Speaking from  the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday at UNGA, Ramos-Horta said: “it would be a leap forward in international solidarity if OECD countries allocate 1% of national GDP and fast track disbursement directly to national governments.”

“We would see positive effects on poverty rates, food security, access to basic health services, education, electricity, drinking water, sanitation, housing and social security, with multiplier effects on the diversification of economies, especially in agriculture,” he said.

The president shared advances and challenges in improving economic and social indicators since the country’s independence in 2002.

“In the 20 years since independence, Timor-Leste’s economic and social indicators show progress, namely, in life expectancy, (less than 60 years in 2002, 70 now), reduction in poverty and infant mortality, 21 doctors in 2002, more than 1,200 in 2022.”

Addressing global leaders on the third day of the assembly, he characterised Timorese democracy as “a young, imperfect, vibrant democracy”, and the nation as “multicultural, multireligious, multilingual and multiethnic."

However, the President also touched on poverty-related challenges and highlighted priorities for the next five years.

“Despite a significant decrease in poverty, multidimensional poverty is still high at 45.8%. Lifting our people out of extreme poverty, food insecurity, stunt, child malnutrition, caring for mothers, are among the challenges we are determined to confront head on in the next five years.”

He said Timor-Leste would implement an intersectoral policy for the development of early childhood in collaboration with the United Nations Fund for Children, UNICEF.

The President also acknowledged that Timor-Leste has "a high and unacceptable incidence of domestic violence. ”

To address the problem, he said the country was “making significant steps” adopting legal framework in line with international recommendations to promote women and children-cantered development models

“Recognizing the indispensable role of women in shaping our future,” he said.

Ramos-Horta also spoke at length about the world needing a new look at the relationship between climate and security, to address the effects of climate change and environmental degradation on peace security.

“Global crises including pandemics and climate change have disproportionately impacted, and are increasingly concentrated in, the already fragile and conflict-affected countries of the global South, such as g7+ members,” he said,

“Wars started and perpetuated by outside interests using these nations as proxy battlegrounds for their own interests, have increased the burdens of hunger, poverty and humanitarian crises, which in turn will exacerbate further conflict.

“It would be a sensible investment by the international community to invest in the goals of the g7+ nations and its efforts to increase development, stability, and resilience to this crucial sector,” Ramos-Horta said.

He proposed an initiative to “accelerate the fair energy transition in fragile developing countries, which depend heavily on oil and gas production, to prevent turbulence and turbulence. ”

The President also used the global platform to spotlight Timor-Leste’s solidarity with people of Myanmar, Cuba, Ukraine Palestine and Western Sahara and their self-determination and peace efforts.