We would be either presumptuous or dangerously indifferent if we did not assess the impact of the renewed call from the world’s youth about our climate emergency and failed to respond to it with speed, ambition and effectiveness. Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande is well aware of our young people’s importance. The African continent, which he is honouring as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session, is the only region in the world whose population under the age of 24 continues to grow. Those young people behind the movements in support of our planet are quite rightly driven by an unprecedented anxiety about the future but above all by an immense hopefulness that should push us to make real change. We must reflect those messages in our policies if we are to respond bravely and with determination.
This year’s Climate Action Summit, which was so well organized by the Secretary-General with the support of Special Envoy Luis Alfonso de Alba, enabled us to showcase the mobilization and creativity of all the actors in our societies. For its part, the Principality is firmly committed to carbon neutrality by 2050 and plans to take the steps needed to achieve that ambition. Our energy transition mission, established in 2016, is redoubling its efforts to accelerate the transition of multiple stakeholders to run on low carbon. Our national energy transition pact will enable everyone — individuals, public and private companies and associations — to commit to becoming actors and partners in making the changes in our lifestyles that must inevitably result.
Only proactive policies will enable us to grapple with the strains on a country that welcomes more than twice its permanent population on a daily basis. In that regard, we are paying particular attention to aligning policies combating climate change and preserving air quality in order to safeguard health, in line with the commitments under the BreatheLife campaign, coordinated by the World Health Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. Monaco has also joined the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action with a view to making progress in implementing economic and financial policies supporting the global transition to a low-carbon economy. Beyond measures at the national level, Monaco will be taking its full share of responsibility with regard to the collective goal of mobilizing $100 billion annually between now and 2025 for climate action in developing countries. In that regard, the Principality will participate in the first replenishment of the Green Climate Fund.
Monaco is committed to the nature-based solutions coalition with a view to maximizing the major contribution of natural capital to climate action. Climate change and the collapse of biodiversity, far from being isolated crises, are two alarming symptoms of the anthropocene age that we must respond to together. Based on that belief, the Government of Monaco is committed to attaching the same degree of importance to the preservation of biodiversity and the fight against climate change. Starting in 2020, for example, Monaco will be increasing its international funding aimed at preserving and regenerating biodiversity, while mitigating and promoting adaptation to climate change and improving the resilience of vulnerable populations.
The protection of forests and the essential services that they do for human communities, especially as carbon sinks, is of course fundamental. That is why the recent devastating fires in various parts of the world constitute a real ecological disaster. It will also be crucial to preserve the seas and oceans, whose key role in climate balance and extreme vulnerability to global warming we have been made aware of thanks to advances in science. In that regard, the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was the subject of a meeting concluded yesterday in Monaco, is damning. It is therefore up to us to take full account of its conclusions and of the recommendations made by many scientists so that we can translate those findings into the political decisions we will take next year in the areas of climate change, conservation and the sustainable use of oceans and biological diversity. Monaco has historically chosen to support science. The fact is that it is essential that the policies we implement be based on the most reliable scientific knowledge possible.
The commitment of so many of us to standing with the Secretary-General is testament to our support for his leadership and our recognition of his unwavering commitment to the multilateralism that the United Nations embodies. Nevertheless, international institutions and civil servants, however dedicated, cannot be held responsible for our inaction or failure.
We are aware of the many challenges that we face, and we know perfectly well that we will either deal with them together or succumb to them individually. Our common future depends on regularly adapting our guiding light, which is the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit, which today launched an ambitious “decade of action”, lists ten priority areas that we should focus our efforts on. In the Global Sustainable Development Report, scientists speak of a tipping point or critical point for certain ecosystems, which means that we are reaching a level of degradation from which there can be no return to a normally functioning state. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2019, from the Secretary-General, and the Global Sustainable Development Report on the first cycle of SDG implementation, by the group of independent experts mandated by Member States, show that progress has been made in some key areas and that there have been promising developments, in particular the reduction of extreme poverty and a decline in the under-five mortality rate.
However, despite those advances, the reports urge us to redouble our efforts urgently. The natural environment is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Sea levels are rising, ocean acidification is accelerating, the last four years have been the hottest on record and 1 million plant and animal species are threatened with extinction. At the same time, the number of people suffering from hunger continues to increase, more than half of the world’s population still lacks essential health services and too many children still lack adequate reading and mathematics skills. That is why the direction I have set for my Government since 2005 combines the vision of a world that prioritizes progress and well-being with the implementation of activities to protect the environment, fight for peace, respect justice and sustainable development, defend the underprivileged and work for a more just and harmonious planet. In this way, every part of the Principality’s Government action must adhere to the requirements of sustainable development. Economic progress must foster social progress while also respecting the environment.
The transition to a more sustainable way of life cannot be achieved without creating a more inclusive and fulfilling society for individuals. Women and girls therefore cannot be excluded from those efforts at a time when we are preparing to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. In October, in order to reaffirm its commitment to the defence of women’s interests, my Government established a committee for the promotion and protection of women’s rights. It is a deplorable fact that in today’s world, our women, mothers and daughters are among the first victims of the wars and conflicts that continue to rage and are also particularly vulnerable when populations are forcibly displaced.
The fourth industrial revolution is under way. Artificial intelligence brings hope, but also poses risks that must be comprehensively addressed. The digital revolution is leading us into a movement of creative destruction that is neither linear nor predetermined. We hold the keys to it and it is our responsibility to shape the way forward. We must seize the opportunities that arise, but we must also guard against threats caused by our societies’ uncontrolled development, particularly where security and worsening inequality are concerned. The speed, scale and scope of the changes that have already begun should encourage us to lay the foundations for dialogue.
In the face of those challenges, Monaco has reached a technological turning point and launched a digital transformation that is both an economic necessity and a way to honour our commitments in the area of sustainable development. The launch in April of our Extended Monaco programme has put us on the road to a digital transition of unprecedented scale, while giving particular emphasis to the concepts of responsibility and sustainability. As part of its digital transition strategy, the Government therefore plans to use the assets that technological innovation offers in the fields of health, education and the economy, as well as to make Monaco a model for smart cities.
In an interconnected world, the spirit of good neighbourliness mentioned in the Charter of the United Nations and to which “nations large and small” must adhere should take on special meaning. That is the path to follow in a world where we have all become each other’s neighbours and where notions of time and space have become more relative. We owe our capacity to transcend adversity and establish norms for managing our interdependencies to the multilateral institutions that we have created, and the sovereignty of all of our States will emerge the stronger from that.
As we follow one another onto this rostrum, we are beginning the countdown to the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations in 2020. This Hall has seen so many debates, confrontations, promises and advances, and yet so many dashed hopes as well. But we are still here, because when we adopted the Charter, we decided to pool our efforts to achieve these goals — saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war, proclaiming our faith in the dignity and worth of the human person and promoting better standards of life in larger freedom.
Over the past three decades in this General Assembly Hall we have travelled together along a path that is certainly strewn with pitfalls, but we have nevertheless taken important steps. We have adopted, amended and corrected many texts and created mechanisms, processes and frameworks for addressing new challenges. From disarmament to human rights, from the preservation of the environment to major pandemics and from the fight against terrorism to social development, our strength has always resided in our unity and ability to compromise when we are dealing with the best interests of the peoples for whom our Organization was founded. Paradigm shifts and the funding that they require are beyond the reach of individual Member States, but they are not impossible if we strive for them in solidarity in the service of humankind.


I would like to begin this address to the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session by congratulating you, Sir, on your election as its President and by recognizing your wisdom in choosing the theme for this session, “Galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion”.
Preparations will soon begin for the celebration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, a great assembly of all the peoples of the world that was born with the primary aim of preventing violent conflicts between countries after two devastating world wars. A few years after its birth, the United Nations expanded its scope and began to focus on improving people’s living conditions, and if we review the themes of the last few sessions, we will realize that the issue of development has become a key element of the multilateral agenda. I say “of the multilateral agenda”, not just the agenda of the United Nations, because the 17 Sustainable Development Goals have the virtue of aligning the priorities and lines of action of various regional and sectoral forums. For example, the Principality of Andorra has assumed the Pro Tempore Secretariat of the Ibero-American Summit for two years under the slogan “Innovation for sustainable development — Target 2030”.
Returning to the theme of this session of the General Assembly, the idea is to mobilize multilateral efforts in favour of development and sustainability in every area. In order to achieve sustainable development, joint action by all actors in society is essential. For that reason, Andorra recently adopted a national strategic plan for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an inclusive document that will speed up our implementation of the Goals set forth by this Assembly.
Without an improvement in people’s living conditions, any policy aimed at preventing violent conflict would be a weak one. In the words of Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of this Organization from 1997 to 2006, “[i]f war is the worst enemy of development, healthy and balanced development is the best form of conflict prevention”. This notion of healthy and balanced development is what we now call “sustainable development”. Similarly, sustainable development cannot be understood without the prior existence of just and peaceful societies. And there are no just and peaceful societies without effective respect for human rights. In that regard, Andorra once again reiterates its full support for the International Criminal Court as one of the main independent and impartial bodies fighting impunity for the most serious crimes. A year ago, we welcomed the expansion of the Court’s jurisdiction over crimes of aggression, and we will continue to resolutely support the extension of its jurisdiction.
Poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion are the four objectives that probably best address the challenges that the international community is currently facing. The case of poverty is paradigmatic, because all our global challenges are related to it. Mass migrations and forced displacement are caused by extreme poverty and war; the consequences of global warming are felt with greater intensity in the poorest communities; the reach of digitization, which can be an opportunity to reduce inequalities and alleviate the lack of infrastructure in various parts of the world, varies greatly depending on the degree of development; and such persistent problems as violence, terrorism and violent extremism feed on poverty and marginality.
The second of the development goals that the President of the General Assembly has set as priorities is quality education. There is no question that there can be no better weapon for empowerment and overcoming poverty than expanding access to quality education. This is an issue that has been the focus of much of Andorra’s action in multilateral forums over the past few years. That is undoubtedly because ours is a small country with few natural resources. A country that depends almost exclusively on the strength and talent of its people knows very well the positive impact that quality education can have. In Andorra three public, free and freely chosen education systems — French, Spanish and Andorran — have co-existed for three decades and have shaped a multilingual society prepared to cope with globalization. Andorrans are traditionally trilingual, as we speak Catalan, our own language, along with Spanish and French. Furthermore, we have long since incorporated English as an international language, and the large community of persons of Portuguese origin living in our country means that the Portuguese language is increasingly significant. It is not uncommon to find young people in our country capable of speaking five languages fluently, our own and four others, which opens doors for them to communicate with hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Moreover, we understand that in order to face the challenges of an increasingly globalized world, we must make a firm commitment to education to create a democratic citizenry that respects human rights, cultural diversity and the environment. In recent years, Andorra has promoted inclusive educational policies aimed at providing our young people with the tools they need to develop their potential in a multicultural and global world. That is why today I reaffirm my country’s commitment to working together with the international community to advance all the efforts we need to promote quality education as a tool that guarantees equal opportunities.
Action on climate is a multilateral action par excellence. In a global world, no great challenge can be met without cooperation among countries, and no great goal can be achieved unilaterally. But while we can make significant progress in reducing inequalities or promoting education at the national level, it is utterly impossible to address the issue of climate change from a purely unilateral perspective, because the environmental policy of a single country, however ambitious it may be, is totally ineffective without action at on a global scale. An example that I know well is that global warming is a direct threat to the delicate ecological balance of a high-mountain country such as Andorra. It jeopardizes the long-term survival of the ski sector, which is one of the pillars of our economy. But no matter how hard we try, Andorrans alone cannot reverse that trend — not Andorra nor any other country, no matter how big or powerful.
I realize that implementing effective measures to combat climate change can be difficult and costly, especially for the major industrial Powers. But major global challenges require major global commitments. If I may draw a parallel, I would like to remind the Assembly that 10 years ago a severe financial crisis forced us to lay the foundations for new international rules of the game, and many financial centres such as Andorra had to make great efforts to advance their transparency and cooperation in fiscal matters. It has not been an easy path for us or for any other small country similar to ours. But if we were able to commit to that task a decade ago and fulfil those commitments, the large industrialized countries should now also be able to deliver on the agreements we have all signed.
The world is urging us to act decisively and forcefully in the face of our climate emergency. Every Friday, hundreds of thousands of young people around the world are demanding that we safeguard their future — not their economic progress or the benefits of the welfare state, but their future in the most literal and basic sense, the very existence of human life on Earth.
It seems to me that we are at a critical juncture, when the debates on the scientific evidence of climate change have ended and the discussion about who has a greater responsibility to act has been set aside. We have a road map, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which was solemnly signed in this very Hall in April 2016. All that remains is therefore to implement the content of the Agreement at the national level, which, I would like to point out, is not an optimal agreement but a minimal one, with a scope that I am sure will have to be expanded in the future.
Over the past two years, Andorra has begun to implement an ambitious plan to convert our development model into a sustainable one that contributes to limiting global warming. In our country, the two main sources of carbon-dioxide emissions are transportation and heating. That is why we have deployed a direct incentive plan to replace our car fleet with electric vehicles, implemented a ride-sharing programme and renovated our public transportation network to make it more sustainable. From 1 January next year, all buildings in Andorra must have virtually zero energy consumption. At the same time, we have launched an ambitious public and private investment plan to increase national electricity production, which currently covers only 20 per cent of the demand, with the aim of covering 33 per cent by 2030 and 50 per cent by 2050. On top of that, our goal is for at least 75 per cent of our own electricity production to come from renewable sources.
The Andorran Government also intends to forge partnerships with civil society in order to restructure linear production models into circular economy models that do not generate waste or negative externalities. Specifically, we want to engage private actors to demonstrate that sustainability does not hinder economic development but rather provides an opportunity to drive new sectors of activity, expand the industries dedicated to recovery, repurposing and recycling, and generate wealth and jobs. It is not a question of having to choose between economic development and sustainability. We have moved beyond that. The point is to understand that in the long term the only possible economic development is sustainable development.
When the theme for the Assembly at its seventy-fourth session was selected, we were also urged to mobilize multilateral efforts for inclusion. Unlike poverty reduction, quality education or climate action, inclusion is not in itself a Sustainable Development Goal but rather a goal that cuts across the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In my opinion, inclusion is even more important because it is inherent in the concept of sustainability — no action, policy or institutional order is sustainable if it is not inclusive. Inclusion is like trust. It is a kind of cement that holds societies together.
Many of the countries represented in this Hall are representative democracies that are based on parliaments and executive branches that represent the diverse wishes of their citizens by channelling and structuring the will of individuals into Government programmes that respond to people’s desires and needs. The General Assembly is the fullest expression at the international level of the idea of representative democracy because the activities of the United Nations also serve to channel and structure the intentions and lines of action of its various Member States. Yet that idea, the idea of representative democracy, is in danger and has been besieged by anti-democratic and populist movements that challenge multilateralism and appeal to underdeveloped direct democracies. The response to the crisis of the representativeness of institutions does not have to mean less representativeness or fewer institutions, but it does require institutions that are truly effective in responding to people’s needs and in which people can see themselves reflected. Very often, those who most criticize institutions for being unrepresentative are precisely those who most weaken them through their actions.
The response to the crisis of representative and multilateral institutions does not have to be an anti-institutional reaction. Let us ask ourselves. Was the world a better place before the United Nations came into existence? Was Europe a better place before the existence of the European Union? Were our countries better off before national parliaments came to be? The answer is obvious. Given the institutional crisis, what we need is to improve our institutions, not further incapacitate them. Reforming or adapting democratic institutions to make them more representative is a challenge at both the national and global levels, and it has always been a challenge. This year, Andorra celebrates 600 years of the uninterrupted existence of the General Council, the Parliament that has represented the will of the Andorran people since 1419. Over those six centuries, our institutions have made many changes to better reflect the reality of our country. Some changes have taken hundreds of years, while others have evolved much faster. Only 25 years ago, just one of the 28 members of our Parliament was a woman. Today half of Andorra’s parliamentarians are women.
Our history shows that institutions endure better when they are flexible rather than rigid. That is why we support the Secretary-General’s initiative implementing a double reform of the United Nations, making it both more flexible and more effective. We also have a road map to measure our effectiveness. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals would address most of the concerns and aspirations of the vast majority of the world’s inhabitants.
One of the great challenges of our time is to respond to the many people who feel excluded from representative democratic institutions and development processes. In Andorra we are working to promote inclusion. We are implementing our recently enacted law on equality and we are working on a law on effective equality between men and women, which directly and constantly combats the wage gap and glass ceilings, since the workplace is the real battleground for equality and inclusion, not only for women but also for traditionally disadvantaged groups such as people with disabilities or young people who have not completed secondary school.
Despite a unilateral and nationalist retreat in various parts of the world, the real response to the great questions of our time is effective and inclusive multilateralism — effective, so that we can move forward on a path of sustainable development on the economic, social and environmental fronts, and inclusive, because progress that works for only a few becomes unsustainable and the institutions that represent the will of only a few become weak. Andorra, committed to a path towards peace, harmony and integrated diversity, will always support the United Nations in building a multilateral order that ensures sustainable development and inclusion.


I warmly congratulate the President on his election and wish him every success in steering the work of the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session. I also thank his predecessor for her contribution to our joint efforts. And I again encourage the Secretary-General to continue his efforts in support of Member States.
We are called upon at this session of the General Assembly to energize multilateral efforts to eradicate poverty, promote high-quality education, take action against climate change and foster inclusion. Those challenges are major and topical. But for the millions of victims of war and terrorism, the main challenge is existential: that of living in peace and security.
In the Sahel, terrorist groups continue to sow death on a daily basis, causing thousands of people to become refugees or displaced persons and destroying basic social services. As a troop contributor to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), Senegal stands in solidarity with the members of the Group of Five for the Sahel and the partners of the Alliance for the Sahel.
Because threats transcend borders, they should not be addressed in a fragmented manner. Peace, security and stability in the Sahel are part and parcel of peace, security and stability in the world. In accordance with the conclusions of the Extraordinary Summit of the Economic Community of West African States on the issue of combating terrorism, held on 14 September, Senegal remains committed to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries such as Mali against any separatist intent. We call on the Security Council to provide MINUSMA with a robust mandate and adequate equipment to combat terrorism in the Sahel.
Terrorism is the absolute negation of humanity and must be fought in all its forms and manifestations. That is why our country has joined the initiative launched by France and New Zealand in Paris in May — the Christchurch Call to Action to Eliminate Terrorist and Violent Extremist Content Online — following the 15 March attack on the Christchurch Muslim community. We must firmly reject populist rhetoric, which manipulates minds, fosters hatred and, ultimately, trivializes racism, xenophobia and violent extremism.
In contrast, African wisdom extols peaceful coexistence and respect for diversity, through conciliatory efforts establishing a regime of openness and peace, where every human being lives in peace with themselves and with their neighbours. According to this wisdom, a rainbow owes its beauty to the various hues of its colours. That also means that peace is also diversity, that there can be no superior hub of civilization that would dictate to others how to be and act and that all cultures and civilizations are equal in dignity. Senegal has therefore decided to erect the Goree Memorial to commemorate the dark days of slavery and for the peaceful coexistence of peoples in respect for their diversity.
The state of peace that inspires the ideals of the United Nations is certainly more compatible with the human condition than the state of war. But peace is not just the absence of war. It is also the state of mind that soothes and makes accommodations. In that spirit, Senegal strongly calls for reconciliation between Palestinians and Israelis and for the fulfilment of the right of the Palestinian people to a viable State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with the State of Israel in peace and within safe and internationally recognized borders.
Dialogue is the essence of the United Nations — our common house. On the ashes of war, this house was built to improve multilateralism, which is conducive to cooperation and peaceful coexistence among peoples. In the face of global threats and the challenges that transcend the nation-State, this Organization is where our concerns are expressed and where our ideas and proposals intersect to solve our common problems. This is where our hopes for compromise converge to achieve our shared goals, as called for by the Charter of the United Nations.
Faith in multilateralism thrives only in compliance with agreed rules and commitments. When those rules and commitments are challenged, that faith is shaken and the ideals of United Nations are undermined. As a result, Senegal reaffirms its commitment to multilateralism and a reformed and inclusive governance for a more equitable representation of Africa in the Security Council.
In my capacity as Chair of the Steering Committee of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, I welcome the dynamic of partnerships, old and new, with Africa. We support another vision of relations with the continent — free of prejudice and based on renewed partnerships that are mutually beneficial. Africa does not need stewardship. Africa needs partnerships.
We want fairer trade that does not exaggerate the perceived risk of investing in the continent, pays fair prices for raw materials, protects both host-country rights and investor interests and promotes the creation of local value chains. We call for a reform of the international tax system, so that taxes are paid where an activity creates wealth and profit, and for stronger action against tax evasion and avoidance, money-laundering and other illicit financial flows, which cost Africa more than $100 billion a year.
We call for the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, including the target of $100 billion per year in support of energy transition and climate-change adaptation. We call for the fulfilment of the commitments made at the third Global Partnership for Education Financing Conference, held in Dakar in February 2018, to mobilize $3 billion over three years for education and training.
More inclusive global governance, more balanced trade, international taxation reform and the fulfilment of commitments — those are, in Africa’s view, the real challenges of multilateralism today. They are the real challenges that we must tackle together if we are to energize multilateral efforts to eradicate poverty, promote quality education, address climate change and foster inclusion.
In doing so the destiny of the people lies first and foremost in their hands, which is why Senegal is pursuing with determination its 2035 development objective through the Emerging Senegal Plan. During the first phase of the Plan, between 2014 and 2018, we carried out several development-infrastructure projects through public investment. The second phase, spanning the period 2019 to 2023, was launched in December 2018 and includes a priority action plan with a sharper focus on private investment in such strategic sectors as agriculture, livestock and fisheries, transport infrastructure and services, energy, education, training and the digital economy, health, hotel and tourism infrastructure, and housing, including a five-year programme to build 100,000 homes. Those efforts have gone hand in hand with the streamlining of public administration and spending and with better mobilization of internal resources.
At the same time, we have been translating the Senegal for All vision into public policies on social inclusion and territorial equity, including the emergency community-development programme, with its components on water, electricity, access roads and equipment for rural women; universal health coverage; the national family-security grants programme for the most vulnerable groups; and the Fast-Track Entrepreneurship Delegation for women and youth.
In the light of the ideal of peace and human brotherhood that brings us together in this Hall, Senegal is delighted to host the ninth World Water Forum, to be held in 2021, and the fourth Youth Olympic Games, to take place in 2022 and the first in Olympic history to take place on the African continent. We hope that those two events will contribute to strengthening peace and fraternity among peoples and to building a better, more welcoming world for all. We invite the entire United Nations family to attend.
I wish the General Assembly every success at this session.


I would first like to extend our sincere congratulations to President Muhammad-Bande on his appointment and to wish him a successful, satisfying and productive tenure.
We live at a critical and defining moment in the history of our planet, and decisions and commitments made under this presidency will be as important as any made before in determining our collective stewardship of the planet and the quality of life of all for whom it is home.
My delegation and I also recognize our fellow Caribbean Community (CARICOM) sister State, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and congratulate it on its election as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the period from 2020 to 2022. As the smallest nation State ever to accomplish that historic feat, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gives assurance to all small States that they too can sit as equals among much larger, richer and more powerful Member States and ensure that their voices are heard on matters affecting global interests and security.
I want to convey my warmest greetings to everyone here from the grateful people of the Commonwealth of Dominica. We are profoundly thankful for all the attention and support from the Organization and its Member States and specialized agencies in the aftermath of the massive devastation inflicted on us by the category 5 Hurricane Maria in September 2017. Two years ago, when Dominica lay in ruins after being ravaged by Maria, our Prime Minister, Mr. Roosevelt Skerrit, stood at this rostrum a mere five days later to address the Assembly and indicated his resolve to set Dominica on a path to becoming the first climate-resilient nation in the world. Our Climate Resilience Recovery Plan is nearing completion, our new implementing agency is fully operational and the work of building resilience has begun. Thousands of homes have been repaired or rebuilt and hundreds more are contracted to be built. New resilient housing units are being constructed all over the island. The public utilities have all been restored. All children have been back in school since January 2018, although some schools still have to be rebuilt. The road network has been vastly improved, and most of the damaged or destroyed bridges have been repaired or are being rebuilt to higher standards. The rivers and watercourses have been dredged and the greenery has returned to our hills, valleys and mountains.
Practically everyone visiting Dominica in recent times has described the country’s transformation after Maria as miraculous, and indeed it is. But we acknowledge that we have not done it alone. We are doing it together. The global community, including non-governmental organizations and faith-based organizations, many of which are still hard at work in Dominica as I speak, is playing its part. All of Dominica says thanks, and we recognize that we owe the global community an everlasting debt of gratitude. We also hasten to say that the task is far from complete. Building resilience is a momentous and expensive task. One of the deficiencies of the international system is the long gestation period between pledges and commitments and the delivery on those promises. We urge those who have pledged to support us in creating this new, climate-resilient nation to deliver. Time is of the essence.
As we meet, more and more evidence is emerging that a new chapter is being written by the forces of nature, and the evidence is right before our eyes. That chapter speaks to the catastrophic effects of climate change, and as we are deliberating this week, many countries are reeling from its devastating effects. For many island States, and particularly the smallest, the message being sent is that rising sea levels, violent tropical storms and hurricanes, periods of severe drought alternating with floods and forest fires, new plant diseases, and vector-borne diseases such as chikungunya and Zika present an existential threat. The time for action is now.
Competent scientific authorities are now advising that the rate of global warming is progressing faster than was originally believed. The effects of climate change are cross-cutting, affecting every sector and every facet of life on earth. Despite the commitments they have made to take action to slow the rate of global warming, too many countries continue to pursue the same policies that are contributing to nature’s angry response to our overindulgence and reckless exploitation of our planet’s resources. If the devastating effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria did not convince us in 2017, we can look to the calamity of Hurricane Dorian in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas just a few weeks ago. Dominica stands in solidarity with the people of Abaco and Grand Bahama, two of the island communities of the Bahamas archipelago whose lives and livelihoods have been devastated by the destructive forces of the category 5 Hurricane Dorian, which inflicted total destruction and considerable loss of life.
As experts predicted, such tropical storms are becoming more frequent and more intense, and sea temperatures are rising. What they did not predict is that a storm of such ferocity could virtually sit over an island, wreaking incalculable havoc for some 40 hours. We are left with no choice but to accept that category 5 hurricanes may become the new norm. We therefore have to go back to the drawing board to reassess national approaches to risk mitigation and disaster preparedness.
It is not only on small island States, however, that climate change is having an impact. We are seeing heart-wrenching reports and disturbing images of flooded cities and severe droughts that are driving millions from their traditional homes and occupations. The results are homelessness, starvation and mental anguish. Soon the phenomenon of climate refugees will also be a new norm. Then there is the problem of forest fires, not just in Brazil and the Amazon but here in the United States, in Europe and in the Far East. When fire strikes a neighbourhood, we do not hold a meeting to determine whether our neighbours are insured. We call out the fire brigade. That is what we need now — urgent action. Our planet is on fire and we must take immediate steps to quell it.
Dominica reaffirms its commitment to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and once again pleads for the resources pledged to be released, so that we can implement actions designed to reduce risks and mitigate the impacts of climate change. We applaud the leadership shown by the Government of the United Kingdom in assisting countries such as Dominica in building greater resilience to the effects of climate change. We thank the nations that have recently committed to doubling their pledges and increasing contributions to the Green Climate Fund, as well as to making further resources available to small island developing States to help us adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. However, the issues of accessibility and timely disbursement of funds must be addressed if our urgent needs are to be met.
In pursuit of its vision of becoming the world’s first climate-resilient nation, we have prepared a national resilience development strategy, which is a broad framework providing a road map and guidelines to enable Dominica to reach climate resilience by 2030. The targets, and our plans to achieve them, are articulated in greater detail and precision in the sector strategies. The strategy is a live document that will be adjusted and updated every four years, based on annual monitoring and evaluation exercises and on data emerging from new studies and surveys.
Following Hurricane Maria, which caused damage and loss estimated at 226 per cent of our gross domestic product, urgent priority was assigned to rebuilding the country and to building back better. However, experience had taught us that a new approach to project management and implementation had to be adopted if our intended targets were to be met in a timely manner. To help us to overcome that potential challenge, in 2018 the Government established an execution agency to enable Dominica to develop its Climate Resilience Recovery Plan, coordinate reconstruction work and facilitate the smooth and efficient implementation of projects. My Government is most appreciative of the support provided by the bilateral partners who worked with us in setting up the execution agency, and we are especially grateful to the British Government, operating through the Department for International Development, to Canada and to the World Bank for their support in its establishment and operation.
Dominica is by any measure an insignificant contributor to greenhouse-gas emissions. Notwithstanding that, we believe our actions must match the spirit of the climate conventions we have signed. We have therefore developed a low-carbon, climate-resilient development strategy that emphasizes the development and use of renewable energy both to fuel our development and as a means of earning export revenue. Our recently completed resilient and sustainable energy plan confirms that Dominica is in a position to generate about 90 per cent of the country’s electricity needs by 2029 using renewable, primarily geothermal, sources; realize a reduction in the annual cost and volume of diesel fuel used for electricity generation by 94 per cent; and reduce the total cost of generating electricity between 2020 and 2038 by at least 44 per cent.
Serious initiatives to exploit the country’s geothermal potential began in 2008, with financial support coming mainly from the European Union and the Government of France. Following extensive geothermal exploration, it was confirmed in 2012 that the reservoir in the Roseau Valley, the subject of exploration, had a potential of 120 megawatts, which would not only satisfy domestic needs but could potentially produce electricity for export to the neighbouring French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, thereby reducing their carbon footprint as well. That painstaking work, conducted over six years, is an example of the arduous effort involved in developing a renewable resource such as geothermal power in order to reduce the associated risks and cause a bankable project to emerge. Notwithstanding fiscal challenges along the way, the Government stuck to its commitment to providing initial funding for the project. As the project stands today, a financing package totalling $27 million has been signed with the World Bank for the construction of an initial 7 megawatt geothermal plant. Construction will most likely begin early in the new year.
Dominica, like all the CARICOM countries, is committed to the principle of preserving the Caribbean as a zone of peace. It is inevitable that from time to time differences will arise between and among various interest groups within a State. While we will always be available to act as mediators in resolving internal conflicts, we believe in and will forever adhere to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other States. We hold that to be a universal principle, not one to be selectively employed and discarded when ideological differences arise. Wherever there are uneasy tensions among States and differences in interpretations of the Constitution within a State that trigger civil unrest, we call for restraint and resorting to the negotiations table and dialogue to resolve such differences. The other options only serve to prolong and intensify human misery and suffering and violate the principles on which this august body was founded.
The climate is at war with our States Members. Let us not aggravate the situation by creating hostility and war among ourselves, particularly in this hemisphere.
We support the One China policy and call for dialogue to achieve the peaceful reunification of China. We support dialogue and negotiations to bring about the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. We support dialogue and negotiations to resolve the disputes in the Middle East, including the possibility of a nuclear arms race.
We once again call for an end to the unjustified continued economic blockade against Cuba in order to free up the vast potential of the Cuban people so that they can take up their rightful role in the global economy and trade system. We also call for an end to the unilateral sanctions imposed against Venezuela, which we believe are serving no useful purpose and rather serve to cause misery and suffering to the Venezuelan people. We continue to call for dialogue and for countries to support peaceful mediation among the disputing parties within Venezuela to achieve an outcome that will serve the best interests of all Venezuelans.
Let us all adhere to the provisions of Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations, particularly in this hemisphere, where we should aspire to become a zone of peace and development.


First, I wish to thank the General Assembly for the honour bestowed on the Government and the people of Nigeria by electing our national, His Excellency Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, to the presidency of the General Assembly at it seventy-fourth session. It is indeed a great honour to our country. Nigerians are truly grateful and shall endeavour to live up to the expectations and responsibilities thrust upon us. Ambassador Muhammad-Bande is an experienced and seasoned diplomat, and I am confident that he will prove to the international community that he is most suitable for this most demanding assignment.
Let me also offer my sincere thanks to the outgoing President, Her Excellency Ms. Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, for her skill, resourcefulness and bottomless reservoir of patience in piloting the seventy- third session of the General Assembly. In the same vein, may I commend the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres, for his tremendous energy and the genuine international outlook exhibited in his leadership of the United Nations.
The theme of the current session of the General Assembly is “Galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion”. These are prime areas calling for collective action that will benefit national and global interests.
Today the world is at a critical juncture. This year marks the first anniversary of the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace. This year also marks the centenary of the founding of the League of Nations, which led eventually to the establishment of the United Nations as a part of the post-Second World War international order.
Article I, paragraph 4 of the Charter of the United Nations calls for the Organization to be “a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of common ends”, which include international peace and security, prosperity and social justice, respect for human dignity and protection of the environment. Multilateralism, symbolized by the United Nations system, has brought immense benefits to the people of the world. It has saved lives, prevented wars, restored peace and stability and generated economic and social progress in many countries.
We must admit that as the world grows richer there are regrettable signals in the world economic and political order. Millions in Africa and around the world remain in abject poverty. Furthermore, we are witnessing a backlash against multilateralism in the form of a rising tide of racism, xenophobia, resurgent nationalism, populism and tendencies towards protectionism and unilateralism. The pristine principles of the United Nations, I fear, are threatened.
Upon the cessation of hostilities after the Second World War, the United States, in one of the greatest selfless undertakings in history, decided to revive Europe through the Marshall Plan and to lift up and restore Japan economically. Those generous policies catalysed a great global economic revival that not only benefited Europe and Japan but the United States as well, through vastly improved trade and cross- investment. The United States and Europe have become friends and allies since the end of the war. The United States and Japan have also become friends and allies.
Those examples can be replicated with respect to Africa. A developed Africa will not be antagonistic to industrialized countries but will become their friends and partners in prosperity, security and development. A prosperous Africa will mean greater prosperity for the rest of the world. A poor Africa would be a drag on the rest of the world. Is that what the international community wants?
A coordinated multilateral effort should be set in motion to utilize and maximize the use of the enormous resources on the African continent for the benefit of all nations. Investment partners will be able to recoup their investment overtime. Current attempts by industrialized countries to help develop Africa are uncoordinated and plainly incremental. We have the skills, the manpower and the natural resources but in many instances lack the capital, hence my plea for industrialized countries to take a long-term view of Africa. We request them to come and partner with us to develop the continent for the benefit of all. Africa charges them with the singular task of initiating the effort we are calling for.
The United Nations has processes in place for promoting collective action to combat global threats. No threat is more potent than poverty and exclusion, which are the power source from which common criminality, insurgency, cross-border crimes, human trafficking and its terrible consequences draw their inspiration. Poverty in all its manifestations remains one of the greatest challenges facing our world. Its eradication is an indispensable requirement for achieving sustainable development.
In that regard, Nigeria has developed a national social investment programme that works as a key that targets the poorest and most vulnerable households in the country. Under that initiative, easy access to financial services is provided to traders, artisans, market women and cooperative societies. That type of initiative can help lessen and eventually eliminate mass poverty in Africa. At the core of our efforts to build an inclusive society are other programmes that focus on youth and human empowerment and aim to ensure the participation of women and youth in governance, industry, climate action and agriculture.
On the international scene, the United Nations has new opportunities to take the lead on issues that continue to cloud the prospects for international peace and prosperity, in particular with regard to the right of the Palestinian people to have their own country free of occupation. From resolution 242 (1967) to the present day, the international community has spoken on the right of the Palestinian people to have their own land and live in peace in it.
Separately, I would mention the risks associated with nuclear proliferation and unfair, unjust trade practices, notwithstanding World Trade Organization rules and precepts.
With respect to the looming danger of climate change, Nigeria stands resolutely with the international community as we observe the agreed carbon emission targets that I signed in 2015. We have since issued two sovereign green bonds and have added an additional 1 million hectares of forested land, taking our total forest coverage to 6.7 per cent through collective national efforts.
As we advocate and strive for inclusion within our societies, we must also ensure, as members of the international community, our participation in collective action, which is why we support the expansion of the Security Council to reflect the diversity and dynamics of the twenty-first century.
From Asia to the Middle East and from Africa to South America, violence and the threat of conflict continue to imperil the lives of too many people. Our own country is no exception. Nigeria is a nation of nearly 200 million people made up of many diverse groups. Our diversity is a source of our strength, which is why in the elections this year our people backed the forces of tolerance, inclusion and community over the politics of protest and division. Our election promises emphasized political stability, freedom and prosperity, tackling poverty, schooling our young and providing them with the tools to build better lives. We are placing special emphasis on the role of women in our female-gender advancement programmes. Our progress and delivery are deliberate, purposeful and measured.
We clearly appreciate that there are no quick fixes to complex challenges. In particular, the challenge of education in Africa is enormous. On 3 December 2018, the General Assembly adopted resolution 73/25, which proclaimed 24 January as the International Day of Education. The resolution, which was spearheaded by Nigeria and co-sponsored by 58 other States Members, marked a watershed in the recognition of the fundamental role of education in building modern societies.
In order to ensure access to education for all, our Government has introduced the Home Grown School Feeding Programme to address the challenge faced by out-of-school children and children who have been forced out of school. That social intervention programme is aimed at encouraging increased school enrolment through the provision of free school meals. The benefits extend beyond the school environment. In addition, we have introduced mainstreaming and the implementation of safe schools declaration laws and policies across all educational institutions in Nigeria.
The world was shocked and startled by the massacre in New Zealand by a lone gunman taking the lives of 50 worshippers. That and similar crimes, which have been fuelled by social media networks, risk seeping into the fabric of an emerging digital culture. Major technology companies must be aware of their responsibilities. They cannot be allowed to continue to facilitate the spread of religious, racist, xenophobic and false messages capable of inciting whole communities against one another, leading to the loss of many lives. That could tear some countries apart.
Organized criminal networks, often acting with impunity across international borders, present new challenges in response to which only collective action can deliver genuine results. That is also true of the battle against violent extremism, the battle against trafficking in people and drugs and the battle against corruption and money-laundering. The current Nigerian Government is facing the challenges of corruption head-on. We are giving notice to international criminal groups through the vigorous prosecution of the scam by the firm of Process and Industrial Development in its attempt to cheat Nigeria out of billions of dollars.
As a young man and a soldier, I witnessed first- hand the terrible legacy of destruction and broken lives that conflict leaves in its wake. As the seventy- fifth anniversary of the end of the Second World War approaches, I wish to pay tribute to the sacrifices made by the many millions of people across the globe in defence of freedom, tolerance and the rule of law. In Nigeria, we have made significant strides to put our own house in order. We will work tirelessly to uphold due process. The rule of law remains the permanent, unchanging foundation of the world order. Freedom, tolerance and the rule of law are universal values and underline the best that the General Assembly represents and that binds us all.
In conclusion, I reaffirm Nigeria’s commitment to promoting international peace and security and sustainable development. We are also committed to strengthening partnerships and cooperation with international and regional organizations for the benefit of humankind.


It gives me pleasure to address the General Assembly on behalf of Iraq, a founding Member of the United Nations. I wish the General Assembly every success at its current session, particularly as we note that our priorities in addressing the challenges of climate change, health care and sustainable development represent a constructive step that we hope to make towards finding common international ground in reaching the solutions that the planet and humankind need.
Since its establishment, the United Nations has pursued the principle of partnership among nations to achieve the noble values that would lead to implementing its objectives, ensuring international peace and security, resolving conflicts peacefully and enshrining human rights as a superior value and ultimate purpose. The long journey of implementing these endeavours has been full of achievements at the international level, as well as obstacles and setbacks. Millions of people around the world still place their hopes in the Organization to enhance dialogue and enable mutual partnerships to address the crises of poverty, health care, education, security and development that continue to cast a heavy shadow over the world.
I address the Assembly today at this important meeting to speak about the hopes of our people and their aspirations to confront and defeat terrorism by ensuring a life of freedom and dignity for our citizens, strengthening security, providing services and achieving economic growth and sustainable development not only in Iraq but throughout the Middle East.
Terrorism has ravaged our country, which has gone through difficult and dangerous times. There were some who expected worse than that. The terrorist Da’esh plan was an evil quest to destroy Iraq and the region. Our people and the armed forces — the army, the popular mobilization forces, the Peshmerga and others — made great sacrifices to secure freedom and resist terrorism, with the help and assistance of the international coalition and other friends, whom we thank and appreciate. History will testify that the Iraqis, through their unity, steadfast resolve and the significant role played by the higher religious authorities, have succeeded in defeating the takfiri plan and in protecting the world from its evil.
Iraq now is on the verge of important positive developments in the security, political and economic spheres. There is a positive trend of transformation in Iraq that we have not seen in years past — a trend that fills us with hope for a promising future. Given the current security and stability, we must assess and build on those positive developments, bearing in mind the suffering of Iraqis for 40 years owing to oppression, campaigns of genocide, such as the Anfal genocide, mass graves, the use of chemical weapons in Halabja, the draining of its marshes, environmental degradation, wars, siege, the ravages of terrorism, the destruction of infrastructure and corruption. Perhaps no other country has endured what Iraq suffered during that period. The stability achieved is an important accomplishment that must be preserved, not forsaken.
We also note the current positive climate in dealing with the accumulated problems between the federal Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government pursuant to the Constitution. We note the important role of the United Nations office in Baghdad, especially with regard to the issues of Kirkuk and the disputed areas, in helping us to find solutions commensurate with our Constitution.
Despite what I have just said, challenges remain. The gains of our victory over the total elimination of terrorism still require regional and international cooperation to combat this dangerous scourge and to address the conditions that gave rise to an environment conducive to its growth and proliferation. Measures towards rebuilding the areas damaged by the war and ensuring the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) are still at their early stages. There is an international role and responsibility in that regard, some features of which were determined during last year’s Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq, and we are striving to activate them with the assistance of our brothers and friends.
We must not allow ourselves to be distracted from the need to confront terrorism in all its manifestations. While a military victory against Da’esh is important, we must be aware that there are still terrorist remnants who are trying to reorganize themselves. We also note the existence of dangerous terrorism and extremism hotspots in Syria and other States, not to mention the tensions and conflicts in the region, all of which constitute dangerous factors and create an environment that gives terrorism room to come back. Terrorism takes advantage of security and political vacuums. We must work together to fill those vacuums.
The Middle East region suffers conflicts and wars year after year. We must seriously unify our efforts in order to turn the areas of conflict into areas of renaissance. The ongoing tragic situation in Syria, coupled with an environment that is favourable to terrorism and extremism, requires effective efforts to allow Syrians to arrive at a permanent political solution that will achieve stability and security and guarantee the rights of Syrians to peace, security and freedom and enable them to determine their own future without any guardianship or interference.
We emphasize the need to work seriously to reach a just and comprehensive solution for the Palestinian question, in accordance with international resolutions and in a manner that guarantees the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. We reiterate our solidarity with the Palestinian people, their suffering and their legitimate right to establish their independent State on their territory. However, the recent announcements to annex the Jordan Valley and northern Red Sea are a blatant violation of international law and an exacerbating factor that will only prolong the crisis and deepen the wound that threatens the future of stability in the region and the world.
The continued war in Yemen is a source of great concern in the light of the security and humanitarian repercussions that are affecting the region. In view of those current dangers, supporting Yemenis in arriving at a comprehensive political solution that restores peace throughout the country is a necessity. Attempts to target the security of the Gulf and our sister country the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia constitute a dangerous development. We in Iraq are concerned by that tension and escalation. Our security is tied to the security of the Gulf and the region. The international community must offer serious assistance in containing such escalation, which could have disastrous repercussions on the security of the region and the world.
The situation in the region is dangerous and threatens to bring about disastrous consequences that we must contain. We have had enough wars. We do not need a new war in the region, especially since the most recent war on terrorism has not yet been settled definitively. Our position is firm: it is important to give precedence to dialogue over tension and escalation. That position is based on facts and a desire to defend the interests of the peoples of the region. We believe that combating terrorism and extremism and achieving economic transformation in order to offer work opportunities to our unemployed youth take precedence over current disagreements.
The solution starts with a comprehensive understanding based on the concepts of non-interference in the internal affairs of the countries of the region and mutual respect for their national sovereignty. It also lies in upholding the values of human rights. There is common ground between us that we all agree upon — we all desire a better tomorrow for our children. Let us work to calm the situation and work constructively. Despite the disagreements in the region, the stability of Iraq is of common interest to everyone and could be a launching pad from which to establish important common ground.
The absence of Iraq was a source of tension and instability throughout the region. Iraq is now recovering, and we are determined to move the country towards permanent stability. Iraq plays a pivotal role in the region and has many geopolitical, economic, cultural and religious considerations. Iraq is the cradle of our prophet Abraham, peace be upon him. Iraq has Muslim and Arab neighbours. It is a meeting point of great nations in the region, be they Arabs, Persians, Turks or Kurds. This mix of different components — Shiites and Sunnis, Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen, Muslims, Christians, Sabaeans, Yazidis and Shabaks — makes Iraq a contributing factor in help establish peace and understanding among countries. It also allows my country to be an active part of all efforts to undertake reconstruction, make progress and be innovative.
For a very long time, Iraq was a battleground for others. We and the region have paid a very high price because of the instability in Iraq. Our interests and those of the region make it imperative for Iraq to become a bridge to build understanding between its brothers and neighbours. From this rostrum, we emphasize our call to establish a joint security system in the region and a system of economic integration and political and security coordination so as to uproot terrorism and ensure stability.
Iraq’s approach to the crises in the region is based on fundamental principles. We neither want our country to be part of any regional or international conflict nor an arena for settling regional and international scores. Our people have paid a high price for wars and conflicts, and Iraq will not be a part of any war against another party. We have had enough wars. We do not want a new war. We do not want any people to suffer the ravages of war, as we have suffered. Iraq will not be a launching pad for aggression against any of our neighbouring countries. We hope that our country will become an arena for building and stability, not for tension and conflict.
Our interests and the security of the region are contingent upon a good neighbourly relationship between Iraq and its surrounding countries. Iraq’s policy today is contrary to that of the former regime in terms of dealing with its neighbours militarily. Our relationship is strengthened by our common Arab and Gulf roots. We insist on growing those relationships and developing them as an important part of our stability and security. We also care about our relationship with our neighbour Iran, with whom we share cultural and religious ties, as well as mutual and cross-cutting interests. We care as well about our neighbour to the north, Turkey. We are making efforts to raise the level of bilateral relationships with those two neighbours in order to achieve more development in different spheres.
A federal, democratic and stable Iraq will present a chance to join together all of our brothers and neighbours in the region and to enhance understanding and agreement among the countries of the region to create a regional system that is based on economic integration and common security.
The stability achieved in Iraq is valuable and important. We must not take it lightly; rather we must work on entrenching it. We expect our neighbours and the international community not to make Iraq pay for their own disagreements and conflicts. Our hands and hearts are open to all. We hope that there will be more understanding for Iraq’s situation and for our desire to complete our victory over terrorism, rebuild what previous wars destroyed, return displaced persons to their homes and offer work opportunities to our young people.
We need a consensus both internationally and regionally in order to ensure continued stability and combat extremist ideologies and terrorism. However, the most important task at hand is that of enacting the reforms necessary to secure good governance for our citizens, combat corruption and offer our young people job opportunities. Those are urgent challenges that we are addressing, and we believe that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will be an important framework for our efforts. Advancing education, health care and sustainable development is the right way to put us on track towards combating extremist ideology and uprooting terrorism, by raising generations capable of building a better future.
Throughout history, Iraq’s civilization, history and religious, national and sectarian pluralism has made us a beacon of tolerance and cooperation and religious and intellectual brotherhood, as well as a platform for disseminating thought, culture, literature and science. The Mesopotamian civilization, one of the oldest in human history, represents an important and impregnable barrier to the growth and spread of extremist ideology, whether religious, sectarian or nationalistic. The Iraqis are continuing their battle to achieve the renaissance that they deserve, and to combat corruption, empower young people and women and achieve sustainable development. Those challenges continue and come on top of those of returning IDPs and rebuilding ruined areas.
A few days ago, the Iraqi Government drafted a law establishing a council for reconstruction, and together with our Prime Minister, we will submit it to our Parliament in hopes that it will be enacted. The reconstruction council will investigate rebuilding our infrastructure through the joint efforts of the Government and the Iraqi and foreign private sectors. Iraq needs comprehensive reconstruction, and we hope that such projects will provide the legal and administrative environment we need to encourage private investment and meet Iraqis’ desperate need for services and employment opportunities. Iraq is a promising market. Given the needs of Iraqis and our natural and human resources, we can transform our country from an arena of conflict and violence into an economic hub in the region. Some may think that this is a far-fetched dream, and I admit there are great obstacles and challenges involved, but I am confident that it is both necessary and possible at the national level, in Iraq itself, and also at the regional and world levels.
Terrorism and corruption are two sides of the same coin. We believe that efforts to defeat terrorism must be accompanied by effective efforts to eliminate corruption, which is the political manifestation of violence and the main source for financing terrorism. Without drying up the sources that finance terrorism and preventing public funds from being diverted from their proper goal of funding education and services to funding social, political and security crises, we cannot take firm steps towards stability. The world must take serious action to establish an international alliance, similar to the international alliance against terrorism, combating the corruption networks that smuggle and launder money and drying up their sources of financing. That will enable Iraq to regain its stolen assets and eradicate this dangerous scourge.
Mesopotamia is the cradle of civilization and has done great service to human civilization, just as it has suffered and witnessed many disasters. We read the message of peace in the faces of our mothers and fathers and in the smiles of our sons and daughters, whose childhoods have been scarred by war. We see it in the eyes of our young men and young women, in the alleys and streets of our cities that have been beaten down by conflict. We all read the message of peace in our consciousness as a ray of hope for future generations and all humankind. I salute our citizens, our young people and the families of our martyrs, as well as the victims of oppression in mass graves and of the Anfal genocide. I salute their legitimate aspiration to live a life of freedom, dignity, peace and stability. It is our duty to support and meet those aspirations. We have serious challenges ahead of us, but with our will and determination, alongside the support and backing of the international community, we will prevail, God willing.
I salute our citizens, our young people and the families of our martyrs, as well as the victims of oppression in mass graves and of the Anfal genocide. I salute their legitimate aspiration to live a life of freedom, dignity, peace and stability. It is our duty to support and meet those aspirations. We have serious challenges ahead of us, but with our will and determination, alongside the support and backing of the international community, we will prevail, God willing.
Peace is the greeting of Islam and the essence of Islam throughout history. Peace is the message of Moses, Christ, the messengers, the prophets and of good people. It is the basis of all religions and great human doctrines. We start with the call for peace and with the call for peace we end. Peace be upon us all with God’s mercy and blessings.


We can describe today’s world in many ways — interdependent, aware and diverse. Yet it is also polluted, isolationist and unequal. We have never been so close together and yet so far apart. We are living in an era when individuals are at the centre of the decision-making process and yet the decisions that are being taken are not necessarily people-centred. Contradictory situations and outcomes are the order of the day.
We cannot just accept all of that as inevitable. We are fortunate enough to be living in an age when we are not only aware of the changes that are happening around us, we are also part of them. We are duty-bound to ensure that these ongoing changes and transformations leave no one behind. Transformations should be used to benefit our peoples, not to create divisions between the haves and the have-nots or those on the outside and those on the inside. Economic prosperity does not mean social injustice, and being a patriot does not equate to isolating a nation. The future should be equal. It is our responsibility to show the value of all peoples, irrespective of their age, race, sexual orientation, gender, creed and ability. Diversity is an enriching factor for any society. Firm in this belief, our country has embarked on a journey of conviction to fight social marginalization and address the needs and rights of those who for decades were considered to be the daughters and sons of a lesser God.
From marriage equality to gender-neutral markers, the advancements made by Malta in the field of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) community are described by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as the global gold standard. It is a privilege and a responsibility to be seen as a world leader on such an important matter. With a rating of 94 per cent on the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association Rainbow Map, Malta is now consistently the leading European country in protecting people’s rights in the areas of equality and non-discrimination, hate crime and hate speech, legal gender recognition and bodily integrity, civil-society space and asylum. All of that was achieved in just a few years, thanks to a strong bond between Government and civil society. Our experience has taught us that empowering citizens and ensuring that they have a voice in addressing and resolving issues that concern them and affect their lives is an important part of our success as a country. And yet in spite of our success, there is still a long way to go.
Our ambition is clear. We want not only to provide the necessary legal platform but to contest social norms that abet stigma and discrimination. Legislation alone does not guarantee social change. We are working fast and actively on this aspect and our efforts are starting to bear fruit. The latest European Commission Eurobarometer survey on LGBTQI equality ranked Malta first in acceptance of gender-identity recognition. It also showed positive results in social acceptance of LGBTQI people and the need for inclusive educational curricula in schools. On the other hand, we note that we need to do a lot more to ensure that certain issues, such as family acceptance, have a more holistic approach.
Autonomy and empowerment are values that our legislation and practice seek to mainstream, while ensuring appropriate support for persons who could find themselves in more vulnerable situations. That is why we have also enacted cutting-edge legislation in the area of gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics and why we are currently working to follow up on United Nations recommendations in other areas.
The future is female. We need to understand that we cannot succeed when approximately half of our global population is being held back. For centuries, women have played an important role in society, both in communities and, for the past decades, in the workplace. Yet this role has been under-appreciated, insufficiently acknowledged and at times even unrecognized. I firmly believe that the strong worldwide momentum pushing for women’s rights should inspire leaders to review the pace of progress and ensure that Governments commit to achieving gender equality in our lifetime.
On a national level, Malta has been promoting numerous initiatives that underscore the country’s commitment to the gender-equality agenda and the promotion of equal opportunities for all. We replaced our passive-benefit system, with its underlying poverty trap, with an active system that puts people back to work. We were not willing to continue to accept a situation in which we allowed thousands of lives to be spent in situations of unnecessary inactivity, in which families and individuals, mostly women, were trapped in a life on the edge, scraping through and marginalized at the edges of our society. This is why we introduced the tapering of social benefits, so that, when someone finds a job, they lose their benefits after a period of years, not immediately. Liberated from the excessive tax burden, those on social benefits — mostly women, once again — responded. The number of those on social assistance in our country has been cut in half in the past three years.
On the other hand, until a few years ago, working parents, mostly mothers, faced staggering childcare costs if they opted to go off to work. Their wages ended up financing childcare costs. We in Malta therefore introduced universal free childcare for all working parents. The result was essentially a silent social revolution. The female employment rate grew from 52 per cent to 63.4 per cent.
Yet that is not enough. We firmly believe that gender balance in politics would benefit not only women and female politicians, but also parties and society. Our country’s record in female representation in the taking of political decisions is meagre, to say the least. In this regard, and aware of the persistent underrepresentation of women in Parliament, we launched a reform proposing affirmative action that can help us bridge the gap.
An individual’s contribution to society and the relevance of one’s thoughts and capabilities should not be affected by gender. We have to come to terms with the fact that social advancement has always been equated with empowerment and that therefore discrimination ultimately affects a nation’s resilience and standing.
When I think about the future, my mind instantly goes to my daughters. Considering that this year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, we should not be reflecting on the milestones achieved in its implementation, but, more importantly, we should be seeing that the areas that need to be addressed, such as including children’s perspectives in all policies and decisions, are actually being made. Malta is currently working to fully incorporating the Convention into its legislation to enhance the full realization of children’s rights, making them portable and fully accessible.
Good health, well-being and quality inclusive education are fundamental human rights and indispensable for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the realization of what we all agree upon. In this vein, all children — boys and girls — should have access to good quality health care and education to ensure their well-being. Our objective is to equip all children with the appropriate environment and tools that allow them to acquire all of the necessary skills and talents for citizenship and employability in the twenty-first century and beyond.
We are committed to providing an education through which our children develop their personal and social potential to the fullest and acquire the appropriate knowledge, competencies and attitudes through a curriculum that is oriented around such values as equity, social justice, diversity and inclusiveness. Such inclusion will result from ensuring that the educational environment is accessible in every way.
While striving to implement a mainstream approach to education, including through the adoption of a national inclusion policy, Malta also recognizes the importance of working to achieve equality in outcomes for all. In this regard, we believe that such an approach should be complemented by individualized and tailored supports, for example, for children with disabilities, to ensure, in the spirit of the SDGs, that no child is left behind.
We should therefore be committed to continuing to provide the best for our peoples for an improved quality of life and a brighter future. Sustainable development is all about current and future generations, not just about specific economic sectors or social strata. A “generation” implies that we are all involved, and that therefore we are all expected to contribute to defining our own future and to leaving a better world for future generations — a future that we hope will be equal.


I extend my most heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Muhammad-Bande on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session and assure him of Jamaica’s full support in the work ahead. I also want to convey our deepest appreciation to Her Excellency Ms. Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces for so ably guiding our work during the previous session.
The United Nations is a critical tool for building a world of peace, security and development. These are the hallmarks of multilateral collaborative activities of which we can all be justly proud. No individual country can fulfil the development aspirations of its people without working in partnership with others. We are therefore grateful to the Secretary-General, his team and all who have been the drivers behind the many successful United Nations initiatives.
At the same time, our global space is facing unprecedented risks, including deepening geopolitical conflicts, heightened trade tensions, terrorist attacks and security threats. There is also growing religious intolerance, increasing xenophobic behaviour and, not least, the devastating effects of climate change. Sadly, we are witnessing these phenomena against the backdrop of fears of a global recession. I therefore very much welcome the theme chosen for the General Assembly’s general debate this year, “Galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion”. Now is indeed the time to redirect our focus and enable our countries to reverse these negative trends.
Jamaica is pursuing several policy and legislative measures designed to create a more cohesive society and a more resilient economy. Our major goals are the promotion of inclusive sustainable growth, economic opportunities, a peaceful society, social harmony and citizen security. We are working to make this a reality for every Jamaican. Greater investment in human capital will undoubtedly yield exponential returns for national development. Empowerment of our people will facilitate participation in the growth and development of Jamaica, our region and the broader international community.
Special attention must be given to the most vulnerable in society to ensure that no one is left behind. We have therefore increased the budgetary allocation to the Jamaica Social Protection Strategy programme, which encompasses wider social and income-security imperatives associated with a range of vulnerabilities. In 2017, we revised our national poverty-reduction programme aimed at reducing the national poverty rate to below 10 per cent by 2030. We are working to ensure that persons living with disabilities, the elderly, women, children and young people are part of an inclusive, resilient and prosperous society.
We have made significant advances with universal enrolment at the pre-primary, primary and secondary levels of education through a strategic and integrated programme of education and training. As part of this endeavour, we are increasing emphasis on science, innovation and technology, and we are committed to creating a labour force adaptable to the new and emerging demands of the global workplace.
We have also launched the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) programme, which enables unattached young people to access training in life skills, character development and employment. Over the last three years, more than 26,000 young people have benefited from and have become ambassadors of HOPE. In addition to cutting youth unemployment in half over the past three years, Jamaica achieved a record-low unemployment rate of 7.8 per cent, 18 consecutive quarters of economic growth, low and stable inflation and a reduction in our ratio of debt to gross domestic product from 147 per cent to 95 per cent.
I have shared the foregoing indicators of Jamaica’s steady economic performance while fully acknowledging that the successes are not solely dependent on a strengthened domestic fiscal-responsibility framework but also on an enabling global economic and financial environment. Jamaica is determined to achieve economic independence and social equity by working collaboratively with our bilateral and multilateral partners.
A major challenge for Jamaica is crime and security, particularly in terms of its impact on our economic development goals. Despite the strong programmes that are in place to get guns off the street and our investments in improved border-control systems and other forms of security investments, on our own we do not have the capacity to stem the flow of illegal arms trafficking. Transnational, regional and multilateral action are needed if we are to effectively tackle the malignant links between organized crime, the illegal drug trade and the illicit proliferation and trafficking of small arms. We therefore not only rely on the support of our neighbouring countries, but we also look to the United Nations to continue to play a pivotal role in supporting peace and security at all levels, including with respect to the proliferation of conventional weapons.
The growing geopolitical challenges and risks of global economic instability are of concern. The situation is especially worrisome for small developing countries like Jamaica that are already susceptible to external shocks. Instability and insecurity affect foreign direct investment and have implications for gross domestic product growth, revenue, employment and public spending.
Yesterday’s High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development as well as the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development remind us of the pressing need for us to mobilize increased capital. Sustained progress is not achievable without the requisite quantity and quality of public and private investment to close the financing gap for climate action and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is for this reason that Jamaica and Canada continue to spearhead initiatives through the Group of Friends of SDG Financing and to work with partners such as Denmark on the Closing the Investment Gap Initiative so as to attract greater investment in sustainable infrastructure.
Jamaica also welcomes India’s offer to establish and host the Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure to provide a framework to ensure that all future infrastructure is resilient in the face of disasters. We encourage coordination and cohesion in emerging initiatives so as to maximize the impact of our efforts.
I am also compelled to reiterate the special challenges faced by such highly indebted middle-income countries as Jamaica and our Caribbean neighbours. Although we are poised for economic transition, our potential is seriously constrained by having to choose between high external-debt repayment and catalytic growth spending. Furthermore, the current policies that govern access to concessional-financing windows do not allow us access to sufficient, affordable long-term financing for SDG investments, and our capacity to mobilize public resources domestically is limited by our small size and vulnerability. This touches on the issue of graduation criteria, which do not take into account the range of vulnerabilities facing middle-income countries. Our economies face further challenges as a result of de-risking and the attendant problem of losing correspondent-banking relationships, which severely impedes access to essential financial services.
In the context of our special vulnerabilities, my delegation welcomes the midterm review of the Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA Pathway), which presents an opportunity to further operationalize the mandate of the Pathway. Jamaica is committed to this process and looks forward to seeing the full support of the international community in this regard.
I am pleased to inform the Assembly that on 1 January, Jamaica successfully implemented a ban on the importation, manufacture and distribution of single-use plastic bags, expanded polystyrene and plastic drinking straws. The ban has served to sensitize the general public to the environmental challenges posed by non-biodegradable litter, especially that which ends up in our oceans. We are considering expanding the ban as we make it a priority to strengthen our waste-management systems. We also launched a national tree-planting initiative this year through which we will plant more than 3 million trees over three years, which represents a tree for every Jamaican citizen.
We remain committed to reducing the erosion of watersheds and its related impact on coastal ecosystems. We are partnering with others to ensure that our marine environment, on which our socioeconomic survival depends, is being sustainably utilized and managed. The High-level Panel on Building a Sustainable Ocean Economy convened by the Prime Minister of Norway, Ms. Erna Solberg, and its resulting Call to Ocean- Based Climate Action and report entitled The Ocean as a Solution for Climate Change: 5 Opportunities for Action enjoy Jamaica’s full support. We look forward to the convening of the Ocean Conference in Norway next month and in Portugal in June 2020.
That brings me to the single most visible threat to the global environment, which is climate change. Its effects are intensifying, with coastal cities and low-lying island nations facing the greatest risk. The recent devastation wrought by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas reinforces this reality. We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life and extensive damage to property, infrastructure and livelihoods occasioned by this climate disaster. Jamaica and other Caribbean islands have first-hand experience of the increase in the intensity of hurricanes, as well as intermittent increased rainfall and extended periods of drought. These adverse weather events have resulted in major economic loss and dislocation across the region.
Jamaica has adopted several policies and legislative measures to reduce its vulnerability to natural hazards and adapt to the effects of climate change. These include the development of a comprehensive and first-of-its-kind public financial disaster-risk monetary policy, with provisions for financial risk-protection, including budgeted contingency funds and State-contingent debt instruments. More action is needed at the national and global levels to urgently tackle climate change. I was therefore honoured by Secretary-General Guterres’s mandating Jamaica to jointly lead, along with France and Qatar, the climate-finance and carbon-pricing track at the recently concluded United Nations Climate Action Summit. The success of these efforts for climate action will depend on adequate financing and transformative and scalable programmes. I look forward to building on the outcomes of the Summit and the decisions to be made at the twenty-fifth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Santiago later this year.
This is a seminal year for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as we commemorate the twenty-fifth year of its entry into force, as well as the twenty-fifth anniversary of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), which is headquartered in Jamaica. The ISA’s contribution to the development of this constitution of the oceans and its continued relevance to the preservation of a global common resource are commendable. We look forward to successfully concluding negotiations in 2020 on an international treaty under the Convention on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Jamaica maintains an abiding faith in the value of multilateralism. Every State Member of the United Nations has a role to play in confronting the challenges that beset the global community. This perspective is what continues to inspire countries like Jamaica to contribute its professional and technical expertise to the multilateral process, including at the Council of the International Maritime Organization and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, in 2020. We are committed to supporting the fulfilment of our common objectives in both institutions.
The Charter of the United Nations commits the international community to saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war and conflict of all kinds. Jamaica therefore supports the efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special Envoys for Syria and Myanmar and Personal Envoy for Western Sahara. We also support efforts aimed at rapprochement on the Korean peninsula and discourage any action that would reverse those efforts. We also remain conscious of the persistent tensions in the Middle East and Africa, where the attainment of peace and security has been far too elusive. Closer to home, we further reiterate the call for the discontinuation of the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed on our neighbour, Cuba. We are equally concerned about the disarmament and proliferation landscape, particularly the gradual dismantling of long-standing disarmament treaties and its implications for international peace and security.
We cannot ignore ongoing conflicts in such countries as Yemen, Afghanistan and Libya, where United Nations personnel continue to provide yeoman service in peacekeeping. We commend their dedicated efforts and respectfully recall the memory of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in seeking to advance the ideals of the United Nations of global peace and security. This includes one of our own Jamaican nationals, Mr. Clive Peck, who lost his life in the service of the United Nations as a result of a bombing that occurred in Benghazi, Libya, a few weeks ago. We thank the Secretary-General and the United Nations as a whole for the support it has provided to his family at this time of bereavement.
As a global family of nations, our collective commitment to the rules-based international order must remain steadfast. Sustainable development for all is attainable only through concerted effort and partnership. To that end, we must act decisively and expeditiously. This seventy-fourth session of the General Assembly represents a crossroads for decision-making and action. Let us not waver in our determination to make that a reality.