His Majesty King Mswati III has returned home from New York, where he attended the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, accompanied by Inkhosikati LaNgangaza.
A wave of jubilation swept through the King Mswati III International Airport as wellwishers gathered to welcome the king home.
The arrival was marked by singing and dancing, with crowds expressing their excitement and pride as His Majesty made his way through the airport. Welcoming His Majesty at the airport last night were emakhosikati, emazinyane and members of the royal family. Also present were Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini, Cabinet ministers, members of Parliament and members of various advisory councils, among other dignitaries.
Lacwebetelo added to the vibrancy of the atmosphere at the airport, as the crowd celebrated king’s return.
Meanwhile, the high-level General Debate took place from September 22 to 28, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York under the theme, Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all.
In his address at the UN General Assembly, His Majesty called on the international community to honour its climate finance commitments as Southern Africa confronts severe drought conditions linked to the rapidly intensifying El Niño phenomenon.
In his address, the king said the intensifying El Niño posed a severe dual threat, with drought expected in Southern Africa and heavy flooding in parts of Eastern Africa through early 2027. He said developing countries contributed minimally to global emissions, but continued to bear some of the worst consequences of extreme weather events, changing climate patterns and crop failures.
His Majesty called for greater climate justice, including predictable climate financing and technology transfers to enable vulnerable nations to adapt to the effects of climate change.
He also highlighted food security initiatives being implemented in Eswatini, including expanded State subsidies for subsistence farmers, increased investment in research and accelerated construction of major dams to expand irrigation networks in the Lowveld. Turning to international peace and security, the king urged the United Nations to enforce binding compliance with signed international peace agreements.
He warned that broken commitments continued to pull vulnerable populations back into conflict.
“The United Nations should provide oversight to ensure follow ups and monitor compliance on these agreements to last forever,” the king stated.
The king said the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and its aspiration to ‘silence the guns’ reflected the continent’s resolve to end conflict and create stable conditions for sustainable economic growth.
His Majesty also called for the United Nations to move beyond being a platform for debate and become an institution that delivers concrete outcomes for ordinary people.
His Majesty further disclosed that Eswatini was looking to establish a permanent, dedicated United Nations headquarters in the kingdom.
He said the partnership between the kingdom and the United Nations remained vital in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals in areas including health, tourism, education and renewable energy.
Providing a dedicated home for UN operations in Eswatini, he said, would strengthen long-term diplomatic and developmental cooperation between the kingdom and the United Nations.
