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Sierra Leone’s enduring support for multilateral cooperation was underscored as officials of the Sierra Leone High Commission (SLHC) in London joined global leaders and diplomats at the United Nations General Assembly at 80 (UNGA@80) commemorative event.
The SLHC delegation, led by Deputy High Commissioner Mrs. Yvonne King Odigboh, attended the high-level gathering held at Central Hall Westminster under the theme “From 1946 to Our Future.” The event commemorated the 80th anniversary of the first-ever session of the UN General Assembly, convened in London in January 1946 in the aftermath of the Second World War.
The 1946 session, attended by nearly 2,000 delegates from 51 founding Member States in a city still scarred by wartime destruction, laid the foundation for a new system of collective security and international cooperation. In his historic address at the time, then British Prime Minister Clement Attlee urged that the United Nations should serve as the “over-riding factor in foreign policy,” with the goal of creating not merely peace, but “a world of security and freedom.”
Eighty years on, the anniversary commemoration brought together diplomats, senior UN officials, policymakers, civil society representatives, and international partners to assess the organisation’s legacy and to confront present and future global challenges.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, in his opening remarks, reflected on the UN’s creation as a response to the horrors of war. He acknowledged the serious pressures facing the organisation today, including armed conflicts, climate change, inequality, and declining trust in multilateral institutions. Nevertheless, he stressed that the UN remains vital to global peace and stability, calling for renewed unity and decisive collective action to build a more peaceful, safer, and fairer world.
UK Attorney General Lord Hermer KC also addressed the gathering, reaffirming the United Kingdom’s historic role in the founding of the United Nations. He emphasised the continued relevance of international law, the rule of law, and multilateral cooperation, urging states to remain faithful to the principles enshrined in the UN Charter.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Deputy High Commissioner Mrs. Yvonne King Odigboh described the commemoration as a timely moment to reflect on the UN’s founding ideals while renewing global commitment to cooperation in an increasingly uncertain international environment.
Panel discussions during the event focused on peace and security, sustainable development, human rights, institutional reform, climate action, technological change, and the future of global governance.
Sierra Leone’s participation in the UNGA@80 commemoration further highlighted the country’s active engagement within the United Nations system. Under the leadership of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, Sierra Leone recently held the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council, a role that earned widespread international commendation and reinforced the country’s voice on global peace and security issues.
