Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Esteemed Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great honor to have this opportunity to address you and share what our country, Georgia, has to say looking back at the past year.
This year, the United Nations is celebrating its 75th anniversary and, for the first time in its history, the General Assembly is being held remotely. This format is unusual and, one might even say, historic because the reason behind it unites us all: today, the whole world is fighting against a common invisible enemy, the COVID-19 pandemic.
Human lives, irrespective of the region or level of living, are facing a common threat and the fight against this threat has eclipsed some of the challenges that have been on the UN agenda for decades; though, in some cases, it has brought some of the problems further to the fore.
All of us, states of different capacities, have found ourselves facing a completely new and more complex challenge.
Despite the difficulties, we have succeeded in dealing with the onslaught of the pandemic in Georgia, as seen and unanimously acknowledged by the whole world. Thanks to proactive decisions in the fight against COVID-19, the selfless efforts of the authorities, doctors and epidemiologists, and, most importantly, our citizens’ high social responsibility, as well as correct management, we have kept Georgia on the list of green zones. I am proud that despite the pandemic, the 112th Session of the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization was held in our country just a few days ago. I would like to thank our friend countries — the United States, the European Union, and international financial institutions whose assistance proved to be of paramount importance in tackling the first wave of the pandemic.
Of course, the calamity is still here and the virus continues to attack us but the knowledge accumulated by us allows us to manage the situation consistently and share Georgia’s successful experience with everyone.
Beyond this new challenge, for years Georgia has been facing a different, even more difficult one: the occupation of our territories.
It is universally known that in 2008, Russia carried out open, large-scale military aggression against Georgia, containing which became possible as a result of the unwavering support of the international community, primarily the United States and the European Union.
Here, at the UN Headquarters, everyone is well aware that 20 per cent of Georgia’s integral territories — Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region — are occupied by Russia.
Even today, as the whole world wages war on the coronavirus pandemic, the Russian Federation continues the process of illegal borderization and provocations in the occupied territories; hybrid warfare tools are being used extensively, including disinformation attacks on the main facility of the national infrastructure for pandemic control — the Richard Lugar Center for Public Health Research.
Unfortunately, Russia has yet to fulfill the August 12, 2008 Ceasefire Agreement brokered by the European Union; it continues to disregard Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and the fundamental norms and principles of international law.
With illegal military training exercises and borderization, the installation of barbed wire fences and other artificial barriers, the occupation is taking a heavy toll primarily on the conflict-affected population, which is in a state of humanitarian crisis: they are deprived of access to their own homes and lands, forced to live in a reality in which passages are closed and families are further torn apart on a daily basis, with their freedom of movement, property rights, education rights, and access to basic medical services taken away. Local residents have been kidnapped, tortured, and killed.
We must remind you the names of our fellow citizens: Giga Otkhozoria, Archil Tatunashvili, and Davit Basharuli, whose lives were cut short by representatives of the occupation regime.
Georgia will never accept occupation!
On behalf of every Georgian citizen, I call on the international community to adequately assess Russia’s illegal actions so that we, through our joint efforts, may force it to comply with international norms and fulfill assumed obligations, including the August 12 agreement. We urge Russia to adopt a constructive position within the framework of the Geneva International Discussions, where, with the participation of the UN, OSCE, the European Union, and the United States of America, we discuss the security and humanitarian issues related to Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region, such as Russia’s non-use of force against Georgia, the withdrawal of troops, the creation of international security mechanisms, and the return of IDPs and refugees to their homes.
For their part, Georgia’s authorities are sparing no effort to assist their fellow citizens in need as much as it is possible, even under the conditions of closed occupation lines.
The policy chosen by the Government of Georgia seeks to achieve peace through dialogue and resolve the conflict peacefully. This involves ensuring the implementation of the 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement on the one hand, and reconciliation, confidence-building, and restoration of relations between the war- torn communities on the other.
The Georgian Government’s peace initiative A Step to a Better Future clearly demonstrates that Georgia is interested in dialogue with the residents of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions. We are concerned about their fate, and we take an interest in improving the social and economic conditions on the ground, as well as in restoring direct ties between the communities on either side of the boundary line. Our goal is to develop said regions and improve the living conditions of their residents, to share with them every benefit and achievement available to us, including life in a peaceful, free, democratic, and corruption-free society as well as the opportunities offered by our ever closer relations with the European Union, such as free trade and visa-free travel.
I address our fellow citizens on the other side of the occupation lines: Georgia is willing and able to share all this with you. Together, we can secure a better future for you and your children, while also preserving the unique culture and identity constituting our common heritage.
At this point, I would like to express deep gratitude to all our partners and friends for continuously standing by our side, for supporting Georgia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the policy of non-recognition.
It is important to us that just a few weeks ago, under the conditions of the global pandemic, an unprecedented number of countries voiced support for the humanitarian resolution initiated by Georgia and 54 states concerning the status of internally displaced persons and refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia, and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia, which confirms their right to a dignified return to their ancestral homes.
Colleagues,
The Georgian nation is a strong and freedom-loving one. Georgia has an ancient history, and our country is a future-oriented democracy. Today, Georgia is positioning itself in the world as a country with one of the highest democratic standards in the region, and one that is never complacent with achievements and always strives for development. We have always been — and remain to this day — a nation committed to Western values, which naturally harmonized Western and Eastern cultures and civilizations on Georgian soil.
We have implemented a historic constitutional reform resulting in Georgia’s switchover to European parliamentary governance in 2020, and the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2024 will be held in line with a fully proportional electoral system. Said constitutional amendment will create a brand new analogue characteristic of Western parliamentary democratic systems, which will further accelerate our country’s democratic development. With these changes, the ruling political team has succeeded in what many political forces have declared throughout our state’s 30-year-long history but have never actually dared to implement.
The Georgian Government does and will do everything to ensure a free, impartial, transparent, and democratic environment for these crucially important elections amid the pandemic, where all Georgian citizens will have the opportunity to express their political will freely, against the backdrop of maximal attendance from international observers.
Colleagues,
Georgia is part of European civilization, which is why the path of our country’s development remains unchanged, aiming at European and Euro-Atlantic integration, which is enshrined in the country’s Constitution and is not subject to revision. Georgia has signed an Association Agreement with the European Union, with visa-free travel and a Free Trade Agreement also being in force. All this enables us to strengthen our European institutions, develop highest standard infrastructure, empower small and medium-sized businesses, foster the adoption of modern technologies, and stand by Europe in dealing with challenges.
Georgia has been participating in international peacekeeping missions in various countries for years. Our soldiers are steadfastly keeping guard over global peace and stability. The Georgian Armed Forces are exemplary in the fulfillment of their duties at all locations. Thirty-two of them have fallen while accomplishing this honorable and difficult mission.
Today, we are an important player in ensuring global security as Georgia’s security is inseparable from global security; therefore, our contribution to the strengthening of EuroAtlantic security is directly reflected on the strength and protection of our country.
Colleagues,
Georgia’s transformation into a developed economy is our main goal, and we boast some impressive achievements on this path. For the time being, however, we are focused on leading our country out of the pandemic-induced global economic crisis as quickly as possible and with minimal losses. Our hopes in this regard are nourished by the fact that Georgia is a land of new opportunities, a place capable of offering that which is not offered elsewhere, including its strategic location with cultural and linguistic barriers simply nonexistent, with minimal taxes and every opportunity present for business development. Georgia holds one of the leading positions in the world in terms of the ease of doing business.
Georgia is presently positioned as a multifunctional regional hub of education, medicine, logistics, tourism, and business in general, yet we are not complacent and keep pressing on.
Today, in the 21st century, we are introducing Georgia to the world as a gateway of progress, knowledge, and culture linking Europe to Asia and vice versa, a gateway with Western values that has stood for centuries on the crossroads of ancient civilizations.
Our main value is the people, for whom tolerance — the core Western value — is an integral part of their identity.
Colleagues,
Unfortunately, as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, we continue to live in a world where the key principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter are violated on a daily basis. Today, I would like to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the UN Charter for the benefit of ensuring international peace and security.
It has been voiced repeatedly here that all UN member states are equal, and the pandemic has made this clear; it showed us that in the face of common adversity, we must unite and use the unique capabilities of each state. Unfortunately, COVID-19 is not the only international challenge. There are many others, such as armed conflicts, poverty, climate change, natural and technogenic disasters, terrorism and international crime, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and many others.
Georgia’s millennia-old history has taught us the importance of unity. Our country’s coat of arms reads Strength is in Unity! And it is in this unity that we have been standing by our strategic partners over the years; this unity has enabled us to overcome the first wave of COVID-19, our invisible foe. And it is with this unity that we must defeat the global pandemic because no country can deal with this challenge on its own.
Only thus can we face our future generations — who will assess this period as one of the most difficult ones — with dignity.
Therefore, we must find our strength and, despite the difficulties involved, turn this grave crisis into an opportunity for development.
Thank you very much!


Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Your Majesties,
Excellencies, Distinguished Heads of State and Government, Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of my delegation, I bring you warm greetings from the people of The Gambia on the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the founding of United Nations (UN), which unfortunately coincides with the global COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we convey our sincere condolences to all those who have lost loved ones to the pandemic.
Mr. President,
We welcome the theme for the 75th Session of the UNGA: “The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism — confronting Covid-19 through effective multilateral action”.
As humankind, our future is closely linked, and the Covid-19 global pandemic has made this evident. It demonstrates the wisdom and need to craft collective strategies, approaches and solutions to mitigate global challenges.
Mr. President,
The need is pressing to defend our multilateral institutions by taking legitimate action on issues brought to the attention of the UN. It will result to establishing and maintaining peace and cooperation in a tranquil world order.
Mr. President,
To achieve this goal, space must be created to adequately and justly address the concerns and interests of all Member States. For small States like The Gambia, the UN has always provided a platform for negotiation, discussion, cooperation and collaboration for collective global action. Therefore, we reaffirm our commitment to the Charter and Principles of the United Nations.
Mr. President,
The Charter has empowered institutions to deal with all forms of crises, such as the outbreak of the pandemic, which threatens our existence. Earnestly, the response to the pandemic must equal the magnitude of the challenge. The devastation is already immense in terms of loss of human lives, economic loss and its social and emotional impact on nations, communities and individuals. A multilateral solution stands to be the surest path to safety and recovery for all of us.
Mr. President,
Healthcare systems across the world are struggling to cope with the crisis, compelling many nations, including The Gambia, to adopt unusual measures that require huge and varied resources.
We admit, however, that our efforts have been significantly boosted by support from international friends and partners, such as the UN, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and bilateral friends.
This underscores the importance and relevance of international cooperation and solidarity in the search for solutions to global challenges.
Mr. President,
Small and developing nations have been struggling to manage their debt burdens, while trying to develop their economies. The outbreak of the pandemic has reversed our gains, with low revenue earnings and high public expenditure becoming the norm.
The Gambia’s economy has shrunk to 2 per cent of GDP, and it continues to contract. Our tourism sector, which is a major employer and foreign exchange earner, is devastated, and unemployment is increasing rapidly.
In this complex situation, my Government has, with the support of partners, instituted social protection programmes to ease the adverse impact on our people. These interventions are not sustainable without external support.
Implementation of our National Development Plan, 2018-2021 has been hampered by the pandemic. As the UN Decade of Action for the implementation of Agenda 2030 has been undermined by the outbreak of the pandemic, it is essential and most urgent to accelerate the implementation of our global commitments on Financing for Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Mr. President,
Developing countries, such as The Gambia, will continue to require support packages or bailouts from the United Nations and the international community in order to survive the ongoing economic decline.
In this light, The Gambia reiterates the strong call by the African Union for debt relief or debt cancellation, enhanced access to global finance, reduction of transaction costs on remittances and increased global solidarity and partnership.
We hope that the unique circumstances and challenges of the Least Developed Countries, especially countries in transition like The Gambia, will be accorded special and speedy consideration.
Mr. President,
Aside from the economies, it is quite urgent to rebuild and strengthen our weak healthcare systems and infrastructure and, through humanitarian action, the shattered and broken lives and homes.
This is an opportunity also to overhaul national health care systems and the international health and disease surveillance systems to make them better prepared for such pandemics.
Mr. President, we appreciate the role of the World Health Organization in guiding global healthcare action for all. Nonetheless, The Gambia craves for additional support to develop recovery strategies and programmes for the post-pandemic period.
As a country in transition, the pandemic is undermining the gains we made in restoring democracy and forging reconciliation and peace-building in the country. I assure the international community, however, that we are committed to all our transition tasks and programmes supported by the UN Peace-building Fund and the international community. We cherish your invaluable support, and urge for its continuation and expansion to help us nurture our democracy in a healthy environment.
Mr. President,
We equally applaud the frontline workers and scientific community for striving to save lives and to find a vaccine and cure for COVID-19. We hope that, if achieved, all safe and effective remedies will be made accessible and affordable to all.
Mr. President,
The pandemic has exposed and worsen the disadvantages of the digital divide in the world, especially in the field of education delivery.
Millions of people around the world cannot access virtual classrooms due to the persistent inability to access the Internet.
Access to cyberspace has become the defining feature at work and in education. Through enhanced partnerships in the implementation of SDG 4, developing countries need support to overcome the digital gap, and create equal opportunities to access information and quality education, including vocational and ICT skills.
Mr. President,
Insecurity continues to pose a serious challenge for countries of the Sahel. There are random attacks on communities, mass killings of innocent people and terrorist acts that displace populations with untold suffering and crises.
We acknowledge the efforts of the United Nations, the African Union, ECOWAS and other international partners to bring security and development to the region.
The implementation of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel is important for maintaining lasting peace in the region. We commend UNOWAS, therefore, for its role in pacifying the region.
Mr. President,
The Gambia subscribes to the UN-AU Partnership on Peace and Security in Africa. In spite of its troubles, Africa contributes to global peace and security, thus deserving the support of the international community, particularly the UN. I assure this Body that The Gambia will continue to meet its commitments under the Secretary General’s Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) Initiative.
Mr. President,
The international community must not relent in its efforts to restore peace and stability in Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and other trouble spots.
I submit that The United Nations and regional organisations should do more to disrupt the activities of all armed terrorist and criminal networks. In addition, the African Union’s efforts to silence the guns on the continent deserve continued international support for greater peace and stability on the African continent.
Mr. President,
On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we call on the international community to take into account the Arab Peace Initiative, and undertake peaceful and genuine dialogue on a two-state solution.
Mr. President,
We endorse the work of the International Criminal Court, and call on the United States to revoke the sanctions imposed on the Court and its officials. Respect for the rule of law benefits all democratic states.
Furthermore, we renew our interest in the case filed at the International Court of Justice on the plight of the Rohingya people in Myanmar. In this endeavour, we count on the support and efforts of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation and all genuine partners to ensure that justice is served in Myanmar.
Mr. President,
To promote friendly relations between States, The Gambia calls for the normalisation of relations between Cuba and the United States. In the same vein, we fully endorse the one-China policy, and look forward to stronger, mutually beneficial international cooperation with the Peoples’ Republic of China.
Mr. President,
As we celebrate seventy-five years of the existence of this democratic Organisation, it is a paradox that Africa is still negotiating for representation on the Security Council. Yet, much of its agenda affect the African continent. Certainly, Africa’s voice on the Council will build confidence and reinforce the legitimacy of its decisions.
Mr. President,
We put on record our unwavering support for your Presidency during the 75th session of UNGA, and look forward to your strong leadership in these unusual and challenging times.
Also, we express profound gratitude to our Brother and Friend, Professor Tijjani Muhammad-Bande of Nigeria, and his excellent team for the excellent leadership skills and dynamism during his tenure as President.
To conclude, I wish all Members a happy and productive 75th Anniversary.


I bid greetings to all the peoples of the world and express my solidarity with regard to the times we are all going through, which are of a momentous and historical scale and more challenging than we have ever experienced.
The pandemic has already claimed more than 1 million lives — millions of lost dreams, millions of people who are mourning the death of loved ones and millions of lives that will have forever been changed. We must continue working for them and prevent those numbers from increasing. God grant that my prayers be with them.
This turning point for humankind has significantly heightened our responsibility. The fate of generations will depend on the actions we take or fail to take in the days to come. And here we are in the General Assembly 75 years after the founding of the United Nations, one of humankind’s great ideas.
I thank all those listening to me, who could be doing something else with their time, which is a commodity that is becoming increasingly precious and scarce. I especially thank the Salvadorans both outside and inside our country for allowing me to be here me and work for them. And, above all, I thank God, as all that happens is because of Him.
A year ago in the same General Assembly, I mentioned the urgent need for it to change its format and said that if it failed to do so, the Assembly would become irrelevant. Subsequently, the format of the General Assembly has changed slightly, but it has changed. The change was caused by a historic pandemic, but it has changed. What are the results of the change? The Assembly has become even more irrelevant. This year it has become so irrelevant that its relevance has not even been discussed.
For the vast majority of the world’s population, it is as if it did not exist. Not only do most people not watch these speeches, they do not even recall that the General Assembly exists. And depending on their age, some may be unaware that it ever existed. In order to test that theory, over the past several days, I asked people of every walk of life and age questions about the General Assembly. Most of them did not even know the Assembly was in session, and the minority of people, who did know, did not even know the theme or who was going to speak. If you do not believe the results of my experiment, ask the first person you see after watching this speech.
I say this as a proponent of self-criticism, given the fact that, as President of El Salvador, I am a member of the General Assembly and, as a human being, I am a firm believer in the potential for this tool to do good.
However, as I warned the General Assembly last year, the world has already changed and continues to change increasingly rapidly, and whoever fails to change runs the risk of disappearing. Today’s world is very different from the world of just a few years ago. In no moment in recorded history, has society changed and continued to change to such an extent in such a short time.
And what have we the General Assembly done? We merely send video-recorded statements, as we have been forced to make a change in response to the pandemic instead of a courageous change to build the future we want. That change alone is insufficient, and the world will continue to change, whether we do or not. To some, these word may sound harsh, but it is my high regard for the founding principles of the United Nations and the Assembly that compels me speak them.
I want it to change so that it survives. I want it to change so that we as humankind can use this great tool. I want it to change so that all of us together have a hand in changing the world and our shared destiny, not only the General Assembly, which risks becoming irrelevant.
As the year comes to an end, we continue to reel from the effects of one of the greatest crises in the modern history of humankind. And what have we the United Nations done? Let us perform the same experiment once again: ask the first person you see what the United Nations has done during the pandemic. It is in this connection that I would like to thank the countries and organizations that have helped and continue to help us survive the crisis.
I thank the Government and the people of the United States, who helped us transform a public system with 31 intensive care units into one with more than 1,000 multifunctional units, while sending us about 600 respirators, at a time when they were in short supply in the world.
I also thank the State and the people of Japan, without whose help we would never have been able to establish the largest hospital of the region and one of the most advanced and largest hospitals to treat the coronavirus disease in the world. I will forever be grateful to and in deep admiration of the Government and the great people of Japan, who as a society exemplify giving service to the world.
On behalf of the people of El Salvador I also express my heartfelt thanks to all the countries, representatives of private enterprise and volunteers throughout the world who have helped and continue to help us. All the help has enabled us to continue saving thousands of lives, not only in terms of the pandemic, but also the future. Every life that we have saved and will save together represents generations saved — hundreds of thousands of future lives and stories that will have been preserved thanks to our recent action. I thank God for giving us the opportunity and everyone who has helped us to do that.
Such help, however, has mostly been bilateral work, not necessarily owing to the United Nations system. Despite the fact that it was established mainly to deal with events such as the current existential threat facing humankind, there has been a lack of leadership on the part of the Organization to unite the world to counter the virus together.
But crying over what could have been is counterproductive. We must see this as an opportunity and wake-up call so that we are prepared for a similar, or even more powerful, blow — the next global threat — and, more important, so that we take advantage of this unique historic opportunity to build and create our future.
When I was a child — and I like to believe that it was not long ago — we thought about the future and our minds were carried away by the possibilities — flying cars and humans devoting their lives to the arts and humanities while robots would do the work that they did not want to do. The world we imagined speaks in a multifaced way to the future of humankind’s collective consciousness in a multicultural world, free of war, channelling its efforts to explore the stars and place them within humankind’s reach.
What do young people imagine now, as they look towards the future? The answer is natural disasters, pandemics, wars, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic scenarios and dystopian societies. If you do not believe me, try the experiment once again, and ask the first young person you see: How do you imagine planet Earth in the future?
But certain aspects of the future that many of us imagined as children are today realities. Technology has reached levels that even the most daring futurologists could not have imagined. Almost everyone listening to me has a supercomputer in their pocket. Moreover, your mother may be listening to me with such a supercomputer.
Any smartphone today has millions of times more computing power than the supercomputer that took us to the moon. The latest iPhone is far more powerful than the supercomputer of the 1970s, 1980s and even 1990s. There are also billions of these supercomputers scattered throughout the globe, connected to one another by the largest network in human history.
A year ago, in this Hall, I mentioned the potential of this network, and, since then, it has become much larger and more powerful. In a year, it will be even more so. How do we manage it? I believe that we have yet to understand its potential and the potential of all the tools we have available both individually and collectively to us through it.
Never in human history have we had so many opportunities to be able to do what we want to do, be honest with ourselves and create what we want to create. This network allows us to instantly connect with the best minds anywhere in the world. This network enables us to connect with people with the same interests, aspirations and vision of the world. I am speaking from the individual’s perspective. Imagine what we humankind can do.
There is something wrong with this world when millions of people have supercomputers in their pockets and the problems remain the same — historical problems like hunger, homelessness, deaths from curable diseases, which are all relatively easy for humankind to resolve. If the whole world decided to resolve every one of them, they would be solved in a matter of months or even sooner.
We have only marginally tested that ability to change the world in recent months. Yet the results have been incredible at both the international and local levels. We are seeing that in the race for a vaccine and collaboration involving treatments of the virus at the global level. In that regard, I very warmly thank the members of the Italian medical community, in particular, whose research led to the initial treatment that saved thousands of lives in El Salvador, not to mention the entire world, at their own great personal risk, at a time when we knew little about the virus. I thank them on behalf of the people of El Salvador. The applause of the world would fall short of justly singing their praise.
At the local level, in El Salvador we have seen how in a matter of months we have put an extremely precarious human health-care system on track to becoming a first-world system. Although progress remains to be made, we have realized that, if we try, we can achieve much more faster than we ever imagined. Every day that we fail to work together in order to solve the world and humankind’s problems represents lives that will be lost forever. We will lose those opportunities forever.
In El Salvador, we are trying at the same time that we are cleaning house with regard to problems that lie ahead, but, thanks to God, we are seeing tangible results. With the help of friendly countries, we have succeeded in drastically lowering all insecurity indicators, including homicides, extortion and robberies, among others. In our Administration, we have saved an average of nine lives a day from being murdered — and nine families from mourning the death of a loved one. I thank God that we have achieved that much faster than we thought possible.
I pray to God that this trend continues and that we will soon be able to transform El Salvador into one of the safest places in the continent — a country that, until only two years ago, many considered as the most insecure country in the world. Much remains to be done. There are several issues that we have to resolve, but if we use the tools that we humankind have created, we can accelerate the process that all developed countries have had to go through.
We are doing it. We are beginning to educate and build a new country. Our idea is to begin building a model society for the world, already embodied by several societies with their own particularities, as examples of what we can achieve as part of humankind. In advocating our vision of what can be accomplished as an interconnected society, I therefore call on all the thinkers and doers of the world who want to participate in the development and consolidation of a country to work with us to build the miracle sovereign State of El Salvador.
El Salvador is a country where the political will exists to take the leap that is so urgently needed by the General Assembly. In El Salvador, members will enjoy the availability of a Government with the desire, ideas and the mission of a forward-looking people striving to create their own future, while, at the same time, contributing to humankind — as well as excellent weather and waves every month of the year.
We are a country that is in the process of being built, which is extremely exciting, but we would like to speed up the process. That is why we are entreating the pioneers of the world to help us in both the public and private spheres in which we are almost completely connected throughout the world where with a few key strokes I can reach them in everywhere so that they can answer me, collaborate and build. That tool is there in order to move humankind at least a little bit in the right direction.
We are counting on the creative human imagination, which differentiates and will continue to differentiate us from other species. The human species will live thousands of years longer and always have something to invent. The possibilities of our —humankind’s — future are almost limitless. But we have to take control of our destiny. Humankind must always seek its path, and the purpose of certain pioneers is to ensure the consciousness and the courage to do so. If we unite and succeed in achieving that goal, we may even live to see ourselves as the architects of one of the golden ages in humankind’s history.
May God enlighten us all and allow us to rebuild the future together as brothers.
Thank you very much.


Mr President of the General Assembly,
Mr Secretary-General,
Distinguished Heads of State and government,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
There are moments that leave their mark for generations. The founding of the United Nations seventy-five years ago was one such moment. For this, we can be grateful to our parents.
Are we nevertheless permitted to take a critical look at the UN today? — Yes, we are... We even have to.
In fact, seventy-five years on and there are still wars, there are more refugees and displaced people than ever before, there is a climate crisis currently without a solution, millions are going hungry and we haven’t achieved gender equality.
We could criticise the UN for this — but who are we really talking about, when we blame “the UN”? We are in fact talking about ourselves, because the UN is its Member States. And it is often Member States that stand in the way of the UN’s work. They block decisions or refuse to implement them, undermine resolutions or flout their principles.
This weakens the UN. And it weakens all of us, too. If we want a strong UN, then we — Member States — must strongly support the organisation and work together to pursue its objectives. Because the goals of the UN are our goals.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We live in an era marked by geopolitical tensions. Many States are also increasingly polarised in their internal affairs.
More than ever, the UN is indispensable for the promotion of peace and security in the world. It embodies the causes of human rights, sustainable development and a world governed by the rule of law. We would do well to work together to achieve the goals of the UN because they benefit all of us and they make us stronger.
My country is proud to contribute to the achievement of the UN’s goals, even if it is not always easy. It is difficult to translate the goals we have set ourselves - on climate or gender equality for example - into national policy. But that is why all of us politicians are elected: to offer our respective populations and humanity as a whole a decent life in freedom and security.
My country also advocates for an international order regulated by the rule of law. We are committed to international humanitarian law and to the prevention of conflicts, and we provide good offices wherever they are desired. My country is prepared to take on more responsibilities, which is why for the first time, Switzerland is a candidate for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the period 2023-2024.
Switzerland of course wholeheartedly supports the Secretary General’s appeal for a global ceasefire. But beyond such an appeal, is there anything else we can do?
We must put even more effort into preventing conflicts. Here too, human rights must remain at the centre of our action. “International Geneva” also contributes to conflict prevention, for example by hosting the Human Rights Council and the Arms Trade Treaty Secretariat.
By prosecuting the worst crimes, the International Criminal Court is contributing to uphold international humanitarian law. We reaffirm here our support for the International Criminal Court as an integral part of a rules-based international order. To facilitate debate on the best ways to adhere to these humanitarian norms, Switzerland was one of the first countries to publish a voluntary report on its national implementation. My country would welcome it if other countries followed.
While it is right to try to prevent conflicts and to seek to mitigate their worst humanitarian consequences, it is also crucial to find lasting solutions to the conflicts that are ongoing. As the capital of peace, “International Geneva” contributes to this by providing a space for dialogue between the parties to a conflict.
Switzerland’s peace policy draws on essential characteristics of my country’s political culture, such as power-sharing, openness to dialogue, tolerance and consideration of everyone’s interests. In the future, Switzerland intends to further step up its capacities and expertise in mediation and facilitation in order to support those who wish to end conflicts through dialogue.
Ladies and gentlemen,
While “International Geneva” contributes to peace and security in the world, it is also the seat of the World Health Organization, which has played such a crucial role since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The current health crisis has caused untold suffering in the world. The most vulnerable have been hit hardest: the child in the overcrowded displacement camp; the single mother who has lost her job; the young adult whose job prospects have been destroyed; or elderly people and the sick, who are particularly at risk.
My country is coping with this pandemic as best it can.
The World Health Organization plays a central part in fighting the pandemic. As host state of the WHO and other international health organisations, Switzerland is committed to ensuring that they can take effective action. For this to happen, the WHO must have sufficient resources and the support of all of us to carry out its reforms. Is it fair to demand so much from this organisation when 80% of its funding comes from voluntary contributions?
Beyond the necessary fight against the current pandemic, we must think now about the world that will emerge from this crisis and that cannot entirely be yesterday’s. If every crisis is a suffering, it is also a moment of change that allows us to reinvent ourselves.
So let’s reinvent ourselves, keeping in mind the goals we set for ourselves when the UN was created seventy-five years ago.
Ladies and gentlemen,
There are moments that leave their mark for generations. Such moments require decisive and courageous action. This is true today. From my country’s perspective, the most urgent tasks are to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement, and to step up our efforts for peace.
It is up to us — the political representatives of our countries — to take the right decisions for the good of our fellow human beings and our planet. Let us assume this responsibility.
Let us strengthen the UN’s capacity to act, and ensure that the decisions we make today will be a source of pride for generations of tomorrow.


Your Excellency Ambassador Volkan Bozkir President of the General Assembly;
Your Excellency Mr. Antonio Gueterres UN Secretary General;
Honourable Participants,
I have the honour to deliver this speech on behalf of the President of the State of Eritrea, H.E. Mr. Isaias Afwerki.
The UN General Assembly is taking place this year at a critical juncture when the world is at a cross-roads on account of the vicious COVID-19 global pandemic that has inculcated an immense loss of life so far.
As it may be recalled, I had underlined the following salient points in my message to the UN General Assembly last year.
In as far as global trends is concerned, I had stated, and I quote, “the world is on the cusp of a new world order. All vital parameters indicate that the unipolar world order has come to an end or is in its twilight years. The economic power balance is inexorably changing, with a spike in attendant intense rivalries and upheavals”.
In regard to Africa, my remarks were, and I quote, “Africa’s lot over the past quarter of a century has been onerous. Africa’s resources were plundered wantonly. Despite hollow phrases of ‘conflict prevention’ and ‘conflict resolution’, wars and upheavals continue to increase and fester. Almost 1 billion Africans remain marginalized through the collusion of external predators, their local surrogates and corrupt special-interest entities. This tragic reality requires utmost and urgent attention for effective remedies”.
In terms of the situation in our neighbourhood — namely the Horn of Africa and Red Sea Region — the salient points underlined in my message of last year were:
“The two regions have been immensely and inordinately afflicted in the past 25 years by externally instigated, intractable, internecine ethnic and clan conflicts, as well as discord and wars among neighbouring countries. This grim reality is in stark contrast to the promising events and hopes engendered in the early 1990s for regional integration. Here again, a large part of the blame falls on corrupt local actors.”
Distinguished Participants,
As we mull over current realities this year, what are the new, promising, tidings that we can invoke apart from the earnest pleas and petitions for higher efficacy that are emphasized solemnly almost every year.
Alas, what is new in our world this year is the depressing calamity; the huge loss of life that COVID-19 has and continues to incur globally.
And albeit its agonizing dimensions, the Pandemic has starkly exposed the structural flaws and deficiencies of the prevailing, precarious, economic and security “global order”. It has debunked the spurious explanations and narratives peddled in the past to embellish and rationalize a largely dysfunctional global order. Indeed, in a rather perverted sense, the Pandemic constitutes a wake-up call; a costly reminder for us to mend our ways.
Distinguished Participants,
The pursuit and ideals of enduring global peace, stability and prosperity are squarely predicated, and can only flourish, on the edifice of a robust global organization that can measure up to all these challenges. This indelible fact is more evident than ever before. In the event, allow me to renew our call for the strengthening and revamping of the marginalized UN system whose authority and efficacy have been corroded in the past decades.
I thank you


Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen a pleasant good afternoon.
Mr. President let me on behalf of the Government and people of St. Kitts and Nevis congratulate you on your election to the presidency of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Our virtual convocation this year — the 75th anniversary of the United Nations — is testimony to the truly unusual times in which we live.
I must also seize the opportunity to pay tribute to the Secretary General, Mr. Antonio Guterres for his leadership during this difficult period of COVID-19 pandemic. The theme of this debate is rather fitting for such a time like this! We must have faith in multilateralism and international cooperation if we are to achieve the sustainable development goals by 2030 and the stronger, safer future, we all want to see.
Seventy-five years ago at the twilight of the Second World War, the world came together at another inflection point and pledged that, “We the peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equality of rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.”
Seventy-five years after, these objectives are still relevant and laudable. They remain a work in progress. This moment of global reckoning, a moment in which approximately 1 million of our brothers, sisters, friends, colleagues, neighbours and parents have perished to a punishing pandemic, demands a renewal of purpose and promise. That purpose must be fidelity to multilateralism and faith in international cooperation if we are to breathe new life into the United Nations charter while also achieving the sustainable development goals, halting climate change and pivoting to the stronger and safer future we all want to see — guided by the significant lessons of the distant and recent past.
Mr. President,
The year 2020 has taught us as a people, nation and indeed an interconnected world that the time for mutual reliance is upon us and that we need each other now more than ever if we are to rebuild and strengthen the socio-economic foundations laid bare from this two-fanged crisis. The time is now. We must show up! We must speak up! We must Share! We must Listen! We must Act and surely, we must Lead!
Mr. President,
Multilateral Action
We are living in unprecedented times. The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, has gripped the world like we have never seen before, destabilizing economies, overwhelming many healthcare sectors and causing incalculable pain and suffering on millions of people worldwide.
We commend the international community that has bound together in global solidarity to defeat the pandemic. I congratulate the World Health Organisation for its stewardship of the global response to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. We as CARICOM states reaffirm our support for the WHO framework “Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A). This global collaborative framework provides a solid global response to defeat the pandemic by the rapid development, scale up and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics under pinned by the strengthening of our health systems. Instead of nationalism we need global cooperation in the fight to defeat COVID-19.
We commend the all of society approach that has worked so very well in the context of St Kitts and Nevis. Every stakeholder group has played their role in combating COVID-19 here. The World needs all Nations large and small to work together for mutual success.
St. Kitts and Nevis and COVID-19 Pandemic
St. Kitts and Nevis has been successful in containing the spread of the COVID-19 within its borders. Our twin island Federation has been fortunate to record a low infection rate, with zero deaths and have an R-value below 1. We have a success story to tell the World.
The implementation of a national response mechanism, comprising of the establishment of a national emergency coordination committee, closure of our borders to nonessential travel, the imposition of restrictions on the physical movement of people within our borders, as well as the promotion of protective wear and a robust public awareness campaign all played an exceptional role in our considerable success.
COVID-19 reminds us that our fight to eliminate non communicable diseases must be stepped up. People living with NCDs are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and are amongst the most affected by the disease. Climate Change, NCDs and COVID-19 are inter-linked symptoms that something is awry with planet earth.
Mr. President,
Economic impact
The novel coronavirus disease has disrupted international travel and tourism, global supply chains, industrial and commercial operations and created widespread unemployment. This unprecedented situation will inevitably stymie our chances of achieving the sustainable development goals.
Financing for Development
Multilateral assistance is essential for countries such as ours when faced with global challenges. Our fiscal resources are limited and have been severely tested in this particular instance. Now, the call for concessional financing is louder and stronger than ever before. Advanced countries and the international financial institutions must respond positively to the call for concessional resources if we are to reshape our economies for a post-COVID-19 world, and return to the path to sustainable growth and development.
Given our economic and environmental vulnerabilities as a small island developing state, we are likely to be confronted with the multiplier effect of the pandemic, particularly as we brace for the most intense segment of the Hurricane Season.
Climate Change
Mr. President,
St Kitts and Nevis is the smallest independent nation in the western hemisphere and the impact of climate change weighs heavily on our daily lives. At this point in time, we are in the most active part of the hurricane season at the mercy of mother nature and for this reason climate change will always be high on our agenda. Climate change for us is not something to be postponed for tomorrow. It must be addressed like yesterday. We must regain the momentum and continue our work to consolidate the gains made.
High-level Summit on Biodiversity
Mr. President,
Earlier this month the UN warned that countries are set to miss critical targets to preserve and protect earth’s biodiversity. This requires immediate and drastic action.
We are therefore pleased to advocate for Sustainable Development Goal 15, which calls for us to protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. I look forward to joining my SIDS colleagues at the High-level Summit on Biodiversity to champion the cause for us to protect our biodiversity not just on land but on our high seas.
For St Kitts and Nevis, the ocean is our lifeblood. Let us protect it, to preserve a stronger and safer future.
Food Security
The Food Systems Summit to be held next year is timely, since our current inadequacies, as exposed by the pandemic, demand a vigorous examination of our strategies for food production and nutrition security. I am particularly encouraged by the positive response of Kittitians and Nevisians in answering the call of my Government to strengthen our food security by scaling up our investments in agriculture and fisheries.
25th Anniversary of Fourth World Conference on Women
Mr. President,
As we continue to hail the contribution of women to the socio economic landscape of our country and the world at large, we are pleased to join in the commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women next week. Earlier this year, we commenced our examination of the national implementation of the Beijing Declaration. The findings revealed that our Federation has much to celebrate regarding the advancement of women over the past 25 years; but there is still much ground yet to be covered, and many trails yet to be blazed.
Through the implementation of our National Gender Policy and other legislation and focused attention on Beijing Declaration’s 12th Action Point — The Girl Child, we will continue to prioritise our pursuit of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
Global Health Partnerships
Mr. President,
St Kitts and Nevis once again renews its call for Taiwan’s inclusion in this international fraternity of Nations. The Republic of China (Taiwan) remains a valuable partner for peace, prosperity and development with the fullest respect for international law. Taiwan has stayed true to its longstanding traditions and has remained a true partner in in fight against COVID-19. We have seen first-hand Taiwan’s exemplary management of the pandemic within its own borders and we have been impressed by its willingness to help vulnerable states around the world. Taiwan has assisted many states in combatting this unprecedented health pandemic by sending more than 51 Million surgical masks as well as other medical equipment to more than 80 countries. In our view, the international community has been deprived of the gift of true partnership offered by the 23.5 million people of Taiwan. My hope is that Taiwan can be included in the UN system, particularly the WHO — its meetings, mechanisms and activities thereby improving the global response and resources available to address transboundary crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The exclusion of Taiwan — its experience, expertise and resources, leaves a partial vacuum in the global response to COVID-19. The World Health Organisation can only benefit from the inclusion of such a worthy member. Equally, the existence of the antiquated embargo against Cuba flies against the spirit of global partnerships which we desire in the future. At this time more than ever vulnerable Nations must be free to access Cuba’s expertise in health, and a myriad of other areas of global concern.
Mr. President,
Conclusion
This has been a very difficult year of, but it also must be the year we can recommit to the United Nations and its ideals. We must through comprehensive reforms make the UN system fit for purpose. We will have to look beyond antiquated frameworks and look to new socio-economic models and rely on global cooperation to build a better world. Global threats to people and the planet are multiplying and the United Nations, in its 75th year, must be resilient and innovative to help in this crisis and future crises. Strengthening global solidarity and cooperation is paramount for the U.N. The UN creates the perfect environment to marry collective action and solidarity with multilateralism. We welcome the UN 2020 future possibilities report which provides a good guide on how governments can make certain changes to their economies now. However, there must be much more dialogue and commitment if we are to experience real change.
The gravity of the pandemic has been laid out in several United Nations resolutions on COVID-19 and while we take action on them all in the General Assembly Hall, let us remember and commit to what they all about, while remembering at the same time that we all rise on the same tide!
I thank you.


Mr. President;
Excellencies, Heads of State and Governments; Mr. Secretary-General;
Distinguished Delegates;
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Introduction
I have the great honour to deliver this address on behalf of the government and people of the Republic of Vanuatu.
Mr President,
At the outset, let me sincerely congratulate you on assuming the presidency of this 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Your Excellency, I assure you of Vanuatu’s committed support during your tenure, and have every confidence that your presidency will successfully guide us in our collective pursuit of the future we want, and rally the spirit of cooperation essential for the United Nations we need.
I would also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, the outgoing President of the 74th Session on his outstanding stewardship of this august body during such a challenging time.
Global Challenges
Mr. President,
Usually, we would be gathered in the iconic General Assembly Hall to share our thoughts on the state of the world we share. The corridors, meeting rooms and side events would be abuzz with activity as leaders and delegates come together. In this time of uncertainty and peril, when we could most benefit from such gatherings, we cannot do so.
Delivering our national address via video link may be emblematic of this extraordinary time, but it’s also a sign of our resolve to adapt and make use of what is available. So, even though for the moment we are not all able to travel or be together in person, we can continue to find ways to harness our collective commitments with the vision of ending the pandemic and resetting our planet on a sustainable and peaceful footing.
For so many of our people around the world, 2020 has been a year of unparalleled challenge. COVID-19 has unleashed a complex web of health, economic and social issues that have sorely tested government, business and community systems. The pandemic has exposed existing vulnerabilities and alerted to us the threats of new ones. We have seen it exacerbate the already unacceptably high rates of global inequality and poverty that we face.
We have seen how it has most severely impacted the most vulnerable in our communities, especially women and girls, people with disabilities, and those with chronic health conditions.
We must unite to defeat the scourge of this disease. As governments we need to be able to continue to reach out to help families that have been split up or kept apart, alleviate the consequences of job losses and business closures and continue to provide health care under the enormous strains of pandemic management, all while dealing with drastically plummeting revenue sources.
Mr. President,
COVID-19 has also shone a new light on existing global challenges and conflicts, including the escalating threat of arms race and terrorism; continuous human rights abuses; climate change; the displacement of people; the scourge of non-communicable disease, and the disruptions of the technological revolution that is redefining the future of work. Around the world we see the fallout from the pandemic is deepening community divisions, escalating geopolitical tensions, changing trade relations and threatening peace.
It is most worrisome that these complex global challenges are compounding at a time when our multilateral environment is under its most severe pressures to date. Make no mistake, we need inclusive multilateralism. The global solidarity and concerted international cooperation we forge today will make us stronger to tackle these challenges together. This time of crisis has heightened our mutual responsibility to strengthen people’s faith in multilateral cooperation and international institutions. The United Nations, with its universal membership, plays a central role in addressing our shared challenges. We should be focusing our efforts on strengthening it, not weakening it. United Nations can be compared to a big boat with individual nations occupying individual cabins in that big boat.
Domestic Development and Challenges
Mr. President,
As a small open island economy located in the South Pacific, we in Vanuatu know too well the importance of global solidarity. We know from experience that we are always better off when we are working together, than in isolation.
Thankfully, there are still no confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 in Vanuatu. Early border closures gave us this precious window to prepare our health responses, but have also come with serious economic and social costs. On top of that, in April, our country was hit by yet another severe, category five tropical cyclone. The severity of this compound disaster has already left enduring scars on families, communities and the nation. Limited resources are strained further by the ongoing recovery efforts from previous disasters. Ever looming is the threat of future disasters and extreme weather events, which are being fuelled and exacerbated by climate change. Even so, our experience assures us that by working together, we can and we will recover, we will build back better and emerge stronger and more resilient.
It was in this spirit that we came together as a nation in July to celebrate our 40th anniversary of political independence. We will come together again in December to mark our graduation from Least Developed Country status. Amidst the uncertainty and chaos, this is a special year for us. We especially view our graduation as a success story. We have and always will warmly embrace the solidarity of the LDC group, and the support afforded to it. But in our 40th year as an independent country we are ready for the next phase of our development journey. We are ready to make that step despite the catastrophe that has been unleashed by the pandemic and cyclone, and which will reverberate for many years to come.
We are proud of our achievements, as we are mindful that we still have a long way to go to achieve our sustainable development goals. We would rather build on our efforts and those of our development partners and graduate now, with an extended smooth transition period than risk slipping back into the LDC category or halt graduation entirely. It is for that reason that we are seeking the support of bilateral, regional and multilateral development and trading partners to provide full support to the implementation of the smooth transition strategy prepared by Vanuatu, in particular, the priority specific measures that requires targeted support for an extended transitionary period of five years; specific international support measures related to trade, aid for trade and participation in international forums.
If we are not careful, the events of this year and the continuing fracturing of multilateralism may dilute our global development aspirations. We all triumphantly signed up to only five years ago under the 2030 Agenda and the 17 sustainable development goals. More than ever we must return to these collective commitments and redouble our implementation efforts. In Vanuatu we have already contextualized these global goals into our national aspirations, articulated in Vanuatu 2030 — The People’s Plan. This year we have sought to ensure that our National Recovery Strategy not only responds to the immediate social, economic and environmental needs associated with COVD-19 and Cyclone Harold, but that it empowers us to build back better and continue to advance our development aspirations. We must keep moving forward and not just revert back to how it was before. The increasing frequency of extreme weather events and other disasters means recovery has become the new normal.
Building back better will only be possible if we have the right architecture in place. For us and other small island developing states especially, our biggest threats are global — most notably climate change and the management of our oceans. Therefore our solutions too must be global, and that means it is imperative that the necessary international architecture is in place. With the resources to address our complex challenges becoming scarcer, vulnerable countries such as LDCs and SIDS especially face a daunting future. Put simply, we need a fully functional, working United Nations. We need the UN agencies to be working in solid partnerships with Member States, and with other multilateral organizations. We know there are problems, but we need to find ways to fix these, and not create even greater problems by continuing the trends that are undermining multilateralism and international cooperation.
Building back better also means we can no longer just accept business as usual so I would like to suggest some areas that we, as the United Nations, should focus on to forge a new path to a collectively brighter future.
First, COVID-19 has resulted in mounting debts in countries that can least afford to service them. It is essential that the multilateral financial institutions provide debt forgiveness and relief. This should be accompanied with tailored concessional finance packages and grants. These measures should ensure there is adequate fiscal space for countries to weather not only the current crisis, but also to finance the implementation of their sustainable development priorities. I acknowledge that some great work has already gone ahead in this area, however, I believe more needs to be done.
Second, climate financing needs to increase to ensure the recapitalization of financial instruments such as the Green Climate Fund. Again, we call for the processes to access these funds to be simplified and made easier to access in order to allow small island developing states like Vanuatu implement their climate change mitigation and adaptation priorities reflected on various frameworks of implementation including the National Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Thirdly, the UN needs to find ways to address the de risking measures adopted by large international banks that have prevented small island developing states especially to set up corresponding banking relationships with our domestic banks.
Finally, it is imperative that we ensure every country can get timely, fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, which means working cooperatively and not competitively. The UN must especially ensure that all of the most vulnerable countries in the world get access. Until we have the medical break through that we all pray for, we must unite in our efforts to mitigate the drastic impacts that this crisis is having on our people.
Human Rights and Decolonisation
Mr. President,
As we look ahead to the future we want, we must picture a world of freedom; one that is free from persecution and human rights abuses. This year, as my country celebrates our 40th anniversary of independence, we are reminded of our strong cultural connection with the Umaenupne and Umaeneag islands, commonly referred to in English as Matthew and Hunter Islands. Although they were integral parts of Vanuatu during its colonial period, France has regrettably and unlawfully claimed them as its own. Beyond representing the failure to complete the decolonization of Vanuatu, France’s actions have impeded the ability of the ni-Vanuatu people to perform their traditional, cultural and religious practices on the islands. This is of particular concern because maintaining our people’s cultural heritage is of the greatest importance to the ni-Vanuatu people, who have endured a long and unfortunate history of colonial exploitation. Although all ni-Vanuatu consider Umaenupne and Umaeneag to be sacred, they have particularly great significance for those who come from the islands of Tanna, Futuna and Aneiytum. For countless generations, the indigenous people of those islands have performed sacred rituals on them. To this day, Umaenupne and Umaeneag continue to maintain a central place in the religious observance of their people. I look forward to their return to the islands, as facilitated by the former UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples.
Furthermore, we are also mindful that some territories continue their struggle for freedom.
In our region, New Caledonia will soon face another referendum on the question of independence. It is important that this remains free, fair and transparent and continues under the supervision of the United Nations.
Mr. President,
We know there are widespread human rights violations happening all around us, and yet it seems the world is taking a selective approach to addressing these. In our region, the indigenous people of West Papua continue to suffer from human rights abuses. Last year, leaders from the Pacific Islands Forum respectfully called on the Indonesian Government to allow the United Nations Office of the Human Rights Commissioner to visit West Papua Province. To date there has been little progress on this front. I therefore call on the Indonesian Government to please heed the previous call of Pacific leaders.
Conclusion
Mr. President,
The theme of this 75th General Assembly calls on us, the Member States of the United Nations, to come together to frame the future we want. For Vanuatu, this extraordinarily difficult year has been the backdrop to the start of the next phase of nation building, marked by our independence celebrations and culminating with our LDC graduation in a few months. We hope that by sharing our experiences we can contribute to global learning as we navigate the current crisis and work together in the pursuit of sustained peace and sustainable development. As we emerge from the grip of COVID-19, we should continue to align our national and global recovery to existing commitments to reorient growth models to the ones that are more sustainable and greener in nature.
More than ever multilateralism must be defended and respond to the evolving needs of our times. The UN Charter remains our moral compass and continues to remind us of our common duties to serve humanity.
I thank you Mr President and God bless you all.


Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General and Distinguished Delegates,
Humanity has overcome a myriad of crises to date to build a civilization we live in today. Although we are now in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, humanity will surely once again make astonishing strides toward a tomorrow that is different from today.
I would like to offer my deepest sympathies to the victims of COVID-19 and their bereaved families, and all of those around the world who are fighting the disease. My gratitude also goes out to the medical staff, frontline workers, and staff members of international organizations who are putting themselves at risk to protect the health of humanity.
The 75th Session of the UN General Assembly will go a long way toward triumphing over an unprecedented crisis. Let me extend my congratulations to you, Mr. Volkan Bozkir on your assumption of the Presidency. I have high hopes for your able leadership.
I would also like to express my respect to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his tireless efforts to resolve numerous global challenges from infectious diseases to peace, the economy, the environment and human rights.
Mr. President,
The COVID-19 crisis we face is upending daily lives of humanity and agitating even the world economy and international order. Just as the far-sighted leaders created the United Nations 75 years ago, it is high time that we pool our wisdom again to find our guiding star in this time of great transformation.
The Republic of Korea took key values of democracy and turned them into three main principles of infectious disease prevention — openness, transparency, and democracy, and the entire Korean people turned themselves into the main actors in infectious disease prevention efforts.
Korea also combined multilateralism with its community spirit, enabling people to practice the spirit of “freedom for all”. The Korean people protected their own safety by protecting that of neighbors. The Korean Government extended the scope of neighbors beyond its borders. By sharing infectious disease prevention equipment with other countries without closing borders, Korea is keeping our country and economy intact.
We learned that, in the end, what empowers Korea to weather the novel coronavirus was the very values cultivated by humanity and championed by the UN. The answer to overcoming COVID-19 is not far from us. It lies in returning to the spirit of the UN Charter, that is believing in universal values of humankind, and it lies in marching toward a more inclusive world through multilateral action.
The far-sighted leaders in the past created the UN, dreaming of a better world, and achieved a brilliant feat of promoting universal values of humankind.
In the post-COVID-19 era, the UN should be tasked with spreading these universal values even further to resolve complex global challenges such as cooperation in healthcare, economic cooperation for sustainable development and climate action.
The battles each and every country has been fighting this year have clearly demonstrated that the crisis cannot be overcome by a single country alone, or without consideration of neighbors.
Today, with the UN assuming a new job in the post-COVID-19 era, I would like to address the importance of strengthening inclusiveness in international cooperation — a way to shape multilateralism in a way that makes everyone prosperous.
Mr. President,
Strengthening inclusiveness in international cooperation means leaving no one behind and achieving shared prosperity where everyone enjoys freedom. Domestically, it is reducing inequalities to ensure safety of one’s own and sustainable development together with neighbors. Internationally, it is taking into account the conditions and circumstances neighboring countries are put in while working with them to attain co-prosperity.
Nothing is more important than life and safety of humanity. It is evident that the UN’s idea of inclusive multilateralism will first be tested by whether it can distribute COVID-19 vaccines to all nations or not.
We must not only enhance international cooperation for developing vaccines and treatments but also guarantee their equitable access for all countries, once they are developed.
Through global funding, we should facilitate advance purchase of sufficient doses of vaccines for international organizations to ensure that impoverished and developing countries can also share in the benefits.
Korea is actively participating in the COVAX Facility led by the World Health Organization and Gavi.
Home to the headquarters of the International Vaccine Institute, Korea will provide active support to various activities geared towards developing and distributing affordable vaccines for developing countries.
As concerns remain over the possibility of the second and third wave of COVID-19, Korea will actively share its experiences accumulated from responding to COVID-19 and continue to work with the international community.
Like a tsunami that follows an earthquake, economic aftershocks are sweeping us. Border shutdowns and atrophied exchanges of people and goods make the global economic recovery harder.
Although it is indeed an extraordinarily difficult task, we must make the best of both worlds — preventing infectious disease and reviving the economy. Even in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, we should strengthen multilateralism characterized by solidarity and cooperation, and bolster free trade system built upon international norms.
Korea has strived to safeguard global supply chain against disruptions and facilitate essential cross-border movement of people including business people.
Korea will share its development experience with developing countries and join the concerted global efforts to achieve UN sustainable development goals. In order to enhance inclusiveness that drives sustainable economy, we should break the matter of course that crisis begets widening inequalities and revive our economy in a way that leaves no one behind.
Korea has taken on a challenge of the Korean New Deal. Standing on the two pillars of Digital New Deal and Green New Deal, it marks a complete transformation of Korean economy and promises to render our society less unequal and more inclusive.
Korea will work with all nations to minimize effects of COVID-19 and hasten economic recovery, and actively participate in international cooperation to promote inclusive multilateralism the UN is seeking to accomplish.
September 7 was the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, which was proposed by Korea and subsequently adopted at the United Nations. Once human activities came to a halt, blue skies re-emerged in parts of the world. The coronavirus has paradoxically given us hope that, with the efforts of countries and international society, humanity can restore a green Earth. With the UN playing a key role, I anticipate greater international cooperation take place in pursuit of building back better and greener.
Korea is playing an active role in establishing a new climate regime, for instance, by faithfully implementing the Paris Agreement. By renewing nationally determined contributions, we will submit to the UN our fresh national greenhouse gas reduction targets by 2030 by the end of this year. By devising a long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategy, we will work with the international community in realizing a low-carbon society by 2050.
In order to respond to climate change with success, promoting inclusiveness in international cooperation is indispensable. It is impossible for developing countries still in the process of industrialization to instantly catch up with advanced economies that took centuries and decades in the making. Starting with recognizing the glaring gaps, developed countries should make greater efforts to find the optimal solution.
As a bridging state connecting developed and developing countries, Korea will actively participate in climate action and faithfully share its unique development experience with developing countries. Next year, Korea will hold the 2nd P4G Summit in Seoul, which will serve as an occasion to affirm the importance of global solidarity in responding to climate change.
The region in most urgent need of the spirit of the UN to realize world peace is the Korean Peninsula. The Republic of Korea has been steadfast in seeking inter- Korean reconciliation and is making relentless efforts to achieve denuclearization and establish permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. With the support and encouragement extended by the international community, Korea was able to successfully host PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games as Peace Olympics joined by North Korea, and it led to three inter-Korean summit meetings. The US-North Korea summit brought by bold decisions from the leaders of the two sides proved that the peace process can progress through dialogue.
At the UN General Assembly last year, I presented the three principles to resolve issues related to the Korean War — zero tolerance for war, a mutual security guarantee and co-prosperity, and set out my vision to transform the Demilitarized Zone into an international peace zone. However, peace on the Korean Peninsula is still in the making and changes that used to brimming with hopes have stalled.
Yet, the Republic of Korea will continue the dialogue. What all of us need to do is to take one more step forward. My belief remains unchanged that we can achieve denuclearization and bring lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula with international community’s continued support and cooperation.
At the end of the day, the South and the North are bound by a single community of life, intertwined by mountains, rivers and seas stretching across the two sides. When one is exposed to infectious diseases or natural disasters, so is the other, requiring the two to cooperate to overcome these challenges. Inter-Korean cooperation in disease prevention and control and public health will also trigger dialogue and cooperation in the process of building a peaceful Korean Peninsula.
Today, the world is expanding the concept of security from traditional security of preserving territorial integrity to comprehensive security. The world has been joining forces to respond to non-traditional security threats from disasters and catastrophes to terrorism and cyber security, and to fight international crimes. However, in the face of the COVID-19 crisis that poses greater threat to humanity than a war, we came to be acutely reminded that the safety of neighboring countries is directly linked to that of our own.
A single country can no longer manage the entirety of comprehensive security issues alone.
As protecting peace of one country and saving life of one person now requires cooperation that transcends borders, we need to equip ourselves with a multilateral security architecture.
So far, I have spoken about a peace economy that benefits both Koreas and makes everyone prosperous and stressed the need for inter-Korean cooperation in disaster response and healthcare.
Hoping that the international community views the issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula through the lens of more inclusive international cooperation, I propose today launching a Northeast Asia Cooperation Initiative for Infectious Disease Control and Public Health, whereby North Korea participates as a member along with China, Japan, Mongolia and the Republic of Korea.
A cooperative architecture that guarantees collective protection of life and safety will lay the groundwork for North Korea to have its security guaranteed by engaging with the international community.
In particular, this year marks the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. Time has come to remove the tragedy lingering on the Korean Peninsula. The War must end, completely and for good.
Peace on the Korean Peninsula will guarantee peace in Northeast Asia as a whole and, going one step further, bring positive changes to the world order as well. I believe it begins with declaring an end to the War, an act that can affirm mutual commitments to peace. I hope that the UN and the international community provide support so that we can advance into an era of reconciliation and prosperity through the end-of-war declaration. The end-of-war declaration will, indeed, open the door to complete denuclearization and permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.
It is not only Korea’s response to COVID-19 but also the invaluable lessons Korea will be gaining from institutionalizing peace that Korea wishes to share with the rest of the world. This way, we will be able to buttress UN’s efforts at the forefront to fulfill its purpose to maintain international peace through collective measures.
Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General and Distinguished Delegates,
COVID-19 has showed us how closely interconnected the world is, and humanity will, in the end, head into an era of solidarity and cooperation.
We have to prepare for the future, and at the same time, change the world we live in today. If people start with small things, each and every one’s actions will unite and culminate in the “freedom for all” today.
I would like to ask the UN, from this moment onward, to be the center of inclusive international cooperation in the new era.
Thank you.


Mr President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.
This is the first time in the UN General Assembly’s 75-year history that world leaders are not gathering in person. The decision to proceed with the High Level Week largely virtually is testament to our commitment to multilateralism and the UN.
I would like to congratulate His Excellency Volkan Bozkir on his election as President of the 75th session of the General Assembly. I would also thank His Excellency Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, President of the 74th session, for steering the UN through this very challenging period.
COVID-19 has become the defining crisis of our time. The global death toll continues to rise, and the global economy, trade, and travel have all been severely disrupted. Millions of jobs and hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost.
The world is facing a period of prolonged turmoil. The multilateral system is confronted by nationalism, xenophobia, the rejection of free trade and global economic integration, and the bifurcation of technology and supply chains. But these threats are not new. COVID-19 has in fact accelerated and intensified these preexisting trends. Protectionism and unilateral action will ultimately be self defeating.
First, modern supply chains are very complex. It is extremely difficult to completely onshore all production of key items since the materials and expertise from elsewhere will always be needed at multiple steps of the process. Many countries experienced disruptions to the flow of essential goods during the lockdowns. Supply chains based on “just-in-time” efficiency are now being reviewed on the basis of “just-in-case”.
Second, bifurcation shrinks the global pool of knowledge and reduces opportunities for the sharing of the benefits of research and innovation. It is because countries were open to sharing scientific knowledge that we were able to produce test kits quickly during this pandemic in the early phase. As my Prime Minister said at the Global Vaccine Summit last June, what we need now is vaccine multilateralism. We need greater international cooperation to ensure equitable and universal access to COVID-19 vaccines
Third, breaching contractual obligations for the export of critical goods and movement of people erodes trust between nations.
Our path to the post-COVID-19 “new normal” will not be linear. At each stage of the way, all countries need to balance the public health concerns with economic and social concerns, and make trade-offs based on their unique national circumstances. Continued international cooperation is key to overcoming the devastating impact of the pandemic and to rebuilding. We need to build greater trust, and we need to learn from one another. We also need to cooperate to establish safe protocols in order to re-start travel again.
Importance of Multilateralism
The pandemic has not changed Singapore’s fundamental belief in the necessity of multilateralism. Small countries make up over half of the membership at the UN. It is essential to have a system where small sovereign states have an equal voice and disputes can be settled peacefully, in accordance with international law and agreed rules. This is why Singapore worked with a cross-regional group of countries to establish the Forum of Small States back in 1992. The Forum of Small States has always been a champion of the UN and for a rules-based multilateral system. You can count on the Forum of Small States to continue speaking up for a stronger UN and for greater multilateralism.
But the multilateral system does not only advance the interests of just small states. Large nations also benefit from acting through multilateral institutions because they gain political legitimacy. We all benefit from a more peaceful, stable and prosperous global environment. Multilateral institutions provide an avenue for countries to pool our ideas and to work together to deal with the common challenges facing humanity, including COVID-19 now, and are also essential for us to advance our shared interests.
The current system is not perfect. Much more has to be done to strengthen and reform the rules-based multilateral system. It needs to be fit for purpose, and be able to adapt to the changing realities of today.
Overcoming and Recovering from COVID-19
There are several short- and medium-term challenges that we need to overcome. First, we need to defeat COVID-19 together. We need to understand that none of us, in nations large or small, will be safe until all of us are safe together. And what we need now is more global cooperation, not less. We have to ensure that medical supplies and scientific collaboration can continue to flow across borders, and we need to intensify our exchange of information and infection protocols, if we hope to resume some semblance of a “normal” life, including the resumption of international travel, and to do all this safely.
In this context, the pursuit of vaccine multilateralism is critical to ensure universal and equitable access to a COVID-19 vaccine, and to maximise the global health impact of an eventual vaccine. Singapore and Switzerland have been working with thirteen other like-minded partners as Friends of the COVID 19 Vaccine Global Access Facility. COVAX, for short. The COVAX Facility seeks to reduce risk and facilitate equitable access to vaccines by all nations.
We continue to support the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) efforts in formulating responses to COVID-19 and to facilitating vaccine development. Postpandemic, it may be necessary to review how the WHO processes can be improved further, but for now, we should focus on the immediate priority of overcoming the pandemic.
Second, we need to work together to rebuild our communities and institutions. In the immediate term, we need to help those who have lost their family members, lost livelihoods and had their education interrupted. We should also consider ways to tackle the inequalities which COVID-19 has exposed and in some cases exacerbated. We need to build more equitable societies.
Ensuring an open trading system is key to rebuilding efforts. No country can be completely self-sufficient. It is in the interest of all countries that we uphold and strengthen supply chain connectivity. In fact, seeking more markets and diversifying our sources of supply will build resilience. This is why Singapore issued a Joint Ministerial Statement affirming supply chain connectivity with Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Brunei and Myanmar, and at the UN, spearheaded the Joint Statement on Open Markets, Flow of Essential Goods and Supply Chain Connectivity which, I am glad to report, had 175 co-sponsors.
It is hard to over-emphasise that the open, rules-based multilateral trading system is a foundation for sustainable global recovery. The system has allowed countries to trade in goods and services in mutually beneficial ways. It has raised hundreds of millions of people from poverty. In the aftermath of COVID-19, we should look at ways to support and strengthen this system to make it work better for the future. We also need to rebuild safe and reliable transport networks to facilitate the resumption of people mobility.
Third, as we rebuild, we must continue the important work of increasing resilience to meet the challenges posed by the digital revolution, by cybersecurity threats, by climate change, and transboundary pollution.
I shall focus today on the challenges posed specifically by the digital revolution and climate change. We must harness new digital technology for the benefit of all our societies whilst mitigating the possible negative impact. COVID-19 has accelerated the deployment of artificial intelligence, robotics, digital payments, e-government services, and remote work.
At the national level, we need to ensure digital inclusion, especially for communities such as older persons, people with disabilities and the financially disadvantaged. We have a responsibility to help our people to upskill and re-skill to be equipped for jobs of the future. We also have to help our businesses leverage digital tools to grow, become more efficient, more competitive and to find new customers.
At the international level, governments, businesses, and individuals need to be able to transact and transfer data securely across borders. It is thus critical to collectively develop a trusted, open, and inclusive cyberspace underpinned by international law and norms of responsible State behaviour. This is why Singapore strongly supports the UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation. We will also continue to work with the UN Group of Governmental Experts on Advancing Responsible State Behaviour in Cyberspace in the Context of International Security and the Open-Ended Working Group on Developments in the Field of ICTs in the Context of International Security, the OEWG, for short.
On climate change, the Paris Agreement established a very important global consensus for action on climate change. We must not lose sight of our goal to preserve this planet for future generations. COVID-19 showed how inextricably linked our well-being is to the health of our one and only planet and for the environment that envelopes us. It is irrefutable that respect for biodiversity and wildlife is essential for humankind’s own health and our existence. Countries should therefore align recovery efforts with longterm climate goals.
Climate change presents a clear and present danger for Singapore and indeed, for all other small island nations. Although our impact on global emissions is small, we are especially vulnerable, and that is why Singapore takes our climate action obligations so seriously. We submitted our enhanced 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement and Long-Term Low-Emissions Development Strategy for 2050 and beyond to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in March 2020, even in the midst of tackling this current pandemic.
The Post-COVID Multilateral System
Countries cannot hope to go back to the way things were before COVID 19 came upon us, and neither can the multilateral system. We must adapt and we must reinforce our international institutions so that they remain open, inclusive, transparent, and fit for purpose.
The role of the UN, in particular, is crucial. It is indispensable as a universal platform for cooperation, based on the principles of equality, mutual respect, mutual benefit and international law. But the UN itself must adapt and reform in order to respond effectively to contemporary and future challenges if it is to remain relevant for the next 75 years.
The UN Secretary-General has already initiated some of this essential work. But the reform of the UN should not only be geared towards meeting new challenges, but also on promoting the forging of consensus amongst Member States on emerging issues. There needs to be continued emphasis on longstanding issues like support for Small Island Developing States and the Least Developed Countries.
We need to concurrently revitalise the General Assembly and make a genuine attempt to reform the Security Council. International governance, now more than ever before, needs to be more representative, more inclusive, and more open. We need to take into account a wide spectrum of views and do more to acknowledge the rich diversity of our global community. The UN and the Secretary-General’s ability to take on current and future challenges also depends on the political and financial commitment from member states. It is thus essential that we continue to support.
Likewise, other multilateral institutions, such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO), need to be reformed as well. The WTO is the neutral arbiter for international trade disputes with the mandate to monitor and enforce internationally agreed trade laws. Singapore, as a strong supporter of a rules based multilateral trading system, believes in the value of the WTO, and this has brought decades of prosperity to all of us. However, the WTO’s rules were designed for an agricultural and manufacturing- based world economy, and today are in urgent need of reform. The world needs appropriate rules for services, especially digital services and intellectual property, in preparation for this digital age that is unfolding in front of us.
Singapore is committed to working with others to keep the WTO relevant and well-functioning. For instance, we worked with 22 other like-minded countries to establish the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement to keep the WTO’s arbitration mechanism functioning.
We expect the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s role to grow as the world moves progressively online, into cyberspace, and new value is created.
We must seize the opportunity of the UN’s 75th anniversary and that presented by the current COVID-19 pandemic to reinvigorate the rules-based multilateral system. We have a chance to collectively recreate the conditions for inclusive economic growth envisioned in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We need to strengthen our collective ability to respond to future shocks, and COVID-19 has been a clear and present example of that shock, and we need to be able to respond through the multilateral system.
This current crisis has brought into sharp relief our common humanity. We must not leave anyone behind or alone.
Thank you very much.