Guterres Praises Sierra Leone’s Leadership and UN Security Council Role

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has praised President Julius Maada Bio’s leadership and Sierra Leone’s contribution to international diplomacy during a bilateral meeting at UN Headquarters in New York.

The discussion took place on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. It covered Sierra Leone’s work at the United Nations, African representation in global institutions, regional cooperation and plans for a West African investment summit.

Sierra Leone’s Security Council contribution

Guterres commended Bio’s efforts to promote national unity, regional cooperation and multilateral engagement. He also highlighted Sierra Leone’s performance during its 2024–2025 term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

According to the account of the meeting, the UN secretary-general praised Sierra Leone’s efforts to build consensus and contribute to international peace and security during its two-year tenure.

Guterres also reiterated his support for stronger African representation on the Security Council and in other major global institutions, including international financial bodies. Security Council reform has been identified as an important foreign-policy priority for Sierra Leone.

Bio used his address to the 81st General Assembly on September 22, 2026, to call for reform of the global body and greater representation for Africa.

UN-ECOWAS partnership discussed

The leaders also examined cooperation between the United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), including regional stability and the partnership during Bio’s chairmanship of the Authority of Heads of State and Government.

Bio expressed appreciation for Guterres’s leadership of the United Nations and his continued engagement with Sierra Leone and Africa. He said support from the UN Secretariat had helped Sierra Leone participate effectively in the Security Council’s work.

“I thank you for the strong partnership between the United Nations and ECOWAS during my chairmanship, as well as for Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s participation in our summit in Lungi,” Bio said.

He also acknowledged Guterres’s commitment to Africa, multilateralism and vulnerable populations.

Investment summit planned for Lungi

Bio informed Guterres that Sierra Leone plans to host the West Africa Integration and Investment Summit in Lungi. The planned gathering is intended to strengthen the economic foundations of regional stability while encouraging greater investment and integration across West Africa.

Sierra Leone has promoted Lungi as a centre for regional engagement. In July 2026, Bio commissioned the ECOWAS Logistics Depot and the Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre in the area.

The government has linked its regional agenda to economic cooperation, investment and integration alongside peace and security.

Reflecting on Guterres’s service at the United Nations, Bio said: “As you approach the conclusion of your tenure, Sierra Leone will remember your commitment to multilateralism, to Africa and to the most vulnerable.”