May I begin by congratulating Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés on her election as President of the General Assembly. The stewardship of this session by an accomplished leader of her rank and stature will undoubtedly lend to the proceedings of the Assembly greater credence and strength. I also commend Mr. Miroslav Lajčák for his able guidance during the previous session.
We appreciate Secretary-General António Guterres for his exemplary leadership of the Organization, and support his efforts to instil a new sense of  mission and direction within the United  Nations.  We  offer our profound condolences over the passing of the late former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who was a leading light and a driving force in taking the United Nations agenda forward into the twenty-first century.
We also express our deep sympathy and condolences to the Government and people of Indonesia over the damage caused by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami.
Two months ago, the people  of  Pakistan  voted for change, reform and a fundamental shift in their paradigm of governance. They opted for a Pakistan that is confident and compassionate, open and articulate, as well as peaceful and principled — a Pakistan that will engage with its neighbourhood and the world on the basis of equality and respect; a country that will

seek the resolution of conflicts and the convergence of interests; and a State that will build upon common understandings,  reciprocal  commitments  and  shared ideals.
Pakistan will brook no compromise on the interests of the nation, the sovereignty of the State or the security of its people. Our Government is keen to pursue a policy of partnerships for peace, security and prosperity in our immediate neighbourhood and beyond. We  seek   a peaceful environment to promote our development agenda, at both the national and the regional levels.
I stand before the Assembly as the representative of a quintessential developing country that has the welfare of its people at its heart. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, we have begun giving shape to the vision of a new Pakistan through a set of integrated policies and programmes.
The world is  facing  a  moment  of  inflection. The very foundations and principles on which the edifice of global order has been constructed are  under assault. Inequality within and among  nations  is on the rise. The forces of protectionism, populism and isolationism are gaining currency. Intolerance is ascendant over acceptance, rhetoric over reason, and power over principle. Where the world needs bridges, we see fortifications; where it needs highways, we see blockades; and where it yearns for freedom, we see cages. New forms and manifestations of imperialism are appearing. Multilateralism is on a path of retreat. Unilateralist tendencies are growing. Long-standing legal norms are being eroded for strategic and commercial considerations.
Dark clouds of  trade  wars  are  looming  large  on the horizon. The challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, pandemics, transnational organized crime and sustainable development are becoming ever more complex. The post-World War idealism is giving way, slowly but surely, to a hardened, militaristic approach. That trend is not only regressive, it is downright dangerous.
We note with concern seismic shifts in the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East. As existing conflicts are exacerbated, new threats have emerged. Competing interests of regional and extraregional Powers are deepening long-standing fissures and widening the fault lines, even as the tragedy of Palestine continues to fester. In these uncertain times, the global
community appears to be on a desperate quest for
leadership, a vision and an order.
Let us consider the issue of striking the right balance between the freedom of expression and the sentiments of a people. Where there ought to be empathy, understanding and compassion, we see caricatured, ill- informed and jaundiced judgments. Recently, Muslims across the world were pained at a planned competition of cartoons of our holy Prophet — peace be upon him. That deeply hurt Muslim sentiments and sensibilities. For its part, Pakistan will continue  to  collaborate with friends and partners on the United Nations and Organization of Islamic Cooperation platforms aimed at reversing the growing tide of bigotry, at building cross-cultural understandings and promoting dialogue among civilizations.
The theme of this year’s General  Assembly session is not only apt  but  also mirrors the priorities of my Government. As we embark on our journey of change and reform, Pakistan stands ready to strengthen its partnership with the United Nations family of institutions. Alongside like-minded States, we will continue to be a leading voice advocating for the comprehensive reform of  the  Security Council, with a view to making it more democratic, representative, transparent and effective. We will continue to oppose the creation of new centres of  privilege and prestige  in defiance of the principles of democracy and the core tenet of the Charter of the United Nations on the sovereign equality of Member States.
Since its inception, Pakistan has been an ardent adherent to the Charter of the United Nations, and an active participant in United Nations processes. Pakistan has served seven terms on the Security Council, five presidencies of the Economic and Social Council and four terms on the Human Rights Council. That is a reaffirmation of the international community’s  faith in Pakistan.
We have championed the cause of the peoples of Africa and Asia as they seek to exercise their inalienable right of self-determination and wrest independence from the yoke of colonial rule. As we pay tribute to the memory of the late Nelson Mandela, Madiba, we are reminded of the high ideals for which he sacrificed so much. The best way to honour the legacy of that great leader is to continue to fight the good fight for freedom, dignity and equality.

Pakistan remains one of the oldest, largest and most active contributors to United Nations peacekeeping operations the world over. Pakistani Blue Helmets have laid down their lives in the cause of global peace. We are proud of their sacrifices. Pakistan also remains host to one of the oldest peacekeeping missions, the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan. We greatly value the Observer Group’s contribution to monitoring the ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan desires a relationship with India based  on sovereign equality and mutual respect. We seek resolution of disputes through serious and comprehensive dialogue that covers all issues of concern. We were to meet on the sidelines of this session of the General Assembly to talk about all issues with India. The Modi Government of India called off the dialogue for the third time, each time on flimsy grounds. They chose politics over peace. They used the pretext of Pakistani stamps issued months ago depicting a Kashmiri activist and grave human rights violations, including pellet gun victims, as an excuse to back out from the talks.
Dialogue is the only way to address the long- standing issues that have long bedevilled South Asia and prevented the region from realizing its true potential. The unresolved Jammu and Kashmir dispute hinders the realization of the goal of durable peace between our two countries. For over 70 years now, it has remained on the agenda of the Security Council and is a blot on the conscience of humankind. For 70 years, the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir have struggled for their right to self-determination in the face of overwhelming oppression and gross violations of their fundamental human rights by the Indian occupation forces.
Pakistan welcomes the recently released report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The report rightly lifts the veil from decades of obfuscation and chronicles the massive ongoing violations of human rights in Indian-occupied Kashmir. It vindicates our position. No longer can the excuse of terrorism be used to continue to systematically oppress the Kashmiri people. Pakistan endorses the United Nations report and calls for the early institution of a commission of inquiry under United Nations auspices to investigate and ascribe responsibility. We will welcome the commission to Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and we hope that India will do the same, too.
To divert the world’s attention from its brutalities, India frequently violates the ceasefire along the Line of Control in Kashmir. Despite numerous violations, Pakistan has acted with restraint. But if India ventures across the Line of Control, or acts upon its doctrine of limited war against Pakistan, it will evoke a strong and matching response.
Strategic stability in our region has been and continues to be undermined. That is evident in various ways, including by the introduction of destabilizing weapon systems, the pursuit of discriminatory approaches by certain States to supply advanced military hardware and sensitive technologies, and the adoption of offensive force postures and  doctrines that envisage a conflict beneath the nuclear threshold. In the circumstances, Pakistan has no option but to maintain a minimum credible deterrence. We have been advocating for many years now for a strategic restraint regime for South Asia. Pakistan is ready to engage with India to promote meaningful confidence-building, risk reduction and measures to avoid an arms race.
Let me also reiterate Pakistan’s continued support for strengthening regional organizations as platforms for poverty alleviation and socioeconomic  uplift.  The regional body for South Asia, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), has been rendered ineffective owing to the intransigence of one country. We remain fully committed to a functioning SAARC that can improve the lives of the people of the region.
Afghanistan, and together with it, Pakistan, has suffered heavily owing to global power plays, strategic miscalculations and cognitive dissonance. That there is no military solution to the war in Afghanistan is now a foregone conclusion. It is time to act upon that conclusion. A negotiated settlement has assumed urgency in the face of the worrisome and growing presence of Da’esh in Afghanistan. Pakistan will continue to lend its support to an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process.
On the bilateral plane, our two countries have operationalized the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity. It lays down the blueprint for extensive engagement in all areas of common interests. Pakistan has hosted the longest-lasting refugee presence of modern times. Our role and sacrifices can perhaps be better appreciated when juxtaposed with the rising tide of anti-immigrant sentiments in nations that are

more resource-rich and developed than ours and that have faced the brunt of fewer immigrants and over a shorter timescale. Because of the protracted conflict situation in that country, Afghanistan’s security has a direct spillover impact on our security and stability. We look forward to the safe, dignified and voluntary return of Afghan refugees to their homeland.
For the past 17 years, Pakistan, at a great cost of life and resources, has been combating the fires of terrorism and extremism. Through the determined operations of our armed forces and with the full support of our people, Pakistan has turned the tide against terrorism. With the deployment of 200,000 troops, Pakistan has conducted the largest and most effective counter-terrorism campaign in the world. Peace and security have returned to our cities and towns. In our own national interest and in line with our national action plan, we will continue to strengthen our counter- terrorism frameworks and regimes.
Pakistan continues to face terrorism that is financed, facilitated and orchestrated by our eastern neighbour. We wanted to sit with India to discuss all issues, including terrorism, that have created violence in our cities and towns and have led to tens of thousands of casualties among innocent Pakistanis. Pakistan shall never forget the mass murder of more than 150 children in a Peshawar school, the terrible Mastung attack and many others that have links with terrorists supported by India, and we will never forget the terrorist attack in India against the Samjhauta Express, which was carrying innocent Pakistanis — and now its confessed perpetrators are being allowed to walk free.
We wanted to share the evidence with India and the international community concerning those who supported those acts of violence and terrorism. We have already shared that evidence with the United Nations. We have in our custody a serving Indian naval officer, Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, who  has  provided us with the most incriminating evidence by accepting that he, at the instruction of his Government, financed, planned and executed acts of terrorism and violence in Pakistan. That is but one Indian State-sponsored official terrorist. Many more have been launched by our eastern neighbour inside Pakistan to create terror and mayhem.
It is India that, in plain sight of the international community, perpetrates State-sponsored terrorism in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and in other parts
of India. It is of concern to the United Nations, given the fact that Jammu and Kashmir remains on the agenda of the Security Council, and it is a matter of concern for the international community, as humankind is being crushed and human rights are being violated all over India, where people have stood up against oppression and occupation and demanded their fundamental rights. It is also a matter of concern for the international community that India has sponsored terrorism and aggression against all of its neighbours.
The strongest antidote to the poison of terrorism  is development that yields dividends. The vision of the Belt and Road Initiative is path-breaking and is being led by a world leader of great wisdom and foresight to create a community of common destiny. It is a global common good that is beneficial to all. Our vision for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is to help translate our geostrategic potential into geoeconomic dividends. Pakistan looks to offer the vital connectivity nodes linking the Middle East with western China, which will afford Central Asia the shortest, most feasible access possible to the sea.
The challenges of our times have enhanced, not diminished, the relevance of the United Nations. The United Nations must  remain  the  central  platform  for dialogue and diplomacy. In order for the United Nations to remain relevant to the needs of the people and respond to the demands of the twenty-first century, we believe that the following steps must by taken.
First, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) must be pursued in order to reduce inequality within and among nations. We hope that the Secretary- General’s High-level Conference on Financing for Development and the Means of Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, held earlier this week, will serve as a catalyst for rapid progress towards achieving the SDGs.
Second, corruption is a grave crime. Those who provide safe havens for ill-gotten wealth are partners in the crime and equally culpable. Existing international conventions on corruption do not go far enough in addressing that malaise. It is time to return the looted wealth to its rightful owners, namely, the people, and to hold both the perpetrators and their abettors accountable.
Third, climate change poses serious challenges to all States. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change must not be allowed to be held hostage to sectoral interests.  Even  as  Pakistan contributes  minimally to

global emissions, our country remains among the most vulnerable. Our Government completed the planting of one billion trees — a project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. We have now launched an ambitious project to plant 10 billion trees across all of Pakistan.
Fourth, a rules-based global order is vital for the promotion of international trade in goods and services, as well as global nuclear commerce and governance mechanisms. Carving out exemptions and bending established  rules  to  suit partisan   interests   must be eschewed.
Fifth, objective and transparent criteria must be developed to facilitate trade in strategic goods and membership in the groupings that govern it. That is essential for countries pursuing  economic  growth and development.
Sixth, the sanctity and integrity of international agreements must be maintained. Strategic stability must be nurtured by policies of restraint and responsibility, not by considerations of profits and politics.
Seventh, technology and innovation are key to reshaping our States and societies. We must strike a prudent balance between guarding against the misuse of emerging technologies and facilitating access to them on the part of developing countries. It is essential to develop universally agreed legal frameworks  in  the area of cybersecurity, lethal autonomous weapons systems, artificial intelligence and the weaponization of outer space.
Eighth, the dislocation of people in recent years, primarily because of wars but also as a result of pervasive poverty, has energized the global debate on refugees and migrants. The deliberations leading to the global compacts on  refugees and migrants represent  a step in the right direction. The true litmus test of those compacts lies in the effective  implementation  of commitments.
Pakistan believes that a new consensus on peace, security and development can and should be developed. A new paradigm for  universal peace and  prosperity  is both desirable and achievable. Pakistan will be a willing and able partner to the international community in that worthwhile pursuit. The challenges ahead are daunting; the road forward is untravelled, and the route is uncharted. These times call for deliberation and diligence, but also for cooperation and concerted action. They call for a truly united United Nations.
The Kashmiri wife who lost her husband, the Kashmiri school boy who lost his eyesight and his future to pellet-gun injuries, the Syrian father who saw his child drown, the Palestinian girl who suffocates under siege, and the African migrant willing to risk all for a better life continue to look to the United Nations for support and succour. Let us not fail them any longer.


The two speakers whom the Assembly heard this afternoon immediately  before  me have said it all for me and my country (see A/73/ PV.10). The fact is that I do not have to say a word here, because they said it so well. But I am bound by duty   to my country to say a few words in order to justify  the cost of my trip to New York. I know that everyone is tired, and I know that it is afternoon, but I ask the Assembly to bear with me.
The Organization needs good leadership, and I am sure that you will take us in the right direction, Madam President. I offer my congratulations to you and to the

people of Ecuador on your election to lead us during this session of the General Assembly.
As I said before, New Zealand has spoken eloquently about the fate of the Pacific island countries in the face of the imminent threat of climate change.
When the armed conflicts that dominated the world in the first four decades of the previous century ended, the world slipped into another war, the Cold War. It was a period of suspicion and deceit, an era deeply rooted in clandestine engagement that reminds us of what Winston Churchill once said: “[T]ruth is so precious she should always be attended by a bodyguard  of  lies.” That resonates with us today, given the various applications of that term. We see the fight continuing today, but it is now waged between the bigger and richer nations, armed with the might of wealth and guided by the principle and the notion that might makes right. The smaller economies are now aligned and marginalized, once again becoming the spoils of what is now an economic war fostering new, economic colonies. As in all wars, many people become innocent victims and are often filed away simply as collateral damage or spoils of war, becoming the possessions of the victors and allies.
We are opening another session of the General Assembly with our world facing record and serious challenges. And yet, we dared to ask ourselves this morning whether Pluto was a planet. How is that relevant to what we face today in the world? Perhaps Pluto can wait.
Our aim today must be to improve upon the United Nations as the forum in which we work to prevent all
this from continuing. We must seek curative measures to slow and, if possible, stop the economic war, hopefully with the goal of accelerating efforts to close the gap of economic imbalance. We must also avoid deliberate procrastination motivated by geopolitical greed for dominance and economic imperialism. Such a state only brings pain and misery to those whose only fault is to be in the way. We must recommend what the future should hold for us.
We the Members of the United Nations must adopt a more progressive attitude towards taking charge of our own affairs and making sure that we are directly involved in matters that touch and impact our lives. The existential threat of climate change is becoming more real with every hurricane, wildfire, heatwave and centimetre of sea-level rise. Those are the realities that many of us are seeing and experiencing. Islands within the Federated States, islands in Marshall Islands, and islands in Tuvalu and Kiribati will be among the first to literally disappear.
In 2009, Micronesia proposed a fast-action strategy using the Montreal Protocol to explicitly cut climate emissions so as to avoid a warming of 1.5°C by the end of the century. While it may sound like a small figure, it is 50 per cent more than the warming that we are experiencing today. In order to achieve that goal, we urge all countries that have not yet done so to ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. I ask all my friends, leaders of their countries, from the bottom of my heart to accelerate the process to join the Montreal Protocol so that we can begin the implementation of what needs to be done in order to save this planet.
On our current trajectory, many more islands will be lost, many homes will be destroyed and many people will be displaced. But we can still avoid the worst climate impacts if we recognize the need for speed  and take fast action. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change may have shortcomings, but believe me, it is the best platform for achieving our goal. We believe that, no matter how difficult or sensitive the issues associated with climate change, we need everyone on board. My country is disappointed that some countries are considering withdrawing from the Agreement, and we call on them to reconsider.
Micronesia is a large ocean State blessed with abundant marine  resources. A key concern for Micronesia — and all small island developing States — is rightly focused on ensuring a healthy, productive and

resilient ocean. The resources of the ocean are the bedrock of the Micronesian nations and livelihoods. A sizeable percentage of our economies comes from our ocean-based activities, whether fisheries, tourism or maritime transport.
Micronesia is committed to the Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ declaration aimed  at  safeguarding  the ocean and its resources. I join my fellow Pacific leaders as we commit to eliminating marine  litter  and recommend the urgent implementation of the Pacific marine litter action plan. For Micronesia, our fisheries are critical to the socioeconomic well-being of our people.
While we welcome the recent decision by the International Law Commission to place the topic “Sea- Level Rise in Relation to International Law” on its long- term programme of work, may I strongly recommend that the subject be placed on the Commission’s active programme of work,  given  the  direct  implications of sea-level rise  on  maritime  baselines  and  maritime boundaries.
The wish for peace is global; it should have no boundaries. Micronesia is encouraged by the peace reached by Eritrea and Ethiopia, and we wish the people of those countries the very best. I think that it is time that we congratulate those countries on achieving that wonderful result. We also hope that other countries that are engaged in conflicts achieve similar resolutions, and soon.
In our region of the world, we have a stake in the ongoing peace negotiations between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea. We recognize and encourage the continuing efforts to bring peace and stability to the Korean peninsula. A lasting peace on the peninsula translates into a more secure and stable Pacific region.
Elsewhere in the world, we cannot ignore the pain and suffering of the many people caught in pockets of armed conflict. As world leaders, we have fallen short in our efforts to fulfil our responsibilities. It is deeply troubling to see those who wield tremendous power fail to take bold and decisive actions to end such serious atrocities. We wonder if, for some unknown reason, such conflicts might be good for those powerful States, either politically or even economically — what a shame if they were to think so.
The United Nations needs to be relevant and able and willing to deal with emerging threats. We find it deeply troubling that the threat posed by climate change to our existence has not received the Security Council’s consideration. The Pacific small island developing States have made a proposal for consideration by the Council. While the proposal itself will not immediately save our islands, it is nevertheless a step in the right direction. I happen to feel that if Micronesia were a member of the Security Council, we would do a lot better than some of the current ones. Micronesia believes that a Security Council, as conceived in this century, needs to become more efficient, more representative and more responsive and must show greater leadership in its response to today’s challenges.
Micronesia welcomes the Secretary-General’s objective to reposition the United Nations development system in order to deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The United Nations development  system has impact and influence when it is focused. It is of the utmost importance that its operational activities for development take into account the need to build, promote and strengthen the capacities of small island developing countries.
For Micronesia, the role of the United Nations development system — and particularly the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) — to support and enhance the capacity of island countries to implement the 2030 Agenda must not be overlooked. However, that requires the scaling up of the UNDP presence, particularly in our North Pacific, where that presence can make a real difference and be a crucial factor in our development efforts.
In closing, the United Nations represents the best hope for humankind, and we, the Member States, must ensure that it remains so.


It is an honour for Brazil and it gives us great pleasure to officially open this general debate. I am pleased to greet the President of the General Assembly, María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, the first Latin American woman to hold that high office at the United Nations. Allow me to reiterate, Madam, my wishes for your every success, and rest assured that you can count on Brazil.
It is also particularly satisfying to greet Secretary- General António Guterres in our common language.
How many speakers have already come to this rostrum to call for the improvement of the international order that we have been building for decades? There have certainly been many, myself included. I believe we were and still are right to do so, and the words we spoke remain relevant.
However, if we truly  want to improve our international collective order, yet another task is required of us today: to defend the very integrity of that order. However imperfect it may be, the current order has nevertheless served  the  greater  interests  of humankind.
There are numerous challenges  to  the  integrity of the current international order. We live in times clouded by isolationist forces. Old intolerances are re-emerging. Unilateral relapses are increasingly becoming less the exception than the rule. Yet those challenges should not and cannot intimidate us. When it comes to isolationism, intolerance and unilateralism, we must respond to each of those tendencies with the very best that our peoples have.
Brazil has been responding to the first of those tendencies — isolationism — with more  openness  and more integration. Brazil is keenly aware that our common development ultimately depends on more international trade and investment flows. It depends on increased contact with new ideas and with new technologies. We will build prosperity that can be effectively shared only by opening ourselves to others, rather than by withdrawing into introspection and isolation.
That is how Brazil has acted. We have implemented a universalist foreign policy. We have worked to deepen integration mechanisms in our geographic region. Within the South American Common Market, for example, we have reaffirmed the group’s democratic calling, brought trade barriers down and entered into new agreements. We have been pushing for strengthened ties with the countries forming the Pacific Alliance so

as to seek an increasingly united Latin America, as enshrined in our Constitution.
We have also revitalized and initiated trade negotiations with partners in all regions, such as the European Union, the European Free Trade Association, Canada, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia. Through these and other initiatives, we continue to strengthen our relationships with the Americas as a whole, as well as with Europe, Asia and Africa.
Brazil’s participation in  cooperation  forums, such as the G-20, the BRICS group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and  the  Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, has  been especially productive. In those forums we have worked to produce tangible results that have a direct impact  on the daily life of our societies. It is with openness and integration that we approach a better future for  all. Isolation may provide a false sense of security. Protectionism may sound seductive. But it is with openness and integration that we achieve harmony, growth and progress.
Turning to the challenge posed by intolerance, Brazil has responded decisively with dialogue and solidarity, which inspire us, at every moment, to honour the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The implementation of that document, created almost 70 years ago, is an imperative that requires permanent attention and action. Much has already been done for the sake of human rights by Governments, institutions and individuals. One such remarkable individual was Sérgio Vieira de Mello, a  Brazilian national to whom I wish to pay tribute as we remember the fifteenth anniversary of his tragic death.
We must nonetheless acknowledge that violations of international norms protecting individuals and their dignity persist worldwide. In Latin America, Brazil has been working to uphold democracy and human rights. We will continue to do so with so many other countries in solidarity with brotherly peoples that have suffered so much.
Dialogue and solidarity also form the basis for the recently agreed global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration. There are more than 250 million migrants in the world. These are men, women and children who, threatened by protracted crises, are faced with the hard and risky choice of leaving their homelands. It is our duty to protect them, and that is the very purpose of the global compact on migration. It now falls on us to conclude the negotiations on the global compact on refugees.
In South America, a large-scale  migratory wave is under way. It is estimated that more than 1 million Venezuelans have left their country in search of better living conditions. Brazil has welcomed all those who have arrived in our territory. We have sought to provide assistance of all types to tens of thousands of migrants. In cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, we have built shelters to protect them as best as we can. We have sought to relocate them throughout the country. We have issued documents that enable them to work in Brazil. We have offered schooling for the children, and vaccination and health services for all. But we know  that this crisis can be resolved only when our neighbour, Venezuela, rediscovers the path of development.
Brazil has a proud tradition of welcoming foreigners. As a people, we have been forged through diversity. There is a piece of the world in every Brazilian. Faithful to that tradition, last year we passed a new migration law — a modern piece of legislation that not only protects the immigrant’s dignity but also recognizes the benefits of immigration. We in Brazil have expanded rights and have streamlined the entry and residence process.
Dialogue and solidarity are antidotes to intolerance, and they are the foundation for a lasting peace. That has been the cornerstone of the Brazilian position regarding the various crises in the Middle East. As it joins the celebrations of the seventieth anniversary of the creation of Israel, Brazil renews its support for the two-State solution — Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security.
We also support international efforts to bring the conflict in Syria to a long overdue end. We have sought to help alleviate the great suffering there. In 2017 alone, for example, Brazil donated approximately one ton of medicines and vaccines for children affected by the conflict. We have also welcomed a considerable number of Syrian refugees.
On the Korean peninsula, dialogue and solidarity represent the cornerstone of our position. We reiterate our support for diplomatic solutions leading to denuclearization and peace.

It is through dialogue and solidarity that we will overcome intolerance and build peace. As expressed by Nelson Mandela, whose centenary we commemorate this year, it is our duty to strive towards “a world of tolerance and respect for difference”, and to show an unwavering “commitment to peaceful solutions of conflicts and disputes”.
Lastly, the challenge of unilateralism must be met with more diplomacy and more multilateralism. We do so firmly convinced that collective problems demand coordinated solutions. That is noblest meaning of the United Nations — a house for mutual understanding.
We must strengthen the Organization. We must make it more legitimate and effective. We need important reforms — among them the reform of the Security Council, whose current configuration reflects a world that no longer exists. Finally, we  must reinvigorate  the values of diplomacy and multilateralism. We have shown time and again what we are capable of together when those values guide our actions, such as when we took a historic step last year in concluding the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. I had the honour of being the first Head of State to sign it.
That is also how, over the course of decades, we built a robust multilateral trade system with increasingly comprehensive rules and a credible and effective dispute-settlement mechanism. Those are shared historic achievements, which we must honour and broaden by eliminating the many distortions in agricultural trade, which primarily affect developing countries.
Diplomacy and multilateralism provide us with effective solutions well beyond disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and international trade.  The  same is true in many other areas, such as sustainable development,   which   is   crucial   for    the    future of humankind.
I note that in recent years alone, we adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. Those are true milestones that put us on the path of economic development with social justice and respect for the environment. Brazil’s early commitment to sustainable development remains unwavering. There is no shortage of examples.
We are fully committed to the shift towards a low-carbon international economy. Over 40  per cent of Brazil’s energy portfolio is clean and renewable. It is one of the most sustainable in the world. We have also stepped up efforts to reduce deforestation. Long- term trends are encouraging. Today, in the Brazilian Amazon region, deforestation rates are 75 per cent lower than in 2004. Over the past two years, we have created and expanded environmental protection areas in Brazil, which are now more than four times the size of Norway.
The protection of the oceans is another cause that is dear to us. During the World Water Forum, which we hosted in Brasilia earlier this year, we established protected areas in Brazilian waters as vast as Germany and France combined. In two years, we have doubled the size of protected areas in Brazil.
Diplomacy and multilateralism are also decisive instruments for global security, as demonstrated by United Nations peacekeeping missions, in which Brazil is proud to play a major role. And make no mistake, they are also decisive instruments for defeating terrorism and fighting transnational crime. Trafficking in persons, arms and drugs, money laundering, and sexual exploitation are crimes that know no borders. They are scourges that corrode our societies and can be effectively tackled only through concerted policies and actions.
That is what we have done in our region. In Brasilia, we hosted the first ministerial meeting of South American countries on border security. Since then, we have stepped up cooperation with our neighbours in combating transnational crime. We must remain united in the collective task of building a world where peace, development and human rights prevail. Absolutely nothing will be achieved alone. We will achieve nothing without diplomacy and multilateralism.
This is the last time that I will have the privilege of representing my country in the general debate at the General Assembly as the President of  the Republic. In two weeks, the Brazilian people will go to  the polls. They will choose their political leaders in both the executive and the legislative branches, who will govern Brazil starting in 2019, as enshrined in our Constitution. That is what has been done for almost 30 year, and that is how it must always be. After all, we are Government officials chosen by the people because all power comes from the people, and the President holds the power only for a  fixed period. The transfer of power is the very essence of democracy. Ours is a vibrant democracy anchored by solid institutions. As

I turn over the presidency to my successor, I will have the peace of mind of having fulfilled my duties.
Today, in Brazil, we can look back and realize how much we have accomplished in such a short term of office. We rejected populism, and we overcame the worst recession in our history, with severe consequences for society, especially for the poor. We managed public finances responsibly and restored our economic credibility. We are growing and creating jobs again. Social programmes once threatened by uncontrolled spending have been rescued and expanded. We put Brazil back on the path of development.
The country that I will hand over to whomever the Brazilian people elect will be better than the one   I received. Much remains to be done, but we are back on track. It is time to move ahead. The incoming Administration and National Congress will find a solid foundation upon which a more prosperous and just country can continue to be built.
The members of the General Assembly know that Brazil will always be a steady ally for cooperation among nations. In the face of isolationism, Brazil responds with more openness and integration. In the face of intolerance, it responds with increased dialogue and solidarity. And, in the face of unilateralism, it responds with more diplomacy and multilateralism.
In the words of the late Kofi Annan:
“Our mission is to confront ignorance with knowledge, bigotry with tolerance, and isolation with the outstretched hand of generosity”.


As His Excellency President Faiez Serraj is unable to attend the general debate at this year’s session of the General Assembly due to the latest developments in Tripoli, he has asked me to deliver the following statement on his behalf:
“At the outset, allow me, Sir, to congratulate, through you, Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés on her election to preside over the General Assembly at its seventy-third session. I would like to wish her every success and assure her of our full cooperation as she works to realize the goals of this session. I also thank her predecessor Mr. Miroslav Lajčák for the efforts he  made  as  President  of the General Assembly during the seventy-second session. In addition, I would like to commend Secretary-General António Guterres for the efforts he has made to fulfil the purposes and objectives of the United Nations.
“Undoubtedly, the situation of my country, Libya, continues to draw the attention of the United Nations and the international community as a whole and still requires monitoring. We appreciate and respect all those who have made sincere efforts to help us overcome the difficult circumstances in which we find ourself and the challenges we are facing. We underscore the need to coordinate and integrate these efforts and to avoid rivalries or divergences when initiatives are launched, because failure to do so diminishes our capacity to respond to the crisis. We believe that, before holding any regional or international meeting on the Libyan issue, it is important that there be coordination with the United Nations so as to ensure that the outcome is compatible with the United Nations vision for the resolution of the Libyan crisis.
“Since its establishment, the Presidency Council of the Government of National Accord of Libya has recognized the scope of the challenges that the country is facing, namely, the upsurge in terrorism, political divergences, security instability and an exacerbated economic crisis, all of which has had an impact on the delivery of the necessary basic services and therefore on the lives of Libyans themselves. We remain committed to finding expeditious solutions to these challenges. Last year, we proposed a road map for overcoming the crisis based on holding presidential and parliamentary elections, putting an end to all fighting except the fight against terrorism, and providing the necessary conditions for national reconciliation. In our view, this approach would unify national institutions

and allow us to create a modern  democratic  State. However, even though the relevant national institutions have not shown any reciprocity, we nevertheless remain hopeful, reaching out to all with determination and  sincere  initiatives,  with a view to breaking the political deadlock that has brought such frustration to the people of Libya and the State alike.
“We highly commend the ongoing efforts of Mr. Ghassan Salamé, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya, and his team, aimed at bringing together the points of view of the Libyan parties and seeking solutions to the wide range of issues and challenges we are facing. In this regard, I would recall that the Government of National Accord welcomed the road map proposed by Mr. Salamé at the high-level meeting on Libya in September 2017. The Government encouraged all relevant parties to show flexibility so that consensus on amendments related to certain controversial items in the Political Agreement could be quickly reached, thereby creating momentum towards implementing the remaining steps of the plan. Unfortunately, no progress has been made.
“The Presidency Council of the Government of  National Accord supports any path leading to a comprehensive political solution, which is why we have engaged in dialogue with those calling for general elections as a way out of the political crisis. We have facilitated the High National Electoral Commission’s efforts to register voters, and the results have been very encouraging. The number of voters registered has been unprecedented, surpassing our expectations and reflecting the desire of Libyans to have elections held. We have also allocated 60 million Libyan dinars to the Commission in order to prepare for the elections. We have worked with the relevant parties to ensure the security conditions needed for elections to be held in complete freedom and integrity. We hope that this expression of the will of the people will be acted upon by the relevant institutions, which must commit to seeing that the country’s interests prevail, to making all necessary legislative and legal arrangements to end the political stalemate and to bringing all State institutions together to resolve the various problems being faced by the Libyan people.
“We underscore our determination to continue making efforts to get the country out of its crises. We will strongly oppose all who attempt to impose their will through the use of weapons. We have condemned the military attacks that took place in the suburbs of Tripoli city a few weeks ago, which led to gross material damage and loss of human lives, terrorizing women and children and forcibly displacing innocent civilians. .
“We highly appreciate the efforts of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), under the leadership of Mr. Ghassan Salamé, to bring about a ceasefire agreement, and we  call  on all relevant parties to respect that ceasefire. I give my word that the national and international judicial bodies will be seized with the prosecution of the perpetrators of attacks for the  suffering they caused.
“We are also determined to take the security measures needed to unify the country’s military and security institutions and establish security  and peace in Libya, as stipulated by the Political Agreement. We wish to underline once again that the use or threat of use of weapons only benefits terrorists who, amid the chaos, find opportunities to carry out their criminal acts. We saw this in the terrorist attacks in Tripoli that targeted the High National Electoral Commission and the national oil company. Accordingly, priority must be given to security and stability as an indispensable goal and urgent step that also requires active support from the United Nations. We therefore believe that it is important to convert UNSMIL from a special political mission to a  mission  whose  purpose is to establish and support security and stability throughout the country.
“The Government of National Accord is striving to find solutions to the difficult living conditions and lack of services that Libyans are facing.  It  has launched economic reforms to facilitate and improve the living conditions of our citizens and to enhance the performance of a hitherto unstable service sector. In this regard, we attach particular importance to mobilizing financial resources to respond to the needs of  our people. We  call on  all States holding Libyan assets or funds to make the necessary arrangements for the Presidency Council to be able to cover the costs of policies and programmes designed to help all Libyans.

“My country reiterates its absolute condemnation and rejection of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, regardless of its origin, perpetrators or motives. We underscore that terrorism is a global phenomenon that should not be linked to any religion or doctrine. As the Assembly is aware, my country has made enormous sacrifices to eradicate terrorist organizations with foreign fighters in their ranks, including Da’esh, which was exported to us from abroad. Not only does Da’esh threaten the security and stability of Libya, but it also exploits our natural resources for its own benefit as it carries out its bloodthirsty agenda — one, I would add, that has no link to Islam. Libya has ratified all international conventions related to the fight against terrorism and considers the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and its four pillars one of the most important international legal frameworks to guide national legislation in fighting the phenomenon of terrorism.
“The dangers posed by terrorist networks remain in Libya, requiring us to be vigilant and   to strengthen joint coordination at all levels as well as regional and international cooperation so that terrorists can be tracked down and eliminated wherever they are. It is also important that regional and subregional plans and programmes, including, for example, the outcomes of ministerial meetings on bolstering cooperation in the field of security and joint monitoring of borders, continue to receive support. The most recent meeting on this topic was held in the Sudanese capital, with the participation of the Sudan, the Niger, Chad and Libya, resulting in a joint action plan to implement the agreement that had been previously concluded in N’Djamena by those four States. We hope that this action plan will receive support from the international community. We have expressed our support for all international efforts aimed at fighting terrorism and underscored on many occasions our support for calls for holding an international high-level conference under the auspices of the United Nations on ways to unify efforts in that regard.
“With respect to human rights, we emphasize our determination to uphold  and  protect  them. As proof of our commitment in that domain, we have adopted several laws, including those on establishing political parties, legalizing peaceful demonstrations, criminalizing torture and enforced
disappearances, amending the penal code and codifying transitional justice. This legislation, which will soon enter into force, is designed to promote tolerance and harmony among members of our national community.
“With regard to economic, social and cultural rights, the Government of National Accord has continually sought to promote women’s  rights  and gender equality, while providing free and ongoing educational  services   and   medical  care to all citizens. Pursuant to article 7 of the Constitutional Declaration, which calls for joining all international and regional conventions and charters related to strengthening human rights, we have ratified some of those conventions, including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to which Libya is now a party.
“We once again wish to reiterate our commitment to protecting and upholding human rights. However, we note that current difficulties in the transitional period have given rise to certain security challenges that have led  to human rights violations. In this regard, we look forward to benefiting from technical assistance mechanisms from the Human Rights Council and other programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations.
“My country pays great attention to the issue of illegal migration. We seek to address the ongoing flow of migrants being exploited by human trafficking networks, thousands of whom have perished at sea. This kind of migration is causing human suffering that the international community has been unable to address until now. Libya is a transit country that is facing serious economic, social and security consequences as a  result of  the migration phenomenon; indeed, the migration issue has clearly exacerbated the state of insecurity in Libya, causing many difficulties and problems across Libyan society. It is difficult to limit the repercussions of the phenomenon without foreign cooperation and assistance commensurate with the scope of these challenges and their consequences. Clearly, the optimal solution does not lie in dealing with it merely as a problem of security. We  need to focus on the real underlying causes that push people to seek the daunting path of migration.

“Accordingly, we welcome the efforts undertaken to reach an international agreement for safe, orderly and regular migration, to be adopted at the intergovernmental conference to be held in Marrakech, Kingdom of Morocco, in December. Nevertheless, we would have liked to  see  the draft agreement deal with this issue in a broader manner. We agree on the need to protect the rights of migrants as much as possible. However, the current and increasing flow of migrants excessively burdens national potentials and capabilities to such an extent that migrants’ rights can rarely be guaranteed.
“I firmly believe that the international community should support countries of origin and encourage them to develop and implement effective development programmes and projects, thereby enhancing their productive and services sectors, so that poverty, unemployment and other forms of deprivation fall away and people can stop thinking of irregular and dangerous emigration as a solution.
“My country pays great attention to issues of disarmament and the maintenance of international peace and security. It actively participates in the deliberations in various forums on those issues and actively supports many decisions taken by the United Nations in the field. We fully endorse the relevant international treaties and conventions, cognizant of the fact that producing and stockpiling weapons of mass destruction is a threat to international peace and security, which horrifies all members of the human race.
“Moreover, Libya has participated in international disarmament efforts related to weapons of mass destruction and the maintenance of international peace and security. In this regard, I would like to recall that after joining the Chemical Weapons Convention, my country promptly addressed its chemical stock, in cooperation and coordination with the secretariat of the Convention and its international partners, which eventually led us to destroying our chemical stocks.
“We reaffirm our support for international efforts aimed at establishing nuclear-weapon free zones. We stress that the Middle East region as a whole should be free of weapons of mass destruction and that all countries in the region should declare that they possess such weapons or have the intention
to do so. All countries in the region must also join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
“At the same time, we would like to underscore the right of States to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. States that have abandoned weapons of mass destruction should be supported and encouraged to train people in the area of the peaceful use of nuclear energy so that they might acquire the necessary technical knowledge to pursue such uses.
“Three years have elapsed since the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is focused on 17 ambitious goals, was  adopted by  the Heads of State and Government. We in Libya are facing many challenges  in  the  achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), mostly due to political and security instability. The Assembly is aware that development is closely linked to security; indeed, as is  well  known, there is no development without security and no security without development. We look  forward to moving past these difficulties and to launching development plans and programmes to improve our economy and start focusing on attaining the SDGs.
“The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for  Development  stress  the  need  of  countries to mobilize financial resources to achieve their development goals. My country, Libya, is one of the countries whose funds have been transferred abroad. We therefore call on States holding our funds to disclose that fact and help us recover them so that we can begin to implement the Sustainable Development Goals in a serious manner.
“Accordingly, we would like to recall the frozen Libyan funds and assets of the Libyan sovereign wealth fund, which is incurring losses as a result of the sanctions imposed by the many Security Council resolutions adopted since 2011. We underscore that the purpose of those sanctions was to preserve Libyan funds and assets, rather than deplete them. However, the assets freeze has caused those funds and assets to incur enormous ongoing losses. Since March 2016, we have provided the Security Council and the relevant sanctions committee with clear information about our losses, and have appealed to them to amend the current sanctions regime so that we can put a stop

to these huge losses. Unfortunately, we have not seen any action taken in response to our justified requests. If nothing changes, the wasting of frozen Libyan resources would in essence deprive Libyans of funds that could be invested in their future.
“My delegation supports the Secretary- General’s proposed reforms of certain United Nations bodies, and we hope that these reforms lead us to  fulfilling the  commitments  set  forth in the 2005 World Summit Outcome, namely, to consolidate the authority of the Organization and ensure its effectiveness and ability to properly address all current challenges. Despite the progress that has been made elsewhere, the Security Council, the most important organ in the Organization, has yet to implement any reform. It is therefore crucial that the Security Council, which no longer reflects the realities of the world of the twenty-first century, undertake genuine reform.
“In the face of the serious challenges threatening international peace and security, the current geopolitical situation calls for a reform process that results in equitable representation in the Council. We call for an end to the historical injustice suffered by the African continent with regard to its unfair representation in the permanent and non-permanent categories of Security Council membership. We underline the African demand contained in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, namely, two permanent seats with all rights and powers, including the right to veto, and two non-permanent seats. This demand is in line with the requirements of justice and the right of the African continent to effectively participate in the decisions made by the Council, particularly in the light of the fact that many such decisions are on African issues. The African demand reflects the right of the continent to a minimum of fair representation in the Council and offsets the marginalization and historical injustice that Africa has suffered. Accordingly, we also support the demand by the Group of Arab States to be granted a permanent seat on the Council.
“Peace in the Middle East will not be achieved as long as the occupying Power continues to shed the blood of innocent Palestinians, confiscate their land, build settlements, impose an unjust siege on the Palestinian people, seek by any  means to Judaize Jerusalem, and flout all relevant
international resolutions. We join the Palestinian people in rejecting the announcement by the occupying Power that Israel is a Jewish nation State. This announcement risks triggering dangerous escalation and improperly resolving the Palestinian question by removing native Palestinians from their ancestral lands and allowing them to be replaced by Jewish settlers. Such practices have been soundly rejected as racist.
“Furthermore, we reject attempts to change the legal status of occupied Jerusalem, including attempts by certain States to use a policy of fait accompli, for example by transferring their embassies in Israel to the city of Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel. These attempts violate relevant General Assembly and Security Council resolutions.
“We underscore our support for the Palestinian people and their right to  self-determination and  to the establishment of a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital. We call for the protection of the Palestinian people and demand that the occupying Power cease all acts of violence, terrorism, settlements and repeated attacks  against them.
“Not far from occupied Palestine, in some regions of Syria, the brotherly Syrian people have been facing disastrous humanitarian situations for years as a result of a destructive conflict that has caused immense human and material damage and led to the displacement of many innocent people. We condemn all brutal terrorist acts committed against the Syrian people and support all international efforts aimed at finding a peaceful solution that would avoid dismantling and partitioning the country. We also support international efforts aimed at fulfilling the aspirations of the Syrian people to live a decent life in a democratic country governed by the rule of law, where human rights are maintained and respected.
“With regard to our  brotherly country Yemen, we express deep concern at the disastrous humanitarian situation unfolding there. We have spoken out against the continuing conflict that is clearly threatening the security, stability and unity of Yemeni society, as well as the security of the region as a whole. In this context, we support all efforts aimed at stopping the bloodshed in Yemen

and at alleviating the suffering of the brotherly Yemeni people.
“In conclusion, I would like to stress that today’s challenges, whether they be security, economic, social or other types of  challenge,  require  that we all work together to strengthen the role of the United Nations so that it can adapt to developments in the international arena and resolve conflicts and crises through peaceful means.”


Despite all our efforts, 100 years after the end of the First World War we find ourselves in a world in which lasting peace  has not yet been universally secured and people are still dying in violent conflicts. The raison d’être  of  the United Nations is the protection of peace, human rights, justice and social progress. Those values are not a Western instrument. They form universal ideals that all of us, the States Members of the United Nations, should strive for together.
We face many challenges in areas such as the dignity of individuals, global prosperity, and sustainable development, including gender inequality, youth unemployment, global health threats, climate change, violent extremism, terrorism, forced displacement and uncontrolled migration. Furthermore, multilateralism and the rules-based system, which benefit everyone and have long held many of those threats at bay, are increasingly being undermined and questioned. One way that we as policymakers can tackle those challenges is by working to realize the difficult structural and political reforms of the United Nations so as to promote

shared	global	responsibility,	robust	international cooperation and the restoration of common values.
We all understand the importance of reforming  the Security Council in order to reflect the  realities  of today’s world. In recent years, unfortunately, the Council has been characterized by blocking tactics rather than cooperation. Its failure to act on the world’s worst atrocities is clearly visible in several brutal ongoing conflicts, from Syria to Yemen. The Secretary- General has already embarked on the challenging endeavour of reforming the United Nations, and the Czech Republic fully supports his efforts. Making the Organization more effective through much-needed reforms in the areas of peace and security, management and the development system will make the United Nations truly relevant to all people and help promote a peaceful, equitable and sustainable world. Accordingly, we should endorse the Secretary-General’s work and give his proposals, including their budgetary and financial implications, the strongest possible support.
The vital point of the Secretary-General’s reform agenda is its focus on the prevention of conflicts. All of us should work tirelessly work to ensure that crises are contained before they break out and that post-conflict countries are stabilized for the long term. For effective conflict prevention, we should adopt a comprehensive approach to peace and security that treats climate change as a security problem while also advancing sustainable development and promoting human rights.
The Czech Republic took great pride in  having the honour of holding the presidency of the Economic and Social Council during its 2017 session. I would like to thank everyone, Member States as well as the Secretariat, for their excellent cooperation. It was an enlightening experience, not just for our presidency team but for our entire Administration.
In the context of the Sustainable Development Goals, which are the foundation of our concerted efforts to promote sustainable development, the Czech Republic will continue to champion Sustainable Development Goal 16, not  only  as  a  follow-up  to our presidency of the Economic and Social Council but mainly as a cornerstone of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We consider peace, justice and functioning institutions our priority and a solid base on which a sustainable future for everyone can  be built. In the context of  sustainable development,    it is also crucial for the United Nations to seek more
synergies among its humanitarian, development and security activities.
Apart from conflict prevention,  there  should  be a special focus on post-conflict stabilization. Those efforts should be visible in the field. To achieve that, more cooperation among the United Nations specialized agencies is required, as well as broader coordination with and between the Member States.
History teaches us that respect for human rights is the best way to prevent conflict and violence. Efforts to realize human rights for all are the best possible investment for a peaceful and prosperous future. Lasting peace and sustainable development cannot be achieved when human rights are abused or violated. And yet the human rights pillar of the United Nations is chronically underfunded and often overlooked. That must change. Human rights are central to my historical experience. The promotion of human rights, both in the bilateral context and on the global scene, remains one of our long-term foreign-policy priorities.
Our efforts to prevent conflict and instability would not be complete without mentioning denuclearization and the fight against terrorism. The Czech Republic, with its Embassy in Pyongyang, is deeply interested in improving the situation on the Korean peninsula. That is why we are following both the inter-Korean dialogue and the dialogue between the United States of America and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with raised expectations and at the highest level.
We need  a  resolute  and  coordinated  approach to countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, just as we do in fighting terrorism. Although the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant has been defeated in large swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq, we are aware that it is still active and that other terrorist organizations are also operating worldwide. We must take further steps in the area of international law and finally conclude a comprehensive convention on international terrorism. As President Miloš Zeman suggested at the general debate of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session in 2016 (see  A/71/PV.12), we call for an  internationally recognized definition  of terrorism that will emphasizee the criminal responsibility of terrorists worldwide and enable us to hold them accountable.
This year the Czech Republic commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the day that Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia. The experience of the 1968

invasion still resonates strongly, and not just in the Czech Republic, as the moment where many lost faith in the promises of a better world preached by the Soviet Union. That historical time period provides lessons that are still relevant today, and its echoes can be heard in incidents that continue to occur in the world around us.
First, it is still not a given that all countries, including those in Eastern Europe, have the right to choose their foreign-policy orientation without their sovereignty and territorial integrity being threatened. In that context, I would like to once again remind the Assembly that the annexation of Crimea represents a blatant violation of international law.
Secondly, it should not be forgotten that the use of force is allowed by the Charter of the United Nations only in self-defence and when authorized by the Security Council under Chapter VII of the Charter. The United Nations is the sole guarantor of international peace and security. It is only through collective means and within the rules-based international order that the peace and security of all our nations can be achieved.
Thirdly, in cases where States and the international community fail in their shared responsibility to protect people from atrocities, it is imperative to establish accountability for serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights. Accordingly, the Czech Republic firmly supports international criminal justice, and in particular the International Criminal Court (ICC). We welcome the activation of the ICC’s jurisdiction over the crime of aggression, which we consider to be a deterrent ensuring that such crimes will not be committed in future. In certain cases, however, the ICC does not have jurisdiction, but that should not be seen as a loophole through which perpetrators of atrocities may escape accountability.
For crimes committed in Syria, we support, both politically and through financial contributions, the so-called International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011. Not only is accountability a way to bring justice to those suffering in conflicts, it is also a path towards reconciliation and a crucial means for preventing atrocities from recurring.
While the newly independent Czech Republic was admitted to the United Nations 25 years ago, in 1993, this year we are also celebrating the centenary of our
modern statehood and independence, as Czechoslovakia was born out of the crucible of the First World War in 1918. The founder and first President of my country, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, rightly posited that States are sustained only by those ideals from which they were born. The same must be true of the United Nations. We should therefore strive to reinvigorate the founding ideals of this noble Organization. Only then will we succeed in fulfilling the theme of its seventy- third session, making it truly relevant and helpful to all people.


I have the honour to address the General Assembly as President of the Government of the Kingdom of Spain. I do so with the emotion that this Hall inspires in me and with respect for the values that gave rise to and guide the daily work of the Organization. I would like to begin by highlighting the fact that, for the first time in history, a Latin American woman is presiding over the Assembly. That is yet another symbol of the fact that global governance in the twenty-first century is inconceivable without the leadership of women. I identify as a feminist politician, and this is without a doubt the time of women.
I have always believed that multilateralism makes it possible to achieve heights that would be unattainable through the individual actions of States. On that note, I want to underscore the value of agreement and dialogue in confronting the challenges that the international community is facing. Those are challenges that my country, Spain, is addressing with a  spirit  of  hope for collective action against those who instil fear and uncertainty. Our commitment to the United Nations stems from common values and a common conviction; it is the pursuit of justice in all its forms through respect for human dignity, democracy, freedom, equality and human rights; and now, above all and more than ever, it is making the promotion of peace and the well-being of peoples our objectives.
The United Nations, like the European project in which my Government firmly believes, was not born out of an idealistic utopia, as some disdainfully make it out to be. It was born out of victory over the forces of hatred, racism and tyranny. Today, the world is facing great global challenges, many of which have been discussed here in the Assembly. We are asked to act on behalf of the people of each of our countries. We are asked and required to prepare real agendas for change. Our times do not require nationalistic or non-inclusive rhetoric. To paraphrase the remarks of the Secretary- General at the opening of the general debate (see A/73/ PV.6), now is the moment to forge a new cooperative leadership, based on a willingness not only  to  listen to others, which is of course important, but also to understand what motivates their positions. Now is the moment to accept, with a deep sense of empathy, that no one alone has a monopoly on the truth; and that we need

leadership that can build consensus, forge agreements and find solutions that leverage synergies.
We must not underestimate everything that we have achieved by working together, which is very significant. The world today is a better place than it used to be. It is much better than it would have  been  if the United Nations had never been founded. But in my opinion, the real strength of the Organization does not lie in its past achievements, although there have been many; rather, it lies in all that we can build to win the future. The time is now. We are the last generation with the opportunity to slow the consequences of climate change and the first generation with the tools to eradicate poverty on the planet. It  is, therefore, not a question of seeing obstacles but rather, of seeing opportunities. It is about turning change into a catalyst for achieving sustainable development. That it is not an ideal. It is a real necessity, as many of the previous speakers have stated.
Many countries face a dilemma: to continue to be open societies or  to become closed societies, as if  a return to the false peace of borders and renouncing collective action were the only means of addressing the uncertainties of these times. We already know where such ideas lead. Now we must look beyond the seeming dictates of these fast-moving times, in which everything seems to change from one minute to the next. Let us move past the lost decade of the economic crisis and the growing inequality that our societies suffer from. Our commitment has a name, a date and goals — the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to which the Government of Spain is fully committed.
The late Kofi Annan, to whom I wish to pay tribute, taught us many things. I should like to share one of them with the Assembly. He told us that human rights, social and economic development and security are all interdependent. I would like to recall those pillars, accompanied by an additional thought — that the dignity of human beings must also be at the heart of our public and political action. The principles that have brought us to this point in our history are not in retreat and never will be. In fact, they are more relevant than ever. That is why Spain will continue to defend those values. Because without dignity and equality between women and men, and without respect for human rights, there will be no peace and development throughout  the world.
As a member of the Human Rights Council until 2020, Spain supports initiatives that strengthen the capacity of the Council and the High Commissioner for Human Rights. We are fortunate to have, in the person of the High Commissioner, an individual of political and personal stature — Michelle Bachelet of Chile. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which celebrates its seventieth anniversary this year, provides the framework for moving forward.
There is no greater injustice than that which defines what a human being will or will not  be on  the basis of whether they were born a boy or a girl. How do we measure all that so many generations of our societies have lost by accepting the discrimination between  men and women? Humankind must not tolerate that injustice. We  must develop a  truly global road map in this twenty-first century to eradicate all forms of discrimination, which women still suffer just because they are women — whether it is gender-based violence, trafficking in women, or female  genital  mutilation. In that endeavour, the United Nations can rely on Spain’s commitment.
The Cabinet of Ministers, which I lead, comprises 60 per cent women members, because we aim to lead by example. And the battle is being fought in companies, in education, in society itself and in leadership positions, where glass ceilings remain simply owing to slow progress. I would like to congratulate the Secretary- General on having reached full gender parity in his Senior Management Group for the first time in the history of the United Nations.
Spain will continue to promote the women and peace and security agenda. It is crucial that women participate as peace brokers in all phases of conflicts and contribute to a resolution. We will continue to support the outstanding work of UN-Women. Spain actively participated in its creation and was the first donor to establish a partnership framework with that organization. My Government has also joined a Circle of Leadership promoted by the Secretary-General to combat sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations operations. It is essential that we promote a zero- tolerance culture in that area.
There are no short cuts or quick fixes for the major challenges of our time, such as the crises directly affecting countries such as Spain, in particular the refugee and migration crises. Humankind cannot simply accept as inevitable the fact that 68 million

people have been forcibly displaced around the world, of whom more than 25  million are refugees, and over 3 million are asylum-seekers.
At this session, the General Assembly will adopt the global compact on refugees. That is a great leap forward. We must work closely with the High Commissioner  for Refugees and acknowledge the situation that the refugee turmoil causes in host countries. We should especially bear in mind that 85 per cent of the world’s refugees and asylum-seekers are concentrated in developing countries. Those States need our empathy and commitment, and, above all else, justice and an equitable distribution of that responsibility in which we all have the obligation to help. Spain has suffered the calamities of the economic crisis more than almost any other Western European country. Nonetheless, the vast majority of Spanish society has never turned its back on the tragic situation of migrants.
In that connection, I am proud of our society, which has not been drawn into the radical fever of xenophobic discourse based on a culture of fear of the other. Perhaps that is because we remember our own country’s history. We were a country of migrants and refugees as well. And that is why we will not abandon our international commitments. If we take in a boat that is adrift in the Mediterranean with 630 people on board, it is not only because international law demands it, but also because it is a moral imperative.
Spain welcomes the coming global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, which is set to be adopted in Marrakech in December. When migration is safe, orderly and regular, it is possible to benefit from its positive impact. Rather than accepting an image of countries as fortresses, with exclusionary and xenophobic narratives, the Government of Spain champions the  concepts  of  solidarity,   humanity and respect.
Spain is well aware of what that challenge entails. We are ultimately a country of origin, transit, destination and return. We defend a migration policy whose fundamental goal is to address the root causes of migration, such as poverty, environmental degradation or a lack of opportunities for many young people in the world. Ultimately, we must aspire for migration to be a free choice and not a necessity. Such a policy requires dialogue and cooperation with the countries of origin and transit, especially with the African  countries,  and we are working with the European Union and in
the Government to devote significant resources to  that issue.
There are many forms of poverty. Allow me to underscore the abomination of childhood poverty and the poverty that afflicts women. More than 15 million girls will never have the chance to learn to read or write in primary school, and 330 million women are living on less than $2 a day. To fight that and other forms of poverty, I would like to mention the need for a global perspective and a new twenty-first-century humanism based on the values that have brought the greatest prosperity ever known to humankind.
The 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the current embodiment of that spirit, in which humankind and the planet occupy a central place. We must adopt the Agenda as a new global social contract, binding us all and connecting us with future generations. Spain is going to work with determination to make that change. We have approved an action plan for implementing the 2030 Agenda, and we will launch our own national sustainable development strategy. Indeed, many of the measures adopted by  my  Government are directly  tied  to our  commitment  to  meeting  the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, namely, combating gender violence, taking measures against child poverty and against energy poverty, regaining universality throughout our country’s health-care system, setting policies for grants to advance equal opportunities among young people, and improving workers’ rights. Such actions, in short, fully embrace and are aligned with the 2030 Agenda.
Spain is therefore moving forward  along  the  path carved out by the United Nations in the 2030 Agenda. Spain has done that before, in fact, when we championed the Millennium Development Goals, with the largest contribution from any single donor in the United Nations system, as well as being the first to the Sustainable Development Goals project. Furthermore, Spain also created the Water and Sanitation Cooperation Fund in Latin America and the Caribbean some years ago, in which we have invested more than €800 million.
However, none of those efforts make any sense unless we tackle the greatest threat of our generation: the impact of climate change. I come from a country where 40 per cent of our surface area is threatened by desertification. We must fight that battle at every level, which means not only addressing its most immediate effects  but  also  addressing  the underlying structural

causes that exacerbate the changes in our climate that we are witnessing. This is why we are keenly aware of the need to undertake a controlled decarbonization of our economy.
Yesterday, I announced  that  Spain  would  join the Carbon Neutrality Coalition, deepening our commitment  to implementing  ambitious   long-  term strategies for reducing carbon dioxide and greenhouse-gas emissions. That will enable us to fully comply with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We urgently need to make a just ecological transition, laying the foundations for a new production model to which the Spanish Government is fully committed. Our future depends on renewable energy and clean technologies. Only from that starting point will we be able to combine material well-being with social justice and environmental sustainability.
I also wish to share the fact that Spain will participate constructively in the twenty-fourth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will take place in Poland this year, and the climate change summit to be convened by the Secretary-General in 2019. We hope that those meetings will be successful, and Spain will of course contribute constructively and actively to their smooth execution. Ultimately, it is necessary for us to be able to move forward and comply with the Paris Agreement — we believe that those meetings offer the occasion to advance and achieve our objectives.
It is also up to us to make progress in terms of security, but it must be a security focused on human beings. It has taken us a long time, in my opinion, to learn that security is much more than a concept tied  to defence, in the military sense of the term. Security finds its raison d’être not in the absence of conflict, but in guaranteeing freedom.
Terrorism continues to be one of the major threats to our freedom. That phenomenon was not born out of a supposed clash of civilizations, as some have claimed for decades. There are a few areas in which cooperation, along with the multilateralism demonstrated here at the General Assembly and collaborative, cooperative leadership — to which the Secretary-General alluded in his remarks — can bear such abundant and beneficial fruit. The fight against terrorist financing networks   is crucial, as are international police and judiciary cooperation and the exchange of information and
intelligence. I am sure that we would all agree that those aspects are fundamental.
However, it is also essential to combat the hatred and violence that are being echoed in so many forums. We must do all we can to prevent our young people from falling prey to fanaticism and radical, exclusionary discourse. Governments, businesses and civil society must strengthen social and economic integration with a view to keeping recruitment networks from taking over that space. It is here, in that space devoid of expectations for personal development, where we must win the battle against terrorism. Likewise, we  must be able to overcome the slightest hint of division and resentment, while crafting a narrative of solidarity and remembrance that includes the voices of the victims of terrorism and strengthens the cohesion of our societies.
Investing in education and in our young people; taking an appropriate and comprehensive view of migratory issues,  providing  the media  with  tools  to combat hate speech — which are ever-present in global public discussions — and fighting stereotypes are undoubtedly essential areas of action. Those are precisely the areas that fall under the remit of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, an instrument for dialogue among cultures and religions, which is supported by the Government of Spain.
The growing tensions regarding nuclear proliferation and weapons of mass destruction are equally troubling. The world cannot afford another arms race. We must make the effort to regain the consensus that has been lost and strengthen the non-proliferation regime. Spain can, of course, be counted upon to participate and commit. The spread of armed conflicts and their changing nature — which is increasingly hybrid and complex — also demand our attention. Spain is firmly committed to strengthening the role of the United Nations in maintaining peace and international security.
We therefore support  the  measures  promoted  by the Secretary-General to place prevention and peacebuilding at the centre of the work of the United Nations. We also support his efforts to reform the architecture and management of United Nations peacekeeping operations, to which Spain has been a most active contributor for decades. Over the years, more than 160,000 Spanish troops have served in United Nations peacekeeping operations, demonstrating loyalty and commitment and enjoying the confidence

and support of many of the peoples they serve beyond our borders. Consequently, Spain supports the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping and the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations.
Nevertheless, conflict prevention and maintaining and consolidating peace are not enough; wherever a conflict breaks out, we must act. Spain supports respect for and enforcement of international humanitarian law, so that no violation goes unpunished. I call upon the justice system to pursue and prosecute those who commit war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. In that connection the efforts of the International Criminal Court are, in our view, irreplaceable.
I call also on the leaders of States and of the international community to protect their civilian populations. I believe it is important to underscore that point before the Assembly. Spain strongly supports the Franco-Mexican initiative to limit the use of the veto power in cases of mass atrocity. Humanitarian disasters such as those in Syria and Iraq remind us of the high price of failing to act in time.
In order for the multilateral system to be effective, we must renovate and reinforce it — a recurring theme at the heart of the Assembly. In so doing, we will be defending everything that we believe in, namely, multilateralism. Spain therefore strongly supports the reform of the United Nations system promoted by the Secretary-General. We have before  us the challenge of clearly integrating the pillars of peace, sustainable development and human rights and avoiding the duplications and overlapping that only drag this institution down.
We must win back vital public opinion — something I would like to reflect upon here — and the favour of a global citizenry that has come of age in an atmosphere of growing scepticism about an  Organization  than can no longer rest on its many past achievements, despite the fact that they are significant and worthy of remembrance. We must now use our ambition in the task of winning over new generations. Our sole source of strength lies in the capacity of the United Nations to project that message to the world. I believe, therefore, that it is fundamental that we serve as role models to be worthy of the example set by those who represent the very best of the United Nations — the staff who risk their lives in conflict zones. I express my sincerest
recognition to all those men and women who work bravely on the ground every day.
The challenge of the disrepute into which politics has fallen is also at stake in the multilateral arena. We must win the battle against those who would spread the shadow of uncertainty and have a single goal, namely, to cast doubt on the role of international organizations such as the United Nations. Spain is a solid ally in  that task.
There are two issues that I would like, within the context of the United Nations, to call the Assembly’s attention to before concluding.
First is the question of Gibraltar, on  which  Spain’s  position  is  well  known  —  including  by  the Assembly — and aligned with United Nations doctrine. The United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union means that Gibraltar will also leave the Union. I would like for the Spanish Government  to take advantage of this historic occasion to establish a new relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union — which will inevitably involve Spain — to bring prosperity to and benefit the entire region. This includes Gibraltarians, as well as those in the wider area of Campo de Gibraltar.
We are also concerned, of course, by the persistent crisis in the Western Sahara. Spain defends the central role of the United Nations and would like to contribute to the efforts of the Secretary-General and  his Special Envoy to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that will provide for the self-determination of the people of the Western Sahara. This should be done in the context of arrangements consistent with the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations.
Spain is a fully fledged democracy and, this year, celebrates the fortieth anniversary of our Constitution, which brought democracy to our country. It also ranks high on global indexes that measure the democratic quality of our countries’  institutions.  Moreover, Spain has made its defence of and commitment to multilateralism a hallmark of our identity, a flag we wave with fervour and conviction whenever we go beyond our borders.
Today, the world faces major threats,  just  as  it did eight decades ago — something that has been remarked upon by many speakers. Cooperative leadership, to which Spain subscribes, demands a

renewed commitment to multilateralism. Solutions to global problems can be found only through cooperation between States — that is the firm belief of the Spanish Government and of Spanish society as a whole. Let us ensure that the coming decade represents a victory for consensus and a defeat for those who seek only to hear the echoes of their own voices.
I address the Assembly today in New York, a city that saw the arrival of millions of human beings fleeing from poverty and from political, racial and religious persecution. The immense majority of them were Europeans. Today, on both shores of the North Atlantic, a collective veil of amnesia is being drawn over the memory of what we were and of what we are, namely, sheer diversity.
As the great exiled Spanish poet León Felipe wrote: “It is not a matter of getting there first on your own, but of arriving together, on time”. Nothing defines the goals of the United Nations better than the vitality of the 2030 Agenda. It represents this decade’s horizon of hope — one that we must strive towards in order to arrive, as the poet said, together and on time, leaving no one behind.