First, I extend my warm congratulations to you, Madam President, on your election as President of  the General Assembly at its seventy-third session. Your election as the fourth woman to be elected to lead the Assembly represents a further step towards the better representation of women within our Organization, and I am convinced that the breadth of your well-grounded experience will benefit our work and provide the energy needed to move forward more effectively towards the achievement of our goals. I am exceptionally pleased that my Government has made the advancement of women one of its priorities. I would also like to take this opportunity to commend and thank your predecessor upon the completion of his term; he deserves my delegation’s gratitude for his remarkable commitment during the previous session of the General Assembly.
The year 2018 has seen upheavals, transitions, changes and many instances of disorder in manifold forms, in the face of which we must continue to show our resolve and unity. Whether climatic, economic, social, political, migratory,  health-related  or  other in nature, those events must further mobilize the international community, which must become more solidary, committed and determined than ever. The current international context is increasingly demanding and requires that we react virtually immediately. The involvement of us all is therefore essential, given that all those situations can compromise peace and stability. That is what genuinely confers upon the United Nations its universality.
The  theme  chosen  for   the   seventy-third session — “Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies” — will make sense only if we translate our words into action. Today there is a need for shared responsibility. In order to meet all the challenges we face, we  must begin by making the Organization more equitable and
effective by providing it with the resources necessary to accomplish its mission.
To that end, the much-desired reforms, particularly within the main organs of the United Nations — which, when delayed, give rise to a sense of injustice and frustration among the regions  that feel  least represented —  must be  concrete in order to reflect, as closely and in the most balanced way possible, the current geopolitical realities, especially the recognition of the African continent. In that regard, the Union of the Comoros reiterates its support for the Ezulwini Consensus, which calls for the allocation of at least two permanent seats to Africa in the Security Council, with veto power.
By  having  equal  opportunities  to   invest   in the areas of peace and security, health, education, democracy and the rule of law, we will succeed in ensuring the harmonious development of our countries and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the founding objective of the new era in which the Organization is entering.
My country also welcomes the relevance of the Secretary-General’s proposals as part of the reforms he is undertaking, which will better reflect the priorities and needs of  countries and improve the functioning  of the Organization. On the other hand, that rationale must in no way decrease the presence of the United Nations on the ground. It is therefore important to stress that care must be taken to ensure that funding is predictable and that the poorest countries, in particular small island developing States, do not assume too great of a financial burden.
I would like to welcome the  initiative  taken by the Assembly to attach particular importance to the consideration of topics relating to tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases. Need I remind those present that some of those diseases are no longer the prerogative of the poorest countries, in the sense that they are reappearing in the more affluent countries? We must strengthen the World Health Organization’s work in the world, including by making substantial resources available to the agency. At the country level, we must assign importance to those problems and adopt appropriate and effective strategies to combat those diseases.
The situation in the Middle East is extremely worrisome. Yemen, Syria and Palestine need the Organization’s unwavering support. In that regard,

I would like to express the deep concern of my Government and of the Comorian people over the increase in arbitrary measures taken in recent months against the Palestinian people, the consequences of which not only significantly undermine the stability of the region but also weaken the collective effort towards a two-State solution.
That is why the Union of the Comoros reiterates its steadfast support for the Palestinian people and remains convinced that any viable solution to that conflict must involve the creation of both an Israeli and a Palestinian State, living side by side, in complete security, within secure and internationally recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital.
However, our concern is all the more justified as we note that, unfortunately, the international community has gradually become a spectator of that peace process, which is stuck in a persistent stalemate that is likely to decrease the prospects for a just and lasting resolution. In view of recent events and positions, Member States must spend some time in reflection so as to reach consensus on developing a new mediation mechanism to finally relaunch the peace process.
In that regard, I welcome the adoption, in December 2017, of resolution ES-10/19, on the status of Jerusalem,  as  well  as  resolution  ES-10/20,  on  the protection of the Palestinian people, which was adopted in June by a majority of Member States and requests that the Secretary-General submit proposals to ensure the security, protection and well-being of the Palestinian population, in addition to recommendations on an international protection mechanism for Palestinian civilians.
In that vein, allow me to draw the attention of the members of the Assembly to the difficult situation that the Rohingya people continue to face. That innocent population is the target of attacks and persecutions that contravene the values enshrined in the Charter  of the United Nations. To that end, I would like to make a solemn appeal to the Assembly to assume its responsibilities in order to help that population, which is in great danger.
With regard to the question of Western Sahara, while we welcome the adoption by the Security Council of resolution 2414 (2018), which stresses the need to work towards a pragmatic, realistic and lasting political solution and calls on neighbouring States to cooperate
fully with the United Nations, the Union of the Comoros wishes to express its thanks to the Secretary-General and his Special Envoy for succeeding in relaunching the political process on the basis of the parameters defined by the Security Council since 2007. The Union of the Comoros welcomes the serious and creditable efforts of the Kingdom of Morocco to find a definitive political solution and supports the Moroccan initiative for autonomy.
Building international peace and security is a constant struggle and the result of many concessions. In the current context, the risks of a nuclear detonation are very real. We have a duty to protect present and future generations from the danger of the use of nuclear weapons.
The terrorist threat also continues to grow worldwide, and no country has been spared. Indeed, not a day goes by without there being victims somewhere in the world, owing to the madness of certain malicious people who use ideologies of all kinds to achieve their extremist ends and  commit  acts of unspeakable barbarity. Some say that they are acting in the name of Islam. That is entirely wrong. What Islam are they referring to? Islam, our Islam, is  a religion of peace and tolerance. It is therefore urgent to work together to strengthen mobilization efforts, in particular through information-sharing and the transfer of skills, to be able to effectively stamp out that threat.
To that end, sustained efforts must continue to be made with a view to achieving a common consensual language, which, beyond defining the various aspects of the terrorism spectrum, will enable the establishment of cooperation processes and action aimed at reducing the threat of terrorism at the national, regional and global levels. We must therefore support the Group of Five for the Sahel, the United Nations forces and Operation Barkhane in their joint efforts to fight terrorism in the Sahel region.
Since it is equally necessary to find prompt and urgent solutions to the many situations of injustice that persist in the world, we must give priority to exchanges and do more to prevent such situations from arising. Why should we not become more involved in finding ways and means to deal with sensitive issues, such as migration, with humanity and celerity?
In that regard, the Union of the Comoros, through the coordination of the Group of African States, contributed to the negotiations on the landmark

document promoting the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, the first document offering a 360-degree perspective on migration governance and the first internationally recognized normative and regulatory framework in the area of migration governance.
The global compact reiterates our commitment to addressing socioeconomic causes and determinants, including through international cooperation, as well as our obligation to protect the human rights of migrants and promote the fight against all forms of racism and discrimination against them. Among other things, the compact advocates voluntary migration and recognizes the positive contribution of migrants and diasporas to sustainable development in countries of origin, transit and destination.
In order to ensure a safer world, we must also pay close attention to the ever-growing issue of climate change, particularly in small island developing States, of which my country, the Union of the Comoros, is one. While exacerbating the destruction of ecosystems and biodiversity, climate change is also likely to increase poverty and various diseases and lead to an upsurge in climate-related migration, thereby compromising our future and that of future generations.
At the national level, major events marking a decisive turning point in the sociopolitical evolution  of my country have taken place this year that merit being brought to the attention of the Assembly. As I announced in my statement at the United Nations last year (see A/72/PV.13), we held a national conference in February of this year to take stock of the 42 years  of independence of the Union of the Comoros. That civil-society-driven initiative benefited not only from the support of the Government but also from the multifaceted support of development partners and many regional and international organizations, including the African Union, the League of Arab States, the International Organization of la Francophonie and the United Nations.
I would like to reiterate my sincere appreciation to the Secretary-General for sending senior officials to the opening and closing of the conference. The conclusions drawn from that national forum highlighted the need to redefine and redesign a new institutional framework that would, while consolidating national unity, pave the way for the emergence of a new Comoros by 2030. A
referendum was held on 30 July, and a new Constitution was adopted.
In full support of that reform process willed by the Comorian people, I have decided to shorten my term of office and to prepare, under the new Constitution and the established deadlines, early regional and national elections. In that connection, I solemnly appeal to our development partners and all the countries that are friends of the Comoros to support us in meeting that new challenge of the future. I remain confident that, as usual, their valuable support will be be forthcoming to ensure that future elections will be conducted in peace, harmony and transparency.
With regard to the Comorian island of Mayotte, popular uprisings there in March led the authorities  on that island to massively expel Comorians from the other three islands who were residing on Mayotte. The conditions of their refoulement forced my Government to oppose that unilateral decision, especially since many of those people are adolescents who have become street children since their families were driven out of Mayotte under the same conditions that we denounce today. Since their parents’ refoulement from Mayotte without any care, those abandoned children pose a real threat today not only to the island but also to the rest of the archipelago, and even to the whole region.
The misunderstanding between France and the Union of the Comoros originates from that situation, which is compounded by the shock felt by the Comorians of the other three islands at seeing the difficult conditions of detention of their fellow citizens on Mayotte. The Government is committed to engaging in dialogue with France to resolve everything  that puts us at odds, or  has the potential to do  so.  We  are a peaceful country by nature, despite the many bumps that have marked our shared history. We have historical and cultural links with France. For that reason, we are determined to move forward towards a successful and just solution to that problem.
From this rostrum, I would like to pay warm tribute to the people of the Comoros as a whole for the unanimity and solidarity they have shown in relation to the Government’s position in  that  new  twist  on the Mayotte issue. We have utilized active, measured and effective diplomacy to take due account of all the dimensions of the issue. I welcome the commitment of Comorians, alongside the Government, which is making every effort to ensure that, together with France, we can

resolve the current unfortunate situation on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions.
To close that chapter, I trust that, together with France’s top officials, we can find a lasting solution to that very troublesome dispute between partners, which has lasted far too long for two countries that should be united by many factors, as confirmed by the late French President François Mitterrand.
On that question, as on the others that are the subject of our debate here, our responsibility is to provide answers, because in the Indian Ocean, Africa and throughout the world our duty is to leave future generations with a world of peace, stability and sustainable development. I want to believe that we can do it.


I would first like to congratulate Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés on her election to the post of President of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session, and to wish her success in her important work. I would also like to express my appreciation to Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, President of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session, for his skilled and effective efforts in the position.
The current session of the General Assembly is taking place against a background of complex trends in international politics. In spite of the efforts of the international community, particularly through the

United Nations, the situation in a number of regions around the world remains very difficult. Conflict-prone areas have spread, while at the same time the general level of trust and mutual understanding in our views on the pathways and prospects for global development has fallen. In such circumstances, the issue of ensuring comprehensive, solid and long-term security becomes all too apparent and pertinent, laying the responsibility for the destiny of humankind at the door of every State.
We believe that the United Nations is called on to play the main and decisive role in preserving the foundations of our international order on the basis of the principles of mutual respect, equality and peaceful political dialogue. There can be no doubt as to the legitimacy  of its mission. It is the only universal international organization designed to ensure multilateral cooperation aimed at strengthening international security and sustainable development. Turkmenistan believes that this session of  the  General  Assembly  should  help  to resolve the crisis of trust and strengthen mutual understanding among the States Members of the United Nations. In that regard Turkmenistan is launching an initiative marking 2019 as a year of peace and trust. Our initiative proposes developing specific measures aimed at reducing tensions and promoting the peaceful political and diplomatic resolution of disputes and clashes by adopting responsible and balanced decisions.
Ensuring long-term security is a key issue for Central Asian States, and one of the most important issues on the regional agenda is the fight against terrorism. With regard to ensuring security and stable development  in the  Central Asian States, cooperation
on disarmament matters, combating drug trafficking and multilateral economic support for Afghanistan are no less important. In that regard we believe it is crucial to involve Afghanistan in implementing major energy, transport and communications projects as a full- fledged partner. We see that issue as one of strategic importance for Afghanistan and its role in regional and global processes, and one that will help the Afghan people’s prosperity and well-being to flourish.  We  are working steadily towards that goal. My country is working to implement the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan- Pakistan-India pipeline project, building a power supply line and a fibre-optic communications network with the support of international partners and major financial institutions. A new railway leading towards Afghanistan has also been completed. We continue to provide Afghanistan with humanitarian assistance by building social facilities, sending humanitarian aid convoys and training qualified national  specialists  for various sectors of Afghanistan’s economic and social arenas.
Turkmenistan participated actively in the drafting of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and made a number of specific proposals. Following the adoption at the World Summit of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 (see A/70/PV.4), our country was one of  the first nations  to begin adapting its national plans and social and economic development programmes in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. In that regard we have established an appropriate permanent mechanism for cooperation with the United Nations. Turkmenistan’s implementation of the SDGs focuses particularly on social aspects. That  means  such  important  issues  as ensuring food security and improving nutrition, comprehensively promoting a healthy way of life, ensuring full gender equality by guaranteeing rights and opportunities for all women and girls and creating the conditions for comprehensive, equitable and high- quality education.
We are also devoting a great deal of attention to achieving the goal of ensuring the availability and intelligent use of water resources and  sanitation for all. Turkmenistan firmly adheres to the principle that water is the common heritage of every people on our planet and that equal and fair access to clean drinking water is a fundamental human right. The development of States on the economic and social fronts, as well as their peoples’ levels of well-being and quality of life, is

directly dependent on their access to water resources and ability to use them effectively. Equal rights, mutual respect and responsibility  should  therefore be the main criteria determining relations among the States of Central Asian. In consistently taking that position, Turkmenistan has always declared that issues related to water and energy in our region should be resolved, first, on a basis of generally accepted norms of international law; secondly, by taking the interests of each country into account; and thirdly, with the active participation of international organizations and the United Nations in particular. That is our principled position, and based on it we will continue working to establish effective negotiating mechanisms between States and international entities with a view to arriving at a coordinated approach. I believe firmly that this is the only way we can achieve positive results and ensure a stable and sustainable balance of interests.
One of the major topics of cooperation between the countries of our region and the international community is the problem of saving the Aral Sea. It has long been clear that its preservation cannot be considered merely a problem internal to the region. If we are to succeed in finding a solution to it we need the help of the world community and an innovative, comprehensive international approach involving the active and systematic participation of the United Nations. In that regard, Turkmenistan has begun to implement an initiative formulating a special United Nations programme for the problem of the Aral Sea basin and establishing it  as  a  specific separate area of the Organization’s  work.  I  urge  Member  States to support our proposal, for which the Assembly’s resolution 72/273, on “Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea”, adopted by consensus on 12 April, could serve as a good basis.
Another major issue is the Caspian Sea. The signing by the Heads of States of the Caspian Sea on 12 August of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea has opened up the prospects for transforming the Caspian Sea region into an internationally important strategic transit and energy hub, as well as an area for broad investment, trade and economic activity and cooperation. Turkmenistan is ready for meaningful discussions with all interested parties on implementing projects in those areas that are  fully  economically and commercially feasible, beneficial for all potential participants, capable of significantly helping to
strengthen the security of the continent and long-term in nature. It is no exaggeration to say that investing in such projects is undoubtedly an investment in the future.
We greatly appreciate the effective participation  of the United Nations specialized agencies represented in Turkmenistan and in our country’s life, dynamic development and people’s  welfare, and I  would like  to express our sincere gratitude to their staff for their selfless work. I would also like to thank Secretary- General António Guterres for his tireless personal focus on United Nations cooperation with Turkmenistan and his support to our initiatives and endeavours.


Let me join other  world leaders    in     congratulating     Her      Excellency Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés on her election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy- third session. Zambia fully supports her endeavour to diligently discharge her responsibilities in the Assembly. We are delighted to note that, after more than a decade, a woman has once again taken up this important seat as the fourth female President of the General Assembly since the establishment of this world body.
As the United Nations celebrates its seventy-third anniversary next month, it needs to forcefully continue to promote international peace, cooperation and the

development of societies that are free from hunger, poverty and disease. In doing so, we should endeavour to explore new ideas and best practices to meet the expectations of our people, against a backdrop of the effective and efficient use of limited global resources. We are therefore confident that the President will bring a fresh dimension to the fore as we jointly seek solutions to the economic, social and political challenges that confront us.
Since the founding of the United Nations  73  years ago, we believe that Africa should have made remarkable progress. Yet Africa’s economic structure has only minimally changed. That is a concern that has been voiced at both continental and global forums. The effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 of the African Union therefore presents huge opportunities for Africa to revitalize its growth and accelerate its transformation. Both frameworks seek to achieve inclusive growth, sustainable development and peace and security for the continent.
Zambia’s development path is guided by its Vision 2030 through the implementation of its seventh national development plan, which is focused on transforming Zambia into a prosperous middle-income country by 2030. To achieve that, we must overcome many hurdles. Our economy, like many other developing economies, needs to diversify. We are therefore determined to address our challenges by creating a diversified and resilient economy that is driven by the agriculture, tourism and energy sectors, among others. That will be supported by a robust infrastructure development programme. In that regard, we  need  strengthened  and mutually beneficial partnerships  in  the  context of South-South cooperation, as well as regional and development cooperation, which remain crucial to unlocking diversified growth.
Zambia is dedicated to the implementation of Agenda 2063 of the African Union, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, including on  climate  change, and of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the third International Conference on Financing for Development. That is why my Government has mainstreamed those global development agendas in its seventh national development plan.
I am glad to note that my Government has been making steady progress in infrastructure development
as a key enabler for recovery and improvement. We  are also implementing several policies and structural reforms under the Economic Stabilization and Growth Programme. As we pursue those goals, we are mindful of the challenges in mobilizing financing for development, as well as declining donor funding, particularly for least-developed countries and landlocked developing countries. We therefore call on all partners to work with us to ensure that together we can effectively implement the Sustainable Development Goals for the good of  our people.
It is gratifying to note that the second United Nations High-level Conference on South-South Cooperation, to be held in March 2019 in Buenos Aires, will present  an opportunity to register significant progress on development  cooperation  among  the  countries  of the South.
To turn to the issue of peace, since 1945 the United Nations and the international community have been consistently and strongly advocating the  need for the preservation and promotion of peace. Recent development frameworks have also given prominence to efforts to protect global peace and security. My Government therefore fully supports Security Council resolution 2378 (2017), which focuses on peacekeeping reforms. Zambia is also committed to the Secretary- General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative, as set out in the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, sent to Member States by the Secretary-General in August.
I am also glad to say that my Government has recently increased its participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations and is currently a major contributor to peacekeeping missions. Zambia is also one of the countries that has taken the lead in increasing women’s participation in peacekeeping operations. We also join other Member States in saluting the gallant men and women in blue helmets for the sacrifices they are making to foster peace in the world.
In our continuing efforts to contribute to regional and world peace, Zambia recently took up the chairmanship of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security of the Southern African Development Community. I can only assure Member States that we will discharge that duty with the utmost dedication to the cause of regional and world peace and security.
On gender equality and women’s economic empowerment, I want to reaffirm my Government’s

commitment to eliminating all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls. We are making efforts to review and enact new legislation and policies that are gender responsive. Progress is also being recorded on the implementation of our 50-50 enrolment policy, as schools are now compelled by law to enrol equal numbers of girls and boys.
In 2017 my Government commenced the distribution of free sanitary napkins to girls in rural and suburban areas in an effort to keep girls in school. That programme was introduced in order to improve girls’ access to education, as a lack of proper sanitary napkins often limits their ability to attend school. In addition, we have continued to implement the re-entry policy for pregnant girls. That programme is a success, as a number of girls have been retained in school after giving birth. We believe that measure is critical to ensuring equal opportunities for our girls. We  have  no doubt that those and many other efforts will lay a firm foundation for our attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5, on gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.
The world has continued to witness unprecedented mass movements of refugees and  migrants,  which has had political, social, economic and human rights ramifications for a number of host countries. Let me underscore the importance of collaborative efforts on the part of the global community in tackling issues relating to the current refugee and migration crisis. That will ensure safe, orderly and regular migration involving full respect for human rights and the humane treatment of migrants and refugees. We therefore welcome the convening in December of the Conference on International Migration and look forward to the upcoming adoption of the unprecedented global compact on safe, orderly and regular migration. We are hopeful that this will provide us with an opportunity to improve global governance on migration and refugees, as well as to strengthen the contribution of migrants  to sustainable development. In that regard, I want to underline the importance of respecting the  principle of shared responsibility for hosting  and  supporting the world’s refugees and migrants. Going forward, I want to reaffirm my Government’s commitment to its international obligations under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, whereby we will continue to play a  meaningful role  in assisting people affected by conflict situations and other human rights violations.
I want to recognize the decision by the Secretary- General and his team regarding the progress made in fulfilling his mandate for reform of the United Nations development system, United Nations management and the peace and security pillar. However, we are deeply concerned about the fact that negligible progress has been made on reforming the Security Council. We also want to recall that in 2000, during the Millennium Summit, world leaders called for a speedy and logical conclusion to the negotiations on Security Council reform. Five years later, at the World Summit, leaders expressed concern at the slow pace of progress and urged that negotiations on Security Council reform be expedited. To date, we are still no closer to agreement on a fundamental issue that seeks to make the United Nations truly representative, democratic and effective.
The year 2019 will mark the fortieth anniversary since reform of the Security Council became an item on the agenda of the General Assembly. The President of the Assembly has been entrusted by world leaders with leading the process of reforming the Security Council. We are therefore hopeful that she will report substantive progress by the time we mark the fortieth anniversary next year. I want to reiterate that Africa remains steadfast and united in its call for two permanent and five non-permanent seats on the Security Council. Not only is that a matter of common decency involving the correction of a historical injustice, it is also a matter of restoring the dignity of Africa, which today remains the only continent without permanent representation on the Council. In that regard, we also support the call for a non-permanent seat for small island developing countries, whose challenges are so unique that it is imperative that their perspective be  incorporated as   a new dimension into the United Nations approach to international peace and security.


I am once again pleased to be speaking from this rostrum, as I have for several years. I would first like to pay tribute to a worthy son of the African continent, the late Mr. Kofi Annan, who passed on just a few weeks ago, having bequeathed to our Organization a legacy of exemplary commitment in the service of peace. I would also like to salute the unquestionable leadership of the Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, in defending a strong multilateralism buttressed by a reformed United Nations. I also extend my warmest and most sincere congratulations to the President of the General Assembly at its current session on her election, a clear recognition of her experience as a diplomat.
During my address to the Assembly at its seventy- second session (see A/72/PV.19), I outlined the internal situation in my country from the security point of view, affirming that thanks to the efforts that have been made, we had succeeded in reversing dangerous trends in the central Democratic Republic of the Congo and significantly improving the situation there, while the outstanding efforts of our defence and security forces in the north-east had enabled us to contain terrorist attacks. Today peace has been consolidated  in the centre of the country, demonstrated by how far we have come in reintegrating the families that the deplorable violence had forcibly displaced towards the interior or forced into neighbouring countries.
However, the security challenge in the north-east remains unresolved because of persistent terrorist activities that not only affected the  area of  Beni on  23 September, but have also been a problem for other countries in the region. In any case, those attacks, which constitute a further challenge to all who are committed to the defence of a free world without mindless violence, will not prevent us from continuing to work for peace and stability for our country and, above all, for the security of the electoral process currently under way.
At the political level,  I  commended  the  efforts of the entire political spectrum in the form of a
comprehensive consensus on the electoral process with the ultimate goal of organizing elections. I also mentioned the progress that has been made in particular in creating a voting register and ensuring the imminent publication of the electoral timetable. Despite the enormous challenges that still plague the electoral process at every level, I can now reaffirm, as I did last year, that the timetable for the holding of elections is irreversibly scheduled for the end of this year. The political situation in my country is therefore becoming clearer, with all the electoral timetable deadlines kept so far. Everything will be done to ensure the peaceful and credible nature of the elections, which is evidence of the strengthening of the political and economic stability that the Democratic Republic of the Congo so greatly needs for its emergence from crisis.
“Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies” is the theme of this year’s session of the General Assembly. That suggests an uncompromising view of what we want for our Organization and urges every Member  State  to value its contribution to improving the universal collective. It also urges them to protect the values that make the United Nations a bulwark of solidarity, peace and shared progress in the face of the profound changes that have taken place in the international scene and that have been marked by the emergence of new development hubs and the appearance of new threats, some of which have global repercussions. That once again reinforces the value of shared and engaged reflection on the reform of our Organization with a view to ensuring its improved functioning. However, the effectiveness of our Organization in that new context also depends on its ability to preserve the ideals on which the structure of global equilibrium that emerged in San Francisco more than 70 years ago are based.
We will not be able to make the United Nations an organization for all if we tolerate or allow to become commonplace some Governments’ serious interference in matters that clearly fall within the purview of domestic State policy, in violation of the rules that govern our Organization, which represents a grave danger. That is why my country denounces and opposes any interference in the current electoral process, and is determined to finance all of its operational costs. We also demand a return to the fundamentals of democracy and human rights, one of the issues at the root of the asymmetrical diplomacy that some make excessive

use of to consciously weaken countries that have resolutely taken a path towards progress.  Although the Democratic Republic of the Congo is only 58 years old, and its democracy only 15 years old, we are proud today to  share our experience in that area, both  in  the Human Rights Council and in other regional and international forums. We do it with humility and in a straightforward manner, bearing in mind that the road ahead is still long.
Lastly, we cannot make the United Nations an organization relevant for all people, with a view to achieving sustainable societies, as long as the fauna and flora of countries with extensive forestlands serve only as ornaments — under the well-chosen pretext that they are the lungs of humankind or the repairers of the environmental damage caused by Northern industries — and if there is no real will to allocate substantial rewards for those resources to our populations, or to make good on commitments that are often made but never kept.
Almost 15 years ago, the African continent spoke with one voice in asking that Africa be represented by a permanent member in the Security Council, as part of United Nations reform. Given the myriad changes over many years and for the sake of equity, which is the focus of our meeting here, it is Africa’s wish to speak with a louder voice in line with the expectations of its peoples, who demand greater representation within this Organization, which embodies universalism and whose peacekeeping activities primarily concern our continent. Moreover, United Nations forces were  deployed  in my country 20 years ago, and my Government now reiterates its demand, given the fact that the results    at the operational level of the multilateral forces have diminished, that the multilateral force effectively and significantly begin its withdrawal.
In conclusion, I want to stress the progress made by my country today. Only a few years ago it was mired in bankruptcy, but it is now showing indisputable signs of new ambitions, underscored by encouraging economic and security policies. Our challenges are by no means negligible, but that in no way shakes my faith in a bright future for my country, in which the people understand how  to overcome their history and robustly commit  to their unity, independence and sovereignty. I would also like to assure the Assembly that the Democratic Republic of the Congo will always stand by the Organization as long as it remains at our side, as the United Nations embodies in the most concrete terms what our collective efforts can achieve in bringing about peace and the well-being of our planet. It is nevertheless up to Member States to work  to achieve  a stronger Organization by preserving through their actions the values that inspired its foundation and are unequivocally aimed at the preservation of humankind.


On behalf of the Government of the Republic of San Marino, I would like to congratulate Her Excellency María Fernanda

Espinosa Garcés on her election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session and to wish her fruitful work. Her long experience, both as Ecuador’s Ambassador to  the  United  Nations  and  as Minister for Foreign Affairs, as well as her deep knowledge of the Organization, are valuable resources for the United Nations.
The Republic of San Marino, which this year has taken on the role of Vice-President of the General Assembly, supports the priorities of the President’s agenda, as set out in her inaugural statement (see A/73/ PV.1), and believes that they provide  an  important and fundamental impetus to the necessary reforms concerning the most important areas of the United Nations activity. The San Marino delegation assures the President of its fullest collaboration throughout the work of the General Assembly.
I would also like to express my country’s gratitude to the outgoing President, His Excellency Miroslav Lajčák, for the important work he carried out during the seventy-second session.
My country would also like to extend its special thanks to Secretary-General António Guterres for his energy and determination in leading the United Nations and the reform processes of the Organization.
The theme chosen for this session, “Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies”, is undoubtedly of great relevance. It gives Member States the opportunity to contribute constructively to the work of the General Assembly. There is a strong correlation between the two concepts that make up the subject of the debate: on the one hand, while the United Nations must be closer to the people of the world by translating the fundamental principles of its global action into concrete results, it is essential, on the other hand, not only to defend, but also to strengthen international cooperation and our Organization.
Recent developments in the global sociopolitical landscape have created obstacles to the development  of multilateralism and are putting it at risk. Today, considering the magnitude of global challenges, their increasingly evident interrelationships and the need for Member States to work together to overcome difficulties, it is more and more essential to adopt an approach based on common and coordinated policies, in one word, multilateralism.
The Republic of San Marino has taken the decision to cooperate within the framework of international structures and mechanisms, at the top of which is undoubtedly the United Nations, because it  believes in the strength of dialogue, democracy  and  respect for others. Indeed, the very peaceful coexistence of peoples relies on such values. My country believes that the United Nations must increase its leadership role   in the management of global governance, given to its deeply democratic nature, its universal participation and undisputed legitimacy. The cultural  diversity  and traditions represented within the United Nations are not an obstacle, but rather an enormous asset, which makes it possible to adopt an approach that reconciles the interests of the international community and contributes to the attainment of human and sustainable development.
We cannot ignore the fact that in recent years other forums, such as the Group of Twenty, have been and are now exerting a great influence at the global level in the management of global governance. San Marino is grateful to those informal groups for the role that they have played. However, in their decision-making process, those groups should be more transparent and inclusive and should take into account the interests, concerns and aspirations of the countries that are excluded, in particular the interests of developing countries. The action of those informal groups must not be in competition with, but should be complementary to that of the United Nations.  Trust,  inclusiveness  and dialogue are essential elements in the support of multilateralism and its ability to produce concrete results at the global level.
This year’s theme is inevitably linked to the United Nations reform process. That process is of fundamental importance for the future world balance needed to ensure international peace and security and must remain at the centre of all our efforts. The reforms must make the structures of the Organization functional for the objectives that it has set for its global action. The credibility and authoritativeness of the United Nations depend on its ability to transform objectives into concrete actions that have a real and measurable impact on peoples’ lives. The United Nations must be closer to the people of the world, communicate better and show them the importance and effectiveness of multilateral collaboration for the lives of all citizens.
In that regard, the Republic of San Marino reiterates its support for the reform agenda that Secretary-General

António Guterres is implementing in the fields of peace and security and management and in the United Nations development system. We are confident that those reforms will improve the United Nations contribution to sustainable development, ensure greater effectiveness in the resolution of armed conflicts and the search for sustainable peace, and ultimately strengthen the United Nations system’s ability to produce more concrete and visible results.
The Republic of San Marino expresses its concern about the increasing number of conflicts in  many parts of the world and supports the coordinated action of the United Nations in the fields of peacebuilding and peacekeeping. Religious radicalism, terrorism, transnational organized crime, trafficking in drugs and human beings, weapons of mass destruction, violent extremism, marginalization and exclusion all pose a threat to international peace and security.
It is essential to analyse the root causes of conflicts if we want to promote disarmament and de-radicalization. At the same time, we need to encourage, through education, respect for and the promotion of human rights, the rule of law and access to justice.
The United Nations has often been criticized in recent years for the inability of the Security Council to intervene adequately in various conflict situations, in particular in Syria. Unfortunately, that has undermined the credibility of our Organization. The Republic of San Marino hopes that the Security Council will soon be able to fulfil its mandate effectively. In that regard, and in order to support rapid and decisive action by  the Security Council, I am pleased to recall that my country has joined the code of conduct drawn up by the Accountability, Coherence, Transparency  group to refrain from using the veto in cases of crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. San Marino has also joined the joint proposal by France and Mexico for voluntary suspension of the veto by the permanent members of the Security Council.
In pursuing the goals of peacemaking and sustainable peace, the United Nations must promote a strategic partnership in which Governments, the United Nations system, international, regional and subregional organizations, civil society, the private sector and universities work together to achieve common goals. The relationship between peace and development is clear: there can be no sustainable development without peace, just as there can be no peace without sustainable
development. In that regard, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development becomes essential for the construction of inclusive, resilient and peaceful societies.
Three years have passed since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda. The international community is working hard to make the Sustainable Development Goals become a reality. While progress has been made in  the implementation of some of the Goals and targets,  it should be noted that there are strong inequalities in the implementation of the Agenda not only between countries, but also within them. The Republic of San Marino underlines the central role played by the High- level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, thanks to its follow-up activity. In that context, San Marino supports the ministerial declaration that was adopted this year by the Forum.
The most difficult and important challenge to the achievement of the objective of sustainable development is the eradication of poverty in all its forms and dimensions, in particular extreme poverty. Although the level of extreme poverty has fallen significantly in the past 10 years, as shown by the data contained in the report of the Secretary-General on progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (E/2018/64), poverty remains, nevertheless, the main cause of hunger, and the number of undernourished people reached 815 million in 2016.
The Agenda emphasizes universal respect for human rights and human dignity and the fact that peace, justice, equality and non-discrimination are fundamental rights whose implementation becomes essential for the construction of inclusive societies.
The principle according to which no one should be left behind requires the adoption of specific measures to support people in vulnerable situations. The 2030 Agenda takes into account the needs of children, young people, people with disabilities, the elderly, indigenous people, refugees, displaced persons, migrants and people living in areas affected by humanitarian emergencies or in situations of armed conflict. Equal opportunities and respect for cultural and ethnic diversity are central to the full realization of human potential.
The promotion of actions in support of children and young people is a key element, since they must grow up free from all forms of abuse and exploitation. Unfortunately, children pay a very high price in areas of

armed conflict; many lose their lives or are kidnapped, raped, used as shields or recruited as soldiers. Moreover, their schools are often destroyed, as are their hospitals, depriving them of their fundamental rights.
My country, which is a member of the Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict, believes that international humanitarian laws and human rights laws must be respected in conflict situations. San Marino has ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflicts, and it supports the Paris Commitments. Moreover, this year San Marino added its name to the list of countries supporting the Safe Schools Declaration, which is an important tool for the protection of educational facilities from military use during conflicts.
Only with  the  effective  and  full  participation  of women in decision-making processes that have a direct impact on their lives will it be possible to build sustainable, resilient and inclusive societies. The Republic of San Marino reaffirms its commitment to the fight against all forms of gender-based  violence, as well as all forms of sexual abuse and exploitation. The objective of gender equality, the emancipation of women and girls, and the full realization of their human rights must be achieved. Gender equality must also be translated into equality in educational opportunities, with particular regard to scientific subjects, because technology, science  and  innovation  in  general  play a vital role in meeting global challenges and in the promotion of sustainable development.
At the same time — and the Republic of San Marino is particularly convinced of this — the idea that sustainable development can be achieved through new technologies, science and innovation must be transmitted through means  of  communication  that do not distort the truth, so as not to undermine the very concept of freedom. In that regard, the Republic of San Marino is offering a concrete and motivated contribution, also at the international level, on the theme of correct information with the objective of combating the increasingly  dangerous  phenomenon of fake news, which are deceptive, uncontrolled and capable of inciting hatred and nurturing prejudices.
The commitment of the international community must be directed towards all vulnerable groups without exception. People with disabilities and the elderly, for
example, must be ensured full participation in social, economic and cultural life.
The effects of climate change represent  one  of the greatest challenges of our time because of their unprecedented impact on our lives and, in particular, on the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable. With an average temperature rise of 1.1° C above pre-industrial levels, 2017 was one of the hottest three years of all time. The effects of climate change do not respect national borders. They spread everywhere, in every country and continent. They are increasingly damaging national economies, communities and countries. That is a global problem  that requires solutions  that need to be coordinated globally. Moreover, it is essential to strengthen international cooperation in order to help developing countries move towards a low-emission economy.
The Republic of San Marino recognizes the deep synergy between the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda and welcomes the recent entry into force of the agreement. Events related to climate change, such as drought, which generates food and water shortages, have increased competition for access to those and other natural resources. Conflicts are a major cause of food insecurity. As a result, about 74 million people today are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
The number of conflicts has increased over the past decade and has led to the displacement of millions of people. In 2017, 68 million people were forced to leave their homes. In addition to persecution and armed conflicts, natural disasters, such as floods, earthquakes and hurricanes, partly resulting from the effects of climate change, have forced millions of people to seek refuge in other countries. Other disasters, such as socioeconomic deprivation and the lack of food, water, education and health, have led millions of people to seek their fortune elsewhere. All of that has contributed to an increase in migratory flows, which is a major challenge that the international community has been facing for some years.
San Marino has followed the intergovernmental negotiations that led, at the end of July, to the finalization of the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, which will be formally adopted in December during the intergovernmental conference on the topic in Morocco. Given its transnational nature, no country can address the migration phenomenon on

its own. The compact strengthens the universality of human rights, including the rights of migrants, their dignity, regardless of their status, and their entitlement to the satisfaction of basic rights, and their protection. Its objective is not  to stop migration, but  to manage   it in the best possible way through strengthened international cooperation. My country believes that the implementation of the compact will bring greater security, order and economic progress for the benefit of all.
The global compact is a clear example of what multilateralism can do and shows its potential and importance, in similar fashion as do the recent 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. Indeed, through tangible measures aimed at financing development, the compact lays the foundations for a global plan of action.
In order to deal with today’s global  challenges,  we need a renewed commitment to multilateralism. That is possible only through a strong United Nations Organization, capable of coordinating, in an effective way, our economic, environmental and social policies at the global, regional and local levels.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate the strong support of the Republic of San Marino for all initiatives aimed at implementing the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.


It is a great joy and personal satisfaction for me to see a woman presiding over the General Assembly. This is the tenth time that I have had the honour to speak in this historic Hall, and it is the first time in all those years that a woman has held the highest office here at  the General Assembly.  I salute her leadership, and we  will support her.  But  it is also disappointing to see that the United Nations, which should be a trailblazer on the path of women’s empowerment, so frequently misses opportunities to make appointments that resonate outside this building. I am therefore all the more grateful to Secretary-General Guterres for his commitment to gender parity. His resolve has illustrated that that goal can be achieved relatively quickly. We have yet to realize full gender equality in practice back home in Liechtenstein, and we will continue to look to the United Nations to set examples that guide us on our own path.
The United Nations is the most important peace project the world has ever seen. It has shaped the way we have lived together for more than seven decades. It was created out of the belief that the world could not afford another armed confrontation between its most powerful States, with its devastating consequences for everybody. It was created on the basis of a collective system for the maintenance of international peace and security, based on common values and common purposes.
The early years of the work of the United Nations illustrated the enthusiasm with which States seized the opportunity they had created for themselves. There was a strong focus on the most painful open wounds caused by the Second World War. The true dimensions of the horror of the Holocaust gradually became public knowledge, not least through the trials in Nuremberg, and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted as a result. Influenced by the vivid impressions of the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in its very first resolution (resolution 1(I)) the General Assembly set a goal of eliminating all nuclear weapons. We are still far from achieving it, and the path so far has been rough. But we have finally charted a way forward by adopting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons last year. I congratulate the 19 countries that have already ratified the Treaty, and we will do our best to follow suit.
The United Nations has also been a place where we have developed human rights standards, the rules that guide the relationship between the State and the human person, individually and collectively. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights began that inspiring trajectory. Eleanor Roosevelt, one of my personal role models, made a decisive contribution to its conclusion. Seventy years later, there can be no question that every individual on this planet is entitled to enjoy all the rights reflected in the Declaration. An impressive number of groundbreaking treaties have been built on its foundations, a very proud record. More than any other, the area of human rights reflects the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations, written on behalf of the peoples, not their Governments.
Development became another key mission in this building. In fact, for many of its Members, the United

Nations is the world’s most important  platform  in that respect. That is also an agenda that we shaped together. We agreed on the right to development and made it clear that development, human rights and peace and security belong together. That effort has been crowned by the Sustainable Development Goals, which will guide our work until 2030. They offer a historic opportunity, and we owe it to our children not to miss it.
The challenge of climate change is a perfect illustration of the indispensability of the United Nations. We ourselves have created a threat to our sheer existence as the human race and as individuals. The threat knows no national borders and makes no distinctions. We are all equally affected, and we can only overcome it together. Our very survival is at stake, and yet we are significantly behind in terms of what must be done. The Secretary-General is right to sound the alarm. That is one of his responsibilities. It is up to us, all of us, to act.
All of this can lead to only one conclusion. We need more of the United Nations, not less. We need a United Nations that is more effective, cooperative and dynamic, more in tune with the times we live in, and yet our efforts have been distracted. We see tendencies to revert to a paradigm that resulted in enormous suffering in the past and would certainly be disastrous today. Wilful blindness, a disregard for realities, denial of the facts and appeals to fear and resentment are recipes for disaster. We have witnessed a downward spiral in that conversation. It has been rapid and today has led us to a point where the fundamentals of what we have created together are under attack.
The Charter is our main reference point as we reflect on the most pressing challenges of the day. One paragraph from the Preamble stands out this year:
“We the peoples of the United Nations determined ... to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained”.
Today more than ever we are challenged in our determination to do just that. Today we can no longer take it for granted that those conditions exist. The questioning of international agreements  and  norms in the areas of trade, climate change, disarmament, migration and human rights has one common thread. It not only undermines the contents of those agreements, it is an attack on the rules-based order as such. It runs
contrary to the pledge that we are all committed to under the Charter, that is, to respecting our obligations under international law.
In the course of this debate, speakers have expressed their overwhelming support for the international rules- based order. That gives us hope and inspiration to tackle the challenges we are facing. Let us be clear.  We have to work harder to make the United Nations fit for purpose. Most worryingly, we still have a Security Council that is least functional when it is most needed. While addressing our weaknesses, we must also make better use of our strengths, particularly the power of the Assembly. It has the legal and political authority to build institutions and set policies that are game-changers.
One such institution is the  International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011. We were proud to lead the way in its creation two years ago. Born out of frustration over a deadlock in the Security Council, it has quickly become a symbol of what the Assembly can achieve and a beacon of hope for Syria. At this critical moment in the Syrian conflict, our resolve to ensure accountability for the crimes committed will shape the country’s future.
We are confronted by a very different situation, with a similar massive accountability challenge, in the atrocities committed against the Rohingya population by the authorities in Myanmar, which are shocking to all of us. There can be no voluntary return for the hundreds of thousands forcibly displaced into Bangladesh unless we can ensure a credible accountability process. We now have a direct path to justice, because the International Criminal Court (ICC) has ruled that it can exercise jurisdiction over the crime of forced deportation. That creates a new and expeditious policy option for the 123 States among us that have joined the Rome Statute, in that we can now come together and refer the situation in Cox’s Bazar to the ICC. I hope that conversation will take place here in New York over the next few weeks.
From Syria to Myanmar to Venezuela, the International Criminal Court is at the centre of the effort to fight impunity. Its creation 20 years ago was perhaps the most important advance in the recent history of international law. It fulfilled a vision that had eluded us for a century. Today it is an institution that is imperfect but, more importantly, indispensable.

It is a telling fact that at a time when there seems to be a general questioning of the rules-based order, the ICC finds itself under particular attack from various sides. We need that Court more than ever, and more than ever, we must be ready to stand up for it.
The issue of modern slavery and human trafficking is particularly disturbing to the Liechtenstein Government. Seventy years ago, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we agreed that no one should be held in slavery or servitude. Today more than
40 million people, predominantly women and girls, live in such conditions. That is unacceptable. We have joined forces with our partners from Australia and the United Nations University and created the Financial Sector Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. Its task is to design a response so that actors in the financial sector can help eliminate modern slavery and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice. I am proud to serve as its co-convener, together with Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus. We are under no illusions about the magnitude of the task, but we are encouraged that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has created such a strong impetus for finally eliminating slavery, and we stand ready to take that opportunity, together with everyone here.


Let me express my sincere gratitude for this opportunity to address the Assembly today from this rostrum.
I would like to congratulate Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés on her election to preside over the General Assembly at its seventy-third session. I would also like to express our gratitude to Mr. Miroslav Lajčák for his effective work at the helm of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session.
Today, the Republic of Uzbekistan has entered an important stage of radical and dynamic transformations. Its goal is to strengthen and further develop a democratic, law-governed State with an open and

socially oriented market economy and a vibrant civil society, in which the main values are rights, freedoms and the legal interests of individuals. At the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, we adopted a five-year action strategy aimed at making fundamental changes in the economy, State governance, legal and social spheres, security, and at ensuring inter-ethnic and interconfessional peace and harmony. The principle that the people should not serve State bodies, but rather that State bodies should serve the people has become a cornerstone of the main programme of our democratic reforms.
Elevating the role of the Parliament and political parties, increasing the accountability and transparency of the executive branch, strengthening public institutions and developing civil society have become the practical embodiments of the constitutional principle that the people are the sole source of State power.
We are taking significant steps to streamline the national system for the protection of human rights and freedoms and are strengthening the independence of the judicial system. The use of child and forced labour has ceased. The recommendations of the United Nations Human Rights Council, treaty bodies, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and its Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief are being systematically implemented.
We have also carried  out  large-scale  initiatives to liberalize the economy, create conditions for free entrepreneurship, ensure the inviolability of private property and improve the investment climate. We  have introduced the free convertibility of our national currency, expanded access to bank credit and carried out tax and custom reforms. According to the World Bank report entitled “Doing Business 2018”, Uzbekistan was among the 10 leading countries in terms of creating favourable conditions for doing business. As a result, Uzbekistan today has earned a reputation for being a thoroughly renewed, open and dynamically developing country. The chosen path of resolute reforms is irreversible and enjoys the broad support of the people of the country.
Today we are witnessing an unprecedented new alignment of power at the global and regional levels.  A rethinking of the principles of international politics and economics, which until recently seemed to be unshakable, is under way. The world is becoming less predictable and unstable. The strength and effectiveness
of multilateral institutions and mechanisms designed to ensure international security has been put to the test.
In that regard, it is crucial to strengthen the central role of the United Nations in international relations, especially in the support of the three pillars of the Organization, namely, peace, the security and sustainable development of countries and regions, and the protection of human rights. Uzbekistan supports the steps taken by the leadership of the United Nations to streamline the governing system of the Organization, and calls for the gradual reform of its bodies, including the Security Council, by taking into account today’s realities and challenges.
In addition, we are ready to actively participate in United Nations efforts to promote comprehensive peace, stability and development on the basis of the respect for human rights and freedoms, democratization and the rule of law. In that regard, Uzbekistan has, for the first time, presented its candidacy to the Human Rights Council for the period 2021-2023. We sincerely hope that our achievements in the area of human rights will provide a solid basis for gaining the support of States Members of the United Nations for Uzbekistan’s candidacy.
We are also counting on the support of Member States to back the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan aimed at developing and adopting a United Nations convention on the rights of youth and a General Assembly draft resolution on enlightenment and religious tolerance. Those documents would facilitate efforts to effectively counter the threats of terrorism and the ideology of radicalism by tackling the vital socioeconomic problems facing our youth through the provision of better access to high-quality education and enlightenment in the spirit of tolerance, humanism and openness.
Uzbekistan has already begun advancing those initiatives. In June, working with our foreign partners, we held an international conference on the role of youth in confronting religious extremism and terrorism. At the end of the conference, the participants adopted the Samarkand Declaration on Increasing the Role of Youth in Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization Leading to Terrorism.
In 2018, the international community celebrates the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In that regard, the President of Uzbekistan has signed a decree on a programme of events dedicated to that occasion. We have adopted a

special State programme for promoting the essence and significance of that first universal document on human rights through the streamlining of domestic legislation on human rights and law enforcement and the facilitation of Uzbekistan’s accession to new international treaties. Uzbekistan has also made a voluntary contribution to the budget of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the amount of
$100,000.
Currently, we are also taking an initiative to convene an Asian international forum on human rights on 22 and 23 November 2018 as the final event of our targeted practical actions. The forum will take place in the city of Samarkand, which is, as is attested to by UNESCO, a crossroads of many of the world’s cultures. Central Asia remains a main foreign-policy priority of Uzbekistan. Today, the situation in the region differs from the  one  that  prevailed  not  long  ago.  Thanks to the joint efforts of the countries of the region, we have  created in Central Asia, within a  short period  of time, a fundamentally new political atmosphere, raised the level of political trust and strengthened the traditionally friendly and good-neighbourly relations among ourselves.
The important outcome of all that work is the significant progress achieved in resolving such acute issues as the demarcation of borders, the management of water resources and the joint use of transport communications. It should be noted that those very issues had not only remained unresolved for an extended period of time but were also sources of regional tension. The agreements with neighbouring countries have enabled the opening of dozens of checkpoints on the borders of Uzbekistan and liberalized the visa regime. Uzbekistan’s trade turnover with the States of the region increased by 20 per cent in 2017 and by 50 per cent during the first six months of this year.
In the near future, at our initiative, Uzbekistan is planning to convene a regional economic forum, which should serve as a permanently functioning platform for representatives of the business community to discuss regional projects in the trade, economic, investment and innovative cooperation fields. The first consultative meeting of the Heads of State of the Central Asian countries, held in March in Astana, became the bright symbol of a new era of regional cooperation. The next forum will take place in March 2019 in Tashkent. Most importantly, we are now more convinced that we are united not only by our joint past, but also by our common
future. The high level of regional interaction in Central Asia is receiving broad international support. In that regard, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to all our partners and friends who have recently rendered assistance in the preparation and adoption of a historic General Assembly resolution entitled “Strengthening regional and international cooperation to ensure peace, stability and sustainable development in the Central Asian region” (resolution 72/283).
There is no doubt that that United Nations resolution acknowledges the formation of Central Asia as a single consolidated region, the countries of which — and I would like to put special emphasis on this ─ are capable through their joint efforts of solving common regional problems and ensuring prosperity, well-being and a worthy future for their population of 70 million people. In order to further deepen  multifaceted  cooperation in our region, Uzbekistan is proposing  to  develop  and adopt a General Assembly draft resolution on developing sustainable tourism in Central Asia, which would facilitate the utilization of the unique tourism potential of the region, through which the great Silk Road stretched in the past, connecting East and West by trade, cultural and civilizational ties. The sustainable development of Central Asia requires the maintenance of the ecological equilibrium of the region, which in turn requires the mitigation of the consequences of the drying-up of the Aral Sea. For the past several years, Uzbekistan has implemented a number of large-scale projects in the Aral Sea zone.
Uzbekistan initiated the establishment of the Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the  Aral Sea Region, which was supported by the United Nations. The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, during his address at the seventy-second session of the General Assembly last year (see A/72/ PV.5) and at the recent summit of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, held on 24 August this year in Turkmenistan, again drew attention to that initiative. The establishment, under the auspices of the United Nations, of the Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea Region is an attempt to highlight major risks that pose threats to the vulnerable population and also opens a new level of dialogue aimed at comprehensive and human-based solutions that focus on the real needs of people, taking into account the existing risks and challenges.
We hope for the overall support of the United Nations for this initiative taken by Uzbekistan. When we speak about Central Asia, we cannot but mention Afghanistan — a country that we consider to be a historical part of the culturo-civilizational space of our region. A stable Afghanistan is a prerequisite for the sustainable development of Central Asia as a whole. Recently, Uzbekistan significantly expanded its bilateral relations with Afghanistan, actively joined multilateral efforts to resolve the Afghan problem and is making a real contribution to restoring the country’s economy, as well as to developing close trade, economic, transport and communication ties. In March, we convened the Tashkent Conference on Afghanistan. As the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, stated during his address at the Conference,
“We are ready, at any stage of the peace process, to create all necessary conditions for organizing on the territory of Uzbekistan direct negotiations between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban Movement”.
The main outcome of the Conference was the unanimous adoption of the Tashkent Declaration. It reinforced a firm consensus, at the regional and global levels, on the necessity of obtaining the earliest possible launch of direct negotiations between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban Movement, without any preliminary conditions. We are  convinced  that the readiness of the contending parties for mutual negotiations in the name of the vital interests of the multinational Afghan people will serve as a  solid basis for advancing the peace process in that country. In Uzbekistan, we recognize that the success of our large-scale programme of democratic transformation, outlined in our current strategy of actions, as well as the success of our foreign policy initiatives, which are aimed at facilitating international peace and stability, will, to a large extent, depend on the support of our friends and partners and the international community as a whole. Uzbekistan is therefore open to a broad international dialogue. We are sincerely interested in Uzbekistan’s further integration into global political and economic arrangements and in developing constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation with all interested countries.


The United Nations has played a critical role in promoting peace and development for all. Most indices measuring human development tell a positive story — a story of our shared success. It is a story we should tell more often.
Technological advances and social and economic progress that we never envisioned have become a reality, which gives us hope that humankind can once again

prove that no challenge is too big to overcome and that we are right to dream big. But dreams will come true only with hard work and determination. And our common goals will be achieved only through international cooperation and by significantly accelerating the pace of progress. The United Nations is the most important platform we have for this vital cooperation.
Iceland is a small country with high ambitions. A gender-equal world is one of those ambitions. We have a solid record as one of the most gender-equal countries in the world, which could only happened through the hard work of women pioneers who changed our politics and our law to empower all women in Iceland, and, of course, with the cooperation of a few good men. Even though more needs to be done at home, we stand ready to share our experience with other States. Gender equality is a master key to unlocking sustainable development in all countries, in line with the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Another goal of ours is to make sure that future generations will thank us — all of us —for having worked hard to save them from the worst consequences of climate change. Given its location in the Arctic, Iceland sits in the front row as a witness to disappearing ice caps and environmental change. In the drier parts of the globe, desertification continues and causes serious challenges to people’s livelihoods. There is no doubt in my mind that climate change is fast becoming the single most serious challenge to global peace, security and development. While technology will be a big part of the solution — with electric cars, and with renewable energy fuelling our economies — we will also  need  to nurture our soil and restore our land as key  parts of our efforts aimed at fighting climate change. This perspective is reflected in the ambitious new climate strategy of the Government of Iceland, which has been put in place to meet our Paris Agreement targets for 2030 and to make Iceland carbon-neutral by 2040. Already, all electricity and heating in Iceland is produced from renewable resources. Our plan aims to phase out fossil fuels in transport and increase afforestation and the restoration of wetlands.
We have joined a coalition of other countries that have already put such plans in place because, again, the only way forward is through cooperation. High-income countries must do their share to reduce emissions and help low-income countries adapt to the effects of climate change. In the end, our reaction to climate change has more to do with self-preservation than self-sacrifice.
Sustainable development, with particular emphasis on the oceans, climate and energy, and social and economic development will be among the guiding principles of Iceland’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council from 2019 to 2021. The Council has shown remarkable leadership in promoting sustainable development and practical cooperation in the high north and could be used as a model for other regions of the world, as local actions can drive global change.
Iceland is firmly committed to the 2030 Agenda, with its inclusive and bottom-up approach to development. It is a key policy priority for our Government and features strong ownership and participation by both the private sector and civil society. We look forward  to the upcoming Iceland voluntary national review in 2019 and are hoping for constructive feedback that will encourage us to do better.
Healthy oceans and sustainable fisheries will remain at the core of Iceland’s foreign policy. To reach our goal on healthy oceans, all nations must join hands. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and its implementing agreements provide a tried and tested framework for the work ahead. Through our experience, we have learned that the most effective approach to conservation and sustainable use of marine resources is the regional approach. This should also be the main approach in the new “biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction” implementing agreement currently being negotiated.
In the field of marine-resource management, we stand ready to share our expertise with others. The same applies to gender equality, green energy  and land restoration, all of which are a part of the United Nations training programmes in Iceland. Almost 5,000 experts from 100 countries have been trained since the first programme was established almost 40 years ago. This has been made possible because the knowledge was fostered by Icelandic institutions and private companies, not least within the fishery and energy sectors. Development, trade and business can and should go hand in glove in implementing the 2030 Agenda, and we are pleased to note that the United Nations is taking concrete steps to make such partnerships stronger and to bring energy, innovation and know-how into national and global efforts.
In the past few decades we have also seen incredible advances in medicine. These advances have enabled us to live longer despite increasingly unhealthy

lifestyles. Yesterday, we vowed to actively cooperate in the prevention of non-communicable diseases and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. One neglected issue is neurological disorders, including spinal-cord injuries, which affect a billion people worldwide. The Nordic countries are working towards a common resource database on neurological disorders to facilitate medical advances in this area. We encourage others to do the same, as, yet again, cooperation will be key to success.
Earlier this year, Iceland took a seat on the Human Rights Council for the first time. It was a proud moment for us, to join the Council, as it came at a time when Iceland is celebrating 100 years of sovereignty and the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We believe that human rights express the core purpose of the United Nations. Advancing the dignity and equality of all human beings must be our fundamental goal. Only in that way can we attain peace, security and sustainable development for all societies. We firmly believe that upholding human rights is in the interest of every State.
The Human Rights Council should be the standard bearer for respecting, protecting and promoting human rights around the globe. Its Member States must be willing to improve human rights in their own backyards, so that our criticism does not fall on deaf ears. We will strive to improve the Human Rights Council through dialogue and cooperation.
Our priorities also revolve around promoting women’s human rights, safeguarding our children’s rights and upholding freedom from violence. We will work to advance the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, and, lastly, focus on the connection between climate change and human rights.
Iceland’s history emphasizes that the prosperity and well-being of nations is, to a large extent, dependent upon protecting and promoting the rights  of our citizens, including civil, political, economic and cultural rights. As a part of our commitment to human rights, Iceland’s new development cooperation strategy will incorporate an approach based on human rights, which means that further steps will now be taken to ensure that our development strategies and projects are formulated, implemented and evaluated with human rights at the forefront of our considerations.
It  is  better  to  light a  candle   than  to   curse the darkness. The United Nations is the heart of
international cooperation but, in order to reach our common goals, a more efficient and effective United Nations is called for. Iceland strongly supports the Secretary-General’s reform agenda aimed at making the Organization, which was created in a different era, fit to meet the challenges of and take advantage of the opportunities offered by the twenty-first century. We should continue to seek ways to reform the Security Council, its working methods and membership. It should not be held hostage to narrow national interests when our house is on fire. We need to show more unity. Despite the progress that we have made in every area, difficult conflicts remain to be resolved. Even today, in 2018, we are witnessing the use of chemical weapons, ethnic cleansing, war crimes, forced migration and other horrors, which should be echoes from a distant past, not everyday news.
The Syrian war has left the country in ruins, with more than 400,000 people dead and almost half the population displaced. A political solution continues to be the only viable path towards achieving peace. In Yemen, we are witnessing a conflict that is fast becoming the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, and there seems to be no end in sight, as regional powerhouses continue to fuel the fires of war. The issue of Western Sahara remains unresolved, and the same applies to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. The disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and Georgia remains a wound in the European security architecture. We are seeing mounting challenges in Venezuela and continue to receive reports of the horrors committed against the Rohingya population in Myanmar.
We must act and make full use of the tools available to hold those responsible to account, including before the International Criminal Court. All these conflicts become even more disconcerting when we consider that almost 250 million children are affected, which is casting a long shadow on their future. These conflict- stricken areas and other emergencies are also the drivers of the greatest refugee crisis since the end of the Second World War and call for a coordinated response, upon which we hope the global compact on refugees will be able to deliver.
The multilateral system — the very foundation of prosperity and peace — is under strain from new and challenging political agendas in which simple answers are provided to complex questions, favouring strongman politics over diplomacy, free trade, democracy and human rights. We need to stand by our convictions and

principles both at home and abroad, while addressing some of the legitimate grievances of our citizens. Iceland has been increasing its contributions to United Nations programmes and funds. We will continue to support the United Nations and stand by its founding values and principles.
On 1 December, Iceland will mark the centenary of its independence and sovereignty. This period has been characterized by rapid economic growth and social development. It has given birth to a society that scores high on almost all development indices. One might be tempted to say that this success was all our own making and good luck, but that would be far from the truth. The bedrock of our independence and success has been the international rules-based order with its open markets, free trade, multilateral institutions, liberal democracy and international cooperation. This foundation should never be taken for granted, and it falls to us — the States Members of the United Nations — to ensure that future generations can enjoy the same benefits.