United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio held bilateral talks at UN Headquarters in New York on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Table Of Content

Guterres praises Sierra Leone’s UN role
Bio welcomes UN partnership
Regional summit planned for Lungi

The meeting covered reform of the UN Security Council, stronger African representation in global institutions, regional cooperation through the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Sierra Leone’s plans to host the West Africa Integration and Investment Summit in Lungi.

Guterres praises Sierra Leone’s UN role

Guterres commended Bio’s leadership in promoting national unity, regional cooperation and multilateral engagement, according to the account of the meeting.

He also praised Sierra Leone’s contribution during its 2024–2025 term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. The UN secretary-general highlighted the country’s efforts to build consensus and contribute to international peace and security.

Guterres reiterated his support for greater African representation on the Security Council and in other major global institutions, including international financial bodies.

Bio welcomes UN partnership

Bio expressed appreciation for Guterres’s leadership of the United Nations and for his continued engagement with Sierra Leone and Africa.

The president said cooperation from the UN Secretariat had supported Sierra Leone during its two-year Security Council tenure and helped the country participate effectively in the Council’s work.

Bio also welcomed Guterres’s advocacy for a more representative Security Council and a multilateral system that gives Africa a stronger voice in international decision-making.

Reflecting on cooperation between the United Nations and ECOWAS during his chairmanship of the regional bloc’s Authority of Heads of State and Government, Bio said: “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.”

Regional summit planned for Lungi

During the engagement, Bio informed Guterres that Sierra Leone plans to host the West Africa Integration and Investment Summit in Lungi. No date, participant list or further details about the planned summit were specified.

The proposed event forms part of Sierra Leone’s wider emphasis on economic cooperation, investment and regional integration alongside peace and security. Lungi has also been promoted as a centre for regional engagement.

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

The bilateral meeting was part of the president’s high-level engagements in New York.