to the Member States, the United Nations system, non-governmental organizations, medical experts and ordinary citizens, for their courage and commitment in combating this epidemic.
The establishment of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) following the adoption of the General Assembly’s first resolution of the session on 23rd September 2014 demonstrated its ability to quickly respond to an emerging crisis in a supportive and collaborative manner.

Excellencies,

As we meet today, we should feel heartened by the substantial progress that has been made in addressing the grave threat posed by Ebola. In particular, I commend the leadership demonstrated by the governments of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, which has been instrumental in stopping the spread of the disease and saving countless lives.

I also commend the unwavering support demonstrated by regional and international partners throughout this unprecedented health emergency.

Nevertheless, despite the important progress that has been made, the final push to reach a resilient “zero case” scenario will require the sustained engagement of all partners, and even scaled up efforts in some areas.

To successfully end the crisis, recovery efforts must shift from the immediate emergency response, to a long-term approach to “build back better” and ensure greater resilience to potential future shocks. As a community of nations, we must approach these efforts with the same sense of urgency and commitment that was displayed at the outset of the Ebola epidemic.

I welcome the national priorities laid out in the recovery plans that have been presented by the three countries and urge all partners to pledge and commit their full support to those efforts. As outlined in the national recovery plans, targeted investments for the three most affected countries will be needed over the next 24 months to enable a full recovery.

Special emphasis must be given to strengthening and building more effective and robust healthcare services throughout the region, while consideration must be given to creating more resilient institutions and decentralized services.

Excellencies,

At the height of the unprecedented threat posed by Ebola, the international community demonstrated the necessary commitment and resolve to support the most affected countries.

We must maintain this unique spirit of unity going forward; not only to reach a sustained “zero case” scenario, but also to ensure the long-term economic and social well-being of the people and the region.

I thank you.