In the name of the
people of Haiti, I am happy to greet you, Sir, and offer you our warm
congratulations on your election to the presidency of the forty-seventh
session of the General Assembly.
I am equally pleased to salute your predecessor, Mr. Samir Shihabi, and
the new Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, to whom I extend my most
sincere congratulations on his assumption of his position of weighty
responsibility.
How happy I am to greet you and to welcome the sisterly nations that have
just arrived in this great family of ours!
As always, the Haitian people cannot refrain from sending special
greetings to President Carlos Andres Perez and the Venezuelan people.
On the threshold of the third millennium, the clear signals of political
pollution invite us all to dialogue in order progressively to bring about a
civilization founded on peace.
The end of the cold war has offered the world new prospects of peace and
cooperation. Nevertheless, hotbeds of tension and the outbreak of new
regional conflicts have darkened the picture of international relations.
Political pollution at a global level has produced armed conflicts, wars,
massacres and coups d'etat against democracy. Therefore, in all humility we
would like to share with you eight democratic beatitudes for a civilization of
peace.
The first democratic beatitude: Blessed are those who defend democracy;
may peace prevail among them. The condemnation of the coup d'etat of
30 September 1991 is an expression of the desire of the United Nations to
defend the democratic principles and rights of the Haitian people, and we
would like to thank you warmly for that.
The advent of this civilization of peace, on a global level, necessarily
involves restoring constitutional order to Haiti, where blood is flowing,
corpses are piling up and repression is intensifying.
A coup d'etat in itself is a crime against humankind. These 12 months
are symbolic of a double crime against humankind. May the door allowing for a
return finally be opened so that peace can once more shine among us.
Five days before the coup d'etat of 30 September 1991, here, at the
United Nations forum, the people of Haiti cried out: "Democracy or death!"
Today, on behalf of the 3,000 people assassinated by the enemies of
democracy, the Haitian people cries out, with the same conviction and from the
same rostrum, the same cry: "Democracy or death!" Anyone desirous of peace
must defend democracy.
May peace return to Haiti!
And may peace, likewise, be restored to Yugoslavia and Somalia. The
Republic of Haiti condemns the acts of terrorism and genocide that have
brought about such a paroxysm of horrific deeds. We appeal to the
international community to make itself responsible for progressively creating
a civilization of peace.
Second democratic beatitude: Blessed are those who promote economic
growth, because peace and economic poverty are incompatible.
Since the Second World War, global production fell for the first time, by
0.5 per cent last year. In developing countries, economic and social
conditions have deteriorated dramatically. Hence subhuman poverty, drug abuse
and an increase in crime.
Twenty per cent of the wealthiest people in the world have 83 per cent of
the world's income, while 20 per cent of the poorest people in the world have
only 1.4 per cent of world income. Today, 1.2 billion poor people live in the
developing countries; in the year 2000, they will number 1.3 billion, and in
the year 2025, 1.5 billion.
But the fundamental principle of international public law is the
principle of equality. In this context, Aristotle reminds us that politics
requires a reciprocal and symmetrical relationship in which citizens are
placed on an equal footing with each other and not above or below each other,
(spoke in Creole*)
(continued in French)
Likewise, in his work entitled Political Justice. Hoffe, while occupying
the Chair of ethics and political philosophy, has reminded us that "on the
whole, Plato and Aristotle offered us a florilegium of reasons to demonstrate
that life in common is profitable to all those participating in it".
Relationships, therefore, are ruled by laws: laws that must be
respected, laws that must not be transgressed, laws in a society of law.
Justice must be, as it were, the oxygen of the economy.
How can we bring about a civilization of peace unless there is human and
economic growth at the world level?
It is in this world where, unfortunately, every year almost 3 million
children die from vaccine-preventable illnesses. One out of three children
suffers from serious malnutrition. Why so much suffering? Must suffering and
opulence be necessarily at daggers drawn?
The South accounts for 77 per cent of the world's population, but has
only 15 per cent of the world's earnings. In Latin America, 17 per cent of
landowners control 90 per cent of the land.
How can one speak of peace when equal civil rights become socio-economic
inequality? That is a bitter contrast; that is a startling contradiction,
owing to violations of human rights.
In our country Haiti it is even worse. The exploitive structures
that we inherited must be democratically transformed into structures made up
of participation and justice participation by everyone; justice for all; and
transparency in all matters.
Hence, we will no longer be burdened by this colonial heritage that is so
clearly reflected by the following statistics:
Over 45 per cent of the national revenue is in the hands of 1 per cent of
the population; there are 1.8 doctors for each 10,000 inhabitants; there are
1.9 nurses for each 10,000 inhabitants; in our 56 so-called hospitals, there
are but 1.5 beds for each 1,000 sick persons; 59 per cent of urban dwellers
and 3 per cent of rural dwellers have access to drinking water; 85 per cent of
the population is illiterate, yet extremely intelligent. "Illiterate" does
not mean "stupid".
Incumbent on us is the great responsibility to promote productive gainful
employment. We will manage to do so by applying judicious macroeconomic
policies and effective mesoeconomic measures.
Therefore, as always, we will have to locate the human individual in the
very heart of development, enable the market to function properly, remedy any
defects, introduce material infrastructures, support activities of public
interest, develop harmonious relations with the private sector and struggle
against corrupt structures.
The constitutional process will safeguard participation for all and
justice for all. Unity in diversity is indeed the very outline of a political
topology in which differences of view can be democratically harmonized.
The more equality there is in civil rights, the less inequality there
will be in the socio-economic field. I repeat: the more equality there is in
civil rights, the less inequality there will be in the socio-economic sphere.
The Republic of Haiti shares the suffering of those peoples who are
impoverished, starving and abandoned. There are many of those dispossessed
people who are in vain seeking the return of what is due to them.
In addressing our thanks in advance to all those friends of Haiti who
wish to send humanitarian aid to Haiti, we would like to ask you to coordinate
the channelling of humanitarian aid with the constitutional Government of the
Republic of Haiti and those non-governmental organizations that are
accompanying the march of the people of Haiti towards democracy.
Despite the controversy that has surrounded the idea of an embargo, the
people of Haiti would like to repeat 'Yes' to an embargo. Let us have a real,
total and complete embargo at last. Secondly, let us put a stop to the flood
of new weapons being pumped continually into Haiti. Thirdly, if a total
blockade is required to achieve this, the Haitian people will welcome it. For
all those efforts that you have already made and for the support that you
intend to give us, may I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
One year is too long; twelve months is too long,
The third democratic beatitude is: Blessed are those who heroically say
No to getting off scot-free; No to vengeance; Yes, to justice.
No justice, no peace!
The refusal to give one's blessing to impunity is part of the lexicon of
justice and morality. Article 42.3 of the Constitution of the Republic of
Haiti lays down that
"Abuses, acts of violence and crimes perpetrated against civilians
by a military official in the exercise of his duties shall come under the
authority of the Courts of common law".
In less than one year, 3,000 persons have been assassinated; there have
been over 40,000 political refugees; hundreds of thousands of citizens have
fled throughout the country, more than a hundred journalists have fallen
victim to the terror of the military; the press has been muzzled, priests have
been arrested, beaten up and imprisoned, the life of Monsignor Willy Romelus
has been threatened; priests, nuns and members of grass-roots ecclesiastical
communities or Ti Legliz have been continually persecuted. Rural, popular,
socio-professional and trade union organizations have been systematically
dismantled or targeted. Many parliamentarians have been persecuted. One
Deputy was assassinated in cold blood. Blood is flowing; the corpses are
being heaped up. Never has Haiti experienced such a ferocious and bloody
dictatorship.
Rejected by all States of the world, these criminals have nevertheless
been recognized, by the Vatican the only State that has elected to give its
blessing to crimes that it should have condemned in the name of the God of
justice and peace. What a scandal!
Because of this impunity, on 2 June 1992 these criminals burned down the
Lafanmi Selavi orphanage. On 5 February 1991 these same criminals burned four
street-children and destroyed their orphanage. On 11 September 1988, these
same criminals burned down St. Jean Bosco's Church, killing some 50 human
beings in broad daylight while they were celebrating the Eucharist.
They have destroyed human lives. But they will never, never be able to
destroy our love. Let the force of love banish the shades of hatred so that
the beacon of peace may shine through.
In the light of this peace, in which, as Anaxagoras said, "the visible is
a window on the invisible", one may well wonder: what would the attitude of
the Vatican have been if Haiti had been inhabited by white people? Secondly,
what would the attitude of Pope John Paul II have been if Haiti had been
Polish? Thirdly, next October Pope John Paul II will be a few kilometres away
from Haiti. Will he be the Good Samaritan or the High Priest?
St. Luke 10:30-37.
In the meantime, love and peace to the Pope, because we gain no merit in
loving only those who love us - Luke 6:32.
The fourth democratic beatitude: Blessed are those who reduce arms
expenditures and increase expenditures for human development.
World military expenditures add up to $2 million per minute. Since 1945
there have been approximately 150 wars, which have caused a total of
20 million deaths. The developing countries' military expenditures have
increased over the last three decades from $24 billion to $173 billion.
Peace is promoted by reducing the arms purchases and increasing
expenditures on human development. Unfortunately, in our country military
expenditures have led not to peace but to the massacre of a non-violent
population. An army of 7,000 men accounts for 40 per cent of the national
budget. Striking contradictions! That is not to mention drugs; some officers
are implicated up to their necks in drug trafficking, a source of corruption
par excellence.
In the face of so much corruption, millions of victims seem to be echoing
Cicero when he asked, "Ouousque tandem abutere. Catilina. patientia nostra?":
"How long will you continue to abuse our patience, Catilina?" The people have
categorically rejected that army. We have no need of it, they constantly
repeat. "Police, yes, but this army of criminals, no" they say to anyone who
will listen.
In keeping with the Constitution, we, the President of the Republic of
Haiti, respond to the people in these terms: Yes to the army, but the army as
it is, no. The army should be freed from Cedras and his clique, who have been
responsible for the death of several thousand people. Once liberated, it will
be integrated and brought up to professional standards, and, in accordance
with the Constitution, we shall set up a police force separate from the army.
So much, then, for preserving peace.
A constitutional and democratic State excludes despotism, tyranny,
anarchy and absolute power, because absolute power corrupts absolutely.
The Republic of Haiti would be very happy to see the United Nations set
up commissions made up of defenders of individual rights to inquire into
violations of fundamental rights committed since 30 September 1991. Their
presence in Haiti is essential to extend our good experience during the
elections of 16 December 1990.
Let the United Nations and the Organization of American States meet
together in Haiti, urgently, so that finally fine-sounding resolutions can
yield visible and fruitful action.
The fifth democratic beatitude: Blessed are those who resist political
pollution, for they will make the sun of peace shine.
Deliberate injustice creates two parallel paths: submission and
resistance. We, the sons and daughters of Dessalines, Toussaint Louverture
and Charlemagne Peralte, say no to submission and yes to resistance.
Tolerant towards the intolerant, non-violent towards the violent,
flexible towards the intransigent, the Haitian people must make their
resistance and mobilization for liberation more dynamic in order to pave the
way for a democratic society.
Yes, sons and daughters of freedom.
Sons and daughters of dignity,
We reject submission.
We choose resistance.
The broad highway of resistance will once again lead us to political
stability, a prerequisite for economic development. From February 1991 to
September 1991 we had seven months of peace; seven months of political
stability; seven months of "lavalasian" security!
Those seven months of security, of course, made it possible for us to obtain
$511 million in gifts or loans from 15 international donors.
I pay homage to the women of Haiti, who, through their spirit, were able
to make more dynamic the teaching of resistance,
Through active, non-violent resistance, let us mobilize energetically to
defend human rights. Contempt for human life imperils everything our Haiti
and all humanity hold dear,
Perseverance, said Plutarch, is invincible. Resistance, we say, is
organic.
The Republic of Haiti offers encouragement to all those men and women on
the five continents who are resisting the forces of conflict.
We have been following closely the Middle East peace negotiations and
hope that they will result in a peace agreement, which all men and women
urgently need.
Sixth democratic beatitude: Blessed are those who defend the truth, for
they are a source of justice and peace.
Indeed, truth remains the foundation of justice. Man can use science to
kill truth or feed truth, and the same is true of political power. When
leaders seek truth through objectivity they contribute to the maintenance of
peace.
Economic and anti-democratic forces can follow a strategy that is able to
manipulate the information sector, thus spreading an oppressive "truth".
Therefore, ethics must rise up to oppose any manipulation of the truth or any
acceptance of a polluted truth.
For us Haitians, men and women alike, our existence is linked to the very
roots of our being. Those roots bring us the sap of the naked truth, of
ethnic identity and of nourishing dignity. The same is true of our
"lavalasian" policy. We take from it the sap of liberating truth and
democratic ethics.
From Socrates to Heidegger, from Hegel to Jean-Paul Sartre, over and
above philosophical differences, our political ethic makes it essential for us
to seek truth from the very source of objectivity, for a peaceful
civilization, within the truth.
That is why we chose a constitutional democracy and not a schizophrenic
democracy with its implications of psychopathic breakdown, structural
dislocation, verbal stereotypes, and hypertrophy of the collective super-ego.
As always, we need a political psychology that furthers social peace and the
realization of national interests. National interests yes! The interests
of the country - yes! The interests of the nation - yes! The interests of
the nation compel us to transcend personal relationships in order to save the
nation. This can be seen today in the determination of over 90 per cent of
the Haitians to continue to say "No!" to the usurpers after 12 months of
resistance. This can be seen in the determination of the Haitian diaspora -
or the "tenth department" which today, heroically and proudly, has taken to
the streets. They are over 100,000 strong at this very moment, for that is
how they say "Yes!" to democracy.
Their will our will is to defend not individual interests but the
interests of the nation. It is noble to die for flag and fatherland! Yes, it
is noble to die for flag and fatherland!
The sun of this peace will shine in many countries. The Republic of
Haiti joyfully welcomes the presence of the United Nations in Cambodia, where
there is such a thirst for justice and peace after two decades of war and
isolation. It will shine one day in the Caribbean and Latin America. During
the first 100 years following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in America,
we lost more than 90 million human beings. This was the start of the practice
of genocide. May the blood of our ancestors fertilize the Caribbean and
America. May their spirit fortify us and guide us towards the triumph of the
civilization of peace.
The seventh beatitude of democracy: Blessed are they who, regardless of
class and race, love one another the Lavalas way. When the black man does not
live in peace, the white man cannot enjoy his peace. When the white man does
not live in peace, the black man cannot enjoy his peace. Let us love one
another the Lavalas way. May the peace of the blacks be with the whites! May
the peace of the whites be with the blacks! When the poor man does not live
in peace, the rich man cannot enjoy his peace. When the rich man does not
live in peace, the poor man cannot enjoy his peace. Let us love one another
the Lavalas way. May the peace of the rich be with the poor! May the peace
of the poor be with the rich!
According to Aristotle, politics demands a reciprocal and symmetrical
relationship in which citizens are side by side and not one atop the other.
To forge unity in diversity, let us love one another the Lavalas way. The
aspiration to peace is inherent in human nature. May it fertilize political
praxis, guaranteeing the growth of cultures and respect for human rights: the
right to live in freedom; the right to work; the right to eat one's fill; the
right of one and all to a seat at the table of democracy. Living in profound
communion with our sisters and brothers in South Africa, the Republic of Haiti
vigorously condemns the system of apartheid. It is indeed a modern vestige of
slavery, day after day eroding human dignity.
Finally, the eighth beatitude of democracy: Blessed are they who, on the
threshold of the third millennium, discover the true face of the Haitian
people. Freedom, dignity, and pride: These are the values written in letters
of gold on the brow of this heroic people marching with head held high in
quest of peace. Five hundred years ago, our ancestors, in search of peace,
threw themselves into the sea, abandoning the boats that were carrying them
from Africa to the Caribbean. After 500 years, thousands of political
refugees in quest of peace have taken to the sea because the Haitian prefers
to die on his feet than to live on his knees.
May the true face of the Haitian people never again never again be
hidden behind the faces of Papa Doc, Cedras, and the tontons macoutes. all
rejected viscerally, democratically, and once and for all by a bare-handed
people. Freedom! Dignity! Pride! Yes! He or she who knows the Haitian
diaspora or the "tenth department" can say, like Archimedes: "Eureka!"
"I have found it!" He or she who knows the Haitian people in Haiti can say,
again like Archimedes: "Eureka!" "I have found it! I have found Haiti,
where the roots of freedom planted by Toussaint Louverture are sometimes
fought, sometimes beaten, but never vanquished". In the name of the people
and its sons and its holy spirit Amen. We will continue to march with every
Haitian in Haiti so that some day we be able to meet and live in real
democracy.


The lofty aspirations of the Millennium Development Goals
guided our first steps into the era of the second
millennium and enabled us to realize, in part, the
priorities that we hold so dear. With this shared
experience, which is extraordinary in terms of what it
has made concrete, and aware of the new challenges
that have been imposed on us over the past 15 years,
we now have clear lessons on which to build the future
we want. We now know that peace and development are
inseparable.

The future to which we all aspire can be understood
on three levels, based on the three pillars of sustainable
development that command our attention equally. The
work we have started on defining the post-2015 era,
by its very nature and given the challenges it poses,
merits committed efforts by the entire international
community, which have already been undertaken.
Indeed, it requires a contribution by all States and all
parts of society, including the private sector, academia,
philanthropy and, obviously, non-governmental
organizations. It also must be, as a matter of ethics but
also to ensure its viability, inclusive, participatory and
based on good governance.

Those are therefore the bases for defining the post-
2015 era, despite the glaring paradoxes and the many
obstacles we unfortunately face. At a time when the
world is highly interdependent, its communications
technology performing as never before and its riches
abundant, inequalities continue to grow, and too many
of us remain marginalized and live in unacceptable
conditions.

Inevitable climate change, which is recognized as
the greatest challenge of our time, will decide the fate of
our planet and darkens our future prospects by already
threatening our present. Conflicts persist, while others
are born, and terrorist acts lead to a range of problems
that challenge traditional defence strategies. This past
year, existing and new conflicts have escalated towards
an unacceptable level. The Monegasque authorities can
only reiterate their commitment to the values of the
purposes and principles of the Charter of the United
Nations and join the efforts of those who seek a peaceful
and political settlement of the crisis in Ukraine.

The use of chemical weapons in Syria and the assault
on civilian targets in Syria, Iraq, the Gaza Strip, South
Sudan, Mali, the Central African Republic and Nigeria
have spread horror and are barbarous practices. They
are intolerable. That is why the Government of Monaco
condemned acts of abject violence by supporting the
adoption of Security Council resolution 2178 (2014) last
week, which establishes a new legislative and policy
framework to coordinate international efforts to fight
against the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters.

The Principality shares the grief of the French,
British and American peoples following the heinous
killings of their nationals who were held hostage. In
memory of those victims, His Serene Highness Prince
Albert II asked that flags at administrative buildings and
Monegasque public institutions be flown at half-mast.
Those who commit such heinous crimes in the name
of a religion they blaspheme annihilate the foundation
of our society by violating the rule of law and respect
for the standards that we have developed together. They
use communications networks and social networks,
which we might think would be used to spread harmony
and unity, to spread hatred and chaos. We have reason
to wonder about their motivations and the reasons that
make their appeal so convincing.

The response is obviously rooted in exclusion and
the marginalization of people who have not yet benefited
from what we call progress. It often involves young
people without prospects for the future. Therefore,
it is our responsibility to design inclusive social
integration policies, promoting education and youth
employment. Young people have never formed such a
large proportion of the world population — particularly
in developing countries. They must be an integral part

of the decision-making process in order to allow them
to realize their human potential.

We welcome, in that respect, the “Rights Up
Front” initiative of the Secretary-General, launched in
November 2013, whose primary objective is to make
sure that human rights violations do not become mass
crimes and to enable the Organization to act more
quickly by placing people at the heart of its strategies
and operational activities.

On the eve of the tenth anniversary of the 2005
Summit, and especially as memories of sinister
genocides come to mind, we must do a better job of
promoting the responsibility to protect. That is the
primary responsibility of every State, as we know, but
we also need to be able to help States for which capacity-
building is difficult. Prevention remains a fundamental
aspect of our Organization’s work. In that regard, the
involvement of regional and subregional organizations
is essential to the effective implementation of the
protection of populations from genocide, war crimes
and crimes against humanity. The promotion and
protection of human rights must be at the heart of our
policies. Prince Al-Hussein has our full confidence.
With his experience and his unwavering commitment
to peace and the rule of law, he can be the right United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for our
times.

Another aspect also deserves emphasis — the
delivery of humanitarian assistance in conflict zones.
It must not depend on the political context. The
politicization of humanitarian assistance should be
a priority item for discussion at the global summit in
2016.

In the light of the increasing number and persistence
of crisis areas, caused both by conflicts and by natural
disasters, whose frequency we now associate with the
rate of climate change, we must take into consideration
the needs of over 50 million people. The magnitude of
those needs justifies the new partnerships that have
been formed around organizations, local partners and
the private sector and individuals.

The unprecedented threat of the Ebola virus in West
Africa is testing our ability to respond in an effective
and coordinated manner. We support the establishment
by the Secretary-General of the United Nations
Mission for Ebola Emergency Response to counter the
large-scale threat Ebola poses to international peace
and security. In that regard, I wish to acknowledge the
commitment of the Principality of Monaco, which is
effectively contributing to that unprecedented struggle,
together with the World Health Organization and the
International Committee of the Red Cross. We share in
the grief of the victims and that of their families. We
are aware that the families’ tragedies are compounded
and their pain is made unbearable by the fact that they
are unable to take care of their loved ones or provide
proper funerals for those who die.

In these difficult times, we need to establish a new
post-2015 sustainable development paradigm. Universal,
inclusive, ambitious and concrete, it must accommodate
the pressures of a growing global population and the
urbanization that comes with it. It requires us to adapt
our methods of production, consumption and transport
and to opt for clean technologies. We need to define the
nature of the world we want to live in, with and for our
children. As I mentioned earlier, it is vital that the needs
of the most vulnerable be duly taken into consideration
and that economic independence for women and young
people be ensured. It is time for women to realize the
transformation that the Secretary-General announced
by breaking through the glass ceiling that for too long
has kept them from achieving their potential. Without
the full contribution of those who constitute 50 per cent
of humankind, sustainable development will not be
achieved.

The year 2015 will also mark the fifteenth
anniversary of the adoption of Security Council
resolution 1325 (2000), on women, peace and security.
We reiterate our call to end impunity for crimes related
to sexual and gender-based violence against women, as
well as all the abuse women suffer.

The undeniable success of the Climate Summit should
be measured not only by the commitments announced,
but also by the broad participation of the private sector,
foundations and civil society and by the sense of
ownership expressed by all the stakeholders concerned.
The Summit therefore succeeded in catalysing society
as a whole, thus ensuring that the political momentum
will be maintained in Lima and Paris. As the issue of
climate change cannot be separated from the question
of the oceans, the Prince’s Government will continue
to defend an objective of sustainable development
dedicated to healthy and productive oceans for all. The
Assembly may rest assured that Monaco will engage in
discussions, which will begin in January, and we will
continue, in both national and international policies, to
act as a responsible and unifying partner.


At the outset, it gives me great
pleasure to congratulate you warmly, Mr. President,
and, through you, your friendly country Uganda upon
your election as President of the General Assembly at
its sixty-ninth session. I take this opportunity to wish
you luck and success in the noble mission entrusted to
you, and I affirm the Kingdom of Bahrain’s support
for your judicious proposal regarding the formulation
and adoption of a post-2015 development agenda that
will build on past achievements in the context of the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for the well-
being of all people.

It would be remiss of me not to commend your
predecessor, Ambassador John Ashe, for his excellent
conduct of the work of the Assembly during its sixty-
eighth session and his outstanding and successful
efforts.

We also greatly appreciate the efforts of Secretary-
General Ban Ki-moon to revitalize and strengthen the
Organization’s role and to realize its objectives in all
fields. I commend the report he introduced earlier in the
current session on the work of the Organization (A/69/1).
It demonstrates the daunting responsibility assumed by
our Organization in creating an environment conducive
to seeking appropriate solutions to the problems and
challenges that we all face.

The inaugural statement by the Secretary-General
at the opening of the general debate (see A/69/PV.6) shed
light on a number of the challenges facing us, including
climate change, the spread of diseases, particularly the
Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the aggravated refugee
problem, the propagation of extremism, policies
of exclusion, violence, violations of human rights,
particularly those affecting women, and issues related
to health, education and food security.

My country supports the Secretary-General’s
urgent call to conclude a global climate agreement at the
forthcoming Lima and Paris conferences and stresses
the importance of the Green Climate Fund, designed to
mitigate the effects of climate change.

It is a matter of particular pride for me to mention
the vigorous efforts undertaken by the Kingdom of
Bahrain and the resulting successes in countering
the numerous challenges and instability currently
facing the region. As classified by the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) 2014 Human
Development Report — which is based on objective
statistical criteria regarding, first and foremost, health
care, education, per capita income and the equality of
women — the Kingdom of Bahrain is ranked among the
countries with “very high human development”. That is
a status achieved through persistent hard work, and we
will endeavour to maintain it.

Those goals, however, have never been an end in
themselves. The principal objective is to achieve the
well-being of Bahraini citizens and to protect all those
who live within the borders of the Kingdom, an oasis of
security and calm enjoyed equally by all.

I am pleased to recall in that context the award
bestowed on His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa
by the Foundation for Coexistence among Religions in
recognition of His Majesty’s outstanding contributions
in the field of dialogue among civilizations and
cultures. I also note that the fourteenth Conference on
All Civilizations in the Service of Humanity was held in
Manama in early May under the high-level patronage of
His Majesty the King and with the participation of the
United Nations and a distinguished group of thinkers,
scholars and opinion-makers. The Conference adopted
the Bahrain Declaration, which has been circulated and
deposited as an official document of the United Nations
(A/68/959, annex).

Additionally, I would like to mention His Majesty’s
initiative to establish an Arab human rights tribunal.
The initiative has been approved by all States members
of the League of Arab States, and the statute has been
adopted. I would also like to mention the launch in
Bahrain in November 2013 of the UNDP report Water
Governance in the Arab Region, which calls for the
adoption of a joint Arab water-management strategy.

The Kingdom of Bahrain has continued to play an
energetic role in the United Nations system, where it
seeks to further progress through gradual and steady
reform and modernization along the lines envisaged by
His Majesty the King. Such reform would be based on a
strategy of common denominators, continuous and open
dialogue and a national exchange of views — the same
strategy as led to the early achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals. Accordingly, the strategies and
preparations for the post-2015 development agenda are
also based on tireless work, determination, persistence,
good faith and comprehensive planning and are aimed
at promoting continual and enhanced progress and
serving the interests of the Kingdom’s citizens and
residents alike.

Our region is going through a phase of extreme
difficulty — probably the most difficult in its modern
history — in which a climate of instability, chaos,
tension and savage, bloody and unprecedented terrorism
prevails. Of the many contributing factors, the most
salient are the following.

First, the accelerated emergence of terrorist groups
of various global dimensions and affiliations. They
thrive in our region, exhibiting the greatest savagery
and callousness. Not only do they target innocent
people in general, they also engage in such inhumane
practices as mass murder, public beheadings and the
persecution of ethnic and religious minorities, which
they displace, destroying their cultural heritage,
depriving them of religious freedom and causing them
to flee their homes. They attack entire cities and declare
war on sovereign countries in regional and international
settings, in complete disregard of all religious doctrines
and the intrinsic human values — tolerance, equality,
moderation and respect for cultural diversity — that
have enabled human civilizations, including our Arab
and Islamic civilization, to coexist. These terrorist
groups — they include Al-Qaida, the Islamic State in
Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Hizbullah, and their
extensions and counterparts — recruit their fighters
from both East and West and perpetrate horrific terrorist
acts. The young and the old alike are killed, women are
taken as war bounty, families are displaced and privacy
is violated, the objective being to undermine security,
propagate anarchy and topple regimes.

Therefore, combating terrorist groups requires
us to work together in three main areas. The first of
these is the security and military area, owing to the
worsening threat posed by these terrorist groups as they
acquire heavy weapons, enabling them to occupy cities
for use as safe havens and bases from which to launch
the terrorist operations that disrupt the stability and
security of our region.

We share a common responsibility with friendly
countries and our allies is to eradicate the terrorist group
of ISIL. To that end, our air force, in collaboration with
these countries, has targeted a number of ISIL positions.
We welcome Security Council resolution 2178 (2014),
adopted on 24 September, which focuses on stopping
the recruitment of foreign terrorist fighters. Also, we
continue to closely monitor borders and exit and entry
points so as to stop citizens of the Kingdom from
contacting or joining terrorist groups and to arrest and
prosecute all those who have allegedly been affiliated
to them as soon as they return to the country.

Secondly, we must combat all ideology that runs
counter to human nature and betrays true Islam by
distorting its precepts. Muslim clerics and scholars can
play an important part in counteracting such distortion.
We therefore call on all Muslim scholars to expose and
disown ideas that are not related to Islam in any way,
and we appreciate their playing a leading role in that
respect. It is imperative to stand together in the face of
the ideas propagated by the terrorist groups.

Thirdly, we must deal with financing, as it
constitutes the lifeline of the terrorist groups, enabling
them to perpetrate their barbaric acts, purchase
weapons and influence some young people. In that
connection, the Kingdom of Bahrain will convene
a high-level international conference during the
first week of November to consider the financing of
terrorism, how best to combat such financing and how
to deprive terrorism of its sources of finance. We firmly
believe that preventing the financing of terrorism will
significantly contribute to overcoming terrorism and to
eradicating it.

The second challenge to the security and stability of
our region is that of political expansionism and attempts
to impose hegemony, in disregard of the sovereignty
of States, and to interfere in their internal affairs. All
the countries of the region, without exception, have
suffered from such issues as a result of attempts to
export seditious revolutions and to train terrorists
in violation of international law and the principles
of the United Nations. Such attempts represent an
ideology that is archaic in its political dimension and
in its defiance of the values and principles enshrined in
numerous international instruments.

One form of such interference is the exploitation of
the media, in particular satellite television channels and
social media, which are misused in order to distort facts
and to cause instability in the region. We condemn such
illegal and illegitimate practices, which contravene
international values and principles.

I would like to point out what the Republic of
Yemen endures. With each step that it takes forward,
terrorist groups rush to pursue their criminal objectives
by undermining its stability and security. The Kingdom
of Bahrain reaffirms its support for President Abdrabuh
Mansour Hadi Mansour and his tireless efforts to
strengthen the national consensus achieved through a

comprehensive national dialogue on the basis of the
Gulf Cooperation Council initiative and the relevant
Security Council resolutions.

Turning to Iraq, which has suffered from flagrant
interference, insecurity, hegemony and anarchy, we see
some hope in the positive developments in the country.
We are pleased to welcome the election of President Fuad
Masum and the establishment of the new Government
under Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi. We hope
that such a development will enhance the political
and development processes, thereby contributing to
the consolidation of Iraq’s security and stability, the
preservation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity
and the strengthening of its links with its fellow Arabs
in the region where it naturally belongs.

The conflict in Syria becomes more complex and
more acute every year. Innocent civilians are paying
the ultimate price and losing their lives, property and
dignity. The humanitarian situation deteriorates daily
in the absence of a comprehensive political solution to
safeguard the lives of the Syrian people and to extricate
that beloved country from its protracted suffering
through a comprehensive political process aimed at
achieving reform and political plurality. With regard to
the humanitarian aspect, we reiterate that it is necessary
to overcome all impediments to the delivery of
humanitarian assistance to those in need, in accordance
with the relevant Security Council resolutions.

In that respect, I wish to express my country’s
great appreciation for the humanity shown by the
sisterly Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in hosting
and delivering assistance to Syrian refugees. We also
appreciate the humanitarian role played by Turkey and
Lebanon, as well as by the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees.

With regard to the Arab Republic of Egypt,
the Kingdom of Bahrain welcomes the democratic
development that has taken place in that country
and the implementation of the road map through the
establishment of a Constitution that reflects the will of
the Egyptian people. We also welcome the presidential
elections and the ongoing preparations for the holding
of legislative elections so as to complete the State
institutions under the Constitution.

The Kingdom of Bahrain reiterates its complete
condemnation of any interference in the internal affairs
of Egypt. We support the efforts of President Abdel
Fattah Al Sisi and the steps that he has taken to combat
terrorism, to preserve the security and stability of
Egypt and to pursue its strategic and active role at the
Arab, regional and international levels. In that regard,
I would like to commend the initiative taken by the
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah
Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, King of the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, in announcing the convening of an Egyptian
economic summit in support of Egypt and its economic
development.

We reiterate the historical, principled and constant
position of the Kingdom of Bahrain in solidarity with
the Kingdom of Morocco and our full support for its
initiatives with regard to self-government for the
Moroccan Sahara within Moroccan sovereignty and
territorial integrity, in accordance with international
legitimacy.

With regard to Libya, the Kingdom of Bahrain
wishes to express its grave concern about the
deteriorating security situation as a result of the
violent acts perpetrated by terrorist groups and
the repercussions of such acts on the stability of
neighbouring countries. The Kingdom of Bahrain
supports the legitimate constitutional institutions
represented by the elected House of Representatives
and welcomes the establishment of the new Government
under Mr. Abdallah Al-Thani. We hope that such a
development will help to establish security and stability
and to preserve the unity and territorial integrity of that
sisterly country.

In view of our keen interest in striving to achieve
our principal goal, namely, to protect humankind
from the scourge of war, conflict and disaster and to
condemn attempts at hegemony and destabilization, we
reiterate our call to make the Middle East, including
the Arab Gulf region, a zone free of weapons of mass
destruction, in particular nuclear weapons. On the basis
of that principle, we support the efforts of the P5+1
to promptly find a solution to the issue of the Iranian
nuclear programme, in accordance with the provisions
of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons and the Convention on Nuclear Safety, without
prejudice to the use of nuclear technology for peaceful
purposes. Such use is a natural right of all States under
the international safeguards system.

The third and last challenge is the illegal occupation
of the territory of other States in breach of the principles
of international law and the Charter of the United
Nations, as demonstrated by Israel’s violation of all

international laws, agreements and decisions and its
targeting of the Palestinian people by confiscating their
land, by building or expanding settlements thereon and
by imposing blockades on them. Such violations found
their ugliest expression in the most recent criminal
aggression against the Gaza Strip, which resulted in
tremendous damage and caused the death of more than
2,000 martyrs, the displacement of a great number of
Palestinians and the destruction of infrastructure.

I would like to recall the words of
President Mahmoud Abbas in his statement before
the General Assembly, his request that international
protection be provided to the Palestinian people and
their territories under occupation and his demand that
Israel abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949
(see A/69/PV.12). It is imperative to have a specific
time frame for an end to the Israeli occupation and to
achieve the aspirations of the Palestinian people for the
establishment of an independent Palestinian State on
all its territory within the boundaries of 4 June 1967,
with East Jerusalem as its capital, as stipulated under
the Arab Peace Initiative and the two-State solution,
in accordance with international legitimacy and the
relevant United Nations resolutions.

In that context, we commend the pivotal role
played by the Arab Republic of Egypt in order to
reach a ceasefire in Gaza. We greatly appreciate its
hosting, in cooperation with the Kingdom of Norway,
an international conference in support of Palestine and
the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip next month. We
also commend the important role of the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East.

With regard to the occupation by the Islamic
Republic of Iran of the three islands Greater Tunb,
Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, which belong to the United
Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain reiterates its
consistent position condemning that occupation. We
call on Iran to heed the efforts of the United Arab
Emirates to resolve the issue through direct negotiations
or through the arbitration of the International Court of
Justice.

Those are the key challenges facing our region.
If we overcome them, it will be relatively easy for us,
within our common responsibilities, to address the
international challenges that the Secretary-General
described in his statement, to which I referred at the
beginning of my statement. If we focus on those very
serious issues, we will be on the right path towards true
sustainable development and the necessary reform to
meet the aspirations of all peoples.

Notwithstanding the challenges that we all face, the
Kingdom of Bahrain will always remain committed to
moving forward on the path of development, reform and
positive interaction with the international community
in order to achieve our aspirations and objectives. In
that respect, the Kingdom of Bahrain, in line with its
firm approach towards reform under the leadership
of His Majesty the King, will continue to work for
the upholding of the rule of law, pluralism and active
political participation. We look forward to the elections
to be held on 22 November, so as to consolidate all our
achievements.

In conclusion, I would like to underscore the
fact that in the Kingdom of Bahrain our choices are
clear. Our vision is comprehensive and our strategy
complementary to and in line with our Gulf, Arab and
international contexts. The Kingdom always seeks to
promote stability, peace, security, development and the
protection of human rights. It rejects and condemns
terrorism, violence and hatred and works for a society
in which harmony and consensus prevail for the benefit
of all and for the establishment of a promising future
full of opportunity and achievement for all future
generations.


It is an honour
for me to represent my country, the Principality of
Andorra, in the Assembly, which for almost seven
decades has been meeting annually to speak of peace,
development and justice, and particularly this year,
in which we are marking two historic events that are
closely linked to the birth of the United Nations.

The year 2014 will mark 100 years since the
beginning of the First World War and 70 years since
the landing of the Allies in Normandy, which was the
beginning of the end of the Second World War. Those
two armed conflicts caused humanity to open its eyes
to a new reality: the old balances among European
Powers no longer served to maintain peace in the
world. The policy of blocs was ineffectual in preventing
conflicts with enormous destructive capacity. Further,
the foreign activities of countries, focusing solely and
exclusively on their national interests, proved in some
cases to be the cause of the conflicts.

The two World Wars raised humankind’s awareness
in that the world needed a global order that would
ensure peace and security and promote development
and justice. Those functions could no longer be
provided by a single country, however powerful and
large, or even by a bloc of countries; rather, there had
to be multilateral action. That was the raison d’être of
the United Nations, of which the highest expression is
this General Assembly.

I wanted to begin with a brief historical reference,
because I believe that the challenges of peace and
security in the world of today are not very different
from the challenges of peace and security of the world
of yesterday, of 1914 or 1944. Certainly there is a
variety of challenges, but they have a very significant
common denominator: they can be resolved only with a
vision that is global, multilateral, effective and, above
all, respectful of the principles that inspire this General
Assembly.

The conflicts in Syria, Palestine or Ukraine, which
threaten peace and security and stability, will not be

resolved optimally or effectively with a partial or short-
term vision. Any solution that veers away from the
founding principles of the United Nations is condemned
to be unstable, not lasting and, unfortunately, quite
often a solution that leads to new conflicts.

Therefore Andorra has always championed and will
continue to champion the discussion of and solutions
to those conflicts under United Nations auspices. We
did so when we co-sponsored the draft resolution in
the Security Council that would have requested that the
case of Syria be referred to the International Criminal
Court (ICC), because without justice there can be no
lasting peace — neither in Syria nor anywhere else.

Also, in the same spirit we have been unflagging
in our defence of a solution to the Palestinian conflict
that obtains peaceful coexistence for two States, in
compliance with United Nations resolutions. A solution
must be based on mutual recognition and mutual respect,
because the aspirations of the Palestinian people to have
their own State are noble and respectable, but also noble
and respectable are the aspirations of the Government of
Israel to ensure life and security for its citizens. Along
the same lines, we do not believe that any solution to
the Ukrainian conflict can be stable unless it respects
the principles of international law and unless it comes
as the fruit of a sincere dialogue — neither in Ukraine
nor anywhere else.

The risk and threat to international peace and
security arising from the emergence of the Islamic
State in Syria and Iraq require a clear response from
the international community vis-à-vis the extremists.
There can be no excuse or mitigating factor for the
criminal acts of barbarism, sectarianism and — let us
be clear — terrorism to which the Islamic State resorts
as a strategy for its action and communication. There
can be no double-standard discourse. The Islamic State
murders innocent people in cold blood. We all feel as
if we are British, American or French citizens when
watching the recent savage executions. We must also
all feel as if we were Syrian or Iraqi citizens — true
victims of those extremists, though not always so
visible in the media. There can be no room for inaction
or for impunity.

New threats, also global in nature, have appeared,
such as the phenomenon of foreign combatants. In
that connection, Andorra co-sponsored the recent
Security Council resolution 2178 (2014). We must have
a response to rechannel efforts to tackle the challenges
and immediate threats. In the long run we must be able
to persevere in the fight against sectarian discourse,
extremist discourse, and discourses of hate. On that
point, education must play an essential role, together
with the other values of the United Nations, now and
in the future.

The actions taken by my country in the United
Nations over the past year have focused primarily on
education. That matter requires, perhaps more than
any other, a vision that integrates long-term thinking.
Promoting access to quality education for all the
citizens of our planet has always been a priority of the
United Nations, because when we speak of education
we are speaking also of fundamental rights and of
development. But I would go further. Education is
also an instrument for creating awareness of a global
citizenry. If there is not a broad majority of citizens of
the world who believe in the principles and values of
the United Nations, our actions will always be in vain.

I am convinced that the only way to create global
awareness is through education. Education is the best
weapon in the fight against hatred and violence of all
kinds. Andorra therefore welcomes and has participated
from the beginning in the Global Education First
Initiative promoted by the Secretary-General, because
it brings a universal vision together with local action.
It also shows that diversity is strengthened in a global
focus, and with diversity we can strengthen democracy.

Andorrans, because of our historical and
geographical circumstances, have understood for some
time that education must have a twofold focus, local and
global. We have also long understood that cooperation
among the different States strengthens the quality of
our educational systems and opens new opportunities
for our citizens. I say “educational systems” because
the citizens of Andorra can have access on an equal
footing, and without cost, to French, Spanish and
Andorran education. Those three public education
systems are complemented by the offer in Andorra of a
Catholic religious education, accessible also to a great
part of our population.

Perhaps without being fully aware of it, or perhaps
because fortune has placed us between two great
European nations, it is true that for decades now we
Andorrans have educated ourselves in diversity and
in being multicultural. That has not caused us to lose

our identity; on the contrary, our identity has been
reinforced. Sometimes we are not even aware ourselves
of the educational richness of our country and of the
great asset that that is. For that reason the Government
of Andorra has focused a great deal of its policy and
action abroad on education. In 2012 and 2013, during
the Andorran presidency of the Council of Europe, that
is how we acted. It is also what we have shown through
participating in the Global Education First Initiative,
together with 15 other countries from all continents.
That was an honour for Andorra.

That activity abroad is also reflected coherently
in internal policies in Andorra. We have suffered the
effects of the international economic crisis for years. We
have had austerity in our public spending, but that has
not undermined our educational system. It will never
affect our educational system, or undermine it, because
education is the best passport to the opportunity for a
future that is better for all.

The need for multilateral action is clear not only
in the matter of education but also, and perhaps even
more intensely, in the fight against global warming.
What we each can do unilaterally will not accomplish
much if there is no global commitment. It is in the fight
against climate change that we can see most clearly that
unilateral actions have a limited reach. Andorrans are
very aware of that, given that our primary economic
sector is winter and mountain tourism — a tourism
threatened by global warming. The Pyrenees are
heating up at 0.2°C each decade, and precipitation has
dropped by 2 litres per square metre each year.

It is clear that a programme of local action is
required. We are working, together with the population
through education and awareness, on policies to reduce
our impact on the environment. We are preparing
studies to seek ways to mitigate the effects of climate
change and also to seek alternative and complementary
systems. Over the years ahead, we will deploy great
efforts to bring about alternative energy sources.

But all that is not enough, nor are the many
actions being implemented by Governments in
countries represented enough. National domestic
environmental policies are important, but if we are to
limit carbon dioxide emissions we must have a global
commitment. Without effective implementation of such
a commitment, the fight against climate change will not
bear the hoped-for fruits. We have a year to prepare for
the Paris Conference, a year to mobilize our efforts.

It is also time for the international community
to mobilize to fight the Ebola virus that so seriously
affects Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. It also affects
us; let us not deceive ourselves. It is the time to show
solidarity, to help. Now is the time, in the weeks and
months ahead, when we must tackle that disease,
which, unfortunately, does not recognize — nor will it
recognize — borders. It is urgent. Beyond that it is, in
my opinion, a global emergency.

Three years ago, the Minister for Foreign Affairs
of the Principality of Andorra came to this Assembly
and spoke, among other things, of an ambitious reform
programme for restructuring our economic model (see
A/66/PV.27). The programme hinged on transparency,
economic openness and a homogenization that would
respect certain Andorran specifics. Today, three
years down the road, we can make a very satisfactory
assessment of the implementation of that policy. Our
country has implemented a fiscal model that works
with our European neighbours, a moderate system that
taxes all income and promotes economic productivity.

We have also opened 100 per cent of the Andorran
economy to foreign investment, as we believe that a
more open world is a more transparent world, one with
more opportunities for all, and in particular for those
who deserve it the most. A country such as ours, which
for many years has been open to immigration, cannot
continue to allow our citizens to have different levels
of rights economically. They must all have the same
economic rights. In that process we have broadened all
economic rights to all foreign residents, who represent
more than half of our population, because a more open
economy is also a fairer and more democratic society.

At the same time, along with its domestic reforms,
Andorra has negotiated double-taxation agreements
with France and Luxembourg and is negotiating one
with Spain that I am convinced will be concluded soon.
We think we can have a similar agreement with other
European and other countries. Those agreements show
that there is a commitment in Andorra to a more open and
transparent global economy. That is a firm commitment
on the part of our Government with regard to generating
more opportunities for our business sector. We are also
firmly determined to move towards greater integration
of our economy in the single European market. For us,
going global begins in Europe.

I wanted to sum up some of our principal
domestic reforms because I understand that a spirit

of multilateralism and a global spirit must prevail.
The efforts of a country working for transparency and
economic cooperation make sense and will be effective
only if they are accompanied by equal efforts by all
countries — again, by all countries. Andorrans are
committed to moving in that direction, and to do so
together with the international community, because we
know that it is only thus, only by working globally, that
progress will be effective, equitable and stable.

The statement of the Head of Government of a
country of 468 square kilometres and 70,000 inhabitants
will never make the headlines or be discussed in
prime time on the world’s big international television
channels. But representing a small country gives us
some advantages, including one that I believe we
should underscore today. No one is as aware as we are
of the importance of multilateral forums when it comes
to resolving conflicts, strengthening international law
and finding global solutions. No one is as aware as we
are that to preserve individual identities and diversities
we must have a collective resolve and joint action.

History has accustomed Andorrans to being affected
by the geostrategic decisions of bigger countries and to
suffering indirectly the effects of instability occurring
beyond our borders. We know that in the great causes of
humanity such as the fight against climate change, our
individual actions will not have much influence if not
accompanied by collective action. I could say the same
of building a global economy that is more equitable and
more transparent. I have always said that the reality
for Andorra is also the reality for all, that for the
great questions we address, the solutions all hinge on
consensus — otherwise they are not solutions. We must
have broad consensus based on individual convictions.

The convictions of Andorra are clear: they are the
principles and values that almost 70 years ago inspired
the birth of the United Nations. Let us never forget the
reason for this great Organization. If we forget, we are
not worthy of being here.


I would first of all like to extend my sincere
congratulations to Mr. Sam Kutesa on his election as
President of the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth
session. I assure him of the full support of my country.
The remarkable work of his predecessor, Mr. John
William Ashe, during the sixty-eighth session deserves
our recognition. The same goes for the commendable
and tireless efforts of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
as head of the Organization.

At the previous session, we deplored and condemned
the cowardly terrorist attacks on the shopping centre in
Nairobi. Now, inevitably, the current session takes place
in an equally worrisome context, marked by serious
threats to international peace and security. First, there
is the advance of the elusive Boko Haram terrorist
network, which is extending its area of influence to
the border of the neighbouring countries of Gabon,
wreaking havoc and killing without discrimination.
Then, there is the recurrence of the epidemic of the
Ebola haemorrhagic fever, with an unprecedented
incidence of infection, which is plunging Africa into
mourning. Allow me to pay tribute to the memory of
those who have lost their lives trying to help those who
are ill. I also pay solemn tribute to the men and women
who risk their lives in their daily fight to eradicate the
pandemic.

Given that the threat of Ebola is worldwide, national
responses should be replaced by a comprehensive
mobilization at the global level. In that regard, my
country welcomes the recent steps taken by the
African Union and the United Nations, as well as the
many national initiatives that have been announced.
I welcome the United Nations decision to dispatch an
emergency medical mission to fight the Ebola epidemic
in the affected countries. My country, which prevailed
in its fight against several Ebola crises in the past,
intends to make available the International Centre for
Medical Research Centre in Franceville. The Centre’s
expertise in treating that disease has been proven.

I am pleased that this session allows us to debate a
topic that concerns all of us, namely “Delivering on and
implementing a transformative post-2015 development
agenda”. For Gabon, the report recently adopted by the
General Assembly on sustainable development goals
(A/68/970) is a solid foundation in the development
of that agenda. My country welcomes the fact that
African priorities, including the eradication of extreme
poverty, the promotion of sustainable agriculture and
industrialization, and the protection of the environment,
all figure prominently in that report.

I would like to recall here that Gabon entered the
post-2015 development agenda process when it began
to implement the Strategic Plan for an Emerging
Gabon. The plan is based on a vision, an approach that
has led us to define a bold development programme.
That programme, of course, incorporates the concerns
reflected in the Millennium Development Goals, as well
as the challenges of climate change and food security.
It gives pride of place to everything that promotes the
maximization of our youth potential. The strategy
implemented by Gabon aims to accelerate the structural
transformation of its economy by moving from a rentier
economy to an economy of industries and services with
high added-value in the near future.

In the current phase of implementing that
programme, special attention is being devoted to
competitiveness factors, such as the formation of
human capital and the construction and upgrading of
development infrastructure, including the development
of a digital economy and the strengthening of energy-
production capacities. Over the short term, we intend to
devote greater efforts to education and training in order
to improve the performance of our basic education
system. The goal here is to enhance the employability
of our workforce, provide a qualified labour force for
our labour market and accelerate the integration of
young people into the workforce. The development of
agriculture, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture, as
well as food security, continues to receive sustained
attention from my Government. Those are all areas
where we thought it best to anticipate our leap in the
post-2015 development agenda.

It is common knowledge that all those efforts can
truly thrive only in a political, economic and social
environment marked by good governance. To that end,
Gabon has established various institutional instruments,
such as the National Commission for the Fight against
Illicit Enrichment, whose overall mission is to ensure
transparency and accountability in the management of
public funds. Since then, I have made the fight against
corruption a priority strategic objective. Right now,
large-scale inspection and verification missions are
under way throughout the country with substantial
results. I remain firmly convinced that, in order to
establish a solid foundation for our post-2015 agenda,
we need to tailor our economic environment, so as
to ensure that transparency guides the awarding of
public contracts and licenses, that investments produce
a good return, and that economic actors respect their
obligations vis-à-vis the State.

Gabon’s commitment to the fight against climate
change remains constant, given the seriousness of
the problem. Indeed, as has already been pointed out,
the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change draws attention to the harsh reality
of the damage caused by climate change. It would be
wrong on our part to remain insensitive in the face of
what is transpiring before our very eyes. That is why I
welcome the commitments made by the heads of State
and Government at the end of the Climate Summit held
here on 23 September.

I reiterate Gabon’s determination to bear its share
of our common duty. Gabon’s objective is to reduce,
by 2025, more than half the greenhouse gas emissions
per capita produced by every Gabonese. My country
wishes to strengthen its contribution to the efforts of
the international community aimed at the adoption of a
more binding agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol.
That is the purpose of the meeting that we will organize
in Libreville from 18 to 19 March 2015, our “South
Climate Initiative.” As part of that initiative, which will
take place after the important Lima Conference, we,
the countries of the South, want to make a structured
contribution for the success of the Paris Conference.
The scale of climatic upheavals caused by global
warming shows that climate change is a vital, even
existential question. Given the extreme seriousness of
the danger confronting us, we must unite. We need to
work hand in hand towards the same goal, namely, to
save the planet in Paris in December 2015.

In just one year, our Organization will celebrate its
seventieth anniversary. That maturity should enable it
to better respond to the multifaceted challenges that it
faces. The effective implementation of the post-2015
development agenda must also be tackled. That is why
we must continue our efforts to resolve crises and
hotbeds of tension in various parts of the world.

Regarding the Central African Republic, Gabon
continues to actively participate in the efforts of the
Economic Community of Central African States, the
African Union, the United Nations and the rest of the
international community in seeking to stabilize the
political, security, economic and humanitarian situation
on the ground.

In that connection, I want to pay tribute to the
Brazzaville Forum for National Reconciliation in the
Central African Republic, which concluded with the
signing of a ceasefire agreement. Moreover, Gabon
welcomes the effective establishment of the United
Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization
Mission in the Central African Republic, which took
over from the African-led International Support
Mission to the Central African Republic. Regarding
Mali, Gabon supports the peace process that has been
launched and supports the mediation efforts by Burkina
Faso, Algeria and Morocco aimed at achieving a lasting
peace. In South Sudan, Gabon supports the efforts
of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development
and the African Union in the search for a negotiated
political solution between the two parties.

Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I
welcome the signing, under Egyptian mediation, of a
ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. My
hope is that that truce lasts and promotes the resumption
of direct negotiations to achieve the widely shared
vision of creating a viable Palestinian State existing in
harmony alongside Israel in peace and security, within
secure and internationally recognized borders.

Regarding Western Sahara, Gabon welcomes the
efforts based on dialogue and negotiations agreed to
by our Organization. My country wants to reiterate its
support for the Moroccan initiative, which we consider
to be a courageous and realistic proposal that could lead
to a lasting settlement. Finally, in terms of the embargo
against Cuba, Gabon reiterates its position in favour of
lifting it, because of its negative impact on the welfare
of the population.

Never has the terrorist threat been as strong
as in recent times, jeopardizing the survival of the
institutions of the countries affected by that terrible
phenomenon. In Africa, Boko Haram’s activism pushes
entire populations to live far from their homes and in
terror, poverty and despair.

In the Middle East, the so-called Islamic State
has extended its gruesome reign from eastern Syria
to northern Iraq. Its establishment there has been
accompanied by a lengthy sequence of rape, summary
executions, decapitations and punishments of all types
inflicted upon all those who, in the eyes of the extremists,
symbolize the rejection of their radicalization.

As no nation is now spared the murderous folly
of those negative entities, the fight against terrorism
needs to be more concerted and organized. My country
reiterates its support for international efforts undertaken
to that end and reaffirms its firm condemnation of
terrorist acts in all their forms and manifestations. In
seeking to meet the security challenge of terrorism,
we need to strengthen the operational capacities of
our defence and security forces in conformity with the
spirit of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism
Strategy.

Our concerns for peace and security are
compounded by other cross-cutting threats, notably the
poaching of and illicit trafficking in protected species.
That growing phenomenon, especially in Central
Africa, constitutes a threat at three levels: ecological,
economic and security. My country therefore remains
wedded to the London initiative of February 2014. We
reaffirm our commitment to opposing poaching and
to implementing a moratorium on the ivory trade. To
that end, Gabon and Germany will organize tomorrow,
26 September, a side event on the issue.

My country is more determined than ever to
cooperate further with other States in formulating
a development tool that would take into account the
global concerns of our populations. That will involve,
inter alia, achieving progress in the reform of the United
Nations system. It is from that perspective that Gabon,
like other States Members of the United Nations,
adheres to the “Delivering as one” initiative. Currently
at the very core of United Nations reform, that approach
aims at improving the coherence of the United Nations
system’s operational development activities.

Respect for human dignity and for fundamental
freedoms remains at the heart of my Government’s
concerns. That factor underpins our chairmanship
of the Human Rights Council, which we are holding
in a very difficult international context marked by
numerous human rights violations. Despite all those
challenges, the Council has been able to react and to
respond with solutions to emergency situations caused
by such violations. Gabon’s leadership has allowed
constructive debate and has in particular prevented
a lapse into politicized and polarized discussions. I

should like to reiterate my gratitude to those countries
that have lent us their support to ensure the success of
our mandate.

From this rostrum, I encourage the inclusion of the
human rights dimension in the current consideration of
the post-2015 agenda. Gabon urges such inclusion, and
suggests that particular emphasis be placed on the link
between human rights and sustainable development.
Given all this, Gabon remains committed to engaging,
alongside other States, in seeking collective solutions
adapted to current challenges in preparation for a better
world.


At the outset, allow me, on behalf of the Republic of
Paraguay, to offer you, Mr. President, our best wishes
for success in your delicate and important tasks at the
helm of the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session.
I also wish to express my delegation’s appreciation to
Mr. John Ashe, President of the General Assembly at its
sixty-eighth session, for his significant achievements.

The Government of Paraguay is attending the
general debate to reaffirm the importance and call for
the strengthening of the United Nations as a forum
capable of representing the interests of all Member
States in our urgent search for a more just, united
and equitable world, guaranteed by the full force of
international law. At the same time, and as we approach
the seventieth year since the creation of the most
important debating forum in the history of humankind,
we believe it right to recall that our Organization, the
United Nations, was created precisely as a forum for
peace among peace-loving nations, as expressed at the
various international conferences that led to its creation.
That reminder seems even timely and relevant to us,
since the concept of peace is now more necessary than
ever in various parts of the world such as the Middle
East and the Black Sea region.

The Republic of Paraguay reiterates its commitment
to ensuring that all social issues are addressed. In that
regard, the Government of President Horacio Manuel
Cartes Jara is dealing decisively with the development,
execution and implementation of social policies that
address various demands, with special emphasis on
the needs of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged
sectors of our population, including the elderly, the

rural population, indigenous communities, migrants,
children, adolescents and women. We have an obligation
to enable members of those groups to be included as
full citizens.

In that regard, I would make a special reference to
the World Conference of Indigenous Peoples, held at
Headquarters a few days ago, which was convened to
listen to the true thoughts and feelings of our native
and indigenous peoples. Indigenous cultural heritage
has been and remains one of the key elements shaping
Paraguay’s cultural identity and has led to miscegenation
as the main social factor unifying the native Guarani
population and the European conquerors. Our country
is proud of the linguistic, cultural and political character
of Paraguay, which boasts the native Guarani language
of our ancestors as its everyday language.

In line with the efforts made by the Government
since it took office in August 2013, we believe solidarity
and partnership is necessary among countries, whether
developing or developed, and international financing
institutions. We also take into account the fact that,
often, vulnerability stems from other areas, such as a
lack of decent jobs, educational opportunities, access to
international markets and timely cooperation and from
issues for which responsibility does not lie exclusively
with the State but also with the private sector, as it
generates wealth and decent employment. In that
regard, we call on the United Nations bodies that work
for cooperation to further strengthen their presence
in Paraguay and support national policies aimed at
strengthening democracy and social justice.

For the first time since its inception nearly a decade
ago, my country is aspiring to secure a seat on the
Human Rights Council for the 2015-2017 period. For the
Republic of Paraguay, the protection and promotion of
human rights are the foundation for effective democracy.
They are fundamental values that are enshrined and
guaranteed in our Constitution, which expressly
states that international human rights treaties cannot
be rejected except through the procedures governing
amendments to our Constitution. On the basis of those
constitutional assurances and commitments, we are
confident that we can play more than a constructive
role and thus consolidate the actions of the Council to
effectively strengthen the promotion and protection of
human rights around the world.

Paraguay, in accordance with its Government’s
policy, will continue to continuously support and
follow issues in the United Nations relating to the
promotion of youth participation in social and economic
development, persons with disabilities, migrant
workers, the elimination of violence against women,
the rights of the child, the elimination of discrimination
on the basis of religious beliefs and the protection of
human rights and their relation to extreme poverty.

In Paraguay, we support the globalization of
democracy through social development. We also believe
in universal security based on respect for human rights
as an unwavering commitment to the dignity of human
life. We therefore hope to build a regional and global
community that, hand in hand and in solidarity, devotes
its efforts to eradicating hunger and poverty, effectively
cooperating to promote the participation of all, in
prosperity, through quality education and a system of
inclusive social protection.

As a sign of Paraguay’s desire to respond to the
changing times, our President recently promulgated the
Law on Free Access by Citizens to Public Information
and Government Transparency as an important tool
enabling every citizen to act as comptroller of public
expenditures. The Law, which was recently adopted,
states that all institutions must disseminate information
as widely as possible. The Law also guarantees access
by every citizen to all public information.

We in Paraguay believe that the concept of
development should include, as a sine qua non, the
principle of social inclusion. The major challenge of
achieving development that overcomes asymmetries
leads inevitably to efforts promoting and achieving
an optimal quality of life for all our citizens without
exception. We must give a human face to our growth.
Our citizens deserve, and have the right to, a more
dignified life and overall well-being.

We are currently working to establish a post-2015
development agenda that is sustainable and has a focus
on poverty, education, health and social inclusion. We
have learned that the Millennium Development Goals
have been and are important but not sufficient, and
that humankind should be the focus of policy. In that
context, we believe that, for the post-2015 development
agenda to be successful, it must be accompanied by a
better distribution of international financial resources.

Paraguay needs international cooperation that
is aligned with its socioeconomic priorities, the
development and strengthening of its institutions and
preferential treatment for its most vulnerable sectors.
We hope that the opening of developing countries

helps bridge inequalities and that the same restrictions
that the more developed economies are demanding
in the process of their own development will not
be applied. Paraguay’s position, like that of many
developing countries, is that South-South cooperation
is not a substitute for but a complement to North-South
cooperation and triangular cooperation. We believe
that the United Nations, as the universal forum, should
play a central role in ensuring success in our efforts to
achieve better international coordination and coherence
in the economic and financial spheres.

As the high-level Climate Summit was also held a
few days ago here at Headquarters in New York, we
believe it is necessary to recall that Paraguay is aware
that climate change poses a serious and complex threat
to the world, as highlighted by the growing negative
impacts we are experiencing due to the resulting
droughts, floods and other adverse phenomena, which
spread poverty, cause forced displacements and may
affect international peace and security.

This situation urgently requires a coordinated and
responsible global response in order to find ways to
mitigate, alleviate and reverse climate change’s tragic
and devastating consequences. In addition, Paraguay
supports the principle of common but differentiated
responsibilities, on the basis of which countries that
have contributed more to the historical and current
levels of pollution must shoulder correspondingly
greater responsibilities. That principle should be used
as an objective criterion, and its implementation will
contribute to efforts to mitigate the global impact of
climate change.

The issue of landlocked developing countries is
of fundamental importance for Paraguay’s foreign
policy. The asymmetries and disadvantages that that
geographical situation brings about will be offset only
if there is international recognition of the need for a
special and differential agreement on the country’s
integration into the globalized world. Paraguay, along
with other landlocked developing countries in the world,
of which there are over 30, faces difficulties in terms of
open access to international markets, mainly owing to
the restrictions on free transit through transit countries
and the lack of special and differential treatment,
which would allow them to engage in greater and more
competitive participation in world markets.

This year is particularly important for us because
in November the second United Nations Conference on
Landlocked Developing Countries, to be held in Vienna,
will review the Almaty Programme of Action. While
the condition of being a landlocked developing country
is a disadvantage for Paraguay, we are convinced that
we can overcome that adversity. We are working so
that our territory can become, in the very near future, a
favourable environment for integration and productive
communication between the two major oceans, the
Atlantic and the Pacific. The new programme of action
to be adopted at the Vienna Conference should be the
framework for mutually beneficial cooperation between
landlocked developing countries and transit countries.

Disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control
are not just key factors to ensure international peace and
security, but also guarantee that the most vulnerable
countries can achieve sustained socioeconomic
development. Only by securing a strong multilateral
system with strict respect for the rule of law at the
international and national levels can we ensure our
mutual security. We are convinced that universal
and binding international instruments in the area of
disarmament and the Arms Trade Treaty, which will
enter into force in the near future, will help improve the
effectiveness of existing regional initiatives to prevent
irresponsible actors from gaining access to weapons.

Again, we urge Israel and Palestine to lay
the foundation for social, political and economic
reconstruction, which should enable both peoples
to live in peace and harmony. Today more than ever,
we must promote the negotiation process between the
parties, which can lead to lasting peace so that Israel
and Palestine can live side by side with secure borders
and in peace.

I also wish to note that Paraguay recognizes
and welcomes the participation and contributions
of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to United Nations
specialized agencies, thanks to a rapprochement
between the two parties of the Taiwan Strait. In a
world beset by conflicts, my Government welcomes
the efforts made by the Republic of China (Taiwan)
to reduce tensions across the Taiwan Strait, which
have contributed significantly to ensuring peace and
stability.

The Republic of Paraguay reiterates its commitment
to international peace and security. In that context,
we reaffirm the political will to increase, to the extent
practicable, our contribution of troops to peacekeeping
operations and to continue to train and equip
peacekeeping forces in accordance with standards
established by the United Nations, so as to progressively

increase our participation in those missions. Regionally,
we recognize the progress achieved by the United
Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, where the
presence of specialized personnel in Paraguay’s armed
forces, working with other countries in our region, have
played a significant role in humanitarian assistance and
infrastructure engineering projects and in improving
the long-term standard of living to benefit many
generations of Haitians.

Since its inception, the United Nations has focused
all its efforts on constantly evolving so that it can
become a global structure capable of meeting the
current needs of Member States. It is in the desire
for such evolution that Paraguay supports the reform
process for the Organization, thereby strengthening the
General Assembly, which will lead to the restoration
of functions entrusted to that body by the Charter of
the United Nations, as the Assembly is the sole body
with universal representation. On the issue of Security
Council reform, we urge that such reform be done in
accordance with the primary purpose of creating a more
democratic Council. We can no longer delay expansion
of that body. The Council must be more equitable,
inclusive and democratic, reflecting the number of
members of our Organization. We must improve its
working methods and ensure greater transparency in
its management.

As we commemorate in 2015 the seventieth
anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations,
we hope to celebrate concrete results in the work of the
Organization that transcend the mere celebration of
the passage of time. We believe that consolidating the
substantive post-2015 development agenda should lead
to effective and real development for future generations.
That is the greatest legacy we can leave.

Finally, we urge the General Assembly to find
more equitable and just means for establishing the list
of speakers of Heads of State and Government for next
year’s general debate.


I am here to pay
my country’s highest tribute to the United Nations for
the work it has done to improve the lives of people
around the world. Thailand is fully committed to what
the United Nations stands for and to realizing through
the United Nations the hopes we all share. We are also
firmly committed to fulfilling our responsibilities as
a Member of the United Nations, because the United
Nations can achieve its vision only when we act together
in unity.

This year, the theme is the post-2015 development
agenda and how to truly make a difference in the lives
of the people on the ground. Many countries have
achieved many of the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs). For example, they have succeeded in reducing
poverty and have achieved their education and health-
care goals. But there are many other countries for which
achieving the MDGs has not been easy. Therefore, as
we move towards the post-2015 development agenda,
we must renew our commitments to make sure that no
one is left behind.

For Thailand, development is not just about gross
domestic product. To be sustainable, development must
go hand in hand with democracy, human rights and
peace and security, the pillars of the United Nations.
It must be allowed to grow in an environment that
is free from conflict. Building a strong and robust
democracy is the challenge that many of us face. As in
many countries, Thailand has learned the lesson that
democracy is more than having elections. Democracy
must be based on respect for the rule of law, and it must
be about good governance, transparency, accountability
and equal access to justice.

That was not the case for my country before 22 May.
Before that date, we were at a political impasse. We
had a dysfunctional democracy. We were in danger of
more turmoil. And there was a very real possibility
of bloodshed. Political opposition parties were given
the chance to save democracy, but they failed because
they were unwilling to compromise for the sake of
the country. That chain of unfortunate events made
the military intervention necessary. We all wished
that things had not had to turn out that way. But if the
situation had been allowed to continue, Thailand’s
democracy would have been torn apart. That would
have undermined Thailand’s stability and the stability
of the region.

Thailand is now going through a period of transition.
We remain fully committed to democracy and human
rights, and we know we cannot go against the tide of
democracy. Thailand needs a real and functioning
democracy, one that delivers on the aspirations of
the people. Let there be no doubt that Thailand is not
retreating from democracy. But we do need time and
space to bring about reconciliation, undertake political
reform and strengthen our democratic institutions. We
do not want a repeat of what happened on 22 May.

In addition to implementing our road map for
returning to full democracy, we are also getting our
economy moving again. Confidence has returned and
growth has been restored.

Thailand is committed to playing an active role
with its partners in the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) in order to build an ASEAN
community of peace and prosperity. We are committed
to working with our partners in the international
community to address the many global challenges
we face, such as climate change, transnational crime,
pandemics and human trafficking. Most of all, we are
committed to working with our partners to realize
the development agenda, because real and lasting
peace is based not on State-centred security but on
people-centred security.

Development must transform people’s lives and
open the door to a better future for all. Development
must empower individuals, communities and societies.
That lies at the heart of the sufficiency-economy
philosophy of His Majesty the King of Thailand, and
that philosophy has guided our development efforts for
decades. The sufficiency economy is about promoting
the right values, drawing on the inner strengths of each
community and building resilience from the grass-
roots level up. In doing so, we are able to lay a solid
foundation for sustainable economic development at
the national level.

But in today’s world, no nation can be an island of
prosperity unto itself. More than ever, we need a strong
global partnership, whether in order to realize the post-
2015 development agenda or to meet shared challenges.

First of all, that partnership must meet the
challenge of human security, the most pressing of our

time. Human security is about human dignity, human
rights, equity, equality and social justice, the promise
of a better future for all and ensuring that in our rush
for development we do not sacrifice the environment
that sustains us. Ensuring human security should be at
the heart of sustainable development.

But while we advance the development agenda, we
cannot ignore the immediate threats that require our
concerted action. Today we are confronted with some
immediate threats to the global partnership, such as the
Ebola crisis and the humanitarian crises in the Middle
East — Syria, Libya, Iraq and the Gaza Strip. It pains
us to witness the senseless death of civilians, especially
children, in the conflict in the Gaza Strip. The situation
demands that we work even harder to bring lasting peace
to the Palestinian people and to meet their aspirations
to statehood, as well as to affirm the legitimate right of
the Israeli people to security.

As the situation in the Middle East unfolds, we
are also deeply concerned about the rising threat
of radicalism and extremism. There can be no
justification for the brutalities and atrocities we have
seen. We must rise to that challenge to peace, to our
peoples’ livelihoods and to the gains we have made in
economic and social development. While some radical
and extremist movements have indeed been able to
draw recruits from many parts the world, their mission
is nothing more than the use of terrorism and fear of to
advance their objectives.

Our peace and security and development are
all connected. In order to achieve them, we must all
try to contribute as much as we can and to meet our
international responsibilities as best we can. Some of
us may have the capacity to do more than others. But
if we all do our part, we can make the world better and
safer. That is why Thailand has sent volunteers to its
neighbours to work in health and education and why we
sent medical teams to Japan in 2011 as part of the relief
efforts following the earthquake and tsunami.

The Thai flag and Thai personnel have been
associated with peacekeeping operations in many
places around the world. We were in Timor-Leste and
in the Sudan, and along the India-Pakistan border.
And we were part of the coalition formed to combat
piracy in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia.
The role of the military, however, is not limited to war
and conflict alone. Even in times of peace it plays an
important role, especially now, when we are dealing
with many challenges such as natural disasters. That
is why Thailand is promoting humanitarian assistance
and disaster relief cooperation in the ASEAN region
and beyond. Perhaps the time has come for ASEAN to
begin to explore the idea of a regional humanitarian
assistance disaster recovery task force.

As members of the international community,
we must all share the responsibility to stay true to
the original promise of the United Nations, which
is to promote social progress and better standards of
living in larger freedom for the peoples of the world.
It is because of Thailand’s commitment to the United
Nations that we have submitted our candidature for a
seat on the Human Rights Council for the 2015-2017
term and on the Security Council for the 2017-2018
term. We hope our friends will once again give us their
trust and allow us to serve.

Whether the issue is democracy, development or
peace, we all must assume our responsibilities because
we are, after all, a family of United Nations.