UN General Assembly
2013

and the desire of Israelis to obtain assurances for their existence, safety and security. Each and every time we are unable to resolve a conflict, we are jeopardizing the principles and values that are most valued by the international community: peace, security, dialogue, human rights and democracy. It is not always easy for the international community to find a fair and effective way of responding, perhaps because we are responding to the problems rather than preventing them. Therefore, I would like to return to what I said at the beginning of my speech. We cannot allow the principles and values of the United Nations to be relegated to high-flown declarations that have no positive impact on people’s lives. Peace, the rule of law and democracy must be accompanied by effective respect for human rights and a substantial improvement in the living conditions of people, which means less poverty, less hunger, more education and more gender equality. An ambitious development agenda that is implemented effectively is the best way of preventing conflicts and ensuring peace and security.