It is an honour to once again address the General Assembly. On this occasion, I would first like to join those who have spoken before me in this Hall to express the great compassion that the people and the Government of my country, the Union of the Comoros, feel for the people and the Government of the United States of America, the host country of the Assembly, in the aftermath of the hurricane that recently devastated Texas.
As an island State, I would also like to extend our greatest sympathy to the French Government and the peoples and islands of the Caribbean for both the heavy loss of life and the magnitude of material damage wrought by Hurricane Irma. Those repeated natural catastrophes are a resonating call to climate sceptics to remind them that now is the time for commitment and action if we wish to mitigate, as far as possible, the causes of such devastating threats linked to global warming.
I would also like to associate the voice of the Comoros with those who spoke earlier today to express our deepest condolences and full solidarity to the Government and the people of Mexico following the violent earthquake that recently struck the heart of Mexico, causing hundreds of deaths and disappearances, as well as tremendous damage.
Allow me to commend the President on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session and to voice true optimism for success in our work under his leadership as a seasoned statesman. His predecessor, His Excellency Peter Thomson, also merits the admiration and gratitude of my delegation and all others for his remarkable energy in accomplishing his mission during the previous session.
To Secretary-General Guterres and to all Members of our prestigious institution, we reiterate our readiness to make our modest contribution towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the upholding of peace and security, for which the United Nations is constantly working with selflessness and devotion.
My country, the Union of the Comoros, on behalf of which I speak, appreciates the responsibility borne by the international community in the light of the gravity of the situation throughout the world and the concerns plaguing people in many countries. I would therefore like to voice our commitment to the United Nations and commend its efforts to tackle present-day challenges and threats to peace, stability and collective prosperity. I welcome the relevance of the theme selected for this seventy-second session, which enables us to highlight the increasingly evident link between the environment, peace and security.
Here, I would like to reiterate our tribute to the Governments of France and Morocco for the work accomplished at the twenty-first and twenty-second sessions of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, encouraging each of our countries, particularly island States, to give utmost priority to everything that has to do with the survival of our planet.
The general theme of our discussion today focuses on people, the striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet, and it incorporates many issues that lie at the heart of the concerns of the international community. They include migration, preventive diplomacy, conflict prevention, sustainable development and United Nations reform. Speaking about the human being also implies a reference to human rights, including human dignity, which are an uppermost priority for our Organization. Global warming, migrations, conflicts, wars and terrorism
are all challenges that all continents, and Africa in particular, are facing and require urgent responses.
Terrorism, which represents the absolute repudiation of the human being, has become a scourge that we condemn and that we must fight mercilessly on a global scale with all our strength. In that regard, I call for the rejection of the dangerous confusion and unfortunate association between the terms “terrorism” and “Islam”. There is no Islamic terrorism, just as there is no Christian or Jewish terrorism. Terrorists belong to no faith. Terrorists are simply barbarians.
My country, the Union of the Comoros, which I have the honour to lead, is a country whose people are educated in the practices of a religion, Islam, which advocates love of one’s neighbour, tolerance and respect for human dignity. Those principles fly in the face of the cowardly, barbaric acts committed by groups acting faithlessly and lawlessly. By no means can they be associated with our religion.
We vehemently condemn the atrocities targeting minorities and communities — yesterday, unfortunately, in Bosnia and Herzegovina against Muslims and today in Burma against the Rohingyas, as well as atrocities perpetrated against minorities throughout the world. The inhumane and savage nature of such attacks is a shock to our conscience as we see attempts at ethnic cleansing committed against the poorest segments of society. I dare hope that our Organization will be able to uphold the most basic rights of the oppressed, regardless of origin, race, gender and creed.
What priority do we attach to the human being in the face of such ghastly scenes where human rights are trampled upon on a daily basis? The international community must absolutely act to end such acts and punish the perpetrators, at the risk of losing credibility before the people whose eyes are riveted on our institution, which has the right, duty and ability to provide them with protection, dignity and well-being.
It is by guaranteeing peace, security and human rights that we can collectively promote the SDGs, especially for a decent existence, health for all, gender equality and education for new generations. Technological possibilities present immense potential for our young people. Goal 7 of the SDGs is geared to ensuring universal access to reliable, sustainable and modern energy services at an affordable cost. The lack of widespread access to electricity is a hindrance to sustainable growth, particularly in Africa.
In the Union of the Comoros, in one year, we managed to end the electricity shortages and constant load- shedding that had plagued our economy, our businesses and our homes, and to emerge from a protracted energy crisis. However, now that the emergency is over, we need to ensure that those results can be made long-term through a medium- and long-term energy policy and through the development of renewable energy with a low-carbon footprint. To succeed in that and achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, we must rely on ourselves and our own resources above all. However, we need international solidarity, but also the solidarity of industrialists, bankers and international investors.
The Union of the Comoros has returned to political stability after witnessing three peaceful transfers of power at the highest State level over the past 15 years. Today, we are offering an incentive policy and support measures with a more attractive investment code.
My country, as a small island developing State, is subject to myriad risks. Nevertheless, my Government’s determination to work for the well-being of our people has prompted us to set a goal of making the Union of the Comoros an emerging country by 2030. There is great optimism driving us forward, and we hope that indicators will soon attest to our progress towards that ambitious and lofty goal. The main thrusts of our Government converge on the achievement of that goal, which is underpinned by a national development strategy.
Furthermore, there is a great deal of work under way to endow my country in the near future with adequate resources in terms of energy, road, port and airport infrastructure, economic recovery and the establishment of a framework for consultations. That will bring the private and public sectors closer together and will afford opportunities for civil society and political parties to fully play their roles.
For that reason, at the initiative of the elders and leaders of our country, we have launched an inclusive dialogue among the various components and forces of the Comorian nation. There are plans to hold a national forum in December to take stock of our 42 years of independence. That is an inclusive, broadened national framework, one that includes all national life forces. Its mission is to assess the past, draw lessons from it and plan for a better future under better conditions.
I have therefore unreservedly embraced this participatory, inclusive and representative approach, and the debates will lead to conclusions on everything that will strengthen the peace, security, calm and stability of the country and determine its future by drawing lessons from the past. In order for that important event to come to the hoped-for historic conclusions for the benefit of our people, I ask for the partnership and support of the international community and international and regional institutions, to which I would like to reiterate here once again our gratitude and our most sincere thanks for their unfailing support, especially when the Comoros almost sank into chaos 20 years ago. It is with their invaluable assistance that the country has returned to the path of peace and stability.
The displacement of populations — in other words, migration — destabilizes both the countries of origin and the host countries. However, the Union of the Comoros refuses to allow the term “immigrants” to be applied to Comorians who visit the Island of Mayotte, which is an integral part of its territory, despite the fact that it unfortunately remains under French administration. Indeed, the thousands of my compatriots who die each year in their attempts to go to Mayotte, a part of their territory, is not an immigration issue. The question of the Comorian Island of Mayotte relates to territorial integrity. Forty-two years after my country acceded to its international sovereignty, and in the absence of a solution to the issue since 1975, that question continues not only to weaken stability but also to hinder the country’s socioeconomic development.
I therefore welcome the continuation of the dialogue between my country and France in the quest for a just and equitable solution to the dispute over the Comorian Island of Mayotte, consistent with international law and respectful of the interests of each party. I pray to Allah the Almighty that He will keep us alive so that next year from this same rostrum I will be able to share with the Assembly the positive and consensual results of that dialogue.
France is a permanent member of the Security Council. Its history links it to freedom, democracy, justice, respect for international law and the promotion of peace. It does not intend to divide or separate a people. Its interest, like ours, lies in a world of stability and a peaceful and prosperous Indian Ocean region looking towards a better future.
In the Near East and the Middle East, the international community must mobilize further to end the martyrdom of the thousands of children crushed under bombs, the hunger imposed on populations, the use of chemical weapons, the chaos and the partition processes in countries at war. The international community must sanction the use of chemical weapons. We must act to ensure that hope is restored for the displaced and refugees and that the countries affected can recover their stability and territorial integrity.
With regard to the Middle East, the lack of a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the current status quo are fuelling insecurity and destabilization in the region. The solution to that conflict lies in stopping the unacceptable colonization of the Palestinian territories, the end of injustice and violence against the Palestinian populations and the global settlement of the conflict, which is more than a half century old, on the basis of the two-State solution, which will fulfil the Palestinian people’s right to full sovereignty, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Beyond solidarity speeches, support for causes, the condemnation of attacks on friendly countries and peoples, the expressions of compassion for victims, and the calls for respect for the right of peoples, the sovereignty of States and the integrity of their territories, we must show greater commitment. In any case, the Union of the Comoros believes in the United Nations and its capacity to face today’s challenges. We believe that such an Organization is possible. We believe that we are able to build such a United Nations together.
Before concluding my remarks, allow me to take the opportunity of the coming of the Islamic New Year 1439 to convey to the General Assembly my greetings and best wishes for peace, progress and prosperity.


At the outset, allow me to congratulate you, Minister Miroslav Lajčák, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session. You are a long-standing friend, and I know that you will be able to successfully carry out the task entrusted to you.
My thoughts today are especially with the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean, which have been repeatedly struck by misfortune. My country is doing everything in its power to assist them in those humanitarian emergencies.
My message is simple. In a context where crisis hotbeds are proliferating and tensions are increasing, it is multilateralism that must prevail, meaning cooperation, dialogue and seeking solutions within the multilateral framework. More than ever, multilateralism and cooperation must take precedence over unilateral approaches and national selfishness, in the interests of our common good and our common humanity.
When facing crises, the world expects a lot from the United Nations. The appointment of our new Secretary- General, António Guterres, through an unprecedented process characterized by greater transparency, grants him new legitimacy that he can put to the service of his work and that of the Organization itself. It also allows him to initiate three major reform projects — as he has indicated, with regard to the management of the Secretariat, the reorganization of the peace and security pillar and the repositioning of the United Nations development system. A rationalization of the latter, both at Headquarters and in the field, is of particular interest to my country, as 30 per cent of our official development assistance is channelled through multilateral organizations.
Reform efforts must be borne on all fronts and all aspects of our Organization. In that regard, progress is still to be made on the part of the Security Council. It must become more transparent, even though efforts have been made in that area. It must become more representative of today’s world. It is also worth remembering that Security Council membership carries obligations as well as rights. We regret that in the past 12 months we have seen abusive use of the right of the veto. Luxembourg was one of the first to advocate the code of conduct for the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group to prevent crimes of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. We also strongly support the French-Mexican initiative, whereby relevant States give up their right to the veto in the event of mass atrocity.
For the United Nations to be able to implement an ambitious agenda, it must have sufficient resources. However, the budgetary situation of the United Nations remains difficult, notably, but not solely, because of the new approach by the American Administration. That may prevent agencies from fulfilling their core mission. Clearly, we need to go back to the drawing board. My country supports the idea of a budgetary compact for development.
Luxembourg contributes 1 per cent of its gross national income to official development assistance. Our annual voluntary contributions to the various agencies is in excess of $35 million for 2017. The funding requirements for achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are enormous.
Progress has been made in terms of funding to combat climate change. To take the case of Luxembourg, my country has set up a green stock exchange with a current capitalization of more than €57 billion. We plan to use that model to set up future instruments for sustainable development financing on the basis of a broader range of development goals.
At the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July, Luxembourg presented its voluntary national review for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The preparation of that review enriched the debate in my country, enabling us to mobilize efforts and strengthen ownership among all stakeholders of the 2030 Agenda. Those efforts will translate into the adoption of a new sustainable development plan that will guide the work of the public authorities and that of civil society and private-sector actors in the decade ahead.
My country acts with conviction within both a European and a multilateral framework. The context of globalization means that there is no other choice. That is true in the area of trade, even though bilateral regional agreements may complement that framework. That is also true in a whole series of other areas, above all in the fight against climate change. We are fully committed to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and we regret that one of the major international actors has distanced itself from that instrument. We hope that it will be possible to bring that actor back, as it is true that a truly global framework would not be complete without it. I would also like to point out my country’s support for the French initiative of a global pact for the environment, which will be able to provide a political framework in the future, giving coherence to all existing instruments.
If there is one phenomenon that is more a product of globalization than any other, it is population movements. There are multiple reasons for that, such as demographic pressure, climate change, conflict and humanitarian disasters. Understandable economic motives, both in countries of origin and in countries of destination, are also often the basis for such movements. In any case, that is a problem that needs to be addressed, and it is very useful that it should be dealt with at the level of our Organization. Next year will see the establishment of new instruments with regard to both refugees and migration. The dividing line between the two will not always be easy to draw.
With regard to migration, the current phase has allowed us to take stock of the situation, which does not always correspond to preconceived notions. First, there is the fact that most of the major transregional movements today are South-South movements. Secondly, there is the fact that, depending on the circumstances, many countries are simultaneously countries of origin, countries of transit and host countries. It is therefore an issue that goes beyond a single North-South logic, although I do not deny the difficulties and concerns arising from the European refugee crisis in 2015 and 2016. Many refugees were forced to move either due to legitimate concerns for their physical safety or humanitarian disasters arising from conflicts.
In that regard, the situation in the Middle East continues to raise concerns. Beyond the persistent obstacles to seeking a political solution between Israel and Palestine, the situations in Syria and Yemen are apocalyptic, Libya is engulfed by violence and civil war, and new tensions are emerging in the Gulf countries. The international community must do everything in its power to reduce those tensions.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has lost none of its core importance. The total absence of credible political prospects could lead at any moment to a new eruption of violence and creates fertile ground for hatred and terrorism. Security Council resolution 2334 (2016), adopted on 23 December 2016, which again calls on Israel to immediately and completely cease all its settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, is not directed against Israel. The resolution targets a status quo that has become untenable and unacceptable. It aims to contribute to ensuring peace for Israel.
The recent announcement of general elections being organized in Palestine offers a slight hope for reconciliation. We must seize that opportunity, which also, clearly, requires responsibility on the part of Palestinian leaders, and I have trust in President Abbas in that regard. By continuing settlement in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the Israeli Government is directly jeopardizing the two-State solution, the only fair and equitable way to make possible a lasting solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this fiftieth year of Israeli occupation, the trend on the ground is very worrying. But that is not a reason to give up. On the contrary, the international community must mobilize to change the situation.
In Syria, all stakeholders must realize that peace will return only if a comprehensive, genuine, inclusive political transition is implemented. In this seventh year of the conflict, a lasting political solution depends upon the commitment of countries that can exert political, military or economic influence on the warring parties in Syria. Every effort must be made to ensure that negotiations in Geneva under the United Nations continue and make progress. The Astana process alone is not enough. We should improve humanitarian access and extend the de-escalation zones and local ceasefires, which remain a glimmer of hope for a ravaged population.
In Iraq, it was announced that a referendum would be held on 25 September 2018 in the Kurdistan region. Our position is to support the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq. A united, stable and democratic Iraq should guarantee the interests of all citizens. The federal Government and the Kurdish Regional Government established excellent cooperation during the horrible military campaign against Da’esh. The differences that remain between them must be resolved through a peaceful and constructive dialogue that leads to an agreed solution in the framework of the Iraqi Constitution.
We have to do everything we can to calm the situation in the region. It also means maintaining and rigorously implementing the Iran nuclear deal, which helps to reduce the risk of proliferation. The agreement was signed not only bilaterally between the United States and Iran, but also by the European Union, Russia, China, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, as well as being endorsed by Security Council resolution 2231 (2015).
That is also important in the context of the North Korean regime’s headlong rush, which is multiplying provocations by accelerating its nuclear and ballistic programme through nuclear tests and missile launches. That is unacceptable and, like many other countries, Luxembourg strongly condemns those acts by Pyongyang. The Security Council has just strengthened the sanctions regime, and the European Union will do the same. Only the determination and the resolve of the international community will bring the regime back to reason, and hopefully to the negotiation table. If we call for resolve, we must also avoid an escalation that would lead to a catastrophe. To reach true de-escalation, we must not close the door to diplomacy and dialogue. The Iran agreement can serve as an inspiration in that regard. It demonstrates that an appropriate policy, combining pressure and dialogue, can lead to results.
Africa continues to mobilize the energies of international actors in the areas of development, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, conflict prevention and combating terrorism. The political and humanitarian situations in South Sudan, around Lake Chad, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are extremely worrying. As in the case of the Sahel and Mali, such situations are often the result of non-State actors, which render a number of mechanisms inoperative.
Luxembourg is committed to the activities of its African partners, including at the regional level. We will therefore support the deployment of the Force conjointe du G5 Sahel.
In that context, it is also essential to develop the various instruments of international criminal justice. We must continue to support the International Criminal Court (ICC), whose scope should be extended. I would like to say here how pleased we are that the trend towards disengagement by African States has been halted. Clearly, the scope of the ICC is not confined to Africa, and any such perception should be avoided.
We have supported the international, impartial and independent inquiry mechanism on the most serious crimes committed in Syria since March 2011. We call upon all Member States to participate in financing the mechanism before it can be incorporated into the United Nations regular budget. We also support initiatives on the responsibility of Da’esh for the crimes committed in Iraq, as endorsed today by the Security Council.
The current session of the General Assembly focuses on people and their right to peace and a decent life. Human rights and the dignity of the human being must guide all our actions. All of the situations I have just mentioned give rise to human rights violations. In a cruel irony, those violations are sometimes also committed by those who were least expected to do so. I congratulate Secretary-General António Guterres for having referred the extreme deterioration of the situation of the ethnic and religious minority in Myanmar — the Rohingya minority — to the Security Council. The Burmese authorities must cease military operations and ensure humanitarian access. Ethnic cleansing has no place in the twenty-first century, not in Myanmar or anywhere else.
Human trafficking, sexual exploitation in conflict situations and violations of the rights of children in armed conflict situations are all scourges that are unfortunately still raging. We must not be content with denouncing them, but ensure that we support and strengthen our financial and human resources, including the institutions that counter those scourges.
The right to dignity is also reflected in respect for the physical integrity of women and girls. In recent decades, we have been able to reduce maternal mortality by almost half, but access by women and girls to sexual and reproductive rights in health care is now being challenged in some parts of the world. Every day, more than 800 women and adolescent girls die from pregnancy-related causes. More than 22 million unsafe abortions are recorded each year. Those statistics are horrifying. That is why Luxembourg, alongside our partners such as Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands, has joined the SheDecides initiative by providing €2 million in additional funding this year to support the United Nations Population Fund. Women’s health is one of the top priorities of Luxembourg’s health strategy and cooperation. I assure the Assembly that my country will continue to support the access of girls and women to sexual and reproductive rights and health.
Sometimes defending human rights is reduced to its simplest expression — no more or less than ensuring the physical survival of the population. I mentioned catastrophic humanitarian situations in several countries. Luxembourg responded to the United Nations appeal to the famine crisis in three African countries and Yemen. For those four countries — Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria and Yemen — my country has pledged more than €10 million in 2017. We are also a signatory to the Grand Bargain on humanitarian financing, which gives more flexibility, predictability and continuity to international humanitarian efforts.
I mentioned our Organization and the world. Let me say a few words about Europe. Europe is not immune to the tensions in the international order, or should I say, international disorder? In Ukraine, the past year was marked by renewed hostilities, with numerous violations of the ceasefire, despite the efforts of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Trilateral Contact Group. I hope that the Normandy format talks can continue and lead the parties to fully implement the Minsk agreements in order to guarantee the territorial integrity, sovereignty and unity of Ukraine.
Europe is not immune to the upheavals of globalization, either. It is victim to repeated acts of pointless and indiscriminate acts of terrorism. It is also a place where nationalist movements are fuelled by an anti-immigrant or anti-refugee backlashes. Moreover, sharing the burden of taking in refugees has been far from exemplary in some communities, but also in some States, including European Union member States. And yet, while they were capable of adding momentum to the worst fears a year ago, populist movements are on the decline in Europe, even if they are often an electoral reality. The taking in of hundreds of thousands of refugees occurs year in year out, and there is renewed optimism, including prospects for economic growth. I call for a Europe that rejects withdrawal into isolation, a Europe free of conflict that does not give way to intimidation, not even in its own neighbourhood, a Europe that puts the person at the centre of its efforts and which is resolutely committed to the multilateral system.
The tensions in the international system are the result of major trends such as growing inequality, migratory flows and climate change. They pit two visions against each other — one based on force, the law of the jungle, unilateralism and national selfishness, even nationalism; the other on the primacy of multilateralism, solidarity, universal values, human rights and the rule of law. Luxembourg is committed to the latter vision. The challenges I have outlined need to be tackled in a multilateral system with strong institutions — a multilateral system inspired by the Charter of the United Nations, which enshrines human dignity and the sovereign equality of all States. That is the best recourse for the vast majority of the States of the international community and for the peoples of the United Nations, which we represent here. At its heart, multilateralism is the foundation of the United Nations. To challenge it would be to question the inspiration behind the United Nations — the creation of an international order based on the rule of law, in the service of peace and freedom.


Allow me to convey greetings and wishes for peace and prosperity to the peoples of the member States represented here from the President of Turkmenistan, His Excellency Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
I congratulate Mr. Miroslav Lajcak on his important election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session, and I wish him success in his forthcoming work. I would also like to commend Mr. Peter Thomson, President of the Assembly at its seventy-first session, for his active and effective activities in that position.
Guaranteeing international peace and security and protecting the legal and institutional foundations that are at the basis of the modern world order are the main task of the countries of the United Nations and of the largest international organizations, and that requires of them closer and more coordinated cooperation. The degree of effectiveness of such cooperation will in its turn largely determine the success of solutions to other global problems, including the environment, energy and food-related issues, combating terrorism, drug trafficking and other challenges.
Today the effective and uncompromising struggle against terrorism has become the imperative of global development. It is clear that terrorism in all its forms is a deliberate challenge to the civilized world. In point of fact, terrorism as a phenomenon threatens to undermine the entire system of global security and its political and moral foundations. We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and recognize that the prevention of terrorism is one of the most important components of ensuring national, regional and global security.
We welcome the important role of the United Nations in international efforts to combat terrorism. Supporting the efforts of the world community to create effective international counter-terrorism mechanisms. Turkmenistan therefore advocates the full implementation of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. We believe that such work should be carried out everywhere — at the global, regional and national levels.
In that connection, we welcome the establishment of United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, and we are ready to cooperate actively to further implement the Ashgabat Declaration, which was adopted at the outcome of the Central Asia-United Nations High-level
Dialogue on Implementing the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia, held on 13 June 2017 in Turkmenistan.
Noting the role of preventive diplomacy in preventing conflicts, eliminating the causes that lead to conflict, establishing an atmosphere of trust among countries and creating positive conditions for effective cooperation among States on political, diplomatic, economic, social, environmental and other issues, Turkmenistan attaches particular importance to the activities of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia that are aimed at achieving those objectives in the Central Asian region.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Regional Centre. Turkmenistan, together with Central Asian countries, intends to submit to the First Committee a draft resolution on supporting preventive diplomacy mechanisms in addressing urgent problems with the intention of supporting peace and security.
The conditions in the world and new challenges and threats to humankind dictate the need to reform the United Nations and to review its working methods in order to strengthen its timeliness and its ability to react to those threats. We support reforms and also the efforts of the Secretary-General in that regard.
The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is one of the key areas of our country’s strategic cooperation with the United Nations. As a result of the comprehensive work that had been carried out jointly with the United Nations since October 2015 at the governmental level, the 17 Goals, 148 targets and 193 indicators of the SDGs were selected and adopted. To coordinate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals within the country, we have established a national mechanism for SDG implementation.
To organize training in the methodology related to issues of implementing the SDGs at the national, regional and international levels, we have opened a training and methodological centre within the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Turkmenistan.
Turkmenistan, recognizing the importance of sport as a key factor for guaranteeing peace and sustainable development, again states its commitment to strengthening international sports cooperation.Currently, in Ashgabat, the fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games are being held, with the participation of national teams from 65 countries, including 19 countries of Oceania, which are participating for the first time.
Expressing our firm commitment to the provisions of resolution 70/1, of 25 September 2015, entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, and recognizing the increasing role that sport plays in broadening the rights and opportunities of individuals and communities, Turkmenistan has initiated the participation of the refugee Olympic team in competitions, thereby reaffirming our country’s commitment to the ideals of humanism, goodness, fairness and progress as anchored in the Charter of the United Nations.
We express our thanks to all countries for their support for the initiative of Turkmenistan and Brazil in that regard and for the adoption of the Joint Statement on Encouraging the Valuable Contribution of the Olympic Teams of Refugees to the Promotion of Peace and Human Rights at the thirty-sixth session of the Human Rights Council, on 15 September in Geneva. Pursuant to the Final Declaration of the International Sports Congress, entitled “Asian Games 2017: International Sport Cooperation for Peace and Development”, published as an official document of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session (A/71/878, annex), Turkmenistan reaffirms its proposal to host, under the auspices of UNESCO, the seventh International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport.
Cooperation in the area of transport is a priority for our country in working with the United Nations and its specialized agencies. Turkmenistan will continue to actively support the implementation of the decisions of the international community, in particular resolutions 69/213, of 2014, and 70/197, of 2015, aimed at forming new international transport and transit corridors and updating existing ones. As an important step towards the implementation of those documents, the Government of Turkmenistan suggested holding the first United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference, which took place in Ashgabat in November 2016, and welcomed the participation of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Recalling that the Ashgabat Statement on Commitments and Policy Recommendations was adopted at the end of the Conference, and with the aim of successfully implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Turkmenistan intends to submit to the Second Committee at the current session a draft resolution on strengthening the links between all modes of transport to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Ensuring sustainable and fair access to energy resources is one of the main tasks on the global 2030 Agenda. This year our country will chair the international Energy Charter Conference. In line with the plans for our chairmanship, Turkmenistan has this year undertaken a range of measures to revitalize the process of developing new international legal mechanisms in the field of sustainable energy. In that context, we welcome the creation of an international expert group on energy security and sustainable energy and invite States to take active part in the work of the Energy Charter Conference, which will be held on 28 and 29 November in Ashgabat.
One of our main objectives is to participate actively in international efforts to deal with the most important issues of environmental protection, including the management of water resources. In the light of Turkmenistan’s chairmanship of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), we propose holding a summit in 2018 in Turkmenistan, with the Heads of the Founder States of IFAS, which would include the participation of specialized international structures such as the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia.
We once again state our country’s readiness to seek out new approaches and ways to overcome the challenges faced by humankind and reaffirm our firm commitment to cooperation with the United Nations, which was and remains a strategic priority and a practical foundation for all of our activities in the international arena.


Our Organization was founded amid the still glowing embers and simmering tensions of global war. In the shadows of widespread death and destruction, the nations of the world united in recognition of the fact that global challenges can be overcome only through collective action and international law, not misguided unilateralism or short-sighted self-interest. That recognition remains as valid today as it was 72 years ago, even as new threats to life and development have joined armed conflict as challenges demanding a concerted international response.
On behalf of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, I would like to express our stand in solidarity with the Government and the people of Mexico as they are suffering the devastating effects of yet another earthquake. As I speak before the Assembly today, the island of Dominica has been levelled by a direct hit from Hurricane Maria, even as it was continuing to recover from the widespread devastation wrought by Tropical Storm Erika two years ago. No individual there has been spared. A series of hurricanes — Harvey, Irma, Jose, and Maria — of unprecedented intensity have struck the peoples of our region with unerring accuracy and rapidity.
The States and territories affected include the United States, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Dominica, Cuba, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, the United States Virgin Islands, Saint Martin, Puerto Rico and, today, the Turks and Caicos Islands. In a period of five weeks, each of those countries and territories has been struck with a force comparable to that of a weapon of mass destruction. Hundreds of people are dead. The damage to infrastructure, while still being calculated, is already estimated at more than $130 billion. The current Atlantic hurricane season is likely to be the most expensive in history. In terms of development, the countries affected will take years, if not decades, to recover from the devastating battering.
Let us make no mistake: the death and destruction wrought by this hurricane season are not merely the result of freak weather events or vengeful acts of God. They are the direct result of the acts and omissions of humankind. They are manifestations of climate change and the symptoms of the prescient predictions made by the overwhelming majority of scientists. Today almost every year is hotter than the preceding one; almost every hurricane season more intense; and almost every storm, drought and flood more destructive than its predecessors. It is a barefaced insult to the intelligence and experience of the peoples of island States and coastal areas to call climate change a hoax.
At this point, it is almost a cliché to reaffirm that small island developing States are the most vulnerable to climate change while contributing the least to the emissions that cause it. But that truism is the foundation of our just, urgent and unavoidable demand that the nations that have contributed most to climate change should also do the most to mitigate its effects and assist others in adapting to our dangerous new realities.
Our global community, in the great tradition of the United Nations and in the spirit of the founders of this Organization, came together through hard-fought negotiations to craft the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, an ambitious if imperfect agreement designed to arrest climate change and assist those most affected by it. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines views any attempt to disavow the freshly minted commitments of the Paris Agreement as an act of hostility, and we draw a direct, causal connection between any such abdication and the future death and destruction that island States face as the result of increasingly frequent and intense weather events.
The independent countries of Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Cuba, the Bahamas and Dominica require the special and sustained support of the international community. These countries need immediate and massive assistance with both immediate relief and long-term reconstruction. That assistance should be concessional and free from antiquated notions of per capita gross domestic product. We therefore join other countries in calling for a donor conference to address the daunting challenges that those countries face. Only together can we recover.
Additionally, the Caribbean territories with special relationships to colonial Powers in the United States, the United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands are in desperate need of assistance and have limited options for international cooperation, given their unique political status. Despite our small size and limited means, the people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have already sent emergency assistance to these territories, as well as technical expertise. We urge administering Powers and potential donors alike to look past political issues and look instead to the needs of the affected peoples and communities. We also call on the colonial Powers to accept their full responsibility for the recovery and rehabilitation of these territories.
The rise of climate change as an existential threat of our era has not replaced the persistent peril of armed conflict across the globe. The human suffering in Syria, Yemen and Myanmar demands greater international attention and action. Similarly, the potential threats to international peace and security posed by tensions on the Korean peninsula, among the Gulf States and in the State of Palestine require persistent and prioritized diplomacy.
Diplomacy, though difficult, is always preferable to the alternative. The United Nations was founded and continues to exist on that fundamental premise. Frustration with the pace of negotiation and mediation cannot give way to the intemperate urge to impose quick military fixes on inherently political problems. Nor can it lead to an illogical interpretation of sovereign self- interest that justifies trampling on the sovereignty of other States.
Sovereignty is not a sword but a shield. The United Nations is not a forum for measuring whose sovereignty is bigger, or whose military is better equipped to pursue its narrow, short-term self-interest. We are a community founded instead on the assumption of the sovereign equality of all States, rich and poor, large and small. One nation’s ability to destroy another does not endow it with special rights, but rather profound responsibilities, chief among them restraint. President Theodore Roosevelt’s realpolitik adage of speaking softly while carrying a big stick — whatever its limitations — cannot be replaced by irresponsible, bellicose sabre-rattling that inches us closer to the types of conflict that the Assembly was created to prevent.
In that context. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines views with alarm the continued threats to the sovereignty of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. To be sure, the people of Venezuela have endured an extended period of political conflict, which has exacerbated other difficulties in the country. But with illegal street violence dwindling and all political parties committed to the upcoming gubernatorial elections, the interventionist option increasingly floated by the United States and an imprudent Secretary General of the Organization of American States have no place in a modern Latin America.
Similarly, any threat, expressed or implied, to the sovereignty of the peaceful and noble Cuban people is an anachronistic throwback to Cold War posturing without any logical justification, particularly in the light of the recent détente between the Governments of Cuba and the United States.
Let us be clear. Latin America and the Caribbean is a zone of peace. There is no conflict, challenge or disagreement in our region that requires military intervention in any way, shape or form, be it covert, overt or by proxy. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is resolutely and implacably opposed to any attempt to foment external interference or interventionist activities against any nation in our hemisphere.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was honoured to host the 2017 Caribbean regional seminar on decolonization, consistent with our responsibilities as one of the many Caribbean and Pacific small island States and former colonies in Africa and Asia whose self-determination was achieved under the watchful eye of the United Nations. The inconvenient truth is that the decolonization process remains incomplete, and it will be essential to intensify our efforts to achieve the goal of full self-government through the attainment of a legitimate political status option providing for absolute political equality. That principle must be the guiding standard applicable to the small island territories, just as it was the standard for decolonizing other former colonies. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines remains fully seized of this issue and was pleased to play its part in completing the unfinished business of decolonization by hosting the 2017 seminar and previous seminars in 2011 and 2005. It is in that spirit that we have great sympathy for the legitimate aspiration of the people of West Papua to freedom and independence and to govern themselves and guide their own destiny through legitimate political means.
The issue of United Nations reform has justifiably gained momentum in recent months. As a large, aging bureaucracy, the United Nations has not demonstrated the nimbleness and responsiveness it needs for our new and fast-paced modern challenges. However, the areas demanding the most immediate and far-reaching reforms are not budgetary allocations or staffing matters but rather the political and organizational underpinnings of the most fossilized structures of the United Nations and the wider international architecture.
The litmus test for any serious talk of United Nations reform is reform of the Security Council. Those who pay lip service to reform while ignoring the need for a reformed Council — with expanded permanent membership, a special voice for island States and radically revised working methods — are simply engaging in an exercise where they attempt to reduce their financial responsibilities while maintaining an unjustifiable grip on disproportionate and outmoded power arrangements.
Similarly, the lessons of the global economic and financial crisis have yet to be implemented. Our inactivity has produced an extended period of halting and uneven recovery and an iniquitous globalization whose unequal distribution of benefits and burdens is spurring a popular backlash worldwide. The General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council must squarely and frontally address reforms to our international financial architecture, in particular the Bretton Woods institutions.
For Caribbean States, the issue of declining correspondent banking relationships is a grave and gathering threat to our continued growth and ongoing connections to the global economy. The United Nations, the Group of 20 and international financial institutions cannot shirk this issue as a private banking matter. It is a threat to development of the highest priority, and it demands a coordinated, political solution.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines applauds the President’s sustained focus on sustainable development. Our Government has located the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the centre of its national development strategies. In the areas of climate change, pollution and biodiversity, we have banned Styrofoam products and turtle-hunting, tightened restrictions on internationally permitted indigenous whaling activity and implemented new coastal protection regulations. We are investing heavily in geothermal and solar energy and expect to generate 80 per cent of our energy needs from renewable sources within the next three years.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is also dedicating special funding to technology-based entrepreneurs, improving wages and occupational health and safety legislation and investing in new modem medical facilities. We have launched an innovative zero-hunger fund with interventions targeting food insecurity and unemployment in vulnerable populations, while simultaneously creating a contingency fund to aid in disaster recovery efforts.
We are serious and committed to the achievement of all the SDGs by the year 2030. Nonetheless, as the President and the Secretary-General have recognized, the achievement of the SDGs requires international cooperation and the commitment of new and additional funding. Ours is the only body that can generate and sustain the necessary political will and resources to give life to the ambition of the SDGs. The link between development and peace is well established, and the link between peace and the United Nations is immutable.
A substantial part of the backdrop or context of the continuing socioeconomic challenges of the nation States of our Caribbean civilization is the awful legacy of underdevelopment that European colonialism has bequeathed to us as a consequence of native genocide and African slavery. The international campaign for reparations from the former colonial Powers in order to assist in repairing this malignant legacy is urgent and timely. It deserves the full support of the Assembly, particularly within this decade which has been declared to be focused on the uplifting of persons of African descent.
I repeat yet again the necessity and desirability for the responsible authorities in the Dominican Republic and the United Nations to address properly, and once and for all, the respective issues of the denial of citizenship for persons of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic and the cholera epidemic that some United Nations troops in Haiti initiated.
In the quest for deepening multilateralism, international cooperation and peace, the glaring injustice of the continuing denial of Taiwan’s membership in the special agencies of the United Nations demands correction. The ghosts of a divisive past ought to be laid to rest. Taiwan’s legitimate incorporation into the family of nations is long overdue. How can we neglect or deny 23 billion people who have been contributing so much to developing countries in every sector of their economy? How can we deny them entrance into the organs of the United Nations? It is unfair and unjust and should be remedied.
The travails of the people of Palestine arising from the illegal occupation of their lands continue to haunt us globally. The General Assembly has repeatedly pronounced in favour of the rights of the Palestinian people, but the illegal occupiers, backed internationally by a handful of powerful States, have continued to thwart the will of the international community. Peace in the Middle East will remain a mirage unless the national rights of the Palestinian people are recognized and upheld in practice.
As we speak in this Hall today, we seek to amplify the echoes of the visionaries of yesteryear who stood at this rostrum to give voice to the system of multilateral cooperation and mutual respect that has defined our post-war existence. New challenges may arise, but the solutions — diplomacy, ambitious action and respect for the sovereign equality of all Member States — are eternal. Multilateral diplomacy may be messy and imperfect; international law may be frustratingly inconsistent; the path of development may be beset on all sides by natural and man-made obstacles; but, united, we have always been greater than the sum of our individual parts, and together there is no challenge too great for the collective wisdom of our great nations and our great institution.
As new challenges confront us, let us hew ever closer to the undeniable strengths of our Organization to make this a better world for all of us.


On behalf of the Government of the Republic of San Marino, I would like to congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy- second session and to wish you a successful term. Your experience as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Slovakia and your deep knowledge of international affairs are invaluable resources for the United Nations. The San Marino delegation assures you of its utmost willingness to work with you in the course of this session of the General Assembly.
My country would also like to offer its heartfelt congratulations to His Excellency Mr. António Guterres as he embarks on fulfilling his new mandate as Secretary-General. We thank him for the energy and determination he has already shown in his first months of activity at the helm of the Organization.
I am grateful for the theme chosen for this session — “Focusing on people: Striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet” — where issues that the Republic of San Marino holds dear, such as human rights, peace and sustainable development, are at the heart of the agenda. It is a cross-cutting theme, since upholding human rights is reflected in every action the United Nations takes in the service of peace, security, justice and sustainable development. In the coming years, the international community will have to do all it can to achieve these objectives.
To our dismay, in every situation of armed conflict we are witnessing the systematic violation of human rights. Refugees and migrants are subject to discrimination, various forms of abuse and trafficking. Racial and religious discrimination and intolerance persist in many parts of the world. Inequality and social exclusion are at the root of the numerous and increasingly complex challenges that the United Nations is called upon to address. Unfortunately, in recent years we have seen an increase in inequality and marginalization, not only in developing countries but even in the richest ones, where increasingly large sections of the population struggle against growing poverty. This is a threat to global stability, as it leads to an erosion of confidence in national and multilateral institutions and fuels nationalist and populist movements. Collective commitment to human rights is therefore essential.
The relationship between peace, security and respect for human rights is undeniable. Measures for the protection and promotion of human rights are essential to preventing conflicts and ensuring peace. Moreover, peace and sustainable development are complementary concepts. More inclusive and peaceful societies provide better conditions for sustainable development, and vice versa.
The complexity of the challenges that the United Nations must tackle today is unparalleled in the history of the Organization. Their interconnected nature reminds us that countries must act together to be more effective in the fight against climate change, global terrorism and poverty and to build more inclusive, safe and just societies for all. As the Secretary-General stated in his report on the work of the Organization (A/72/1), it is important to rekindle faith in multilateralism and, in particular, in the United Nations. Our country has always believed in the power of dialogue and respect for others, which are values that underpin the peaceful coexistence among peoples.
The profoundly egalitarian nature and unquestioned legitimacy of the United Nations, together with the universal character of participation in it, unequivocally reaffirm its value and central role as a forum for solving global problems. The various religious and cultural traditions present in the Organization should be not an obstacle but rather a valuable resource for achieving global solutions through mediating and synthesizing diversities.
The United Nations must adapt quickly to new global challenges and to the new opportunities offered by an increasingly interconnected world so that it can be effective in carrying out its mandate. Reform is therefore crucial to future stability in the world and to the maintenance of international peace and security, which must remain at the centre of our actions. We reject any diminution of the role of the United Nations just because a universal agreement on the reforms needed to improve its functioning cannot be found.
The Republic of San Marino is attentively following the revitalization process of the General Assembly, which must continue to be a meeting point and forum for the exchange of ideas and discussion, leading to solutions rooted in a strong consensus. Similarly, Security Council reform should be an objective of all Member States. As we have stated on previous occasions, we believe that intergovernmental negotiations contribute to agreements that reflect a broad and strong political consensus representing the interests of all negotiating groups.
San Marino calls for reform that can make the Security Council more democratic, transparent, efficient and accountable. This goal can be achieved only through continuous dialogue among States, with the understanding that it is essential to go beyond initial positions if the broadest agreements possible are to be achieved. The Republic of San Marino supports the Secretary-General’s reform agenda, which features streamlining procedures, decentralizing decision-making processes and achieving greater transparency and accountability.
Human rights are the raison d’être of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The Agenda defines our future and a vision of a peaceful, inclusive and safe society where the burden of poverty has been eradicated, prosperity is shared and decent work is available to all. Together with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, it also reflects the ambition and commitment of Member States to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 2020, giving our planet and its inhabitants the chance to live longer and in better conditions. The 2030 Agenda is ambitious because it is universal: it integrates the three dimensions of sustainable development — social, economic and environmental — and is applicable to all States.
A year after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, their effective implementation is the real challenge of today. In many areas covered by the 2030 Agenda, progress has unfortunately not been in line with hopes. For example, much more needs to be done for the 700 million people living in extreme poverty and experiencing malnutrition. More targeted actions should be implemented to reduce maternal mortality and gender inequality, ensure inclusive and equitable educational systems, invest in sustainable energy and provide health care to wider segments of the population. The implementation of the 2030 Agenda is the responsibility of individual States, which should keep their promises by incorporating the Sustainable Development Goals into their development legislation and policies.
A cultural revolution must be part of our policies in the coming years. In the Republic of San Marino, for instance, we have promoted education initiatives on sustainable development in various sectors, including education, construction, waste disposal and public transport. As a complement to national Governments, civil society and the private sector also play important roles in mobilizing the resources needed for the implementation of the Agenda. In this regard, San Marino recalls the important results achieved following the adoption of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, which identified various concrete measures that could be taken to finance development and laid the foundation for the global programme contained in the 2030 Agenda.
The 2030 Agenda states that the rights of the most vulnerable people must be promoted and protected. The Republic of San Marino has always paid special attention to the most vulnerable groups — women, children, the elderly and the disabled. San Marino, which was among the first countries to become signatories to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, intends to fully implement that Convention by adopting legislative frameworks and policies that favour the inclusion and full participation of people with disabilities in the employment, social and cultural contexts of the country.
Gender equality must be a goal of the international community. Unfortunately, women are still victims of discrimination and violence in many parts of the world, including in the most developed countries. In support of the initiatives promoted by the Secretary- General, San Marino has signed the voluntary compact on preventing sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations peacekeeping missions. We believe that the rights and dignity of the victims of sexual abuse should be at the heart of our collective efforts.
Children are sadly the most vulnerable group of all and can be victims of violence, abuse and exploitation. Protecting their rights must be at the heart of our actions. San Marino supports the Ministerial Declaration made at this year’s High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, which reaffirms the commitment of the international community to children, focusing in particular on eradicating poverty, promoting their participation and eliminating all forms of violence and discrimination.
Refugees and migrants continue to be subject to violent discrimination. The enormous humanitarian challenge posed by large movements of refugees and migrants can be addressed only through greater cooperation and better sharing of responsibilities and costs among all States. The movement-of-peoples phenomenon has reached a level unprecedented in the history of the United Nations. The Republic of San Marino supports the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, adopted in September 2016. It contains a series of bold commitments to addressing the challenges posed by the large flows of migrants and refugees, but it also provides for developing a plan for the implementation of these commitments.
In addition to dealing with large movements of refugees and migrants, the United Nations has also been called on to address grave and complex humanitarian crises. As the Secretary-General mentioned in his report on the activity of the Organization, approximately 96 million people, in more than 40 countries, more than half of whom were women and children, received humanitarian assistance in 2017. The report shows that in 2016, natural disasters caused the displacement of approximately 31 million people, three times more than those forced to flee because of armed conflicts. An unprecedented food crisis has affected more than 20 million people on the African continent.
The Republic of San Marino has always supported cooperation projects and emergency interventions under the auspices of numerous international organizations, in particular entities within the United Nations family. Our country is grateful to the Secretary-General for the rapid and crucial action he has undertaken for populations facing humanitarian emergencies, as well as to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Central Emergency Response Fund for their rapid response and substantial contribution.
Today, the United Nations is engaged in the widest deployment of peacekeeping operations and special political missions in its history. Recent and ongoing wars have caused great suffering for civilians, unprecedented global humanitarian crises, tragic, massive movements of migrants and refugees, and an increase in terrorism, violent extremism, populism and intolerance.
Despite the negotiations for a political solution in Syria, which resumed in January under the auspices of the United Nations, facilitated by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, to whom the Republic of San Marino gives its full support, the situation remains highly volatile, has led to a massive displacement of civilians and, at the same time, poses a threat to the stability of the entire region.
The Republic of San Marino supports the Secretary- General in his initiative aimed at strengthening prevention activities and conflict mediation. In this regard, my country will participate in the Italian initiative for the creation of a network of women mediators in the Mediterranean area, the purpose of which is to contribute to peace processes through prevention and mediation. By establishing relations with the various national or regional stakeholders and working to achieve sustainable peace, the United Nations should be able to anticipate the causes of a possible conflict.
More and more frequently, terrorism and violent extremism are generated and fuelled by armed conflicts, exacerbating ethnic, religious, political and economic tensions. Violations of human rights by such terrorist groups as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, Al-Qaida and Boko Haram are very serious and include murder, kidnapping, forced conversion, human trafficking, slavery, sexual abuse, and the destruction of places of religious or cultural significance for ethnic and religious minorities.
The self-proclaimed Islamic State and its associated forces have also been responsible for numerous deadly terrorist attacks in Europe, Asia and Africa. The international community and the United Nations must act so that those responsible for those heinous crimes are brought to justice. San Marino supports the activities and initiatives of the United Nations in promoting justice and the rule of law, which form an integral part of the agenda to promote and protect human rights.
My country welcomes the actions taken by the Secretary-General, with the support of the General Assembly, to establish the Office of Counter-Terrorism, headed by an Under-Secretary-General, with a view to enhancing coherence in United Nations action and provide better assistance to Member States in their own fight against terrorism.
Disarmament activity plays a crucial role in maintaining international peace and security. The recent tests carried out by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the context of a nuclear- weapons programme threaten security globally as well as regionally and underline the need for robust disarmament and non-proliferation policies. San Marino strongly condemns the launching of missiles by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and demands that it cease such activity. We also call for the sanctions set forth in recent Security Council resolutions to be fully implemented by all States.
The Republic of San Marino took part in the negotiations that led to the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons last July. The Treaty is an important step in efforts aimed at achieving the shared goal of a world without nuclear weapons.
In order to address today’s many and complex challenges, the United Nations must be more effective and flexible. Member States must assume their responsibilities in that regard, including that of helping our Organization live up to its mandate, which is to protect the citizens of the world.
Thanks to its centuries-long history of peace and freedom, San Marino is a State with a strong identity. Although our State is small, it is proud to make its contribution to the United Nations community. Everything we do is aimed at restoring the capacity and authority of the United Nations, so that it can continue to be the indispensable reference point of the international community.


Mr. President, it is good to see you presiding over this session of the General Assembly. We know that we are in very able hands, and I look forward to working closely with you. We also salute the Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, for his leadership. I am confident that he will chart an intelligent course for us to make the changes we wish to see in the United Nations.
Mr. President, you have proposed for this session the theme “Focusing on people: Striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet”, which takes us back to the very beginning of the Charter of the United Nations, written on behalf of the peoples of the world. To this day, the United Nations symbolizes great hope around the globe — hope for peace, hope for justice and hope for a life of dignity and decency, which represent the basic ambition of every human being. Yet fulfilling these hopes remains elusive for millions, and for millions of others those hopes have been shattered.
Intolerance and nationalism were the drivers of the Second World War, and the Organization was founded in response to them. It is a place where we seek solutions together, instead of pursuing nationalist agendas. Only by embracing this understanding will we be able to achieve the best results at the United Nations. The horrors of armed conflict — the tragedy of the Second World War in particular — led the founding nations to pledge to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. We have make a collective commitment to removing threats to peace and to suppressing acts of aggression. But today we often manage and contain armed conflict rather than preventing it in the first place. We must do better.
This year we have the opportunity to take a historic step forward. For the first time since the creation of the United Nations, we can give an international tribunal jurisdiction over the crime of aggression. The most serious forms of the illegal use of force will be punishable. The tribunal in charge — and the centrepiece of our common fight for accountability — will be the International Criminal Court (ICC). I appeal to those assembled here today to live up to the commitment we made when we signed onto the United Nations Charter. Let us enforce the prohibition of the illegal use of force by making it punishable in the highest court of criminal law we have.
Next year, we will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the ICC. With jurisdiction over the most serious violations of international law, the establishment of the Court was an enormous achievement, but, today, it still lacks universality. There remains therefore a significant impunity gap. A very large number of people in the world do not benefit from its legal protection.
These people must not be left without hope. They too deserve real prospects for justice. The people of Syria, for example, have suffered unspeakable violence. The crimes committed against them have been atrocious. And the silence with which we met those atrocities for so long puts us all to shame. But finally, late last year, we came together to create a real possibility for justice — the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of those Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011, the accountability mechanism established by the General Assembly in resolution 71/248. The Mechanism itself will not conduct criminal proceedings against perpetrators. But it could be critically important in the preparation of case files for prosecution in courts with jurisdiction. This is a decisive step forward. A key to the Mechanism’s success will be strong support from us, the States Members of the United Nations — politically, by insisting on the importance of justice as part of political solutions; financially, by providing sustainable funding; and substantively, by sharing information and evidence of crimes that are in our possession.
Accountability for the worst crimes imaginable, whether committed in Syria or elsewhere, is essential. But the truth is that there is no remedy and no compensation for these crimes. Prevention is the only effective form of protection. We look in particular to the Security Council for leadership. I thank the 113 States that have joined us in supporting the code of conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Together, we represent a strong majority of States expecting effective action from the Council aimed at ending and preventing such crimes. This pledge could not come at a better moment. The Secretary-General has made prevention a key priority in his agenda, and applying the Code of Conduct works best when there is productive interplay between him and the Security Council.
Never before have the needs for humanitarian assistance been as great as they are today. And never before have we seen such a significant shortfall in our response. The so-called forgotten crises are those that may need our attention the most. Yet our collective attention span barely does justice to even the most visible of emergencies.
Armed conflict remains a key driver of displacement, human suffering and instability. But there are numerous other factors that make people leave their homes. Today, unprecedented numbers of people are on the move across the globe. Across the backdrop of history, there have been various periods of mass migration and there is ample evidence that migration has been a positive and enriching factor for receiving societies. But mass movements of people and irregular migration in particular also tend to create anxiety and fear. Taking these reactions seriously is crucial to overcoming them.
My son, Leonard, entered kindergarten last year. Two children in his group are refugees from Syria. As a mother, I reflected on how this might influence him and his development. What happened was that he quickly learned a few words in Arabic and he knows what a Syrian birthday cake tastes like. He also understands now that there are kids who spend every single night thinking that their house might be bombed.
We place high hopes in the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration that we will adopt together next year. I echo the call of the Secretary- General: migration must be an option, not a necessity. Irregular migrants are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Human trafficking and modern slavery are perhaps the greatest human rights scandal of our time. They are also a global phenomenon and they particularly thrive in circumstances that create high levels of vulnerability. As is the case so often, women and girls are disproportionately affected. Many decades ago, we agreed on the abolition of slavery in all its forms. The relevant legal norm requires universal application. And yet the reality is that there is a disturbing level of impunity for the commission of these acts.
We must no longer accept this paradox. Human trafficking and modern slavery are not just crimes, they are also a profitable form of organized crime. We therefore see great potential here in applying the tools developed to combat other forms of organized crime. Following the money can lead us to the perpetrators of these crimes. In this regard, Liechtenstein is prepared to share the expertise it has acquired as a financial centre committed to international standards of transparency and accountability.
The people whom we serve look to us to reduce risks and defuse tensions. Yet the world is spiralling towards a new arms race. We are facing increased risks of self-destruction, including the unspeakable horror of the use of nuclear weapons. Most of us remember the shocking pictures of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 from our history books. The United Nations was built on the ashes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and on the promise of “never again”, but, owing to collective complacency, we have not delivered on that promise.
This week we have changed course for the better with the signing of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Without any doubt, it will take time to see the Treaty’s effects on nuclear stockpiles. Nevertheless, setting a number of important legal benchmarks that will become binding norms is great progress. Nuclear weapons are prohibited and should be eliminated. Their use can never be justified. The suffering that they cause runs counter to fundamental principles of humanity, the basic tenets of international humanitarian law and the dictates of public conscience. On Wednesday, I signed the Treaty on behalf of Liechtenstein as one of 50 signatory States. Together we extend a hand to those who so far have chosen to stand apart. We need their commitment to succeed in finally ridding the world of nuclear weapons.
I have had the privilege to address the General Assembly eight times. On each of those occasions,
I have talked about a particular aspect of the work of the United Nations that is of special significance to me — full gender equality. The progress made in the past few decades has significantly slowed, both internationally and back home. That is a disturbing trend. Commitments have gone unfulfilled and strategies have turned out to be little more than empty promises. The achievements that nobody questioned 20 years ago are now under attack. The level of political participation has decreased, and the statistics on gender pay gaps are still shocking. Yet I remain not only committed but optimistic, simply because I strongly believe that many of our common goals will become achievable only if we indeed achieve gender equality. In the Sustainable Development Goals, the domestic and the international come together. If there is one area in which the United Nations must show the way, this is certainly it.
The work of the United Nations can seem abstract. Explaining its relevance to our citizens at home and to our children can be a challenge. There are topics that make that task much easier, however; for example, climate change. Everyone understands what is at stake in that discussion. If we cannot live on our planet, no one will prosper, irrespective of nationality, gender or economic wealth. And no country, large or small, can tackle the problem on its own. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change does not end the threat of climate change, but it is our only realistic hope for addressing the issue together. I therefore experienced great satisfaction when I deposited Liechtenstein’s instrument of ratification earlier this week. Indeed, it is something I will be proud to share with my children.