United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday commended Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio during a bilateral meeting at UN Headquarters, calling the head of state a unifying figure in Sierra Leone and the wider West Africa region.
Mr Guterres welcomed President Bio’s visit and commended Sierra Leone’s recent contributions to global diplomacy, notably its membership of the UN Security Council for 2024-2025. Sierra Leone played a constructive role in consensus-building during its tenure and made an effective contribution to promoting international peace and security while serving on the Council, the Secretary-General said.
Mr Guterres also reaffirmed his long-standing focus on African priorities, reiterating his advocacy for increased African representation on the Security Council and within international financial institutions, and said his commitment to those goals would remain unwavering.
President Bio said the meeting could be their last bilateral engagement during Mr Guterres’ tenure as the Secretary-General. He expressed the “deepest appreciation” of the Government and people of Sierra Leone for the Secretary-General’s leadership and unwavering support for Sierra Leone and the African continent.
The Sierra Leonean president thanked the UN Secretariat for its support during his country’s Security Council term, saying that the Secretariat’s help allowed Sierra Leone to “contribute fully and responsibly to the work of the Council.”
He also praised Mr Guterres for his ongoing support for Security Council reform and a more equitable multilateral system that better reflects Africa’s role in international affairs.
President Bio, Chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government, thanked the Secretary-General for the strong partnership between the United Nations and ECOWAS. He thanked the United Nations for its strong partnership during his chairmanship and for Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s participation in their summit in Lungi.
President Bio told Mr Guterres that Sierra Leone would focus on the economic bases of regional stability by hosting the West Africa Integration and Investment Summit in Lungi in November 2026. He said the upcoming summit complements the political and security efforts underway in the region, adding that economic integration is vital for long-term stability.
“As your tenure in office ends, Sierra Leone will remember your commitment to multilateralism, to Africa and to the most vulnerable,” President Bio told the Secretary-General, thanking him for his engagement with the region.
