UN General Assembly
2014

I will start with the issue that I believe is of the utmost importance today, the one causing the greatest concern. Currently, the world is in a state of chaos which is producing understandable fear and concern among its citizens as to a peaceful and secure future. There has not been so much war in the world since the late 1960s. Today, in many parts of our planet, there are low- and medium-intensity conflicts that have the potential to produce wider regional and global conflicts. From Afghanistan to Ukraine, the Middle East, Libya, Central Africa and other regions, we are witnessing armed conflicts with no chance in sight of our being able to stop them and reach a lasting peace. These conflicts are accompanied by a rarely seen escalation of all forms of violence and brutality, particularly against civilians. Increased numbers of internal civil conflicts are causing States to fall apart, some of them disappearing overnight, others arising with the support of outside enablers. We also see the public emergence of new political maps drawn with