New York – King Mswati III has called for stronger international cooperation, greater African representation at the United Nations Security Council and increased support for developing countries as he addressed the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The Head of State delivered his address on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, during the General Debate, where world leaders are discussing global peace, security, development and human rights.
King Mswati said the United Nations was created after the Second World War to prevent the tragedies of conflict from becoming a recurring feature of humanity’s future. More than eight decades later, he said the organisation was facing a world marked by wars, widening inequality, climate related disasters, poverty and insecurity.
He said the UN needed to be an organisation that helped solve global problems rather than simply providing a platform for countries to discuss them.
“The true test of international cooperation is whether a child in a conflict affected community can live without fear. A young person can find decent employment. A family can afford food and a developing nation can access the finance required to build its future.”
The King said trust between nations had suffered as multilateral commitments and financing pledges remained unfulfilled. He also noted that developing countries faced large annual investment gaps in their efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
He said billions of people live in countries where governments spend more on servicing debt than on healthcare or education.
“Restoring trust cannot be achieved through declarations alone. It requires that promises already made be honored and that our institutions demonstrate the capacity and will to respond to changing global realities.”
Eswatini backs African representation
King Mswati used the platform to renew the call for Africa to secure permanent representation on the UN Security Council.
He referred to the Ezulwini Consensus adopted in 2005, saying the continent continues to lack a permanent seat despite its strategic importance in international affairs.
“Since the Isuluini consensus was adopted in 2005, sadly Africa still has no permanent seat on the UN Security Council. And yet the continent remains a global strategic partner in the world stage.”
He questioned how many more years African leaders would have to travel to New York to call for fair representation on the council.
According to the King, Africa’s exclusion limits the continent’s ability to contribute to decisions concerning global security.
He also called for diplomatic and political solutions to ongoing conflicts, saying peace achieved through dialogue was more sustainable than victories on the battlefield.
“While war may create temporal victories on the battlefield, only through dialogue can sustainable peace be established.”
He said the UN should remain a place where diplomatic channels remain open, while African regional organisations should receive greater support to prevent conflicts, mediate disputes and build lasting peace.
SADC security role
The King also spoke about Eswatini’s regional responsibilities after the country assumed the chairmanship of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation during the 46th SADC Summit.
He said Eswatini would work with other member states to strengthen preventive diplomacy, dialogue and mediation across Southern Africa.
“We believe that for SADC to attain its vision 2050, we have to create a peaceful, competitive and industrialized region that guarantees sustainable well-being and freedom for all our citizens.”
King Mswati said the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and its aspiration to silence the guns reflected the continent’s determination to create conditions for sustainable economic growth.
He expressed concern about continued unconstitutional changes of government in Africa, saying these developments were contrary to the principles contained in the charters of the UN, AU and regional organisations.
“Respect for constitutional order and the rule of law is fundamental to stability.”
He called on the international community to speak with one voice against the erosion of constitutional order and urged the UN to support regional decisions condemning unconstitutional changes of government.
Focus on industrialisation
The King said sustainable development required African economies to undergo structural transformation.
He called for a shift away from exporting unprocessed raw materials towards value addition, local industrialisation and the creation of decent jobs within African countries.
He also appealed to the UN to support African states in developing their capacity to add value to natural resources and establish trading infrastructure for precious and other minerals and commodities.
King Mswati said the African Continental Free Trade Area provided an important platform for countries to expand value addition, industrial processing and intra African trade.
“No country can achieve sustainable development while large segments of its population remain on the margins of the economic mainstream.”
He said Eswatini was working towards a more resilient, diversified and inclusive economy, with investments directed towards human capital, infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture, tourism, industrialisation, mining and digital development.
The King said the country was also seeking to strengthen its participation in regional and global value chains.
AI and digital divide
Digitalisation and artificial intelligence also featured in the address.
King Mswati said emerging technologies could expand access to education, healthcare, financial services and economic opportunities, but warned that their rapid development was creating governance challenges.
“Emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, are advancing faster than our current capacity to govern them while retaining human agency and control.”
He said governments and international institutions needed to address issues including accountability, safety, environmental impact and the possibility of a widening digital divide.
The King said Eswatini remained committed to building an economy capable of creating decent employment and expanding opportunities for young people, women and marginalised groups.
Health security
The King said the COVID 19 pandemic had demonstrated that no country could independently protect itself against a global health emergency.
He said recent outbreaks of Ebola and other infectious diseases showed the need for countries to maintain resilient health systems.
He called for action to address unequal access to vaccines, medicines and medical technologies, while urging greater international support for African pharmaceutical manufacturing.
King Mswati referred to the East, Central and Southern African Health Community Conference held in Eswatini, where countries discussed acting as a bloc when procuring essential medicines and medical supplies.
He said joint procurement could help reduce costs and improve supply chain stability.
“We appeal to the UN through the World Health Organization to support this endeavor.”
Climate pressure and food security
Climate change was another major concern raised by the King.
He said developing countries contribute relatively little to global emissions but often experience severe consequences through droughts, floods, changing weather patterns and other climate related shocks.
He called for increased international cooperation on climate adaptation, resilience, technology transfer, capacity building and access to predictable and affordable climate finance.
King Mswati said Southern Africa was facing what had been predicted as one of the most severe El Niño weather patterns on record, placing additional pressure on already strained national resources.
He said Eswatini was investing in agriculture, modern farming technologies, research and infrastructure while supporting smallholder farmers through subsidies for farming inputs and implements.
The government is also undertaking major dam construction projects for irrigation, which the King said were expected to transform agricultural production, particularly in the Lowveld.
UN support for Eswatini
King Mswati said cooperation between Eswatini and the United Nations had contributed to the country’s development objectives and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The partnership covers areas including health, tourism, education, agriculture and renewable energy.
He said Eswatini valued the relationship and remained committed to maintaining a strong UN presence in the country, including the establishment of a permanent UN home in Eswatini.
The King also spoke about Taiwan’s role in global supply chains and called for ways to facilitate its substantive participation in UN meetings and activities.
He said Taiwan had expertise that could contribute to international efforts towards building a sustainable future.
Call for dialogue
King Mswati said countries did not need to agree on every issue before finding areas where cooperation was possible.
“The world does not require perfect consensus on every issue. It needs the courage to identify areas where cooperation is possible and the will to act upon them.”
He called for renewed confidence in diplomacy, dialogue and international cooperation.
“The United Nations must remain a house where every nation, large or small, has a voice and where the sovereignty and dignity of all member states are fully respected.”
The King said Eswatini stood ready to work with UN member states, the UN system, regional organisations and international partners on peace, dialogue, sustainable development and human dignity.
He concluded by thanking UN agencies and support structures for their work in facilitating the General Assembly and its various programmes.
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