President Cyril Ramaphosa: Global Progressive Mobilisation Plenary

President Cyril Ramaphosa address to the Global Progressive Mobilisation Plenary during working visit to Spain
 

Your Excellency President Pedro Sánchez,

Leaders from across the world and across society,

Distinguished Guests,

Friends,

We gather here in Barcelona when the world is in crisis.

This is a time of aggression, war, conflict and destruction.

The laws and norms that have long defined relations between nations are wilfully violated. Institutions of global governance are being undermined or maliciously repurposed.

The principles of solidarity, cooperation and friendship are being challenged by the resurgence of narrow nationalism, prejudice and intolerance.

The resurgence in unlawful wars of aggression and genocide in places like Palestine are linked to ideologies of superiority that continue to treat the peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America as second class global citizens – and regards the resources of their countries as goods to be used in service of former colonial and imperial powers.

At the same time, the climate crisis is deepening. Sea levels are rising and severe weather events are becoming ever more frequent.

Billions of people across the world go hungry, have no work and few skills.

Inequality within and between countries is growing.

Many societies are becoming more fragmented and isolated.

Political discourse is being reshaped by algorithms that fuel extremism and hate.

These are not separate crises. They are connected.

They reflect a world that has yet to overcome the severe imbalances of power, opportunity and material well-being that have for so long held back inclusive and sustainable human progress.

This may be a time of crisis, but this not a moment for doubt or despair.

This is a moment for action, for mobilisation, for renewal.

For most of us alive today, there has never been a more important moment than now for a global progressive revival.

A revival that is confident in its values, clear in its purpose and united in its resolve.

This moment of severe crisis is at the same time a moment of unique opportunity.

It is an opportunity to galvanise the forces of progressive change to forge a new path of peace, democracy and social justice.

It is an opportunity for a new generation of progressives to emerge and to develop a vision of a better, more justice and more inclusive world.

This is an opportunity to confront the forces of reaction, who have gained much ground by offering people easy answers to complex problems.

They have exploited legitimate grievances — about jobs, about security, about identity — and they have redirected people’s fears and anger toward the most vulnerable.

The progressive response cannot be only to oppose. We must offer something better.

We must speak to the real concerns of working people, of communities that feel left behind, of young people who cannot see a future that makes sense to them.

We must present a vision that is grounded in people’s experiences, that recognises their concerns, that addresses their pain and overcomes their fears.

We must pursue a path that is empowering and inclusive.

Across the world, we must build a united front of governments, political parties, social movements, community organisations, think tanks, influencers and social activists bound together by a shared desire for a better world.

This must be a united front against inequality and poverty. It must revive the drive towards the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

This must be a movement for climate action. It must ensure that countries honour their commitments to curb emissions and to provide meaningful finance and support for mitigation and adaptation.

We must build a global movement that enables countries to undertake just and inclusive transitions that drive social and economic development while protecting affected communities, workers and businesses.

We must build a world of genuine multilateral cooperation, with global institutions that are representative, democratic and capable of meeting the challenges of the present and the future.

We must restore the United Nations to its position at the centre of international relations.

We must advance peace through dialogue and diplomacy, through the consistent application of international law and adherence to the principles of the UN Charter.

We must address the debt burden that holds back many developing economies. We must reform the financial architecture and close the financing gap for development.

Most importantly, we must speak directly and honestly to the people we seek to mobilise to be part of this global progressive movement.

A global progressive revival is underway.

In far-flung communities, in social formations and political parties, on university campuses and factory floors, on social media and across the airwaves, the clamour for progressive change is growing.

This gathering in Barcelona provides greater impetus to this revival.

I am certain that we will leave here more united, more purposeful and more determined than when we arrived.

I thank you.

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