Africa-Press – Tanzania. Analysts and global leaders have commended President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s maiden speech delivered in the 76th UN General Assembly (UNGA) conference with Former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa saying Tanzania has a shining star.
Reacting to the grand UN speech the former Premier said President Samia’s speech has restored Tanzania in the global map.
He said within a short time since she was sworn in as the sixth President of Tanzania, the Head of State has done a great job in building the economy of the country by enhancing the private sector.
Mr Lowassa, therefore, called on Tanzanians to support President Samia on her ongoing efforts for positive economic growth and enhancing the rule of law.
“President Samia has proven beyond reasonable doubt that Tanzania has got a shining star, a female leader whom the whole country is very proud to support in all the steps she is making,” said Mr Lowassa in a statement released yesterday.
Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) Amina Mohammed, used her social media platform to commend President Samia for her message, congratulating her for addressing UNGA for the first time.
“Congratulations to my sister President @SuluhuSamia of Tanzania for addressing #UNGA for the first time. Thank you for your clear commitment to multilateralism, gender equality and keeping the promise of the SDGs,” she tweeted on her account, @AminaJMohammed.
An Economist-cum-Investment Banker Dr Hildebrand Shayo said it was a pleasure for the world to hear her vision after Tanzania missed such an occasion in the last five years.
“Her confidence made some of us feel proud of our President, as she was mapping our country well to the world’s map,” he said.
He added: “The way she presented her views and ideas on where she want to take Tanzania was, in my view, in such a beautiful, clear and crisp way that I believe impressed those who were waiting to hear her speech.”
Dr Shayo commended the Head of State for her promise that she will continue to engage and put Tanzania open for multilateral ties for the better interest of the country.
“The connection on Covid-19 effects and how we managed to keep it was also well handled,” Dr Shayo said, noting that her phrase that ‘no one is safe until all are safe’ was a good gesture to tell the world that the fight against Covid-19 is for all.
His views were seconded by a lecturer from Tumaini University Dar es Salaam College (Tudarco) Rachel Yusuph, who said the Head of State message came at the right time, as Tanzania is implementing an economic diplomacy policy that needs the country’s effective participation in the global arena.
“It was good that our president also promoted gender equality and the interest of developing countries on accessing Covid-19 vaccines and the support to mitigate socio- economic sectors that were affected by the global pandemic,” she said.
For his part, a lecturer at the Centre for Foreign Relations (CFR), Mr Innocent Shoo said President Samia has shown the world of her country’s determination to support the UN on its ambitions agenda to maintain peace, security, sustainable economic growth and development and democracy, the agenda for gender equality and human well-being.
“It was a great move for Tanzania’s President to go to the UN General Assembly physically, as she is the country’s top diplomat, signaling a sense of seriousness, since she went to high level business delegations to forge Tanzania into economic diplomacy,” noted Mr Shoo.
He said, this will bolster and pave the way for more business through the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (Agoa) and tourism engagement that attracts more visitors to Tanzania.
“She promised that Tanzania will continue to honour its obligations under international law, including those on human rights and gender,” he said.
The observers were of the view that President Samia’s speech played a great role in telling the world of Tanzanians’ determination to maintain its multilateral cooperation as well as improving welfare of its people.
In her maiden speech in New York, the Head of State also expressed the need for developing countries to be assisted in addressing the socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, ending vaccine inequity and timely issuance of finance for climate change.
The president underscored the need for concerted efforts to revive the global economy saying: “We cannot afford to take refuge on the onset of Covid-19, as an excuse for not making sufficient progress on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
She warned over the wide disparity in accessing the vaccine, saying the vast majority of vaccines have been administered in high and upper middle-income countries.
