 It is certainly a great opportunity for the
Principality of Andorra and the Government I represent
to address the Assembly. The United Nations is the
forum that, true to its origins, today represents the
greatest source of hope for many people, countries and
Governments.
 In Andorra, we are aware of what being a small
Member country of the United Nations involves — that
is, a determination to engage in cooperation, hard work
and honest efforts. The world is the sum of our
possibilities and our efforts, and of the aspirations of
each of us.
 The world in the twenty-first century is neither
better nor worse; it has the same defects, contrasts and
virtues as in earlier centuries, but the rules of play are
more dynamic. Thanks to new technology and social
networks, citizens now have greater weight than in
earlier times in alerting and motivating the political
and economic leaders and seeing that they remain
active.
 Despite all that, today we live in a world of
patent contrasts, where hunger continues to be one of
our worst evils. More than a billion people suffer from
malnutrition and poverty. The consequences of the
food, environmental and economic crises have
compounded the situation of the most vulnerable
populations.
 During the World Summit on Food Security in
Rome last November, we decided to adopt measures to
halve by 2015 the number of people suffering from
malnutrition and hunger, combining all possible efforts
to achieve the first of the Millennium Development
Goals. In the Group of 20 (G20) meeting in Toronto,
the Secretary-General defended the position of the
most vulnerable populations and asked the 20 leading
world Powers to develop new policies for combating
poverty.
 The struggle to combat climate change, however,
is still unresolved. The natural disasters that the people
of Haiti and Pakistan have had to deal with show how
devastating the effects of climate change can be. It is a
phenomenon that jeopardizes the poorest populations,
affects access to water, compounds malnutrition and
leads to violence. The economic impact on developing
States is terrible.
 While the threats are real, the solutions are real
too. The possibility of dealing with them exists. During
the Copenhagen Conference, the States parties to the
Climate Change Convention initiated negotiations for
an agreement. We hope that at the Conference on
Climate Change to be held in Cancún in December, an
effective and scientifically ambitious text will be
adopted that will make it possible to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions.
 Andorra is engaging in activities aimed at
combating climate change, particularly water treatment
and reduction of substances that deplete the ozone
layer. In the next few months our Government also
plans to approve ratification of the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change.
 It is clear is that the current crisis is forcing us to
rethink the structures of the global financial system to
make it more equitable, more ethical and at the same
time more sound, in order to ensure that world leaders’

13 10-55128

aspirations can — little by little, but more each time —
converge and agree on what the most vulnerable
peoples, countries and democracies truly need.
 Andorra has succeeded in moving off the Grey
List of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD), thanks to the signing, between
September 2009 and February 2010, of 17 bilateral
agreements on the exchange of tax information. Our
firm commitment to the recommendations of OECD
and the international community as a whole, as
expressed at the G20 meetings, has laid the foundations
for our business structure and boosted confidence in
Andorra’s financial sector.
 We wish to move forward on the road to
transparency and international cooperation in
combating tax fraud. We therefore believe that a
permanent European mechanism for financial stability
should be established, as well as very strict regulation
of the products known as derivatives. It would also be
desirable to create a European agency to rate the
solvency of the financial activities and of its
administrations.
 We also wish to continue to work, from a
perspective of respect, in an Organization such as the
United Nations, reformed and consolidated, able to
help the international community to move forward at
this stage of its history, avoiding any exacerbation of
the inequalities that fuel violence and hatred.
 We therefore need to promote an international
definition of minimum social guarantees for all
mankind. Andorra firmly believes that the United
Nations can ensure the necessary equilibrium, respect
for all States — regardless of their economic, political
or military power — and the application of
international law. The United Nations Charter urges
Member States to apply tolerance and to combine their
efforts to maintain international peace and security —
in short, to ensure that the aspirations and needs of all
coincide.
 In the last 65 years, the United Nations has taken
many actions to promote disarmament, development
and the rule of law and democratic practices, and it
continues to do so. The Organization and its Member
States have been supported by non-governmental
organizations and grass-roots movements, which have
worked to ensure that the tragic experiences of the
twentieth century are not repeated.
 One of the features of my country is that we have
no army. For more than 700 years Andorra has lived in
peace, without a single armed conflict. Today,
determined to show our international commitment to
disarmament, Andorra intends very soon to ratify the
Convention on Cluster Munitions.
 Let us remember that the founding principles of
our Organization are equality, the defence of human
rights and the prohibition of any form of
discrimination.
 The Human Rights Council is the principal forum
for the discussion of the defence of human rights.
Thanks to the Universal Periodic Review, all Member
States are subject to a unique exercise in dialogue,
which encourages us to respect human rights and
fundamental freedoms. This process is proving to be
effective, but there are still a number of challenges to
overcome. Andorra will undergo this review for the
first time in the coming month of November.
 To mark the twentieth anniversary of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child, Andorran civil
society and, in particular, the Andorra National
Committee for UNICEF have carried out many
activities jointly with Andorran institutions to raise
awareness of that text and educate the population on
the importance of defending the rights of the child.
 Combating violence against women is one of the
priorities of the Government that I represent. On
14 April this year, we created the Secretariat for
Equality and Welfare, with the objective of
coordinating the range of actions aimed at promoting
the status of women and establishing new policies in
the area of gender. This year, we are celebrating the
fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration
and Platform for Action at the Fourth Conference on
Women, held in Beijing.
 During the March 2010 session of the
Commission on the Status of Women, we recognized
that women have an essential role to play in promoting
broad and sustainable socio-economic development.
Progress has been made on improving the status of
women, but, unfortunately, it is not enough. We must
continue promoting the rights of women and fighting
domestic violence.
 According to a report by the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the most
profitable illegal activity in Europe is human

10-55128 14

trafficking. Eighty-four per cent of the victims of
human trafficking in Europe have been enslaved for the
purposes of sexual exploitation. It is important to focus
on that issue from the perspective of protecting
victims, which will certainly be integrated into the
development of the United Nations Plan of Action to
Combat Trafficking in Persons, adopted on 30 July
2010 (resolution 64/293).
 Over the coming months, Andorra will ratify the
Council of Europe Convention on Action against
Trafficking in Human Beings, which is a compelling
demonstration of our State’s international commitment
to this fight and of our will to support international
instruments aimed at protecting human rights and
preserving the fundamental values of our democratic
societies.
 The Government that I represent commends the
recent decision by the United Nations to create the
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the
Empowerment of Women (UN Women). I wish this
new body the greatest success; it can count on the full
support of my country, and we will work in solidarity
with Michelle Bachelet.
 At present, we are all experiencing a profound
global economic crisis, which threatens the European
model of society. This crisis is also cultural and affects
values such as solidarity.
 As we celebrate 2010 as the International Year for
the Rapprochement of Cultures, we have the
opportunity to remember the relevance of cultural
diversity. Learning about others, tolerance and respect
for human rights and human dignity are the ingredients
needed to build a harmonious and peaceful society.
 Perhaps as a result of the small size of Andorra,
or of its geographical surroundings — abrupt and
extremely beautiful — in the Pyrenees, we have been
able to develop natural and strong human relationships,
through which our attachment, commitment or
disagreement with all people is shown sincerely,
without filters and without doublespeak. Therefore,
when large-scale natural disasters, humanitarian crises
or international emergencies occur, Andorra responds,
and it does so sincerely, with voluntary contributions
commensurate with international norms and additional
contributions when called for by the situation. Andorra,
in accordance with its national budget, is always
present and always does its part. Based on this
solidarity, we support and promote international
development cooperation, and our country has a
number of non-governmental organizations that devote
vigorous efforts to working in this area.
 The challenges we are forced to face are
numerous. We have the good fortune of being able to
work together in order to overcome them. It is indeed a
great responsibility, but it is also a great opportunity. It
is an opportunity to come up with solutions that meet
the needs of those worst off.
 In conclusion, I should like to wish you, Sir, the
best of luck and the greatest of success over the
coming year. I am convinced that you will make great
progress towards improving the individual and
collective impact of our Organization.


First of all, it gives me pleasure to convey to the
Assembly the greetings of His Majesty King Hamad
bin Issa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, and His Majesty’s best
wishes for every success. I also congratulate Mr. Deiss
on his election to the presidency of the General
Assembly and thank His Excellency Ali Abdussalam
Treki, President at the previous session, for his skilful
management of its deliberations. I also commend
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon for his efforts and
contributions to international issues.
 We all know that since its inception the United
Nations has scored many successes in promoting
collective international action. It has undertaken a
great many initiatives and conceived many ideas
beneficial to humanity, including the innovative
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Today, we
view those Goals as the principal topic on which we all
agree.
 As the representative of my country, I shall touch
on the challenges facing humanity in various fields,
whether they concern solutions to problems between
nations or realization of peoples’ ambitions,
highlighting some of the achievements that, taken
together, can serve the common good.
 The most important challenge facing our world
today is achieving the MDGs by 2015. We know that
many States have made huge and outstanding efforts to
that end. In this context, the Kingdom of Bahrain holds
a leading and positive position, particularly in the field
of social welfare, free, quality basic education, health
care, improvement of child and maternal health, the
empowerment of women, gender equality, the

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expansion of the social security net for the poorest of
the population, our unemployment insurance scheme,
and expansion of the scope of vocational training to
enhance Bahrain’s human resources.
 I am honoured to stand before the Assembly as
representative of a country actively pursuing its
international responsibilities. When we refer to the
notion of a modern State as the most important
political, social, cultural and economic product of the
modern history of the Kingdom of Bahrain, it is
because whatever achievements have been realized can
be attributed to good governance — governance that
has encouraged and supported initiatives and political
and organizational visions aimed at building the
institutions and capacities that can enhance the
principles of a modern, organized society. Such a
society is faithful to its values in every area, based on
State institutions that guarantee all talented citizens the
opportunity to create and innovate and to be an active
participant in our contemporary world.
 The Economic Vision 2030 for Bahrain, launched
by His Majesty King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa on
23 October 2008, is an historic turning point and a
gateway to economic reform, and a completion of
political reform. It lays down a long-term vision of the
future tracks of the national economy up to 2030. It
aims to ensure the transformation of the current
economy from one based on oil revenues into an
internationally competitive and productive system,
planned by the Government but led by a vibrant private
sector. The outcome will be a growing Bahraini middle
class enjoying a high standard of living, due to
increased productivity and well-paid jobs. This Vision
aims to establish a society based on the principles of
sustainability, competitiveness and justice.
 The financial crisis that has affected the
international economy since 2008 and the ensuing
sovereign debt crisis in Europe, austerity measures,
reform and restructuring of the banking system,
increased State intervention in matters of banking and
economy in various countries — all this has led to a
prominent role for the Group of 20 (G-20) in
responding to financial and economic crises, due to the
fact that it represents some 90 per cent of the world
economy. Consequently, the time has come for the
G-20, and other blocs such as 3-G, to play a leading
role in developing and enhancing a common action
from within the United Nations and its various
institutions and organs by setting up plans for
collective action aimed at enhancing countries’
capacity to address future crises and to achieve an open
and integrated economy. That is in line with the
constructive thoughts of the President of the General
Assembly in this regard.
 The settlement of conflicts and disputes between
States, conflicts that we ourselves created, is a daily
concern for all of us. Those conflicts are either of an
ideological or ethnic nature, or are caused by people
occupying the land of other peoples and evicting them
from their homes and homelands. The conflicts divert
our attention from more important concerns, including
addressing poverty, ignorance, epidemics and natural
disasters, which take a heavy toll and impede human
creativity. Limited national interests of one State or
another that completely avoid considering the common
global good are largely responsible for this state of
affairs.
 One of the most important among these issues is
the Arab-Israeli conflict, which is located in our
region. We have been at an impasse for decades, as
failure has followed hopeful efforts and our optimism
has been clouded by frustration because of the
continued backtracking of the peace process. Yet we
persevere and cherish the hope of achieving a just,
permanent and comprehensive peace that will restore
rights to legitimate owners and open doors for mutual
acceptance of others as neighbours, friends and
partners fully sharing the respect and commitment
required.
 In this connection, we value the historic
commitment and tireless efforts of President Barack
Obama of the United States of America and his
Administration to give a strong impetus to the peace
process in the Middle East and to renew hope by
relaunching direct negotiations between Palestine and
Israel with a view to settling this chronic conflict.
 These precious efforts, however, require the
continued support of all parties concerned and their
unwavering commitment to take the necessary steps to
achieve coexistence through enhanced communication
and outreach. There should be an opportunity for each
party to convince the other to coexist as a neighbour
and a partner in the region, and not an ill-intentioned or
treacherous enemy. Our commitment to the Arab Peace
Initiative is one clear example. We are committed to
that Initiative and all its provisions aimed at achieving
a genuine peace.

45 10-55122

 One of the basic tenets of our foreign policy is
our determination to see security, stability and
development prevail. In that respect we look forward to
a safe and prosperous Iraq that is able to check any
foreign intervention in its domestic affairs, an Iraq
faithful to its Arab-Islamic identity and inclusive of all
its ethnic and cultural affiliations.
 As regards the Islamic Republic of Iran, we are
keenly interested in its stability and its people’s
prosperity. We look forward to it playing a vital role in
order to eliminate the ghost of discord around its
nuclear programme. We welcome its commitment to a
peaceful nuclear programme and stress the need for
total transparency and full compliance with the
requirements of the International Atomic Energy
Agency and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons.
 On the other hand, with regard to the sisterly
United Arab Emirates islands occupied by Iran,
settlement of the question through direct negotiations
or referral to the International Court of Justice would
constitute a vital step and a foundation for regional
cohesion and understanding that would generate the
stability necessary for development, which would be in
the interest of all the peoples of the region.
 As for Yemen, its stability is a pillar for the
stability of the region as a whole. The Kingdom of
Bahrain therefore reaffirms its full support to the
Republic of Yemen in all its efforts to combat terrorism
and protect its national security. Bahrain calls on the
international community to provide support and
assistance to that brotherly country, either through
bilateral channels or through the group of Friends of
Yemen.
 Regarding the situation in the Sudan, we
welcome the agreement signed by the Government of
the Sudan and the concerned Sudanese parties, and we
commend the sisterly State of Qatar for its
considerable efforts in that matter. We look forward to
completion of the current negotiations on Darfur within
the framework of the agreement signed to preserve the
unity of brotherly Sudan.
 Resolving those disputes will enable us to address
the real challenges to which we should devote our
common attention: challenges of security and terrorism
and challenges of devastating natural disasters, such as
the tragic ordeals which affected the sisterly Islamic
Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Haiti —
respectively, the unprecedented catastrophic floods and
the devastating earthquake. We express our solidarity
with those countries and hope they will overcome their
adversity with assistance and support from the
international community commensurate with the
enormity of the disasters.
 Terrorism is a multifaceted global phenomenon
that affects the entire world through criminal terrorist
acts perpetrated against many countries. It exploits
discourse to stir up violence and to divide countries
and communities, thus contradicting its original
mission of providing spiritual counsel and guidance. It
utilizes mass media for the same purpose. The best way
to combat terrorism is to monitor and expose its
funding sources. That requires global consensus on a
transparent international financial system to regulate
the transfer of those funds.
 For the international community to address these
serious challenges and threats, States must be in a
position to play their role fully through strengthened
concepts of political participation, democratic
practices, human rights, rule of law, judicial and
institutional reform, including freedom of opinion and
expression, and involving society in sharing
responsibilities.
 In concluding, I would like to state that
restructuring international relations and forming more
inclusive alliances requires a higher degree of respect
for the opinions and values of others. That is consistent
with our commitment to pursue the noble purposes and
principles embodied in the Charter: peace, security,
friendly relations and international cooperation among
nations and peoples. My country reaffirms before the
Assembly its resolve to play its role as an effective
member of the international community and to actively
participate and take initiatives in efforts for the good
and prosperity of all.


Mr. President, let me first convey on my own behalf
and on behalf of the Republic of Paraguay our wishes
for every success in your sensitive and important
function at the helm of the General Assembly at its
sixty-fifth session. I would also like to express my
delegation’s recognition of Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki,
President of the Assembly at the sixty-fourth session,
for the significant achievements made.
 Paraguayan democracy has completed its
transition, begun 21 years ago, with the transfer of

10-55396 14

power from one political force to another in recent
elections held under international observation. In that
way we have consolidated a process of strengthening
public freedoms, thereby affirming that those freedoms
are fully guaranteed in my country today.
 Paraguay comes to this general debate
reaffirming its importance and calling for progress in
strengthening the United Nations as the body capable
of representing the interests of all Member States in the
urgent quest for a fairer, more united and equitable
world, guaranteed by the full force of international law.
 We are very pleased that some great Powers have
returned to the path of multilateralism, for some of the
problems that afflict mankind can be resolved only
with the involvement of every State. It has been
demonstrated again that in the search for a better
civilization, the solution has not, cannot and will never
be found by a handful of nations. Thus the recent
financial crisis can be resolved satisfactorily only
through measures that are universal and taken with the
agreement of the great majority. Once again, it is the
General Assembly that will have to make its guiding
voice heard on this issue.
 We also applaud the Secretary-General’s timely
decision to hold the High-level Meeting for review of
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The
Republic of Paraguay believes that while achievements
have been made with regard to the MDGs, we cannot
avoid the fact that there are still inequalities all over
the world and millions continue to live in abject
poverty. The situation has been exacerbated by sudden
increases in food prices and the consequences of
climate change.
 In Paraguay we are betting on the globalization of
democracy with social development. We are betting on
the universalization of security based on respect for
human rights as an unwavering commitment and on
dignifying human life. In that spirit we celebrate the
recent designation of a Paraguayan citizen as a member
of the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women. We appreciate the
support she received, which further strengthens our
commitment to ensuring the inclusion of women in all
areas of public life.
 We would thus like to create a regional
community in the context of a global union that in
solidarity and together devotes its efforts to eradicating
hunger and abject poverty, cooperating effectively to
promote the participation of all in building sustainable
prosperity through quality education and the provision
of a social protection system that excludes no one.
 The Republic of Paraguay reiterates its
commitment to prioritize the implementation of
programmes for economic development with social
justice. The national Government is approaching with
dedication the development and implementation of
social policies to address needs in this area, with
special emphasis on the most vulnerable and most
needy of our population. That effort at the national
level also requires international solidarity, enhanced
through the processes of regional and sovereign
integration of the people, as well as through a new
international financial architecture whose institutions
contribute to job creation and to fairer, more equitable
trade conditions among the world’s nations.
 We note with great concern that many citizens of
our countries have had to migrate to other parts of the
world, particularly Europe and North America, in
search of new opportunities for happiness and personal
fulfilment. We take this occasion to show our solidarity
with the peoples who at this moment are suffering from
the consequences of mistaken discriminatory and
violent immigration policies, particularly as applied by
countries of the so-called first world.
 Migration policy is not a domestic issue but
rather a question that must respect international human
rights norms and standards. Therefore we call on all
countries that receive migrants to deal in a spirit of
humanitarianism, fraternity and hospitality with all our
fellow citizens who today seek to share in the right to
work and to a life of dignity far from their respective
countries. We propose a deepening of dialogue on the
issue in international forums to highlight the human
dimension of migration processes and find a just and
equitable solution to that reality of globalization.
 Full employment and decent work are universal
goals, and to reach them requires focusing national
efforts and improving international cooperation to
address macroeconomic and trade issues involved in
the solution to that problem. Bilateral and multilateral
institutions for development assistance should insist on
employment taking a place of prominence in their
policy decisions and implementation.
 Disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control
are not only essential factors to ensure international
peace and security, but they also guarantee sustainable

15 10-55396

economic and social development for the most
vulnerable countries. Only through a sound multilateral
system with strict adherence to international law and
respect for the sovereignty and self-determination of
peoples can we guarantee our mutual security.
 In that vein, we condemn coercive economic
measures that prevent countries from exercising their
sovereign right to choose their own political, economic
and social systems. We reject the unilateral application
of measures against the Republic of Cuba, and we
reiterate our support for the General Assembly
resolutions to put an end to the economic, commercial
and financial blockade against that nation. The
blockade against Cuba undermines the fundamental
norms of international law, the principles of sovereign
equality among States, non-intervention,
non-interference in domestic affairs, freedom of trade
and international navigation and the self-determination
of peoples, as enshrined in instruments of international
law.
 We also demand that the Government of the
United States adopt necessary measures to put an end
to the irregular situation of five Cuban citizens who are
currently deprived of their liberty as they sit in United
States jails and who have denounced the violation of
their human rights.
 The Republic of Paraguay reiterates its
commitment to international peace and security. In that
context we reaffirm our political will to increase our
contribution to peacekeeping missions and to continue
our efforts to train and equip forces in accordance with
the standards of this Organization, so as to
progressively increase our participation in those
operations.
 My country is aware of the serious and complex
threats of climate change around the world. We have
watched with concern the growing negative effects of
irregular climate phenomena that produce drastic
consequences that contribute to increased poverty and
displacement of persons, among other irreparable
effects that must be urgently and uncompromisingly
addressed. We subscribe to the Declaration of the
Cochabamba summit on climate change and call for an
urgent, coordinated and responsible global response to
find ways to mitigate, lessen and reverse the tragic,
devastating consequences of climate change. Likewise,
we proclaim the sovereign rights of peoples over their
natural resources, interpreted in the broadest sense.
 A new international financial architecture is
needed, one that seeks a system of fair trade and
efficient regulation mechanisms. We also need new
paradigms for integration that attack the root causes of
obstacles to integration, such as inequitable exchange
rates and the unequal conditions of international
relations, the weight of unpayable debt and the
imposition of structural changes that undermine the
bases of social and political assistance. We are
convinced that the United Nations, as a global
institution, should play a central role to guarantee the
success of our efforts to achieve better international
coordination and coherence in the economic and
financial spheres.
 The issue of landlocked developing countries is
fundamental to Paraguay’s foreign policy. The
asymmetries and disadvantages created by and still
being created by that geographical situation can be
offset only to the extent that they are internationally
recognized and that there be special, individualized
treatment for such countries on the part of developed
economies on their integration into the globalized
world.
 It is essential that the United Nations implement
the needed reforms with the goal of adapting its
structure to the current needs of global society. With
that desire for evolution, the Republic of Paraguay
supports the process of reform of the Organization so
as to strengthen the General Assembly and recover the
functions conferred on it by the Charter, as the most
representative organ of the Organization.
 Paraguay has also been watching with great
interest the recent rounds of intergovernmental
negotiations about equitable representation on and
increasing the membership of the Security Council and
other related issues. We advocate full adherence to
multilateralism, the sovereign equality of States and
inviolable respect for the rule of law. Accordingly, we
need a Security Council that is more democratic, and
thus its expansion cannot be put off in order to make it
more equitable and inclusive.
 As a contribution from Paraguay to promoting
respect and fraternity — values that strengthen any
organization made up of individuals and nations — we
have proposed to share with the world our tradition of
celebrating friendship. To that end, Paraguay has
presented to the United Nations a proposal to proclaim

10-55396 16

30 July as World Friendship Day, in order to renew
appreciation and recognition among our peoples.
 Sixty-five years ago we said, “We the peoples of
the United Nations”, and Paraguay was among them.
Hence we reaffirm each and every precept enshrined in
the remarkable Preamble to our Charter. We will be at
the side of all, because we believe in the equality of
nations large and small, which will allow us
progressively to improve the conditions under which
justice can be maintained and thereby better the
standards of life in larger freedom. That is our
mandate. We are committed to fulfil it.


At the outset, I would like
to congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President
of the General Assembly, and to stress that you can
count on the full support of the Croatian delegation in
the coming year. At the same time, I would like to
thank Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki for his successful
work as President of the General Assembly over the
past year and for the results achieved under his
leadership.
 The consequences of the serious threats facing
the modern world — from terrorism and the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to
humanitarian crises and climate change, to mention
just a few — reach far beyond the original framework
within which they began. Without exception, they are
acquiring global proportions. In the same way,
contemporary social and economic relationships have
grown far beyond narrow national frameworks and,
through the flow of people, goods, services and capital,
are creating a global network of mutual relations and
influence. Does the recent eruption of the volcano on
Iceland not testify to this in as vivid a manner as the

25 10-55128

joint humanitarian actions undertaken in response to
recent terrifying natural disasters?
 This accelerated development of the
contemporary world, and especially the challenges and
threats to which it is exposed, call on all of us to take
swift action, shoulder joint responsibility and foment
new solidarity. There is no alternative to working
together in today’s world.
 In that vein, the theme you have chosen, Sir, for
the opening of the sixty-fifth session of the General
Assembly reminds us, in focusing on the concept of
global governance, of the role of the Assembly in
formulating the global response to the challenges we
face in today’s world. At the same time, your proposal
calls for an examination of our own contribution to the
formulation of responses to these challenges.
 During its membership of the Security Council,
Croatia promoted the ideas that are the backbone of all
civilized governance and therefore also of global
governance: the importance of the rule of law and the
protection and promotion of international law,
especially human rights and minority rights,
international humanitarian law and transparency in the
work of the main bodies of the United Nations.
 Within the rich legal heritage of the United
Nations, the Millennium Declaration (resolution 55/2)
has particular significance. That document confirms
the global strategy of the United Nations in areas
crucial to the life and well-being of a large proportion
of humankind, and unites the activities of the relevant
institutions in this sphere. For Croatia, implementing
the Millennium Development Goals is of additional
importance because of their strong link with the
priorities related to the process of our accession to the
European Union, which has entered its final phase.
 Croatia has decided to confirm its readiness to
participate in the international activities aimed at
achieving these goals by increasing its financial
contribution to the programmes and activities of the
United Nations. In that context, allow me to mention
the Republic of Croatia’s successful shift from
recipient to provider of international aid. Croatia has
aimed its support at the neighbouring region of South-
East Europe, where our knowledge and experience may
be most useful to the recipient countries.
 Along with its contribution of peacekeeping
troops, police and military experts to 14 international
missions led by the United Nations, NATO and the
European Union, Croatia is also ready to share its
experience with States emerging from armed conflict
by offering expert advice and other services in the field
of security and defence sector reform and in
reintegrating demobilized persons into civilian society.
 I would particularly like to emphasize that
peacebuilding support for countries emerging from
armed conflict is one of the most important and
complex challenges confronting the United Nations. In
that light, Croatia strongly supports the work of the
Peacebuilding Commission and the report (A/64/868,
annex) drawn up by the co-facilitators of the process of
reviewing the United Nations peacebuilding
architecture and the work of the Commission. Croatia
was a founding member of the Peacebuilding
Commission, and, wishing to continue contributing to
the significant efforts being made in this area, has
announced that it will be a candidate for membership
of the Commission for the period 2012-2013.
 However important our joint action at the global
level may be to finding responses to the many
challenges that confront us, it is imperative when it
comes to attempting to find a deterrent to the use of
nuclear weapons. In recent years, we have witnessed a
renewed desire within the international community for
a world without nuclear weapons, which Croatia also
recognized in the historic Security Council summit of
September last year on the prevention of the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, with
President Barack Obama presiding (see S/PV.6191).
 Making its own contribution to the significant
efforts aimed at preventing the proliferation of nuclear
weapons, in June the Republic of Croatia successfully
organized a regional workshop on the implementation
of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004). Of course,
in Croatia we are aware that mere words and adopted
documents are not enough, especially to preventing the
direct threat posed by the possibility of terrorists
getting hold of weapons of mass destruction. We
therefore welcome the concrete steps being taken by
the nuclear States to reduce their nuclear capacities and
to increase the transparency and security of nuclear
reserves.
 At the same time, we must not forget that, in
parallel with the existence of a nuclear threat, the
illegal trade in small arms and light weapons has taken
many human lives. Croatia most strongly condemns

10-55128 26

terrorism and is wholly dedicated to preventing this
threat in all its various forms at the national, regional
and global levels. In an attempt to make a contribution
to these efforts, during its time as a member of the
Security Council Croatia chaired the Counter-
Terrorism Committee for two years. During its
presidency of the Security Council in December 2008,
Croatia organized a debate on the subject of threats to
international peace and security caused by terrorist acts
(see S/PV.6034). The Council then adopted a
presidential statement (S/PRST/2008/45) calling on all
Members of the United Nations to show the same level
of solidarity they displayed immediately after the
tragic events of 11 September 2001.
 As a member of NATO and a future member of
the European Union, Croatia is strongly engaged in
securing peace and stability in South-East Europe. This
is also precisely the reason why we advocate a clear
Euro-Atlantic perspective for all the States in the
region. To realize that perspective, it is first necessary
to accept and fully apply the principles on which
European integration was initiated 60 years ago:
cooperation, dialogue and mutual respect.
 In that spirit, Croatia and Slovenia last year
agreed on a solution to their long-running border
dispute through international arbitration. By my
agreement with Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor,
a new page was turned in Croatian-Slovenian relations,
and at the same time a way was opened for all the other
countries of South-East Europe to realize their right to
a European future through dialogue and cooperation.
 In that sense, I would like here to welcome the
decision by the General Assembly to adopt by
consensus a resolution on Kosovo (64/298) sponsored
by Serbia and the European Union. In this way, a
completely new European paradigm of cooperation,
peace and progress is being created in South-East
Europe. Croatia will lead the way in supporting and
promoting these values throughout the region, and
especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which also has
the right to a Euro-Atlantic perspective as a united
State of three constitutive and equal peoples. There is
no real alternative to the Euro-Atlantic future, and any
attempt to go back to the old and failed ways of the
past would be extremely harmful. This is the only
sphere of peace and security ensuring prosperity in the
Euro-Atlantic zone whose doors will be open to the
countries of South-East Europe that meet the
conditions for membership of NATO and the European
Union.
 With this in mind, the Republic of Croatia
advocates the accepted concept of responsibility for the
protection of civilians against genocide, ethnic
cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity. We
welcome, support and follow with special attention the
work of the International Criminal Court. In the same
vein, allow me to point out here that the Republic of
Croatia supports the work of the International Criminal
Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and welcomes the
Tribunal’s exit strategy.
 Finally, this is an opportunity for me to say that
the Republic of Croatia, in line with its focus to date
on human rights, will continue its activities to protect
and promote them. I especially welcome the
establishment of UN Women as an important and
welcome new body within the Organization, aimed at
supporting gender equality and strengthening the
position of women.
 In closing, allow me to end this address by
asserting that lasting and civilized governance,
especially insofar as it includes the United Nations,
must arise from the individual and return to the
individual. The protection of the dignity of human life,
and the dignity and identity of each nation, is the firm
foundation on which the United Nations can fulfil its
task to promote peace and security in today’s
globalized world.


Allow me
at the outset to congratulate the President of the
General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session, and the
friendly people of Switzerland, on his election. Our
delegation will cooperate with him to its fullest extent
in the performance of his task. We are confident that
his experience and wisdom will be important factors in
the success of the Assembly’s work and in the
achievement of the purposes of the United Nations. I
also thank his predecessor, my close friend Mr. Ali
Abdussalam Treki, for presiding over the Assembly at
its last session.
 The political process in Iraq since the collapse of
the dictatorial regime in 2003 has resulted in radical
political change, as well as in the building of a federal,
democratic, independent and united Iraq with respected
constitutional institutions and a Government elected in
accordance with the Constitution. Achieving that goal

41 10-54833

was neither easy nor simple. Iraq faced many
challenges, foremost of which was confronting
extremist, sectarian and factional forces and countering
terrorist groups and groups of the former dictatorial
regime that are attempting to take Iraq back to the dark
era of mass graves and fruitless wars.
 Those groups have used various means, including
the most heinous crimes, and have allied themselves
with organized crime and transnational terrorist
networks in order to destabilize the security situation
in Iraq. The main task of the Government of Iraq was
to provide security throughout the country and to
strengthen national unity and the rule of law.
 There have been significant developments in Iraq
since I stood before the Assembly last year. This year
and last have witnessed a significant decrease in
violence and a marked improvement in security in Iraq.
Although there were some terrorist acts targeting
innocent civilians in different places in the country, the
overall security situation has improved, and that paved
the way for the withdrawal of United States combat
forces operating in Iraq. The complete pullout of those
forces on 31 August 2010 was based on the Agreement
Between the United States of America and the
Republic of Iraq On the Withdrawal of United States
Forces from Iraq and the Organization of Their
Activities during Their Temporary Presence in Iraq,
signed by both parties on 17 November 2008.
 This year has also seen successful legislative
elections, which were held on 7 March with
considerable Arab, regional and international interest.
The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq and the
observers from the Organization of the Islamic
Conference, the League of Arab States, the
international community and civil society organizations
all expressed their belief that the elections were
transparent, free and fair.
 The principal political parties have been in
continuous communication with the aim of holding a
fruitful session of the newly elected Iraqi Council of
Representatives to elect a Speaker for the new
parliament and the President of the Republic of Iraq,
after which, according to the provisions of the Iraqi
Constitution, the elected President will ask a new
Prime Minister to form a Government. It is our hope
that that new Government will be formed as soon as
possible, as any delay will negatively affect the
security situation, reconstruction and prosperity.
 The improved security situation in Iraq has
encouraged many Arab and other countries to reopen
their diplomatic missions and has helped to develop
Iraqi relations regionally and internationally. The
appointment of new Iraqi ambassadors to various
countries around the world has also helped to promote
and broaden the horizons of those relations. Iraq’s
assuming the presidency of the current session of the
Arab League and of the Arab Summit Conference in
March of next year will promote Iraq’s regional role
and will be considered an important step in its efforts
to regain its global standing as an effective and
responsible member of the international community.
The Government of Iraq will continue to move in that
direction through strengthening its friendships,
cooperation and good-neighbourly efforts, thus creating
greater opportunity for stability and security in the region.
 In the development arena, on 4 April 2010 the
Government of Iraq initiated a national development
plan for the five-year period from 2010 to 2014. It
contains around 2,700 strategic projects in various
sectors at a total cost of $186 billion. That plan will
help to develop the Iraqi economy and enhance the
quality of services provided to Iraqis. It will also create
4 million jobs, thus helping the unemployment problem
in Iraq.
 The national development plan will also help
Iraqi refugees return to their homes. The Government
of Iraq believes that the real solution for the problem
of Iraqi refugees and displaced persons lies in their
return to their homeland and their residences. Iraq
needs the experience of all its citizens to help build the
country’s future. We therefore call upon countries
hosting Iraqi refugees, international organizations and
civil society organizations to promote awareness of the
culture of voluntary return.
 Iraqi women enjoy important status in the new
federal and united Iraq and enjoy political rights equal
to those of men. Women have been granted 25 per cent
of the seats in the Iraqi Council of Representatives.
Additionally, for the first time in many decades, the
women of Iraq have assumed many important
ministerial positions and have represented their country
as ambassadors, this after having been deprived of
those rights for more than 30 years. The Constitution
also guarantees that women grant their nationality to
their children.

10-54833 42

 The Constitution formulated the basic principles
of Iraq’s foreign policy, which focuses on observing
good-neighbourliness and non-interference in the
internal affairs of other States, the resolution of
disputes by peaceful means and the establishment of
international relations based on shared interests and
respect for Iraq’s international obligations. On that
basis, we seek to establish the best relations with
sisterly Arab and Islamic countries and are committed
to the resolutions of the Arab League and the
Organization of the Islamic Conference.
 In this spirit we support the Palestinian people’s
just struggle to secure their inalienable rights,
including the establishment of a Palestinian State on
the land of Palestine, as we work to implement the
internationally legitimate resolutions aimed at
returning the occupied Arab territories. We consider the
Arab Peace Initiative to be a practical step towards
resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict and achieving
security, peace and stability in the Middle East.
 We also call for making the Middle East a zone
free of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass
destruction, which would enhance the prospects for
peace and security in the region. We call on all States
that have not yet done so to accede to the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and
comply with its provisions.
 With regard to the Iranian nuclear issue, Iraq
believes in the legitimate right of States to use nuclear
energy for peaceful purposes. That is a right
guaranteed by international conventions, including the
NPT. We stress the importance of reaching a peaceful
solution to that issue, and that dialogue and quiet
diplomacy are the most effective ways to achieve that
goal. Any escalation would harm the interests of all
parties and would endanger regional security.
 The most important issue Iraq continues to face is
the removal of the burden created by Security Council
resolutions adopted against it under Chapter VII of the
United Nations Charter. By reviewing those
resolutions, in accordance with Council resolution
1859 (2008) and in response to the report of the
Secretary-General in document S/2009/385, we have
been working diligently with our friends and members
of the Council to settle all the outstanding issues
concerning the situation in Iraq.
 At the forefront of those issues are the remaining
restrictions on Iraq in the field of disarmament, the
conclusion of the remaining contracts under the Oil-
for-Food programme and finding the right mechanism
for guaranteeing Iraqi funds following the replacement
of the Development Fund for Iraq and the International
Advisory and Monitoring Board for Iraq. Iraq would
like to see those dossiers closed by the end of this year.
 The newly elected Iraqi Government will also
deal with the situation between Iraq and sisterly
Kuwait and related issues, such as the maintenance of
border pillars, compensation and missing Kuwaiti
persons and properties. We will work seriously with
our Kuwaiti brothers, other stakeholders and United
Nations organs to reach a settlement that satisfies all
parties without prejudice to our obligations under
Security Council resolutions, concerning which we
emphasize our respect and commitment.
 The situation in Iraq has changed as a result of
the important positive developments since the collapse
of the former regime and the end of the dictatorship. It
is drastically different from the situation at the time the
Security Council adopted resolution 661 (1990). For
that reason, and following the adoption of resolution
1859 (2008) and the publication of the report of the
Secretary-General pursuant to paragraph 5 of that
resolution (S/2009/385), we believe that the time is
ripe for the Council to act in accordance with the
Secretary-General’s report and the mandate set out in
resolution 1859 (2008). Also, in keeping with its
responsibility for the maintenance of international
peace and security, it is time for the Council to review
resolutions pertaining specifically to Iraq, beginning
with resolution 661 (1990), with a view to helping Iraq
achieve the international standing it enjoyed before
those resolutions were adopted.
 The current political process in Iraq aims at
building a federal, democratic, independent and united
Iraq, where citizens work within a constitutional
framework that guarantees the rule of law, where
human rights are protected and where all segments of
the Iraqi people are treated with full respect. We have
great faith in our ability and potential, as a country rich
in natural and human resources, to achieve those
objectives.
 However, at this important stage in the life of the
Iraqi people, we continue to need the political and
economic support of and cooperation from the
international community in order to stand on a firm
foundation — one that will enable us to advance

43 10-54833

towards a future in which not only can we promote our
country’s and our people’s stability, progress and
prosperity, but also contribute fully as a member of the
international community to the achievement of peace,
security and sustainable development for all nations.


Mr. President, I would like to
join other delegations that have preceded me in
offering my congratulations and those of my delegation
on your election as President of the General Assembly
at its sixty-fifth session. I am convinced that your
political experience and diplomatic skill will assist and
guide this Assembly in its deliberations, especially in
addressing important and critical issues on the
international agenda.
 I also congratulate your predecessor, Mr. Ali
Abdussalam Treki, for the excellent manner in which
he presided over the sixty-fourth session of the
Assembly. Through his commitment and leadership
role, Mr. Treki successfully guided the Assembly in
dealing effectively with a number of priority issues
facing our Organization.
 I also take this opportunity to express our sincere
appreciation to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his
dedication and untiring efforts to ensure that our
Organization lives up to the purposes and principles of
the Charter of the United Nations. His comprehensive
report on the work of the Organization (A/65/1)
indicates in no uncertain terms the progress the United
Nations has made under his leadership and guidance,
for which Malta is extremely grateful.
 During the past 12 months, the international
community has been overwhelmed by the global and
financial crises. The crises have been exacerbated by
many humanitarian tragedies around the world. Natural
disasters, terrorist attacks, armed violence and internal
conflicts have continued to produce havoc, destruction,
loss of life and the increased forced displacement of
people worldwide. In the face of these negative
realities, our Organization has continued to be the
refuge of the most vulnerable and deprived of our
societies, to address increasing inequalities, to respond
cohesively and rapidly to disasters and calamities, and
to seek to improve the very nature of the existence and
survival of humankind. It is an accepted norm that
there is no development without security, no security
without development, and neither without respect for
human rights.
 Important achievements have been registered in
recent months in the area of disarmament and
non-proliferation. The new Treaty on Measures for the
Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic
Offensive Arms, designed to replace the 1991 START I
agreement and signed in Prague in April by the
Presidents of the United States and the Russian
Federation, created the appropriate political momentum
for preparing the way for a successful outcome to the
2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on
the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

10-55264 2

 Malta is particularly pleased that among the
agreed actions taken by the Conference was the
endorsement by the NPT States parties of the
convening by the Secretary-General, the Russian
Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States,
in consultation with the countries of the region, of a
conference in 2012 to address the establishment in the
Middle East of a zone free of nuclear and all other
weapons of mass destruction.
 The General Assembly’s resolutions recognize
that positive developments worldwide, but particularly
in Europe, the Maghreb and the Middle East, can be
enhanced by closer Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in
all spheres. Thirty-five years ago, on 1 August 1975,
the Conference on Security and Cooperation in
Europe — now the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) — meeting in Helsinki,
Finland, adopted the Final Act, incorporating an
important chapter dedicated exclusively to the
Mediterranean that affirmed, among other things, that
security in the Mediterranean is closely linked to
European security, as well as to international peace and
security.
 Malta, a European country but nonetheless
Mediterranean, has worked for many years, and even
since becoming a Member of this Organization,
towards a Euro Mediterranean foreign policy that
embraces confidence- and security-building initiatives
that further enhance dialogue and understanding in our
region. Indeed, my country has been present at the
creation of all the Mediterranean forums in existence
today. Through its membership of the European Union,
Malta has solidified these efforts in a manner that
promotes the ever-increasing connectedness of the
European-Mediterranean partnership.
 Today, Malta is the host of the European
Commission-League of Arab States Liaison Office,
which has formalized relations between the European
Commission and the Arab world in a way that has
never been done before. Indeed, Malta has translated
its character as an interlocutor with a European identity
and Mediterranean characteristics into the role of a
political and cultural bridge to our neighbours to the
North and South, and even beyond.
 But our commitment to the Mediterranean
dimension does not stop there. Malta continues to seize
every opportunity to contribute further to this dialogue
of partners. This has certainly been the case within the
Union for the Mediterranean, where Malta has played
an active part in ensuring that the requisite momentum
is maintained despite occasional political hurdles. In
the institutional domain, Malta has nominated a Deputy
Secretary-General, an honour accorded to six Union
members. The Maltese Deputy Secretary-General has
been entrusted with the portfolio covering social and
civil affairs, an area undoubtedly of vital interest to all
Union partners.
 Next month, Malta will host the Mediterranean
Conference of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, which will address, from a
Mediterranean perspective, issues currently being
debated within the OSCE in the dialogue on the future
of European security. On 8 and 9 November, Malta will
be the venue for the first regional conference for the
Mediterranean of the United Nations Alliance of
Civilizations. The regional conference is expected to
adopt a strategy document and an action plan
expressing the commitment of the Group of Friends of
the Alliance to advancing goals in concrete terms in a
region where intercultural dialogue and cooperation
have great potential for success in overcoming the big
challenges the region faces.
 In the first half of 2011 Malta, a member of the
Western Mediterranean Forum since 1991, intends to
host the second Summit of Heads of State and
Government of the Forum, known as the 5+5. The
convening of the Summit, the second of its kind in
seven years, should, among other purposes, serve to
reaffirm the relevance of the 5+5 dialogue in the
current context. Malta continues to attach great value
to this informal mechanism as a platform for open and
frank discussion between North and South.
 It is also of satisfaction to record the successful
first joint International Meeting in Support of Israeli-
Palestinian Peace, held in Malta last February, and
organized by the United Nations Committee on the
Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian
People and the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Mediterranean. In this context I would like to
recognize the importance of resolution 64/124, adopted
by the General Assembly in December 2009, whereby
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean,
whose seat is in Malta, was granted observer status and
invited to participate in the sessions and work of the
General Assembly.

3 10-55264

 That brings me to an issue that closely involves
the Mediterranean region. I am referring to the
situation in the Middle East, with the Palestinian
question at its core. Malta joins other Member States in
welcoming the decision reached last month between
the Israelis and the Palestinians to resume direct
negotiations to resolve all permanent status issues. The
launching of direct negotiations on 2 September in
Washington, D.C., followed by the Sharm el-Sheikh
and Jerusalem meetings, has renewed the sense of
urgency and expectation for the resolution of an issue
that has been on the international agenda for these last
62 years. The intense and unstinting efforts made
during these past few months by the Quartet, the
Secretary-General and the Arab League, as well as the
Israelis and Palestinians themselves, in addition to the
valuable contribution of the United States
Administration, have opened new possibilities for the
emergence of an independent, democratic and viable
Palestinian State living side by side in peace and
security with Israel. As a member of the international
community, Malta will continue to play its part within
the United Nations, the European Union and other
international, regional and subregional forums to
support the creation of the right conditions for all
peoples of the Mediterranean and the Middle East to
live in peace and prosperity.
 This year has brought us stark reminders of the
devastation and loss of life that we can expect from
climate change if it continues unabated. Yet, despite
such warnings, the international community has yet to
adopt a sufficiently ambitious response strategy that
would bind us all to contributing fairly to mitigating
climate change, keeping it within manageable limits.
Important steps have indeed been taken over the past
two decades, but the great expectations of a decisive
push forward in Copenhagen last year were not
realized. Nevertheless, we must persevere on the road
ahead — perhaps more pragmatically than
dramatically. Copenhagen did produce several seeds of
agreement that can be harvested in Cancún in
December, where operational decisions could advance
action on several fronts of broad interest to Member
States.
 Integrating the expected climatic impacts into our
vision of the future is in fact a requirement for all of
us, large and small. Yet the topic often lingers on the
sidelines of policymaking. We must give adaptation the
political and economic attention it deserves and ensure
well-targeted financial support to vulnerable countries
or communities most in need of it. I would also like to
underline the potential of cooperative action on
adaptation at regional levels, and it is in this context
that Malta is supporting the Mediterranean Climate
Change Initiative announced by the Prime Minister of
Greece.
 The protection of the human being continues to
constitute a top priority for my country. In this regard,
we have witnessed during the past year important
developments within the United Nations that will
significantly contribute to delivering results for a more
just world and to putting system-wide coherence into
practice. We note the progress, small but most
welcome, on the discussion on the responsibility to
protect. It will be recalled that five years ago, the 2005
World Summit Outcome (resolution 60/1) called for an
expansion of the United Nations capabilities for early
warning and assessment of possible genocide, war
crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity,
in addition to supporting the establishment of an early
warning capability. Malta therefore highly commends
the interactive dialogue that took place in July and
commends the initiative of the Secretary-General to set
up a United Nations joint office to deal with the
prevention of genocide and the wider range of crimes
and violations covered by the responsibility to protect.
 Another important development has been the
United Nations Global Plan of Action against
Trafficking in Persons (see resolution 64/293, annex).
Still another aspect of human trafficking is the
smuggling of human beings. The phenomenon of
illegal immigration, stoked by the greed and callous
operations of organized criminal groups in the
Mediterranean, is putting at risk the lives of hundreds
of immigrants on the threshold of Europe. Malta has
for some years now been a country of destination,
attracting a disproportionate influx of illegal
immigrants and asylum-seekers. Malta’s need for
assistance in providing beneficiaries of international
protection with a durable solution has been recognized
by many. While Malta affirms its commitment to
abiding by its international obligations, at the same
time we reiterate our calls on the international
community to continue to assist us in the process of
resettling these unfortunate people.
 While not new phenomena, piracy and armed
robbery at sea against vessels continue to be an issue of
grave concern for international navigation and the

10-55264 4

safety of commercial maritime routes. Malta, as one of
the leading flag States in the world, is very much
concerned about the increase in the frequency and
ferocity of pirate attacks on merchant ships off the
coast of Somalia. It is to address that concern that we
intend to promote a debate within the international
community on new issues, such as piracy, in the sphere
of the law of the sea which have cropped up since the
adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Law
of the Sea in 1982.
 We intend to launch a fresh and constructive
debate among like-minded States on the question of
human responsibilities. Even though we are here
treading on ground that may prove to be difficult, we
believe that while the fundamental rights and freedoms
of the individual form the cornerstone of a free and
democratic society, so do human responsibilities.
Rights and duties are two sides of the same coin. Our
commitment to duties should be as firm as that to
rights. Stressing the rights of society and our duties
towards others — which in no case should overshadow
our attention to the rights of the individual — puts
emphasis on that which keeps society together. Malta
shall take up this matter to achieve a measure of
progress in this field in the international community.
 Before concluding, allow me to pay a tribute in
memory to President Guido de Marco, one of my
predecessors, who as Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister for Foreign Affairs, and as President of Malta,
bestowed honour on his country and the people of
Malta, which he loved dearly. His passing away last
month left a great void not only among the Maltese
population, but also for the many who worked with
him for the betterment of those in the international
community who are oppressed, weak and vulnerable.
 Twenty years ago, this Assembly elected him to
serve as President at the forty-fifth session. His strong
belief in and steadfast support of the United Nations
can be encapsulated in his own words at the opening
plenary of the session on 18 September 1990 when, in
referring to the enormous challenges that lay ahead, he
stated that
 “equally enormous is the political will to
guarantee that mankind’s destiny is safeguarded
not only by individual countries, but by a strong
United Nations” (A/45/PV.1, p. 22).
 His election as President ushered in, among other
things, new initiatives for the revitalization of our
General Assembly — a legacy that has continued and
continues today. By following Guido de Marco’s vision
for and love of the United Nations, my country shall
continue supporting this Organization and its
Secretary-General to make our world a better place for
present and future generations.


Mr. President, on behalf of the Government of Yemen,
I am pleased to express to you our warm
congratulations on your assumption of the presidency
of the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. We
are confident that your abilities and wisdom, Sir, will
lead to the success of this session in fulfilment of its
desired goal.
 I also wish to refer with appreciation and pride to
the good work of Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, the
previous President of the General Assembly, and
congratulate him for his tireless efforts that led the
previous session to a successful conclusion, not the
least of which was his participation in the High-level
Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
 We also wish to thank His Excellency Mr. Ban
Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, for
his continuous efforts to reform our Organization and
increase its role in the humanitarian and development
fields and in the achievement of international peace
and security.
 The Republic of Yemen is witnessing complex
development and political, social and environmental
challenges. A number of factors and circumstances
have led to their formation, including the international
financial crisis, with its negative effect on the Yemeni
economy, and a decline in our progress towards the
achievement of the MDGs. There is a severe shortage
of available resources owing to the low production and
low price of oil, on which the Government depends as
a main source of income, representing 75 per cent of its
general income. There has also been a decline in
remittances from expatriates and in tourism, in addition

5 10-55264

to overpopulation, paucity of water resources, and
limited contributions from development partners for
funding anti-poverty programmes and providing decent
standards of living for our citizens.
 Yemen’s pro rata share of official development
assistance (ODA) is the lowest of the least developed
countries in the world. With a view to achieving
economic development and conducting financial and
economic reforms, my country has recently concluded
an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to
implement a programme that will lead to financial
straightening out of the budget deficit and stem the
progressive decline in Government level of support for
fuel in a manner that would contribute to alleviating
the general budgetary burden falling on the State.
 A number of administrative, financial and
judiciary reforms have been adopted, as have efforts to
combat corruption and to apply decentralization of
power. My Government is now trying to develop its
fourth five-year development plan for the years 2011-
2015. We have started a political dialogue with
opposition parties in order to find agreement on how to
address all the challenges faced by Yemen. We have set
up election laws and introduced a number of
constitutional reforms, called for the formation of a
National Unity Government, in preparation for
conducting parliamentary elections next April.
 Last week, there were a number of meetings in
New York on a new initiative regarding cooperation
with Yemen, under the name of Friends of Yemen.
Participants included representatives of the Gulf
Cooperation Council, the European Union, the five
permanent members of the Security Council, along
with Turkey, Jordan and Egypt, as well as international
donor funds and institutions. The purpose of the
meeting was to garner support for our efforts to
achieve development and combat extremism, terrorism
and piracy. We are confident that this cooperation will
strengthen our security capabilities to carry out our
development plans, reinforce our ability to combat
terrorism and protect sea lanes in the Gulf of Aden and
the southern part of the Red Sea from piracy and
protect our borders.
 Among the challenges Yemen has faced are the
difficult political developments following a rebellion in
the Governorate of Sa’dah, which has complicated the
Government’s efforts at achieving national peace and
reconstruction. This rebellion, in addition to six wars
imposed on Yemen, have caused the displacement of
tens of thousands of citizens and forced the
establishment of refugee camps in coordination with
international relief organizations. The conflict came to
an end once the rebel group accepted the six conditions
that the Government posed, including the release of a
great number of prisoners and agreeing to the Doha
Accords, the time frame and implementation of which,
as sponsored by sisterly Qatar, we are in the process of
carrying out. The Government has responded by
peacefully reaching out to the rebels, while upholding
the principle of sovereignty and the rule of law
throughout the country. The country upheld the right to
confront any groups that violate the Constitution and
the rule of law, or that practise terrorism, violence or
sabotage.
 My country is also suffering from the terrorist
activities of Al-Qaida, which has been carrying out
new operations, such as assassinating leaders in our
security sector. It is trying to entrench its position on
the Arabian Peninsula by cooperating with opponents
to Yemeni unity, such as the southern secessionists,
who call for secession in defiance of the will of the
majority of the Yemeni people. They also support
subversive elements in Sa’dah, in service of the
interests of Al-Qaida, and seek to spread instability and
anarchy in the country through their terrorist activities
targeting Yemen, the region and the rest of the world.
 Our security apparatus has managed to make
headway in arresting many terrorists and aborting their
operations. These terrorists now live in a state of fear
and are unable to carry out their terrorist plans. As a
complement to the efforts to liquidate Al Qaida, there
remains a pressing and important need to build and
foster national abilities and coordinate intelligence and
security activities.
 Experience has proven that outside interference
designed to combat terrorism further compounds the
situation and paves the way for local sympathy for
terrorist groups. Yemen is an effective partner with the
international community in combating terrorism. Our
success today in waging pre-emptive strikes against
Al-Qaida requires that the international community
take a strong stand by providing us with its full
backing and support.
 Since its assumption of the chairmanship of the
Group of 77 and China, the Republic of Yemen has
enthusiastically and willingly tried to reach consensus

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on a number of issues of interest to the Group and that
will maintain the unity and solidarity of the Group and
further its relations with the developed countries.
Recently, Yemen led the difficult negotiations to arrive
at the outcome document of the High-level Plenary
Meeting of the sixty-fifth session of the General
Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals
(resolution 65/1), which contains a work programme
for the coming five years. Yemen’s leadership of the
Group enabled it to achieve much of the South’s
agenda, which serves the interests of all developing
countries. It is leading other, highly complex
negotiations on conventions having to do with the
environment and climate change.
 We are proud to have chaired the meetings of the
Group of 77 and China on the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change. Our
effective participation in the work of the relevant
committees has led to a compromise and middle
ground that we hope will lead to the success that has
thus far remained out of reach.
 We must focus on the suffering of more than
20 million Pakistanis caused by the recent floods,
calling on the international community, particularly the
super-Powers, to shoulder their responsibilities towards
the Pakistani people as well as their responsibility
vis-à-vis the impact of climate change in the future and
its potential destructive effects. We call upon all
Member States to responsibly stand by the sisterly
Government of Pakistan with a view to alleviating the
suffering of its internally displaced persons.
 I would like to take this opportunity to extend our
warmest condolences to the Governments and peoples
of States that have recently been affected by natural
disasters, particularly Pakistan, China, the Russian
Federation and Haiti.
 It is, of course, a fact that the Arab-Israeli
conflict threatens international stability and security.
The history of efforts to solve this conflict shows
clearly that Israeli recalcitrance and the Israeli
Government’s settlement policies, as well as its refusal
to abide by the internationally legitimate resolutions
and the Arab Peace Initiative or ensure the legitimate
rights of the Palestinians are the main barriers to the
achievement of peace.
 The international community, in particular the
main sponsors of the peace talks and especially the
United States, should give Israel one last chance to
abide by all of the resolutions, previous agreements
and calls relating to the promulgation of peace in
addition to the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian
State on its soil and the cessation of settlement-
building. Furthermore, if Israel continues to reject
peace, the Security Council should impose a solution to
the conflict in accordance with relevant resolutions of
international legitimacy and under Chapter VII of the
Charter. Israel must also accede to the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and enter into
serious talks with the International Atomic Energy
Agency aimed at making the Middle East a region free
from weapons of mass destruction and to assert the
right of States in the region to the peaceful use of
nuclear technology.
 Despite the numerous meetings of the Security
Council and the International Contact Group on
Somalia, the situation in Somalia remains dangerous
and threatening to the security and stability of the
region. It is regrettable that, given the growing piracy
phenomenon, its expansion and its threat to
international navigation, the international community
has not taken effective steps to support the temporary
Somali Government, enable it to build its State and
institutions, support its security capacity and army and
support the African peacekeeping force. This has made
the Somali Government and people feel embittered,
having witnessed the non fulfilment by the
international community of its commitments and
obligations to the Somali Government.
 Yemen bears the burden of the outflow of
thousands of refugees from the Horn of Africa, most of
whom are from Somalia. We are well aware of the
effects of the security, political and humanitarian
situation in Somalia on Yemen and the region. The
United Nations and the Security Council in particular
should shoulder their responsibility to restore security
and stability to Somalia.
 Here, we acknowledge the efforts of the Sudanese
Government to bring about the success of dialogue
with the opposition forces, and we commend the Qatari
mediation efforts to achieve peace in Darfur and the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement with the South.
Dialogue is the only means to maintain the unity of the
Sudan and achieve security and stability there. We call
upon all Sudanese parties to shoulder their
responsibilities and to effectively participate in the
dialogue in a manner that fulfils the high national

7 10-55264

interests of the Sudanese people and retains their social
integrity and unity.
 We call for the revocation of the International
Criminal Court warrant against his Excellency
President Omer Al Bashir, since this does not respect
the sovereignty of the State and impedes efforts to
achieve peace in the Sudan.
 The parliamentary elections in Iraq reflected the
Iraqi people’s support for the democratic option and
the Iraqi Constitution. We are confident that they will
employ dialogue to solve all of their differences and
avoid all sectarian and factional conflicts and disputes.
We are hopeful that the Iraqi national leadership will
agree to the formation of the Government and put Iraq
on the road towards development, construction and
stability.
 The Republic of Yemen hosted a ministerial
meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
at the beginning of last month. At that meeting, it was
reiterated that it was necessary to strengthen
cooperation among its member States in the fields of
trade, investment, tourism, culture and education,
fisheries; and efforts to combat epidemics, natural
disasters, the challenges of climate change and piracy
on the high seas.
 We also hosted the extraordinary ministerial
meeting of the Sana’a Forum for Cooperation,
emphasizing the need to achieve security and stability
in the Horn of Africa and the south of the Red Sea, and
to combat extremism, piracy and terrorism in the Horn
of Africa and the Arabian Sea.
 We have hosted these and other ministerial and
regional meetings based on our desire to achieve
collective cooperation in order to maintain peace and
security among the peoples of the region and the
world, in accordance with the lofty goals of the United
Nations.
 Despite all the appeals to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) and the humanitarian
themes included in the Goals, the international
situation, which has been affected by the financial
crisis, the fluctuation of energy prices and natural
disasters leading to increases in the price of crops and
other foodstuffs, has dissuaded developed countries
from fulfilling their obligations to assist and support
the least developed countries. There is fear that the
specified time frame for achieving the MDGs will pass
and the developed countries will not fulfil their
obligations towards the developing and least developed
countries.
 In Yemen, we have positively dealt with these
Goals in accordance with our limited capacity. Our
Government has adopted a national strategy to
eradicate poverty. This has been reflected in our
national development plans. We are trying our best,
with the cooperation of the international community, to
implement this strategy. Our Government has taken a
number of measures to increase the allocation of
budgetary funds for education and to build more
schools as well as to enhance the educational cadres,
developing primary education, encouraging education
for girls and widening the scope of adult illiteracy
reduction. We are trying to improve gender equality
and the empowerment of women to participate in
political life. We have provided health care for mothers
and children, spreading cultural and health awareness.
This has led to low infant mortality rates. We have
conducted health campaigns to eliminate epidemics
and the spread of AIDS.
 Yemen suffers from scarce water resources and
overpopulation, which adversely affect the
sustainability and soundness of the environment. We
have therefore made national plans to study the
situation, better understand the problems, and protect
the environment as part of our national plans for
development.
 We have spent a great deal on imposing the rule
of law and on combating terrorism and other
subversive elements. We have taken in more than
700,000 refugees from the Horn of Africa, which has
limited our expenditure on development and poverty
reduction, on improving the standards of living of our
citizens, on providing employment for our youth, on
improving education and health care and on the
achievement of the MDGs. We therefore call on our
friends, partners, international donors and international
organizations and financial institutions to help us
combat terrorism. They must fulfil their obligations
and extend the necessary support to Yemen to help us
achieve sustainable development and the
socio-economic and political stability to which we
aspire.